Washington Unit 163 Mule Deer Hunting Guide

Unit 163 sits in eastern Washington and offers hunters a general-season opportunity to pursue mule deer across 96,016 acres of varied terrain ranging from 903 to 3,297 feet in elevation. For hunters researching this unit, the most important fact up front is this: Washington Unit 163 is a general season unit, not a draw-only unit. Antlered mule deer are available through the general season framework here, while a separate limited-quota draw exists for additional opportunity. That distinction matters enormously for planning purposes, and too many hunters researching Washington units assume everything runs through a competitive draw — that is not the case in Unit 163.

This unit has produced consistent harvest over the last five seasons, with hunter participation running in the 400-560 range annually and success rates fluctuating between 20% and 33%. But with only 5% public land, Unit 163 presents a genuine access challenge that every hunter needs to understand before committing time and money to this area.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 163 Worth Applying For?

Unit 163 is a mixed bag, and hunters need to weigh the positives against a serious limiting factor: land access. At just 5% public land, the overwhelming majority of this unit's 96,016 acres sits in private ownership. This is not a unit where DIY hunters can expect to wander onto open public ground and find plenty of room to roam. Hunters without existing access arrangements, landowner relationships, or a plan for navigating private land will find their effective hunting area is a small fraction of the unit's total footprint.

That said, the general season structure is a real advantage. Because antlered mule deer come on the general season rather than requiring a competitive draw, resident and nonresident hunters alike can pursue a buck here without first navigating a multi-year points strategy. The limited-quota draw tags that exist alongside the general season add another layer of opportunity, though the structured data available doesn't specify which sex those draw tags target — hunters should confirm current regulations before assuming draw tags apply to antlered deer.

Harvest data over the past five seasons shows this unit is productive enough to justify time afield, provided hunters can solve the access puzzle. In 2024, 459 hunters harvested 150 deer for a 33% success rate — the strongest year in the available data. Compare that to 2022, when 562 hunters turned in only 115 harvested deer for a 20% success rate, and it's clear that year-to-year variability exists. The honest takeaway: Unit 163 can produce solid results for hunters who do their homework on access, but it is not a unit to show up to cold and expect to walk into huntable public ground.

Trophy potential is limited based on available records. The counties overlapping this unit show a limited history of trophy-class entries, which suggests hunters should set realistic expectations — this is a unit better suited to hunters seeking a quality general-season buck and a solid experience rather than those chasing a record-book animal.

Harvest Success Rates

Washington Unit 163 has generated five consecutive years of harvest data, and the trend is worth studying closely before planning a season.

• 2025: 405 hunters, 90 harvested, 22% success
• 2024: 459 hunters, 150 harvested, 33% success
• 2023: 516 hunters, 126 harvested, 24% success
• 2022: 562 hunters, 115 harvested, 20% success
• 2021: 520 hunters, 146 harvested, 28% success

Averaging these five years, success rates have hovered in the mid-20s percentage range, with 2024 standing out as a notable outlier at 33%. Hunter participation has also trended downward over this period, dropping from 562 hunters in 2022 to 405 in 2025 — roughly a 28% decline in effort. Whether that decline reflects hunters shifting pressure to other units, access frustrations tied to the unit's limited public land, or other factors isn't specified in the available data, but it's a trend worth watching. Fewer hunters combined with similar or improved harvest totals in some years (like 2024) can indicate that those who do hunt Unit 163 are dialed into effective access points and strategies.

Success rates in the 20-33% range are respectable for a general-season mule deer unit, especially one with such constrained public access. This suggests that hunters who secure access — whether through private land arrangements, walk-in programs, or diligent work on the public parcels that do exist — are finding birds in the hand often enough to make the effort worthwhile.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for Unit 163 is limited. The counties overlapping this unit show a limited history of record-book entries, meaning hunters should not plan a trip here with the expectation of taking a record-class buck. This doesn't mean quality bucks don't exist in the unit — it simply means the structured trophy record data doesn't support a strong or exceptional trophy designation.

Hunters interested primarily in trophy potential may want to look at other Washington units with deeper trophy histories. Hunters interested in a solid general-season hunt with reasonable success odds, however, will find Unit 163's harvest numbers more relevant than its trophy pedigree. As always with county-level trophy data, any records attributed to the counties overlapping Unit 163 are shared with neighboring units — they are not unit-exclusive statistics, and the limited volume here reflects the broader region rather than any single unit's specific production.

