GMU 652 - Puyallup, Washington

Lower Cascade foothills draining into the Puyallup River valley, Pierce County. Elevations range from roughly 200 ft on the valley floor near Sumner and Buckley up to 2,000–3,000 ft on the eastern slopes approaching the foothills of Mount Rainier's west flank. Terrain is characterized by glacially carved river valleys, rolling timbered ridges, and second-growth hillsides. The Puyallup River originates at ~2,280 ft on Mount Rainier's west side and flows 45 miles northwest to Commencement Bay. Upper reaches feature deep glacial valleys; lower valley transitions to gentler agricultural and suburban terrain. A firearm restriction area exists in the northern portion of the unit: the zone bounded by Hwy 410, SE Mud Mountain Dam Rd, and 284th Ave SE is archery-only during general season. McNeil Island (also in 652) is closed to hunting year-round. Ketron Island is limited to archery, shotgun, and muzzleloader only.

GMU 652 is predominantly private land. The western portion of District 11 including this unit is characterized by urban-suburban-agricultural sprawl with limited public ground. Key public access pockets include: Washington DNR managed timber parcels in the eastern reaches near Buckley and Orting; scattered WA DNR parcels accessible with a Discover Pass. The Tahoma State Forest primarily falls in adjacent GMU 654/667, but edge parcels border 652. Hunters must knock doors and secure written permission for the majority of productive hunting areas. Access roads include SR-410 (Buckley), SR-162 (Orting), and the rural grid of Pierce County roads between Sumner, Buckley, Orting, and South Prairie. Mud Mountain Dam Rd and 284th Ave SE define the northern firearm restriction boundary. JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) manages hunting in portions of adjacent GMU 666 and has published separate season dates; their lands do not directly overlap 652 but border the unit to the southwest.

Second-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar dominate the timbered hillsides in the eastern portion of the unit. Alder and big-leaf maple line creek drainages and riparian corridors. Lower elevations feature mixed conifer-hardwood with significant encroachment of blackberry, scotch broom, and other edge brush — ideal black-tailed deer edge habitat. Wetland complexes and riparian corridors along the Puyallup River and its tributaries (Carbon, White, Electron Mill Pond area) support high deer density. Agriculture in the valley floor (hay, berries, truck farming) provides forage draw for deer and elk. Cascade foothill zones transition into montane conifer at higher elevations toward the GMU 654 (Mashel) border.

Black-tailed deer in GMU 652 follow a classic Cascade foothill pattern: summer and early fall at mid-elevation timbered slopes and forest edges, dropping to lower agricultural fields and valley bottoms during the rut (late October through late December) and winter. The rut can begin as early as late October and run through late December — the late archery season (Nov 25–Dec 15, any deer) overlaps peak rut and hard-antler phases. Elk use the river corridor and associated timber as movement lanes. Black bear activity is concentrated in the riparian and berry-patch habitats through fall, with bears feeding on abundant lowland forage before denning.

GMU 652 sits within WDFW Region 6, District 11 (western sub-district). Western District 11 GMUs (652, 655, 666) are more urbanized than the eastern half and present different hunting dynamics — good deer numbers but access is the primary limiting factor. The 2024 general season logged 881 hunters afield with a 30% success rate (265 deer harvested: 242 antlered, 23 antlerless). Antlered buck breakdown: 17 spike, 70 forked/2-pt, 67 three-point, 45 four-point, 43 five-plus point — indicating a reasonable age structure with mature bucks present. Modern firearm success (37%) outpaces archery (19%) and muzzleloader (21%). Elk general season requires a western Washington elk tag (no special draw for the general season); 3-point-minimum-or-antlerless rules apply across all methods. Elk Area 6054 (Puyallup River) is within the unit. Three special antlerless elk permit hunts (Hunt #2239–2241) are offered in January–February on private lands only — applicants warned access is extremely limited. Black bear (BBMU 10 — Urban) season runs August 1–November 15, 2-bear bag limit; no dogs or bait permitted statewide. Grizzly identification mandatory.