GMU 162 Dayton Hunting, Washington
GMU 162 (Dayton): 26% public land, habitat grade C+, elk ★★★★☆, 211 mi².
Tap anywhere on the map to move the pin, then hit Analyze to open that exact spot in HuntVantage for a live 0–100 score with per-species ratings.
HuntVantage habitat grade
Grade distribution of the habitat cells inside the unit — higher-scoring cells are the pockets worth scouting first. HuntVantage weighs cover, water, food, hunting pressure, and habitat diversity from public land-cover and land-ownership data.
Per-species ratings
Overall grade measures general habitat; these species ratings re-weight the same factors for each animal’s needs — the number that matters for a species-specific hunt.
Public land & access
26% of GMU 162 is public land; 26% is public and open-access.
A Umatilla National Forest core with the lower country mostly private farm and ranch land — roughly a quarter of the unit is public, concentrated up high.
Ownership from PAD-US; a cell is one ~0.46 km habitat hexagon. Verify boundaries and access on the ground — inholdings and seasonal closures aren’t shown here.
Hunting prospects
General + draw permits
GMU 162 (Dayton) climbs from the wheat country above Dayton into the Umatilla National Forest of the Blue Mountains — one of the state's strong elk areas up in the timber. The public hunting is on the national forest; hunt the canyon breaks and timbered ridges and get off the roads. Blue Mountains elk mix general spike with quality-bull special permits — check current WDFW seasons before you apply or hunt.
Scout the best spots in this unit
The highest-scoring public open-access habitat cells in GMU 162. Open any one in HuntVantage to see its live score and per-species breakdown.
Nearby units & guides
Sources: wdfw.wa.gov · wdfw.wa.gov · geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov. HuntVantage habitat grades are independent of WDFW.