In recent years, about 50 percent of the Sherman Unit's mule deer sported a 4-point or better rack of antlers. Photo courtesy of Sherman Creek Outfitters.

When most hunters begin the process of locating a new place to pursue deer, they tend to look for pretty much the same features.

A large and healthy population of animals tops the list for nearly everyone. Most hunters also prefer areas that have track records of producing big deer and 4-plus-point bucks. Access and the availability of public land are other primary considerations, and most hunters look for units where they have a little breathing room and don't see hunter orange everywhere they look.

Ideally, they also want a unit with generous seasons, uncomplicated regulations and weapon options.

Slightly farther down the list -- but still an integral part of the equation for most hunters -- are intangible characteristics such as scenery, chance for solitude and the presence of other wildlife.

These attributes provide the color, the "feel" of a hunting experience.

Many deer are killed every autumn in units that lack one or more of these characteristics. For example, western Washington's big industrial tree farms turn out plenty of blacktail bucks. But they are often crowded on weekends, and clearcuts and uniform stands of Douglas fir don't make for awe-inspiring landscapes.

Similarly, hunters with access to private agricultural lands, whether it's on Whidbey Island or the Palouse, also enjoy high hunter success rates. But you usually have to know someone to get permission to hunt in these places.

The most beloved hunting destinations, however, tend to have a robust combination of most, if not all, of the qualities described.

In Washington, most hunters can recite a litany of these "mega units." Okanogan County has several; the Alta and Pearrygin units come to mind. The Columbia Gorge's East Klickitat and Grayback units are famous as are eastern Washington's Huckleberry and Mount Spokane.

But one unit in particular has all this and more. Decade after decade, Region 1's Sherman Unit is one of the state's most consistently productive deer units.

You can pursue either mule deer or whitetails, and the unit turns out good numbers of 4-plus-point deer. The Sherman Unit is about as remote an area as you can get in Washington, and it has one of the state's highest percentages of public land and timberland. The Sherman Unit, in other words, is a mega unit among mega units.

"There are some really nice mule deer up there," said Jim McGowan, Colville National Forest wildlife biologist. "Each year, I see some tremendous bucks."

PROFILE OF A UNIT
Located in northeastern Washington, between Okanogan and Stevens counties, the Sherman Unit (Game Management Unit 101) encompasses nearly all of northern Ferry County and portions of Okanogan County. Its northern boundary is Canada. On the east is Kettle River. On the south is the Colville Indian Reservation, and on the west is State Route 21 and Toroda Creek.

Much of the unit is rolling forested hills, but treeless slopes and meadows are also abundant.

In addition to the Kettle River, the unit contains a number of significant watersheds, including Sherman, Deadman, Boulder, Curlew and Toroda creeks. The unit's central spine, the Kettle River Range, is considered a lobe of the Rocky Mountains, as are the Okanogan Highlands to the west and the Selkirk Mountains to the east.

According to the last census, Ferry County, which covers 2,257 square miles, had 7,260 residents. That works out to one person for each 3.3 square mile, easily the lowest in the state. Until quite recently, there was only one stoplight in the county. (Continued)

The Colville National Forest is by far the largest landowner in the unit, and it provides hunters excellent access to deer country. The forest contains a good mixture of woods, openings and riparian areas that deer favor. It also has a network of logging and spur roads, many of which are now gated, that provide hunters access to the forest. In addition to federal holdings, there is also considerable timber company land in the unit, as well as popular Sherman Creek Wildlife Area.