GMU 618 Matheny: public land and hunting map
GMU 618 Matheny is one of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)’s 152 Game Management Units in Washington. It covers about 98 square miles (62,715 acres), and roughly 99% of it is public land: Forest Service 79%, state land 19%, National Park Service under 1%.
- 99%public land
- 98square miles
- 61,900public acres
- 0neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- U.S. Forest Service79%
- National Park Serviceunder 1%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)19%
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.
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 618 Matheny is public land?
About 99% of GMU 618 Matheny (61,900 of 62,715 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly U.S. Forest Service, State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies) and National Park Service. Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in GMU 618 Matheny?
U.S. Forest Service: 79%; State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies): 19%; National Park Service: under 1%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Where are the season dates and rules for GMU 618 Matheny?
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.