Access & Terrain

Unit 163's terrain spans a notable elevation range, from 903 feet at the low end up to 3,297 feet at the highest points within the unit. This range suggests a mix of lower valley and foothill terrain transitioning into higher benches and ridgelines — a profile that matches general mule deer habitat patterns across eastern Washington, where deer often move between lower winter range and higher summer/fall habitat.

The critical access fact for this unit is the 5% public land figure. This is a low number, and it means the vast majority of Unit 163 — roughly 95% of its 96,016 acres — is privately held. Hunters should not assume this unit offers DIY-friendly access simply because a general season exists here. A general season tag gives hunters the legal opportunity to hunt, but it does not grant access to private ground, and with public land representing such a small sliver of the total acreage, hunters need a concrete access plan before investing serious time scouting or applying.

There is no wilderness acreage associated with this unit, so there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions or guide requirements to consider — this isn't a backcountry pack-in unit defined by wilderness boundaries. Instead, the access challenge here is almost entirely about private versus public land, not about remoteness or difficulty of terrain once a hunter is on huntable ground.

Hunters should identify the specific public parcels within the unit using mapping tools before the season — HuntPilot's public land layer can help hunters quickly see exactly where that 5% public ground lies relative to roads, terrain features, and elevation bands, which is essential homework in a unit this heavily privatized. Given how little public ground exists, every acre of it matters, and hunters who scout thoroughly in advance will have a significant advantage over those who show up without a plan.

How to Apply

Washington Unit 163 is accessible primarily through a general season license, meaning resident and nonresident hunters do not need to win a competitive draw to pursue an antlered mule deer here. This is a meaningful distinction from many western mule deer units, where antlered opportunity is locked behind a limited-entry draw system. In Unit 163, hunters simply need to purchase the appropriate general season license and tag to participate.

Beyond the general season, Unit 163 also offers limited-quota draw hunts. The structured data available doesn't specify the sex targeted by these draw tags, so hunters should verify current regulations before assuming these tags apply to antlered deer — they may be structured similarly to other Washington "quality" or special-permit hunts that target specific demographics within the herd.

Washington's draw system does not use the preference point or bonus point structures found in neighboring states like Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana. There is no points-based mechanic to build toward in Washington — hunters should treat each year's application as its own independent opportunity rather than planning a multi-year points strategy.

Residents and nonresidents should also be aware that Washington imposes antler-point restrictions in general season units for mule deer — hunters should confirm current point-minimum requirements for Unit 163 specifically, as these rules affect which bucks are legal to harvest.

Application structures, license requirements, and any fees associated with hunting Unit 163 change over time. For current deadlines, license costs, and draw odds on the limited-quota tags, hunters should check HuntPilot's Washington state page at /states/wa for the most up-to-date information directly from the source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unit 163 a draw-only unit for mule deer? No. Unit 163 operates as a general season unit, meaning hunters can pursue antlered mule deer with a general season license rather than needing to win a competitive draw. A separate limited-quota draw also exists in the unit, though the sex restrictions on those draw tags aren't specified in available data — hunters should verify current regulations before applying.

What is harvest success like in Unit 163? Over the past five seasons, success rates have ranged from 20% to 33%, with 2024 producing the best results (459 hunters, 150 harvested, 33% success) and 2022 the weakest (562 hunters, 115 harvested, 20% success). The multi-year average sits in the mid-20s percentage range, which is a reasonable success rate for a general-season mule deer hunt.

What is the terrain like in Unit 163, and is it good for DIY hunters? Elevation in the unit ranges from 903 to 3,297 feet, suggesting a mix of lower valley floors and foothill-to-mid-elevation benches and ridges typical of eastern Washington mule deer country. The major limiting factor for DIY hunters is access, not terrain difficulty — with only 5% public land, the vast majority of the unit is privately held, and hunters need a concrete access plan before investing scouting time here.

How big are the mule deer in Unit 163? Trophy data for the counties overlapping this unit shows a limited history of record-book entries. Hunters should not expect strong odds at a record-class buck in this unit based on available trophy records, though quality bucks can certainly be taken by hunters who put in the scouting work and secure good access.

Is Unit 163 worth applying for? It depends on what a hunter is looking for. The general season structure makes antlered opportunity accessible without a draw, and harvest success rates in the 20-33% range over the last five years are solid for a general-season hunt. However, the 5% public land figure means access is the dominant challenge in this unit — hunters without a plan for navigating private ground, whether through existing relationships or careful use of the limited public parcels, will struggle regardless of how favorable the harvest statistics look on paper.