GMU 501 - Lincoln, Washington

The unit occupies 232 square miles of rolling to moderately steep terrain in western Lewis County. Lower elevations near Interstate 5 and the Chehalis River consist of floodplain agricultural areas, rural residences, and small farms. Moving westward and upward, the landscape transitions into the Doty Hills — timbered, second-growth conifer slopes managed heavily by industrial timber companies. Elevation ranges roughly from 100 to 2,400 feet. Vegetation shifts from riparian hardwood-alder fringes and agricultural margins at the valley floor to Douglas-fir and western red cedar-dominated second-growth forest on the hills. Dense brush layers including salal, sword fern, and blackberry characterize post-harvest regenerating stands, providing excellent black-tailed deer cover.

Primary access routes are State Route 6 and Lincoln Creek Road. Public land (~35%) consists of three blocks of DNR state land; Weyerhaeuser holds the largest private industrial block (~45%) and requires hunters to purchase motorized access permits ($250-$400) or non-motorized permits ($75-$125). Some Weyerhaeuser parcels enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program are open to free public hunting — check the WDFW Private Lands Hunting Access webpage to locate enrolled parcels. Other industrial timberlands may restrict motorized access during high fire danger in August-October. No U.S. Forest Service land falls within this GMU; the Gifford Pinchot NF lies in the eastern portion of District 10 and does not extend into 501.

Second-growth Douglas-fir and western red cedar dominate the timbered hillsides, with western hemlock present at higher elevations. Active and regenerating clearcuts provide the highest deer densities and hunting productivity. Riparian corridors along Lincoln Creek and Chehalis River tributaries feature red alder, big-leaf maple, and dense brush. Pasture and hay-field edges along valley floors attract deer and elk at dawn and dusk. The mix of regenerating cuts, mature timber, and riparian brush makes this one of the more productive black-tailed deer habitats in southwest Washington.

Black-tailed deer hold small home ranges year-round in the dense second-growth habitat of the Doty Hills. Deer move between timber company clearcuts — which provide critical edge and browse — and older timber stands used for bedding cover. Rut activity peaks in mid-to-late November, coinciding with the late buck season (Nov. 13-16). Elk use the unit opportunistically; they are present but at lower densities than eastern District 10 GMUs. Elk tend to shift into agricultural edges and riparian corridors during fall. Black bear follow seasonal food sources: huckleberries and blackberries in late summer through early fall, then moving into mast and pre-den foraging areas.

GMU 501 ranked in the top 5 of District 10 for buck deer harvest in 2024. Five-year average (2020-2024) modern firearm general season: 331 bucks harvested, 26.8% hunter success rate, 957 hunters, 1.11 bucks/sq mi — one of the densest buck harvest rates in the district. Elk hunting is general season (no permit required) but success is low (7.8% avg, ~17 elk/yr). All elk in this unit west of I-5 are Roosevelt subspecies. Black bear season runs Aug. 1-Nov. 15 (Mount St. Helens BBMU); 2-bear bag limit. Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease (TAHD) is common in District 10 elk — hunters are encouraged to submit hooves at WDFW collection sites. Weyerhaeuser access permits required for most motorized access on private timber. DNR release pheasants along Lincoln Creek corridor as part of Western Washington Pheasant Release Program. No wilderness areas or Monument restrictions apply to this GMU.