For those hunters who are more wedded to the Interstate 90 corridor, Teanaway (GMU 335) produces about 350 deer a year, but with only a 15-percent success ratio. Naneum (GMU 328) gives up 150 deer, but fewer than one in 10 hunters are successful.

On the negative side, several of Region 3 GMUs centered around Ellensburg, Yakima and the northern border of the Yakama Nation Reservation, suffer widespread lice infections, resulting in hair-loss syndrome. WDFW has isolated the cause, but there are with limited remedies in the toolbox.

Scott McCorquodale is the statewide deer and elk specialist for WDFW. He expects the state will reduce antlerless hunting in an effort to allow the herd to bounce back.

Before hitting the trails, be sure to check the regulations.

REGION 2
Change is afoot in the popular Okanogan country. The mule deer herd has rebounded from the low numbers caused by severe past winters and has stabilized, while the white-tailed deer numbers are increasing.

The reason for this change is probably associated with the increase in housing and agricultural development. Whitetails tolerate encroachment much better than mule deer do.

But both herds suffered from high winter mortality. And that makes the prognosis somewhat unsettled for the 2007 and 2008 hunting seasons. The past two years, the area has undergone substantial forest fires, which have opened up high-altitude forage to offset the winter mortality.

The primary northwest GMUs (Chewuch, Pearrygin, Chiliwist and Alta) should all produce between 200 and 400 animals, with about a 20 percent hunter-success ratio. Okanogan East (GMU 204) will contribute more than 600 animals, with slightly more than 20 percent of hunters reporting success in that mixed terrain.

The Wenatchee District's deer herds are primarily mulies, perhaps reflective of the rugged terrain. The Douglas Population Management Unit's herd was severely degraded by a cold winter, but rebounded through several mild winters. Most of the land is private and does not provide the hidey-holes offered the Chelan herd just across the river.

McCorquodale said that it is "much more difficult to get mature bucks" from the Douglas herd.

The Chelan GMU took a double hit -- first with a major fire that burned winter forage area, and then with a cold winter. But it too has come back.

In fact, McCorquodale rates the Chelan herd as a "dramatic success story," borne out by bag statistics showing a high percentage of bucks bearing 3 points or more.

According to Beau Patterson, district wildlife biologist, "both populations are right about where we want them." The Chelan herd shows a ratio of 32 bucks per 100 does, followed by the Douglas herd at 26 bucks. Both numbers are among the highest in the state.

Patterson was concerned about winter survival. But the weather cooperated in the form of huge windstorms, opening up lots of forage.

Chelan has substantial public land that offers good-quality hunting opportunities. Patterson suggests hunting the off-road areas at the 3,000- to 5,000-foot elevation. In Douglas County -- where much of the land is private -- he favors a late-summer scouting trip to knock on doors and ask permission.

WDFW manages Desert (GMU 290) as a "quality" mule-deer buck hunting area, with double the number of bucks to does as compared to other areas. This is a permit-only area, but lucky permit-holders will get a chance at trophy animals.

Typically, more than 65 percent of permits-holders take home a prize. Modern firearms shooters score close to 100 percent.

Another special management area is the Buckrun Private Lands Hunting Program in Beezley (GMU 272), with limited public hunting opportunities.

REGION 1
Region 1, comprised of the 10 easternmost counties in the state, is the crown jewel for Washington deer hunters. It typically accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total annual deer harvest. The country ranges from the remote Selkirk Mountains in the north to the Blue Mountain high plateaus and ridges bordering Oregon and Idaho.

"Whitetails," says McCorquodale, "are doing fabulously well in the northeast corner" of the region.

In fact, three GMUs north and west of Spokane are known for always producing big numbers, with outstanding hunter-success ratios exceeding 30 percent. Hunters from 49 Degrees North (GMU 117), Huckleberry (GMU 121) and Mount Spokane (GMU 124) total more than 6,000 animals, mostly whitetails, year after year. Hunting in this area, limited to bucks of 3 points or more, is so good that the number of deer harvested per hunter-day continues to increase annually.