Quick Tips
- GPS showing land classes is a must
- Private land access is best
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 110"-130" | 140"+ |
| Elk | 280"-310" | 310"+ |
On The Ground
This is a fairly large unit with not a lot of access. The Yakima River, which is lined with multiple towns and irrigated fields, serves as the southwest border. The middle of the unit offers the best access and is largely checkerboarded between private, BLM, and state sections, along with a sizeable Hunt by Written Permission chunk. Rattlesnake Ridge runs through this region and is the high ground, with Rattlesnake Mountain rising 2,000-ft above the valley floor and peaking out at around 3,400-ft. The northern border is the Yakima Training Center, as well as the Columbia River which winds its way around the US Department of Energy Hanford Site and the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern portion of the unit.
Private land access is extremely tough to find and expensive to gain access to.
Terrain
A large majority of this unit consists of farm and ranchland. Large east to west trending ridges add topographic diversity to the GMU and include rolling hills of the Palouse Prairie and southernmost extent of the channeled scablands. There are few small lakes and depressions, with wetlands providing key wildlife habitat.
Roughly 1,260 square miles
17% public land
Elevations range from 3500– 3,400 feet
Vegetation
There are a wide variety of dryland and irrigated crops, mainly around the Yakima River corridor, ranging from wheat, apples, potatoes, cherries, onion, apricots, hops, grapes and hay. Large shrub steppe, sage and prairieland run through the eastern two-thirds of the unit with invasive cheatgrass adding a hot fuel to the recent fires. Sage in this region will take decades to grow back.
Access
Access to private land will be very important in this unit, seeing as a majority of the unit is private. Much of the unit is off limits to hunting even though it is federal ground
GPS should be used at all times
Access to key private land is best
Camping and Lodging
There is not a lot of primitive camping in the unit since it is mostly private land. Lodging, gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store will be located along the Yakima River in Yakima, Sunnyside and Richland.
Historical Temperatures
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Moon Phases
April 2025
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