Collectively, these GMUs extend from the western boundary of Olympic National Park down to Highway 101 and encompass the middle reaches of the Sol Duc, Calawah, Bogachiel, Hoh, Clearwater and Quinault river valleys.

Nearly all of them are public or private timberlands, and virtually all of them are the exact mixture of foothills, river bottoms and forests that produces lots of elk.

Sprawling over 300 square miles, the Clearwater Unit is the largest and most productive PMU. It ranges from the Hoh and South Fork Hoh rivers on the north, down through the Clearwater River basin to the national park's Queets River Corridor. Much of it is within the state's Hoh-Clearwater State Forest, where hunting is allowed.

The Department of Natural Resources pursues an aggressive timber harvest policy, and the forest is honeycombed with logging roads.

Two years ago, the Clearwater gave up 37 bulls and had a 7.4 percent hunter-success ratio. And in 2005, it yielded 39 elk and an 8.4 percent harvest rate. According to the 2000 population estimate, the Clearwater contained 1,800 elk, which was only 200 below its population objective. The Clearwater and Hoh mainlines provide access to the state forest.

The Sole Duck Unit (607) is the PMU's northernmost GMU. It extends from Highway 101 down through the Sol Duc and Calawah drainages to the Bogachiel River and then back west to Highway 101.

It contains a mixture of landowners, including private homes and ranches, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Natural Resources and private timberlands. Access is available from the main forest arteries such as Forest Road 29, but many smaller logging roads are gated.

The Sole Duck unit's relative proximity to the highway is convenient for hunters from Port Angeles and Forks. It usually attracts more hunters and gives up more elk than any other unit in PMU 65 except the Clearwater.

In recent years, hunters have killed around 30 elk annually and averaged a little less than 9 percent success rates. The Sol Duc herd grew from around 500 elk in 1996, to 600 in 2000. That's still 300 below its management objective.

The Matheny Unit is literally surrounded by Olympic National Park and the Quinault Indian Reservation. It's the least hunted unit in the PMU and usually turns out the fewest elk. But that can be misleading. The area it encompasses -- mid- to low-elevation timberlands between the Queets and Quinault river valleys -- isn't on the way to any popular fishing or camping destination. As a result, few people -- even hunters -- from outside the Olympic Peninsula have ever set foot in it.

The Salmon River Road, FR 21, and Prairie Creek Road provide access from Highway 101.

The Matheny and Salmon Block Cooperative Road Management Area provide walk-in access and usually, better hunting.

The Quinault Ridge GMU -- specifically, the rugged Colonel Bob Wilderness, which seems to climb vertically from the south shore of Lake Quinault -- contains some of the steepest terrain in PMU 65.

Fortunately, most of the unit's elk live south of the wilderness, where the hills taper off considerably.

The unit runs southward to the northern tributaries of the Humptulips River and eastward to the ridgeline between the Wynoochee and Humptulips watersheds.

The Quinault Ridge, Newberry Creek and Donkey Creek roads provide access to the timberlands east of Highway 101. Most side roads and spurs are gated.