For Snoqualmie (GMU 460), the outlook is mixed. This unit continues to experience urban development. But at the outer edges, the land is subject to logging that may increase the forage base. The number of animals harvested has shown a slight increase over the last few years. Expect this year's to be around 135 animals.

Issaquah (GMU 454) has liberal seasons to minimize the deer damage complaints and road-kills resulting from increased development.

REGION 3, Mid-Columbia
Region 3, the flip side of Region 4, begins at the Cascade crest, flows downslope to the Columbia River, then turns south. This region encompasses a wide variety of habitat including alpine forests, rain-shadow shrub lands and arid sagebrush desert where the availability of perennial water may dictate herd populations.

Most of the harvest is mule deer or hybrids managed as mule deer. A few whitetails are taken in eastern units.

Region 3 is tough to characterize on a broad basis. Except for 31 and 34, most population management units are suffering declining deer populations caused by the triple whammy of drought, winter conditions and the louse Bovicola tibialis, which first hit in 2004 and spread rapidly through several areas.

In 2007, the now greatly depleted herds showed fewer signs of hair loss. That might signal that the infestation has run its course. Keep your fingers crossed, but it will take some time for the herds to recover. Meanwhile, the harvest is restricted to bucks showing three or more points.

Ringold (GMU 379) and Kahlotus (GMU 381) were both formerly known as Esquatzel. These two units -- the Region 3 bright spots -- offer several different seasons including both early and late archery seasons and early and late muzzleloader seasons. They also support several special permits each year, including some late-season permits, which presents the opportunity for taking some trophy animals.

Recent harvest data reflect a high proportion of older bucks bearing five or more points. Special permit hunters tagged an animal roughly 56 percent of the time.

Wildfires in 2005 and '07 on the Hanford Reach National Monument burned some important forage areas, but conditions had not been severe.

WDFW surveys indicate that this deer population is highly mobile, with substantial numbers of animals migrating into these units in fall and winter.

East Klickitat (GMU 382) is Region 3's other bright spot, with roughly 30 percent of hunters tagging a deer. Expect 450 or more animals to be harvested in 2008.

The harvest numbers on Bethel (GMU 360). Bumping (GMU 356) and Rimrock (GMU 364) are simply dismal, reflective of the deer population's depleted by the Bovicola louse and hair-loss syndrome.

REGION 2, Northeast
This is mule deer country, but more whitetails are infiltrating into its eastern fringes, especially in the Okanogan District. Region 2 provides quality hunting for the Chelan and Douglas deer herds, with many units reporting hunter-success ratios above 20 percent.

Rates top out with Clark (GMU 244) and Ritzville (GMU 284) at 28 percent and 38 percent, respectively.

Hunters took more than 4,000 animals last season.

Bruce Wick, of Icicle Outfitters & Guides, said that the 2008 season is going to be similar to last year's because the 2007-08 winter was "pretty normal."

He favors the Clark Unit and Swakane Unit (GMU 250) for his clients because of the Chelan herd's well-deserved reputation for producing large numbers of mature bucks. Wick says that hunters in the woods in mid- to late November have the best opportunity of scoring a trophy.