GMU 672 - Fall River, Washington

Low-elevation Willapa Hills terrain dominated by rolling timberland ridges and drainages. Elevation ranges roughly 190–1,800 ft, with the Fall River and Chehalis River drainages cutting through the unit. Lowland benches and creek bottoms transition into steeper timbered slopes. No significant alpine terrain. The landscape is characterized by a patchwork of clear-cuts in various stages of regrowth, mature second-growth stands of Douglas fir and western hemlock, and riparian corridors of red alder along stream channels.

Access rating: Good (WDFW District 17, 2025). Primary landowners are Weyerhaeuser and DNR. All Weyerhaeuser lands require a paid access permit — the Pe Ell Unit permit system covering GMUs 672 and 506 was implemented in 2013 at three tiers (general, enhanced, lease). Campbell Global timberlands in the GMU open select logging roads to motorized access when fire danger is low during general firearm season. DNR lands are publicly accessible with a Discover Pass and represent the primary free public hunting ground — large tracts in the southern portion of the unit. No National Forest land is present. Checkerboard private/public ownership makes navigation challenging; DNR Public Lands Quadrangle (PLQ) maps recommended.

Dominant conifers are Douglas fir, western hemlock, and occasional western red cedar, managed on industrial timber rotations. Red alder dominates riparian corridors and some replanted stands. Early-successional clear-cuts (3–9 years post-harvest) provide the highest quality forage — grasses, forbs, blackberries, and shrubs — concentrating both deer and elk. Mature stands offer thermal cover and escape habitat. The Willapa River Valley in the southern portion of the GMU contains DNR-managed land with some of the only known band-tailed pigeon habitat in District 17.

Roosevelt elk are part of the Willapa Hills herd and follow classic industrial timberland patterns — bedding in mature timber, feeding in clear-cuts and edges, moving between drainages via ridgelines and creek corridors. The rut begins as early as the first week of September and runs approximately one month. 2025 WDFW surveys recorded a calf-to-cow ratio of 29:100 and a bull-to-cow ratio of 14:100 for GMU 672 (above the 12:100 post-season management minimum). Willapa Hills herd-wide abundance was estimated at 5,711 in 2025, though the three northern District 17 GMUs including 672 saw slight abundance decreases. Black-tailed deer concentrate in 3–9-year-old clear-cuts; largely nocturnal in open cuts, moving at dawn and dusk at timber edges. Black bears occur throughout at low density (~8 bears per 100 sq km per 2019 WDFW density study centered in this GMU — one of the lowest densities in the state).

No limited-entry or special permit elk hunts currently listed for GMU 672 — all elk hunting is general season with a 3-point minimum bull restriction. Five-year trend shows steady decline in district-wide bull elk harvest. GMU 672 bull-to-cow ratio of 14:100 is healthy but slightly below the 15:100 pre-season target. Deer hunter success district-wide ranges 15–20%; GMU 672 is consistently one of the top 4 deer units in District 17. Bear density is among the lowest in the state; most bears taken opportunistically during deer and elk seasons. Cougar present but season subject to in-season closure — call WDFW hotline 1-866-364-4868 to confirm open before hunting.