GMU 278 Wahluke: public land and hunting map
GMU 278 Wahluke is one of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)’s 152 Game Management Units in Washington. It covers about 845 square miles (540,493 acres), and roughly 20% of it is public land: state land 9.4%, Fish & Wildlife Service 5.1%, BLM 5%.
- 20%public land
- 845square miles
- 105,396public acres
- 6neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- Bureau of Land Management5%
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service5.1%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)9.4%
Share of the unit’s area. Federal agencies plus state wildlife, trust and natural-resource land, as the WikiHunt map classifies it. The rest is private, tribal, local or other land.
Rut: Published deer rut timing for Washington: ≈ Nov 23. Rut dates and sources for Washington.
Units next to GMU 278 Wahluke
Washington season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons. Many units have their own dates, quotas or draw-only hunts, so check the unit in the regulations before you go.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery Deer | Sep 1 – Sep 25 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader Deer | Sep 26 – Oct 4 |
| Deer | Modern Firearm Deer | Oct 17 – Nov 1 |
| Elk | Archery Elk | Sep 12 – Sep 24 |
| Elk | Modern Firearm Elk | Oct 31 – Nov 8 |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | Aug 1 – Nov 15 |
| Turkey | Fall Turkey | Sep 1 – Dec 31 |
Full notes on the Washington page · Washington regulations.
Questions
How much of GMU 278 Wahluke is public land?
About 20% of GMU 278 Wahluke (105,396 of 540,493 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management. Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in GMU 278 Wahluke?
State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies): 9.4%; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 5.1%; Bureau of Land Management: 5%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Which units border GMU 278 Wahluke?
GMU 272 Beezley, GMU 290 Desert, GMU 371 Alkali, GMU 372 Rattlesnake Hills, GMU 379 Ringold and GMU 381 Kahlotus.
Where are the season dates and rules for GMU 278 Wahluke?
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) sets them. Start at the Washington hunting regulations. WikiHunt shows the statewide general seasons on the Washington page and in the app.
Sources and method
- Boundary: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the same layer the WikiHunt map draws.
- Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) 4.1, Fee Managers layer (public domain).
- Method: the unit and PAD-US polygons are simplified to about 100 m and measured on a grid of about 250 cells across the unit, so overlapping records are counted once. Expect about ±1 percentage point.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026, checked against each state’s published regulations. Dates change; the regulations win.
- Last updated: Oct 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.