GMU 414 - Lopez, Washington

Lopez Island spans approximately 30 square miles and is notably the flattest of the major San Juan Islands. Rolling terrain of mixed second-growth forest, open farmland, and rocky coastal headlands characterizes the unit. Elevations are low — generally under 500 feet — with the highest ground at Lopez Hill (~400 ft) in the south-central interior. The southern tip features more rugged coastal bluffs at Iceberg Point, Point Colville, and Watmough Bay, surrounded by marine shoreline. The island sits in the rain shadow of the Olympics, receiving less precipitation than mainland Washington, with a mild Mediterranean-influenced climate (warm dry summers, mild wet winters). Dense Douglas-fir, red alder, and Oregon white oak stands alternate with open meadows and sheep pasture.

Access to Lopez Island requires Washington State Ferries from Anacortes (approximately 45-minute sailing, first island stop). Lopez Island Airport (LPS) on the west side also receives commercial flights. Once on island, there are no bridges. Public hunting land is extremely limited: (1) BLM San Juan Islands National Monument — Iceberg Point, Point Colville, Watmough Bay, and Chadwick Hill parcels on southern Lopez Island total over 500 acres and represent the largest contiguous huntable public land block in the unit; a WDFW/BLM/Land Bank information kiosk is staffed at the Chadwick Hill/Point Colville trailhead during season. (2) San Juan County Conservation Land Bank — Lopez Hill Preserve (south-central Lopez) allows limited archery and muzzleloader hunting Sept 1–Oct 31 with required written permission from the Land Bank (contact: amandaw@sjclandbank.org). (3) Spencer Spit State Park and Shark Reef Park are closed to hunting. The vast majority of Lopez Island is private agricultural and residential land; hunting on private land requires explicit landowner permission under San Juan County Code 9.08.

Second-growth Douglas-fir and western red cedar forest dominates the forested portions. Red alder lines drainages and disturbed areas. Oregon white oak savannas occur in drier south-facing areas. The understory includes sword fern, salal, Oregon grape, and blackberry — typical dense Pacific lowland brush. Open areas feature grasses, Scotch broom (invasive), and hedgerows. Coastal bluffs at Iceberg Point and Point Colville support native prairie remnants and rocky outcrops with Pacific madrone. Agricultural fields (sheep, hay) are scattered across the island interior and provide deer feeding areas at dawn and dusk.

Black-tailed deer on Lopez Island are a resident island population with no immigration or emigration from mainland herds. Deer are present island-wide but concentrate in forest-edge habitat, second-growth timber, and brushy draws. Southern Lopez (BLM parcels, Lopez Hill) sees higher deer density due to intact forest cover and reduced human disturbance. No elk are present in GMU 414 — District 13 has no established elk herd on any San Juan Island. Black bear are not established on Lopez Island. Cougar are extremely rare or absent. European rabbits occur on the island. The 2024 general season recorded 52 deer harvested by 107 hunters.

San Juan County is a designated Firearm Restriction Area under WDFW regulations. Centerfire and rimfire rifles are strictly prohibited for hunting throughout the entire county including all San Juan Island GMUs (411–416, 423, 424, and portions of 410). Modern firearm tag holders are limited to: shotguns, revolver-type handguns, semi-automatic handguns .40 caliber (10mm) or larger, muzzleloaders, crossbows, and archery equipment. This makes the unit effectively a shotgun/handgun/muzzleloader/archery unit even during general modern firearm seasons. San Juan County Code 9.08 additionally requires all hunters carry written permission from the landowner for any discharge of firearms, making private land access logistically complex. The Lopez Hill Land Bank preserve requires written permission obtained in advance from Land Bank staff before season. State bag limit is 2 deer per season. WDFW and BLM staff an information kiosk at the Chadwick Hill/Point Colville trailhead providing safety guidelines, season info, and loaner hunter-orange vests for all recreationists in the area.