There is a lot of diverse habitat within District 7, with the wooded Chelan Mountains in the north giving way to open, arid Columbia River breaks in the south. Summer homes and small farms line Lake Chelan and the Colombia and Entiat Rivers, with agriculture representing less than one-third of all private land use. Public land is comprised of small blocks of BLM, state land, and Chelan Wildlife Area in the south, with the Wenatchee National Forest dominating the woodlands. The northwest arm is the Entiat Experiment Forest, established in 1957, where the effects of water, timber harvest, fire and road building to name a few are studied. Mule deer hunting can be something special for the lucky holders of a quality special deer permit. These are migratory deer and as such, timing can vary from year to year based on snow levels in the high country. Keep in mind that the does and fawns will migrate first, followed by younger bucks, and finally, more dominant bucks potentially following much later after snows get deeper. The later in the season, the better the hunting will get, as the old nocturnal bucks finally start showing themselves as does come into cycle. As deer migrate into their core winter range, you will need to locate them along their migration routes as weather is an enormous timing factor. Elk are very few and far between, with extremely low hunting success. Black bears, cougars, blue grouse and ruffed grouse hunting opportunities are also found in this region. There little to no whitetail deer, the few that are in the unit are mainly found along the riparian habitat. The grizzly bear recovery zone overlaps this GMU.

There is a great opportunity for a good buck. They tend to keep in thick cover until the rut kicks in. Be patient, this is a great area for deer.

At just over 6,200-ft, Baldy Mountain is the high point and consists of rocky, open ground littered by old, dead timber from past fires. The northern edge is the most physical and remote part of the unit; the bulk of the unit is relatively mild, and tapers down to the water’s edge through a winding network of buckbrush-choked draws and coulees to the southeast. Decades of wildfires have created a patchwork of forests, burns, heavy buckbrush and short native bunch grass prairies. There is a series of roads throughout the unit, however, they are very rocky and not always maintained. The water’s edge has a bit of seasonal urban sprawl.

Roughly one-third of the unit consists of conifer forests and woodlands of various ages, thanks to two-decades of wildfires. Pine and fir trees take up the north slopes at higher elevations and thin out as you move south, transitioning to arid, high-desert short grass and sage prairies. There is a lot of buckbrush and other nutritious shrubs throughout the maze of draws making this excellent wintering ground for the mule deer. Agricultural land typically holds fruit orchards, along with grains along the low land with more moisture.

There is easy access in the Wenatchee National Forest with decent hiking trails and unmaintained roads. Some of the prime ground close to water is all private and consists mainly of private summer homes. A GPS is highly recommended if you are hunting the small bits of BLM, state and forest alongside private property. Roads are very rocky, make sure you have a spare tire on hand.

Primitive camping in the National Forest is allowed during most of the year, but various fire bans and forest road closures may happen, so double check any restrictions or permits necessary prior to your trip. If you are more interested in lodging, gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store, your best options will be in the small towns of Chelan and Entiat.