243 & 247...are not close to each other...there is a big lake that seperates the two and both have two totally different deer herds...with 247 being the Entiat and the "famed" Chelan Co "herd" and 243 being Manson (yes it's in Chelan Co) but those deer are part of the "famed" Okanogan "herd" due to the lake...yes, deer do swim the lake, like a few in the summer, but not in the winter...and none in serious numbers to make it a "crossing" of any sorts...it helps the herds as this is a natural barrier. I talked to the Yakima Bio a year ago and the lice was really bad, heading north to Kittitas Co and they feared the Chelan Co (Entiat and south) would get it bad in due time...but it shouldn't make it to the Okanogan herd since the lake is in the way...
this is also the reason why the Manson "Quality" tag isn't in the same catagory as the Entiat, Slide Ridge, Chiwawa, and Swakane...yes there are big deer in all of them, but Manson should be considered more of an Okanogan area since those deer winter on both sides of the Methow Mountains, just depends on if the deer turns left (into the Methow) or right (into the Lake Chelan basin) when they migrate out...
G-C-R
PS. Per my brother, who was up in the Entiat Unit for work yesterday, there is at least one 30" 7x9...but he is on private property near the Lake...by a big golf course that has a gate house to enter the entire mountain...
