GMU 419 - Guemes, Washington

Small island (~5 miles long, ~2 miles wide) in Skagit County, situated between Bellingham Channel and Anacortes on the mainland. Low-relief glacially-derived topography: a gently rolling plain of glacial drift in the north and center transitioning to steeper, bedrock-prominent hills in the southeast. Highest point is Guemes Mountain at 688 feet, offering views of the San Juan Islands, Mount Baker, and the Olympics. Shoreline includes tidal flats and small sandy beaches. Vegetation is characterized by dense second-growth conifer forest (Douglas-fir, western red cedar), mixed alder-maple riparian corridors, brushy clearings, and small hobby-farm fields. Elevation range sea level to 688 ft.

Public hunting land on Guemes Island is essentially nonexistent. The island is composed almost entirely of private residential and agricultural parcels, many small. Access requires written landowner permission — standard courtesy, though not mandated by county ordinance as in San Juan County. WDFW's Private Lands Access Program (PLAP) does not currently list Guemes-specific enrolled properties; check the WDFW Hunt Planner webmap and PLAP website for any newly enrolled parcels each season. There is no scheduled ferry-accessible public wildlife area, state park open to hunting, or DNR block on Guemes. Access to the island is by private boat or the Guemes Island Ferry from Anacortes (Skagit County ferry, ~5-minute crossing).

Dense mixed conifer-hardwood forest (Douglas-fir, western red cedar, big-leaf maple, red alder) covering the majority of the island interior. Brushy shrub zones (salal, sword fern, Himalayan blackberry) are abundant and provide both forage and escape cover. Agricultural clearings, hobby farms, and rural homesteads create productive edge habitat attractive to deer. Riparian corridors along seasonal drainages offer travel lanes. Overall cover is thick, making visibility short — well-suited to spot-and-stalk or stand hunting from elevated positions overlooking clearings.

Island deer herds are effectively isolated from mainland gene flow. Columbian black-tailed deer on Guemes move freely across the small island with no migration pressure — they are year-round residents. Bucks are typically smaller-bodied than mainland counterparts. The rut on Pacific Northwest islands typically begins late October and can extend through late December, with peak activity in mid-November. Deer concentrate near farm fields, orchard edges, and second-growth forest margins at dusk and dawn. Thick brush provides midday bedding cover. No elk or moose present.

CRITICAL REGULATION — FIREARM RESTRICTION: All mainland areas and islands in Skagit County west of I-5 and north of the Skagit/Snohomish County line, including GMU 419 (Guemes), are firearm-restricted for big game hunting. Centerfire and rimfire rifles are prohibited. Legal methods by tag type: archery tags — bow/arrow only during archery seasons; muzzleloader tags — muzzleloader, crossbow, or archery equipment during muzzleloader seasons; modern firearm tags — shotgun, handgun (.40 cal or larger), crossbow, muzzleloader, or bow and arrow. WDFW District 13 wildlife biologist: Kurt Licence, 360-503-1086, kurt.licence@dfw.wa.gov. Misreporting of harvest GMU is a known issue across island units in District 13; WDFW has noted this complicates accurate population assessment for Guemes specifically. No draw or special permit required — general deer tags are valid. No elk in GMU 419. CWD not detected in western Washington as of 2025.