This small, very rough and physical public land unit is surrounded by Olympic National Park and the Quinault Reservation. There are two main drainages here, Matheny Creek and Sams River along the north, with 2,200-ft elevation changes in well under a mile. The forest has very thick, old growth and is best hunted by slowly tracking the elk -the unit is simply not glassable. The eastern point consists of state land and is much more mellow, plus, there are some clear cuts that can be helpful when hunting. If you give this unit a try, focus on state land with clear-cuts in the 3 to 9 year age class of regrowth.

This extremely steep unit will become even harder to traverse when it gets moisture.

This unit has a very steep and thick conifer forest with two major drainages to the Pacific Ocean. Along with old growth forest making it tough to find elk, there is also a bunch of fallen timber making hiking difficult and slow. The western tip is state ground and does have some clearcutting, however, the mature bulls outside the rut prefer the higher elevation park boundary country.

With the majority of the unit being public, access is pretty good. However, roads can be rough at best, with several old roads closed to aid reclamation into the habitat. Some access points along the park borders simply don’t work due to various game regulations; it is advised to closely check the regulations on a regular basis. Off the roads and trails, this GMU is very physical requiring extra effort to harvest and retrieve game.

This unit has thick, old-growth conifer forests with the only clear cutting on state lands, which take up a small percentage of total acres and represents the younger age class of forests preferred by the deer. The National Forest also has areas with significant amounts of fallen timber. Where light can penetrate to the forest floor, it is densely vegetated with a variety of vines, ferns and grasses.

Primitive camping in the National Forest is allowed for the majority of the year, however, various fire bans and forest road closures may happen, so double check any restrictions or permits necessary prior to your trip. Some overnight camping may be allowed on certain Rayonier access permits as well. There are no nearby towns with lodging and accommodations, go in prepared.