GMU 660 - Minot Peak, Washington

Rolling to moderately steep conifer-covered hills in the northern Willapa Hills. Elevation ranges from roughly 200 ft in the Chehalis River valley floor to 1,788 ft at Minot Peak, with Blue Mountain (1,749 ft) just to the south. The unit transitions from Chehalis River bottomland and farmland on the northern and eastern edges to dense second- and third-growth Douglas fir, western hemlock, and red alder timber blocks through the interior. Slope is moderate; WDFW characterizes 80% of the unit at 25 degrees or less. Swamps, creek bottoms, and brushy riparian corridors provide critical daytime cover for both deer and elk.

Access Rating: POOR (WDFW District 17, 2024). Approximately 85% private, ~15% public/state. Primary landowner is Weyerhaeuser, whose lands are managed under a general access permit program (unlimited-permit tier—any hunter may purchase a permit). A small triangle of DNR-managed land exists on the eastern edge near Ford Prairie; motorized access on DNR lands is intentionally restricted to prevent elk from being pushed onto Chehalis Valley farms. Green Diamond also holds parcels in GMU 660 and uses the 'dot system' for access management, with some roads opened during modern firearm seasons when fire danger is low. No federal forest (Olympic NF or Gifford Pinchot NF) within the unit. Weyerhaeuser also operates enhanced permit and lease tiers—hunters should contact Weyerhaeuser directly and check the WDFW Private Lands Access map before each season. Access can be fee-based or closed at any time.

Landscape is almost entirely intensively managed industrial forest in varying age classes: recent clear-cuts (1–5 yr) dominated by salal, blackberry, salmonberries, and elderberries; regeneration stands (3–9 yr) with dense shrub-layer providing peak deer and bear habitat; closed-canopy second- and third-growth fir and hemlock (10–50 yr); and occasional older timber. Clear-cut landings transition to thick slash and brush that deer and elk feed in from dusk to dawn. Berry-producing shrubs in young cuts are the key bear-attracting habitat in fall.

Roosevelt elk in GMU 660 belong to the Willapa Hills North sub-herd. 2023 WDFW aerial surveys found a calf-to-cow ratio of 31:100 and bull-to-cow ratio of 15:100 in GMU 660—indicating a healthy, stable herd near management objectives (15 bulls:100 cows pre-season minimum). Elk use timber harvests to feed, particularly at dawn and dusk, but retreat to swamps, creek bottoms, and closed-canopy forest or benches in steep terrain during daylight. Roosevelt elk are non-migratory and generally stay within 1–2 miles of where observed. Black-tailed deer home ranges are small (average 86 acres per WDFW GPS collar data from nearby GMU 663). Buck movement peaks during the last week of October and first week of November (rut). Bear follow berry crops through young cuts from August onward.

GMU 660 ranks 3rd in elk harvest among all District 17 units (rank order: 673, 658, 660, 681) and is one of the top 4 deer-producing GMUs (660, 663, 672, 648). District-wide deer hunter success averages 15–20%; elk success varies widely by weapon type and access. TAHD (treponeme-associated hoof disease) is present in the Willapa Hills herd—hunters are encouraged to harvest limping elk and submit hooves to WDFW. A Chehalis Valley firearm restriction applies within a portion of GMU 660 during modern firearm elk seasons: in the area bounded by Hwy 12/107 junction near Montesano east to Oakville, south to Oakville Rd, west along South Bank Rd to Wakefield Rd, north to the Chehalis River, and back to Hwy 107—centerfire and rimfire rifles are prohibited; hunters must use bows, crossbows, muzzleloaders, handguns (.40 cal+), or shotguns. No limited-entry (special permit) elk tags are associated with GMU 660 general seasons; a few antlerless permit opportunities exist through Elk Area 6010 (Mallis/Raymond area). Bear is part of BBMU 14 (Willapa Hills); identification test not required.