Chiwawa Unit

[Igor]

As stated, the Chiwawa unit is huge.  However, when the nasty weather comes that is a positive, rather than a negative.  Parts of the unit are at an elevation of 5400' - 5800', and are basically impassable when the big snow arrives.  We have been up there in years past, chained up on all four.......not fun.  Much of the unit is at a much lower elevation, and is still huntable, even when major snowstorms make some parts of the unit not accessible.

If you draw the late tag, do lots of regular season scouting.  Years ago we hunted the unit, both regular season and late season, and killed some very nice bucks.

PM me if you like, and I will share some info on the parts of the unit I am familiar with.

[teanawayslayer]

Good luck with that.  I hope that you have a lot of points.

points don’t matter. Help a guy out. Atleast he is asking prior to drawing

[Skyvalhunter]

One thing you have to take into account on the Chiwawa unit is unless your going to specifically hunt the Entiat side of it theres a potential that your area to hunt by vehicle access was reduced. The Sears cr/Poe mtn fires closed a lot of hunting area and probably wont open up this year. So you need to take that into consideration.

[CP]

Good luck with that.  I hope that you have a lot of points.

points don’t matter. Help a guy out. Atleast he is asking prior to drawing

All I can offer is best wishes and good luck.  I gave up putting in for that permit a few years ago.  Points do matter, and the odds of me pulling that draw before I age out or croak are slim to none.

Got points, have at it.   

[Stein]

Good luck with that.  I hope that you have a lot of points.

points don’t matter. Help a guy out. Atleast he is asking prior to drawing

When someone's first post is a blanket ask for "any info" on a tag where you have a 6% chance of drawing with 20 points, there are going to be a bunch of people wondering why they should make an effort to share when the poster didn't put forth the effort to use available tools at least enough to ask semi-informed, specific questions.

[jason stevens]

Lots of great area as stated before an yes you can draw that hunt with 1 point its a lottery an it happened last year for a buddy of mine. Do lots of scouting an prey for bad weather.

[teanawayslayer]

Lots of great area as stated before an yes you can draw that hunt with 1 point its a lottery an it happened last year for a buddy of mine. Do lots of scouting an prey for bad weather.

no way! it takes points and lots of them

[vandeman17]

Lots of great area as stated before an yes you can draw that hunt with 1 point its a lottery an it happened last year for a buddy of mine. Do lots of scouting an prey for bad weather.

no way! it takes points and lots of them

And when you have lots of them, you deserve a tag. Robbed if you don't get one

[wyattoswalt]

Good unit, apply for it and workout

Yes sir!


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[wyattoswalt]

As stated, the Chiwawa unit is huge.  However, when the nasty weather comes that is a positive, rather than a negative.  Parts of the unit are at an elevation of 5400' - 5800', and are basically impassable when the big snow arrives.  We have been up there in years past, chained up on all four.......not fun.  Much of the unit is at a much lower elevation, and is still huntable, even when major snowstorms make some parts of the unit not accessible.

If you draw the late tag, do lots of regular season scouting.  Years ago we hunted the unit, both regular season and late season, and killed some very nice bucks.

PM me if you like, and I will share some info on the parts of the unit I am familiar with.

Thank you, I certainly will!


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[wyattoswalt]

The biggest problem for the Chiwawa unit quality tag, is how big it is.  If the weather comes, it concentrates animals through travel corridors.  If the weather doesn't come, the unit is so big, you have to pick a general area (hopefully scouted prior to season) and get after it.  One side of the unit has lots of road access, the other has very limited road access.  The entire unit is steep / big country.  Regardless of all that being said....if you draw a quality tag, you should be able to kill a buck.  How big that buck is will depend on a combination of effort and luck. 

Everything I said above....applies to most mule deer rut hunts, nothing special.  As for info on this or other sites, you may want to introduce yourself before jumping straight into asking about units and hunts.  Generally speaking, hunters (and fishers) take hunting areas / spots as sacred ground.  Just a common courtesy to become part of the community before asking about hunt units.  All that being said, a lot of people will offer up help to people who draw special tags.  I, and most on this site, want special draw hunters to be successful.   

Thank you, and noted on the hunting forum etiquette.


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[wyattoswalt]

One thing you have to take into account on the Chiwawa unit is unless your going to specifically hunt the Entiat side of it theres a potential that your area to hunt by vehicle access was reduced. The Sears cr/Poe mtn fires closed a lot of hunting area and probably wont open up this year. So you need to take that into consideration.

Will do, I appreciate the information.


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[nwalpineguide]

Does anyone ever deer hunt the chiwawa unit? I'm considering putting in for the quality buck tag, but have no knowledge of the area. Any information is appreciated!


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Coming soon to a Hunting Forum near you: I'll be posting game camera videos from the 4 game camera units I left up in the Chiwawa unit over the previous fall and winter. These videos shall we say... see tepid interest each year that I post them. Grin.

Of course I'll have to edit them for several hours as there is usually over 100+ videos on each unit.

Attached is a sample from 2021



The cold spring, late melt and horrendous road and trail conditions has delayed my hiking into this unit to secure those cameras but last week things opened up. 

[WAcoueshunter]

Lots of good bucks summer up high in the Chiwawa and then migrate down through in November.  Same with the other similar units in the upper drainages, e.g., Slide Ridge, Mission etc.  The challenge is catching them in a place where you can actually hunt them.  The top 2/3 of Chiwawa is DENSE.  Not really very huntable.  So that mostly leaves the bottom 1/3 to hunt.  Essentially you are trying to catch them just before they cross into Swakane and Entiat for the winter.  No snow, and they stay up high and you can't find them.  Too much or too early snow, and they cross quickly into Swakane and Entiat.  The success rates in Chiwawa versus Entiat will tell you all you need to know.  It's easier to find them on the lower transition areas and winter range in Entiat.  Some years in Chiwawa can be super frustrating.  That doesn't happen in Entiat.

[nwalpineguide]

Chiwawa quality buck on migration/rut trail and in transition range. I believe he's a 6X6.

Finally pulled the 4 camera units I had out since mid October 2022. They held around 800 videos total.

This was the only adequate buck captured on video at 2 locations, about a mile apart from each other, where I place two units at each site within 50 yards of each other. Elevation; about 3,700 feet.

Enjoy!