This irregularly shaped unit is largely Stephen Mather Wilderness within Cascades National Park. The eastern portion along Road 20 offers hunting access, but there is some very steep, rugged, roadless country in the Okanogan National Forest on the western Cascade Range. Mount Ballard, Majestic Mountain and McKay Ridge running parallel dissect this chunk of forest running almost north to south. Elevation changes of 2,000-ft in 900-yards are common. The western slopes offer the thickest cover, which blacktail deer prefer. There are a few tiny pieces of private land in the eastern tip, so carry your GPS when hunting these ridges. Hunting is also allowed in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the southern tip region along McAllister and Thunder Creek valleys, offering a modest elevation change.

Although no official surveys have been conducted, biologist observations and other anecdotal reports support the general idea that blacktail deer numbers are down.