GMU 290 Desert: public land and hunting map
GMU 290 Desert is one of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)’s 152 Game Management Units in Washington. It covers about 286 square miles (183,302 acres), and roughly 43% of it is public land: state land 32%, Bureau of Reclamation 11%.
- 43%public land
- 286square miles
- 78,637public acres
- 2neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- Bureau of Reclamation11%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)32%
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 290 Desert
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 290 Desert is public land?
About 43% of GMU 290 Desert (78,637 of 183,302 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies) and Bureau of Reclamation. Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in GMU 290 Desert?
State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies): 32%; Bureau of Reclamation: 11%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Which units border GMU 290 Desert?
GMU 272 Beezley and GMU 278 Wahluke.
Where are the season dates and rules for GMU 290 Desert?
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.