GMU 550 - Coweeman, Washington
Unit info
- Game species
- Black-tailed Deer, Roosevelt Elk, Black Bear
- Group
- Region 5
- Area
- N/A
- Public land
- 15%
Elk — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 88
Draw odds for Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC — general black bear license/tag
- General season
- August 1 – November 15, 2026 (Mount St. Helens BBMU)
Incidental harvest by deer and elk hunters is common. Dedicated bear hunters should target huckleberry patches, blackberry thickets, and cascara trees. Glass clearcuts at dawn and dusk. Predator calling is effective. All successful hunters must submit a premolar tooth by Dec 1.
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Roosevelt Elk — season & harvest5.6% success
- Tag type
- OTC — general western Washington elk tag (3-point minimum bull, no draw required)
OTC 3-point minimum bull unit — one of the better general-season elk units in District 10 but competition is high (800+ hunters/year). Focus on clearcut edges bordering mature timber stands at dawn and dusk. Elk use cooler north-facing drainages during warm weather. The rut starts as early as the first week of September, making early archery a high-quality opportunity if you can gain access. Scout Weyerhaeuser roads and DNR blocks using the WDFW Hunt Planner before season. TAHD-affected (limping) elk are common — participate in the hoof submission incentive program. MSH herd remains below historic highs; expect challenging conditions but 800+ bulls are harvested district-wide annually.
Draw odds for Roosevelt Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Black-tailed Deer — season & harvest31.2% success
- Tag type
- OTC — general western Washington deer tag (any buck, no draw required)
GMU 550 is the top-producing deer unit in District 10 and one of the best black-tailed deer units in Washington. Hunt the dense second-growth clearcuts and alder-choked creek drainages. Still-hunting and slow-walking cutover edges at first and last light is most effective. Rut hunting in mid-to-late November during the late buck season (Nov 13-16) offers the best opportunity as bucks become more mobile in thick cover. Deer hold small home ranges — pre-season scouting of specific cuts and benches pays dividends. Weyerhaeuser road access permit is almost mandatory for covering ground efficiently.
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
AI-compiled · sourcedGMU 550 (Coweeman) is a 347-square-mile unit in the Cascade Mountain foothills of Cowlitz County, east of I-5, draining the Coweeman, Cowlitz, and Kalama rivers through heavily logged industrial timberlands. It ranks as one of Washington's top black-tailed deer units — #1 in District 10 by 5-year average buck harvest (708 bucks/year, 31.2% success) — and carries a solid general-season Roosevelt elk herd with OTC tags requiring a 3-point minimum bull. Access is the primary challenge: roughly 80% of the unit is Weyerhaeuser industrial forestland requiring a paid permit, with only ~15% public land (DNR parcels).
Cascade Mountain foothills ranging roughly 200–2,913 ft elevation (Davis Peak highest point). Steep draws and cuts throughout, though overall characterized as moderately rolling mountains. Heavily dissected by river drainages — Coweeman, Cowlitz, and Kalama rivers are key geographic anchors. Key peaks include Baird Mountain and Georges Peak.
Primary access via SR 504, Kalama River Road, Rose Valley Road, and Weyerhaeuser forest roads 4700, 6100, and 6300. Weyerhaeuser (Saint Helens Tree Farm) is the dominant landowner and requires a paid permit: motorized $250–$400/year, non-motorized $75–$125/year. Some Weyerhaeuser parcels are enrolled in WDFW's Private Lands Access Program and are free to hunt — check WDFW's Private Lands Hunting Access map. DNR parcels (~15% of unit) are the core public hunting ground but are often landlocked behind gated private roads. Scouting on foot or bike before season opens is recommended for gated timber roads.
Heavily logged patchwork of industrial timberlands in all stages of regrowth. Old-growth remnants interspersed with clearcuts and young second-growth. Logged-off areas produce dense buckbrush, alder, and young conifers that provide excellent browse and cover for black-tailed deer. Floodplain areas and agricultural pockets in the northwest section near Silver Lake offer additional edge habitat.
Black-tailed deer hold small home ranges and favor thick second-growth cover. Movement increases during the rut in mid-to-late November, coinciding with the late archery and late muzzleloader seasons. Elk use cooler, wetter drainages during warm weather and are most active at dawn and dusk. Roosevelt elk in this unit are part of the Mount St. Helens Elk Herd (MSH), which has stabilized near 1,250 adult females as of spring 2024 after years below historic highs.
GMU 550 ranked #1 in District 10 by buck harvest (708 avg 2020-2024) and among top 3 GMUs statewide for black-tailed deer. Elk hunting is general season OTC (no draw required) with a 3-point minimum bull restriction. No limited-entry draw tags exist for GMU 550 elk general season — the unit is an OTC western WA elk tag. Small game includes ruffed grouse (good) and modest waterfowl. Cougar present; most taken incidentally. Black bear season runs Aug 1–Nov 15 (Mount St. Helens BBMU); statewide 2-bear bag limit applies.
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: WDFW official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 24d ago.