GMU 169 Wenaha Hunting, Washington
GMU 169 (Wenaha): 100% public land, habitat grade C+, elk ★★★★☆, 160 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
100% of GMU 169 is public land; 100% is public and open-access.
Effectively all public land — the Umatilla National Forest, including the roadless Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Access is largely by foot or horse off a limited road network; the WA-side unit ends at the Oregon line.
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 169 is steep, canyon-cut Blue Mountains elk country in Washington's far southeast, almost entirely within the Umatilla National Forest and the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. The Blue Mountains hold one of the state's strongest elk populations, and the wilderness core rewards hunters willing to get well off the road system into the breaks and timbered ridgelines. Mule deer and a smaller number of whitetail share the unit. Elk hunting here is a mix of general spike opportunity and quality-bull special permits — check the 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 169. 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.