GMU 421 - Camano, Washington
Unit info
- Game species
- Black-tailed Deer
- Group
- Region 4
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- 3%
Which slopes are warming, which way the wind is drifting up or down the draws, and the benches and points that fit a mature buck's bed, mapped inside this unit's boundary.
Black-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General (over-the-counter); Second Deer Antlerless Special Permit (limited draw)
- Reported harvest
- GMU 421 harvest declined in 2023 relative to 2022, consistent with AHD impacts seen across District 13 island GMUs. Per-unit harvest data complicated by hunter misreporting of unit number across island GMUs. Total District 13 island GMU combined harvest ranged approximately 295–404 deer per year from 2017–2024.
- Archery season
- Early archery: Sept. 1–25; Late archery: Nov. 25–Dec. 31. Legal deer: any deer.
- General season
- Modern firearm general: Oct. 17–Nov. 1. Legal deer: any deer.
- Muzzleloader season
- Early muzzleloader: Sept. 26–Oct. 4; Late muzzleloader: Nov. 25–Dec. 15. Legal deer: any deer.
Close-cover still-hunting and stand hunting along residential and farm edges. Dense brush makes spot-and-stalk difficult. Early morning and late evening movement along field edges and clearings is most productive. Rut hunting (late October through December) can be effective when bucks are moving. Access is the primary challenge — private land permission or hunting limited county and land-trust parcels is required.
Draw odds for Black-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
About this unit
Sign in to contributeGMU 421 (Camano) is a 39-square-mile island unit in Island County, Washington, separated from the mainland by Port Susan Bay and connected via SR 532 near Stanwood. Columbian black-tailed deer are abundant but the unit is approximately 97% private land, making access the defining challenge — hunters must secure private land permission well in advance or hunt the handful of small public parcels managed by Island County Parks and the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. The island's low-elevation, densely brushed terrain and active deer herd make it productive when access is obtained, but the unit's style of hunting — close-cover, edge-habitat stalking on small parcels — is not suited to everyone.
- WDFW 2025 District 13 Hunting Prospects (August 2025)
- WDFW 2023 District 13 Hunting Prospects
- WDFW 2022 District 13 Hunting Prospects
- WDFW 2018 District 13 Hunting Prospects
- Washington Deer General Seasons — eRegulations (2026)
- Washington Deer Special Permits — eRegulations (2026)
- Camano Island — Wikipedia
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about GMU 421 - Camano— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about GMU 421 - Camano.
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Boundaries: WDFW official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 114d ago.