GMU 522 Loo-wit Hunting, Washington
GMU 522 (Loo-wit): 95% public land, habitat grade C+, elk ★★★★☆, 104 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
95% of GMU 522 is public land; 94% is public and open-access.
Almost all public — Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, with DNR and WDFW ground.
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 522 (Loo-wit) is the Mount St. Helens blast-zone unit — national forest and monument land carrying the famous St. Helens elk herd through recovering, brushy, open terrain. Glass the openings and edges early and late and hunt the timber pockets between. Note monument-specific rules, and confirm general spike vs. permit elk seasons, with WDFW and the Forest Service.
Scout the best spots in this unit
The highest-scoring public open-access habitat cells in GMU 522. 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.