GMU 681 - Bear River, Washington

Low-elevation rolling timberland ranging from sea level to approximately 1,600 feet. The unit sits north of the Columbia River delta in the Willapa Hills and consists almost entirely of industrial forest in various stages of regrowth. A dense network of creeks and drainages cuts through the hills. Elevation maxes around 1,600 feet but most huntable ground is below 500 feet. The coastal southern edge transitions to Columbia River bottomland.

Approximately 84% private, ~16% other public/state/NPS. There is effectively no traditional open public land in the unit. The dominant landholders are large timber companies, primarily Weyerhaeuser (which absorbed former Longview Timber and Columbia Timberlands holdings). Weyerhaeuser offers fee-based hunting permits: motorized access $250-$400/year, non-motorized $75-$125/year, available at recreation.weyerhaeuser.com. Some Weyerhaeuser parcels are enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program (PLAP) which allows free access — check the WDFW PLAP interactive map before purchasing a permit. A Discover Pass is required on any Washington DNR parcels. No National Forest land is present in this unit.

Dominated by Douglas fir, western hemlock, and occasional western red cedar in mature stands. Logged units produce dense brush — vine maple, salmonberry, sword fern — transitioning to grasses and forbs in young clear-cuts. Red alder lines creek corridors. New clear-cuts (1-5 years) are primary feeding areas for deer and elk. The heavy year-round rainfall of the Pacific Coast creates near-rainforest conditions: thick canopy, wet soils, limited visibility.

Elk and deer use clear-cuts of all ages as feeding areas, bedding in adjacent mature timber or riparian alder. During early archery and muzzleloader, animals are more active and distributed across feeding edges. General firearm pressure pushes deer deep into old clear-cut tangles and steep creek drainages. Elk in the Willapa Hills herd show relatively high densities — approximately 0.61 bulls per square mile recorded in GMU 681. Rut activity for black-tailed deer runs late October through mid-November, when bucks abandon cover and can be found crossing roads and open clear-cuts at dawn and dusk. Roosevelt elk rut peaks in September, overlapping with early archery.

GMU 681 is ranked among the top elk-producing units in WDFW District 17 (Pacific and Grays Harbor counties). The primary limiting factor is access — hunters without timber company permits are effectively locked out. Hoof disease (treponeme-associated hoof disease, TAHD) is present in the Willapa Hills elk herd; a special Master Hunter permit hunt (code 2712) runs Dec 1 - Feb 28 targeting antlerless elk displaying clinical signs; 15 permits available, pure random draw, ~69 applicants in 2025. Deer season enforces a 2-point minimum buck restriction during general firearm seasons. No preference point system in Washington — all special draws are pure random. Logging road networks provide the primary access corridors; road closures and seasonal gate locks are common and change year to year — verify current status with the landowner before any trip. Black bear season falls Aug 15 - Nov 15 under Willapa Hills BBMU 14; dogs and bait prohibited statewide.