GMU 246 - Slide Ridge, Washington

Steep, rugged canyon terrain along the south shore of Lake Chelan. Elevation ranges from approximately 2,000 ft at the lake shoreline to 8,000 ft on upper ridges. Deep creek drainages cut the unit — Slide Ridge Road corridor and Entiat River drainage define its eastern edge. Upper terrain grades into old-growth conifer and subalpine forest; mid-elevations feature a mosaic of old clear-cuts, post-fire brush fields, and mature timber created by multiple wildfires since 2004 including the 2015 Wolverine Fire and the August–September 2021 Twentyfive Mile Fire (22,117 acres). A portion of the unit's western shore is accessible only by boat on Lake Chelan. The unit sits within Chelan County, which descends roughly 40 miles from 9,500 ft at the Cascade crest to 800 ft along the Columbia River.

Approximately 99% public land — roughly 101,000 acres of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest with fewer than 1,000 acres of private land within the unit boundary. No designated Wilderness within GMU 246 itself (adjacent GMU 244 is designated Wilderness). Primary road access via USFS Road 8410 (Slide Ridge Road) and the Entiat Valley Road (FR 51). Day hikes and backpacking trips provide the bulk of hunting access; portions of the unit's Lake Chelan shoreline are accessible only by boat or floatplane from Chelan or Stehekin. No WDFW Wildlife Areas within the unit boundary. Hunters should monitor USFS fire closure orders — post-fire road damage from the 2021 Twentyfive Mile Fire reduced access in 2021 and into 2022.

Roughly 85% of the GMU is conifer forest and woodland in various successional stages shaped by two decades of wildfire. Post-fire regeneration creates patchwork of shrubby brush fields (ceanothus, snowbrush, elderberry), young conifers, and standing snags interspersed with mature ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and subalpine fir at higher elevations. Riparian corridors along Lake Chelan shoreline and creek drainages support limited deciduous understory. Approximately 160 acres of agricultural land reported in the unit. Grouse habitat (ruffed, dusky, spruce) is present in forested riparian and timbered stringers; GMU 245/246/251 are among the better grouse units in District 7.

Chelan County mule deer follow a classic elevation-driven migration: deer spend summers dispersed across upper Cascade summer range (4,000–8,000 ft) and begin moving to mid-elevation north-facing slopes by mid-September as forage quality declines. By mid-November rut-focused bucks shift behavior to breeding. Full winter migration pushes deer down to Columbia River breaks and foothills (700–2,000 ft) — some animals travel 40–50 miles. During general rifle season, most deer are still in higher-elevation brushy cover on north-facing slopes, not yet on open winter range. Post-fire habitat (2–5 years old) in the Twentyfive Mile burn area is attractive to deer due to nutritious early-successional forbs. Elk occur in small dispersed bands; local hunters with area knowledge are most consistently successful. Black bears are distributed broadly across timbered slopes, with higher densities in wetter forest near the Cascade crest.

Grizzly bear recovery zone overlaps this GMU — hunters should be aware. No elk hoof disease (TAHD) detected in the Colockum Herd or District 7. California bighorn sheep are present in adjacent units (Swakane GMU 250, Chelan Butte GMU 247) but not in GMU 246. Mountain goat habitat exists in high-elevation Chelan County but no huntable herds in District 7. 2024 WDFW reduced antlerless pressure in GMUs 244–247 and 249 due to declining fawn:doe ratios (66:100 in 2023, down from 86:100 in 2018); early archery general season restricted to 3-pt minimum only (no longer antlerless). The 2024 Pioneer Fire on the north shore of Lake Chelan primarily impacted GMU 243 (Manson), not 246. Deer Area 2017 (North Lake Chelan) provides limited antlerless permit opportunity for crop-damage control; check current permit tables.