This diverse unit can be difficult to navigate for hunters who are not willing to do some research and scouting. Crab Creek will hold deer, upland game, and waterfowl, and will also afford the game the best cover. Mule deer also like the various cuts and small coulees that drain seasonal rains into the basin. Access can be a bit more challenging within the unit as many farms are very small and irregularly packed together, so understanding boundaries is important, this opens up to larger sections of private on the eastern portion. Public access land is divided with many options, however, not all public land allows hunting, like the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, and others have special regulations, so it’s best to start planning early and get in a scouting trip or two. Over the past several years, there have been a few fires that should currently have little impact on hunting other than the sage will take years to re-establish and offer critical habitat for deer. Deer hunting opportunities is fair to good as populations within unit vary greatly. Knowing where you’re hunting within the unit and having reasonable expectations for that area will give you the best hunting experience. There are always a few great bucks taken along the northern edge and GMU 290 which is a limited special permit. Unfortunately, there are no resident elk.

There are lots of bird hunters, adding pressure on public lands.

This unit is relatively flat, with the exception of the Saddle Mountains running along a strip of BLM ground. There is a decent road system here, with Saddle Mountain Road running along the rim. The north side of the unit drops through a variety of steps to Lower Crab Creek and a pothole strewn riparian valley, and slowly drains through this flat country from the northeast forming a large bend to flow west into the Columbia River. When compared to the Saddle Mountains, this lush valley is basically all public, although it is not open to hunting. It provides some much-needed habitat for all of the wildlife in the region though. This riparian valley forms the shape of a boot laying down and toe up. Outside of this boot are irrigated crops managed to minimize wildlife and agricultural conflicts.

There is a fair amount of BLM land in the Saddle Mountains. With a few sections of NRD, Bur of Reclamation, and National Wildlife Refuges spread out, you will want a GPS so you know boundary lines while you hunt.

The majority of this unit has irrigated farms crops consisting of a wide variety of fruit orchards and table vegetables. Dividing the unit in half and running east to west is the Lower Crab Creek and Saddle Mountains on the western side. This is open range consisting of sage, blue bunchgrass, and cheat grass on the hills and slopes. Down in the valleys there are a variety of reed grasses, coyote willow, current and Wood’s rose, and the invasive Russian olive which the deer love as it provides excellent cover for them. A bit of dryland grain farming adds seasonal tender green protein diversity for the deer to graze.

There are few small public campgrounds in the unit. The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is closed to camping. There are lots of options if you are more interested in a comfortable bed and a shower, and being closer to gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store, in the small towns of Mattawa, Othello and Warden.