Washington Elk — GMU 356
Bumping
Washington GMU 356 covers 180,253 acres and lies 37 miles west of Yakima and 50 miles south-east of Bonney Lake. 100% of it is public land, mostly national forest (100%). In 2025, hunters took 40 elk here. The 2026 draw put up 70 nonresident tags here.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 356, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
— Cut level
-
2612 Yakima Central — Elk Hunters with Disabilities, Antlerless (Eastern Archery, Firearm, or Muzzleloader) 10 tags— Cut level
-
— Cut level
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ Goose Prairie — Quality Elk Hunt, Any bull (Eastern Firearm) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 4 / — | Sep 21–25, 2026 |
| 2060 ↗ Goose Prairie — Quality Elk Hunt, Any bull (Eastern Archery) Archery | — Cut level | — | 18 / — | Sep 1–18, 2026 |
| 2084 ↗ Goose Prairie — Quality Elk Hunt, Any bull (Eastern Muzzleloader) Muzzleloader | — Cut level | — | 6 / — | Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2026 |
| 2226 ↗ Bumping — Antlerless Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Firearm) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 20 / — | Nov 4–8, 2026 |
| 2256 ↗ Bumping — Antlerless Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Archery) Archery | — Cut level | — | 65 / — | Sep 12–24, 2026 |
| 2284 ↗ Bumping — Antlerless Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Muzzleloader) Muzzleloader | — Cut level | — | 15 / — | Oct 3–9, 2026 |
| 2411 ↗ Yakima Central — Youth Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Firearm) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 10 / — | Oct 28 – Nov 8, 2026 |
| 2413 ↗ Yakima Early — Youth Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Archery) Archery | — Cut level | — | 70 / — | Sep 12–24, 2026 |
| 2416 ↗ Yakima Central — Youth Elk Hunt, Antlerless (Eastern Muzzleloader) Muzzleloader | — Cut level | — | 15 / — | Sep 26 – Oct 9, 2026 |
| 2508 ↗ Yakima Central — Elk Hunters 65 Years And Older, Antlerless (Eastern Firearm) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 10 / — | Oct 28 – Nov 8, 2026 |
| 2510 ↗ Yakima Early — Elk Hunters 65 Years And Older, Antlerless (Eastern Archery) Archery | — Cut level | — | 20 / — | Sep 12–24, 2026 |
| 2513 ↗ Yakima Central — Elk Hunters 65 Years And Older, Antlerless (Eastern Muzzleloader) Muzzleloader | — Cut level | — | 10 / — | Sep 26 – Oct 9, 2026 |
| 2612 ↗ Yakima Central — Elk Hunters with Disabilities, Antlerless (Eastern Archery, Firearm, or Muzzleloader) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 10 / — | Oct 28 – Nov 8, 2026 |
| 2808 ↗ Goose Prairie — Bull Elk Hunt, Any bull (Eastern Firearm) Rifle | — Cut level | — | 41 / — | Oct 26 – Nov 8, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $837.90 | $837.90 | $837.90 |
Application window: opens Apr 20, closes May 27, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 180,085 ac · 100%
- Private 167 ac · 0%
Source: WA DNR 'Non-DNR Major Public Lands' (NDMPL) layer, federal/state/county/city ownership parcels
How the hunting has gone
What Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Washington's figures come from mandatory hunter reports. WDFW credits a multi-GMU special-permit hunt's harvest to every GMU it spans rather than splitting it, so unit totals add up to more than the statewide total.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2022 | 36 |
| 2021 | 34 |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 2 · 8% · 128 hunters, 2% success
- Firearm 22 · 85% · 372 hunters, 6% success
- Muzzleloader 2 · 8% · 81 hunters, 2% success
Boundary: WDFW Hunt Planner 'UnitSpatial' polygon layer (WP_HuntPlanner/Regulation/MapServer/0)
Harvest: WDFW Hunt Planner 'BigGame' harvest table (WP_HuntPlanner/Harvest/MapServer/1)