Hunting prospects continued

District 6: Okanogan County

District 6 abuts the Canadian border in north-central Washington and encompasses 10 Game Management Units: 203 (Pasayten), 204 (Okanogan East), 209 (Wannacut), 215 (Sinlahekin), 218 (Chewuch), 224 (Perrygin), 231 (Gardner), 233 (Pogue), 239 (Chiliwist), 242 (Alta).

The western two-thirds of the district, stretching from the Okanogan River to the Pacific Crest, lies on the east slope of the Cascade Range and is dominated by mountainous terrain that generally gets more rugged as you move from east to west. Vegetation in this portion of the district ranges from desert/shrub-steppe at the lowest elevations through various types of conifer forests, culminating in alpine tundra on the higher peaks that top out at almost 9,000 feet.

More than three-quarters of the land base in this portion of the county is in public ownership, offering extensive hunting access. Game is plentiful and dispersed throughout the area for most of the year, concentrating in the lower elevations in winter when deep snows cover much of the landscape.

2013 Prospects

Big game

Deer

District 6 supports the largest migratory mule deer herd in the state and Okanogan County has long been prized by hunters for its mule deer hunting. Prospects for mule deer look good this year. Following three consecutive winters of good fawn recruitment, hunters can expect to see moderate numbers of younger bucks.

However, the relative availability of older age class bucks should be the best in years. Last year's post season survey result of 34 bucks per 100 does is the highest this ratio has been in decades, indicating excellent buck carryover. Summer forage conditions appear favorable, so deer should be in good physical condition come fall.

During the early general seasons deer will be widely distributed on the landscape and not yet concentrated in migration areas or on winter range. Mature bucks in particular are often at high elevations in remote locations as long as succulent vegetation is available.

In general look for deer taking advantage of the rejuvenated summer forage within recent burns including the 2006 Tripod Fire, as well as other areas holding green forage into the fall.

During the late permit seasons, the majority of deer will have moved to winter range areas at lower elevations on more southerly slopes. In District 6, Wildlife Areas and immediately adjacent federal lands are good bets for high deer numbers in late fall, although in low snow years, some mature bucks may linger at higher elevations.

For those hunters with 2nd deer permits in Deer areas 2012 -2016, remember that those permits are good only on private land. Permit holders are responsible for making contact with private land owners to secure hunting access.

Generally speaking, white-tailed deer are significantly less abundant than mule deer west of the Okanogan River, but are found in most all drainages up to mid-elevations, particularly those with significant riparian vegetation. The Sinlahekin Valley and surrounding lands in portions of Unit 215 are the exception, supporting a robust whitetail population.

In this area, many white-tailed deer are found on private lands, so prospective hunters wishing to target white-tailed deer may want to seek permission in advance of the season to access individual ownerships. The eastern one-third of the district (GMU 204) holds roughly equal numbers of mule and white-tailed deer and both are widely distributed across the unit on both private and public land.

2012 District 6 Deer Harvest Summary: General season hunters harvested 2,288 deer from the 10 game management units comprising District 6, a 13 percent increase over 2011. In addition, general season success rates improved for all user groups and ended up as follows: Modern, 16 percent; Muzzleloader, 23 percent; Archery, 33 percent; and Multi-season, 25 percent. Special permit holders harvested 357 deer in District 6, 226 antlerless and 131 bucks.

Modern firearm hunters accounted for about 65 percent of the general season harvest, and archers took about 53 percent of the total antlerless harvest. As is typical, GMU 204 (the District's largest unit) yielded the greatest overall deer harvest (825 animals). GMUs 215, 218, 224, and 233 also produced good tallies. These five units combined accounted for 75 percent of the total number of deer taken in District 6.

Elk

Elk are few and far between in Okanogan County, particularly west of the Okanogan River. In GMU 204 where the majority of the District's limited harvest occurs, elk are a bit more abundant and on the increase, but still generally occur only in small groups scattered over the landscape, primarily in the Unit's eastern half. Hunters are reminded that the elk regulations have changed in GMU 204 to an "any bull" general season harvest instead of the traditional any-elk season.

2012 District 6 Elk Harvest Summary: Elk are scarce in Okanogan County, and District 6 hunters harvested only 12 in 2012, four more than in 2011. Ten of the twelve came from GMU 204, and all but one was taken by modern firearm hunters.

Black Bear

Black bears are abundant and well distributed throughout District 6. The population and associated harvest appears to be relatively stable, so hunting prospects in the district should be good. Bears will likely be widely distributed on the landscape and keying in on local berry concentrations where available. This means they will be shifting up in elevation and into moister areas as the season progresses. Berry fields at higher elevations towards the Pacific Crest will ripen latest.

For hunters pursuing black bear in the northern Cascades, it is critical for you to positively identify the bear species, as endangered grizzly bears also inhabit these areas. We have posted on our web site some interactive training materials from BeBearAware.org to help you tell the difference between black and grizzly bears.

2012 District 6 Black Bear Harvest Summary: District 6 hunters harvested 121 black bear last season, a 57 percent increase over the 2011 tally. Harvest was spread widely across all GMUs. GMU 242 again led the way with 24 animals taken.

Cougar

District 6 cougar populations are healthy and well distributed. Cougars follow the deer herds, which means they will be spread across the landscape through late October and then start to concentrate more on lower elevations as deer move to winter range. Much cougar foraging activity takes place at night, so opportunities to spot the cats on the move is at dawn and dusk.

2012 District 6 Cougar Harvest Summary: During the first year under the new harvest guideline system, hunters harvested eleven cougars in District 6 during the 2012-13 season and by design the harvest was distributed across several GMUs.