GMU 550 Coweeman Hunting, Washington
GMU 550 (Coweeman): 7% public land, habitat grade C+, elk ★★★★☆, 345 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
7% of GMU 550 is public land; 7% is public and open-access.
Mostly private industrial timberland (Weyerhaeuser and others) with only small DNR blocks — under a tenth of the unit is public, so access, often via a timber-company permit, is the first hurdle.
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 550 (Coweeman) drains the Coweeman River in SW Washington's private timber country — strong elk numbers in the cut-and-regrowth mosaic, but almost all of it is industrial forest managed under permit access. Sort access first, then hunt the edges between recent cuts and standing timber. Confirm seasons with WDFW and access rules with the landowner.
Scout the best spots in this unit
The highest-scoring public open-access habitat cells in GMU 550. 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.