GMU 624 - Coyle, Washington

Low-elevation coastal unit; maximum elevation approximately 800 ft, with the vast majority of the unit below 500 ft. Topography is gently rolling to flat, defined by tidal saltwater flats and inlets along Hood Canal and Dabob Bay to the west, and forested lowlands transitioning to the Kitsap Peninsula to the east. No alpine terrain; this is a maritime, sea-level-to-foothills unit. The coastline and estuary edges provide travel corridors for deer at low tide.

Roughly 96% private land, approximately 4% public (3% Washington State DNR, 1% other state/NPS). There is no Olympic National Forest presence within the unit. Small, fragmented DNR parcels are scattered throughout but do not concentrate resident deer. The dominant private landowner is Rayonier Advanced Materials, which requires a paid access permit for hunting on most of their timberlands. Some DNR mainline roads and Rayonier mainlines may be open to motor vehicles seasonally; most hunting is walk-in or by non-motorized vehicle on gated spur roads. Access limitations are the defining challenge of this unit.

Dominant cover is multi-aged Douglas fir and red alder second-growth industrial timber, heavily clear-cut and replanted over decades by Rayonier. Understory consists of sword fern, salal, and vine maple — classic western Washington coastal forest. Dense canopy and thick brush provide year-round cover for black-tailed deer. Tidal saltwater flats along Hood Canal edges see deer movement at dawn and dusk. Mast from red alder and occasional hardwood stands supplements late-season forage. Rut typically begins late October and runs through late December.

Black-tailed deer in GMU 624 use the dense second-growth timber for daytime bedding and move to clear-cut edges, alder bottoms, and tidal flats at dawn and dusk. The rut runs late October through December, when bucks range more widely and become vulnerable to stand hunting near scrapes and rubs along logging spur roads. Bears are present as part of the Puget Sound BBMU and are hunted opportunistically during deer season or specifically from August 1 onward. Elk presence is incidental — small transient groups may pass through, but no reliable huntable elk herd exists outside the Sequim conflict-management herd.

Deer Area 6020 overlaps GMU 624 and was established to address chronic crop and property damage; it is open to any deer (buck or doe) during all three general seasons, which is more permissive than standard western Washington buck-only rules. An additional 40 second-deer archery permits are available within Deer Area 6020. Rayonier access permits are required on much of the productive private timber — plan ahead. Tribal hunting occurs throughout District 15 and may account for a significant portion of total deer harvest. Hunting pressure is moderate; the access limitations filter out casual hunters. No mountain goat seasons are available. Cougar are present but hunting requires a special permit tag.