GMU 231 Gardner
Steep, roadless high-country above Twisp — backpack-and-horseback mule deer under the Gardner peaks and the Sawtooth crest.
WDFW Region 2 (District 6) — North Cascades / Okanogan, Twisp River · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
255
sq mi
Public land
89%
approx.
Elevation
2,800–8,979
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 231 "Gardner" is a rugged ~255-square-mile unit on the east slope of the North Cascades that climbs from the rolling rangeland around Twisp up the Twisp River drainage to the alpine spine of Gardner and North Gardner mountains and the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. It is very heavily public — roughly 89% — split between the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and a slice of the Methow Wildlife Area (Big Valley / Big Buck) at the lower end. This is a big-country mule deer unit where much of the ground is roadless backpack or horseback terrain, and deer are migratory: they winter low near the valley and summer high in the Twisp River drainage and the Sawtooth. Whitetails are scarce, elk essentially absent, and black bear and cougar round out the opportunity. The unit lies within the North Cascades grizzly bear recovery zone.
Terrain
A dramatic gradient from open rolling rangeland near Twisp (~2,800 ft) up steep, rocky, timbered drainages to alpine peaks — Gardner Mountain and North Gardner Mountain exceed 8,900 ft. Multiple steep drainages drop as much as 3,000 ft in barely a mile. Thick old-growth conifer dominates the north-facing slopes; the country is extremely rocky and covering it takes far longer than the map suggests.
Cover: Open bunchgrass and shrub-steppe rangeland on the lower southeast benches near Twisp; mixed conifer and old-growth on the mid and north slopes; subalpine parkland and alpine rock at the crest. Portions of the southern border burned in the 2018 Crescent Mountain fire.
Landmarks: Gardner Mountain and North Gardner Mountain (>8,900 ft) · Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness (western/southern high country) · Twisp River drainage and Twisp River Road (summer range) · Methow Wildlife Area — Big Valley and Big Buck units (lower NE) · Virginia Ridge, Thompson Ridge, Little Bridge Creek · Copper Pass (divides the two national forest halves) · North Cascades grizzly bear recovery zone (unit lies within)
Access
Public access is excellent on paper — about 89% public — but a good majority of the unit is roadless wilderness reachable only by foot or horseback. The road-accessible starting points are the huntable Big Valley/Big Buck portions of the Methow Wildlife Area, the Twisp River Valley north of the Twisp River Road, and ONF drainages like Virginia Ridge, Thompson Ridge and Little Bridge Creek. Copper Pass splits the Okanogan and Wenatchee sides. Watch for localized regulation closures and wilderness restrictions.
Managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (majority; includes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness), WDFW Methow Wildlife Area (Big Valley / Big Buck units), WA DNR (small blocks), US Bureau of Land Management (small pieces), Private valley/riparian ground near Twisp
Access points: Twisp River Road (Twisp River drainage) west from Twisp · Methow Wildlife Area Big Valley / Big Buck unit access · Little Bridge Creek and Virginia/Thompson Ridge ONF roads · Wilderness trailheads for backpack/horseback access to the high country
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe reason to draw or hunt 231. Part of District 6's large migratory mule deer herd, with deer wintering on the lower Big Valley farm ground and along the valley, then migrating up the Twisp River drainage and into the Sawtooth for summer. WDFW notes deer herds across the district have been knocked back by drought, fire, disease and hard winters and are still recovering, but productivity is trending up (post-season fawn:doe ~77:100, above the 10-year average; best overwinter fawn survival in a decade). Mature bucks hold in the steep, remote, roadless high country — this is a fitness-and-optics hunt.
- →Backpack or pack in with horses to reach unpressured bucks in the roadless Twisp River/Sawtooth high country.
- →Early season, glass high basins and burns; the animals are dispersed and summering high.
- →Watch the Big Valley farm ground and lower breaks in late afternoon-to-dusk when migratory deer feed out.
- →Time your hunt to a snow event — the migration off the high country to lower winter range is the highest-odds window.
- →Budget extra time: the rocky, broken terrain is slow, and drainages drop thousands of feet fast.
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityScarce and incidental. Whitetails are far less numerous than mule deer on the west side of District 6 and favor brushier, lower riparian corridors and private valley ground. Expect a chance encounter, not a target hunt.
- →Hunt low riparian thickets and creek bottoms near the valley floor at first and last light.
- →Confirm species before any point-restricted or antlerless opportunity in mixed-deer country.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear, including color-phase (cinnamon/brown) animals, are well distributed and 231's berry-rich burns and high basins offer good opportunity, though success rises and falls with the berry crop. The unit is inside the North Cascades grizzly bear recovery zone, so bear identification is essential.
- →Glass berry fields, avalanche chutes and burns (Crescent Mountain scar) in late summer and fall.
- →Hunt spring green-up on low south-facing slopes.
- →Take WDFW's bear ID test and be certain of your target — grizzlies could occur here.
Cougar
common opportunityAll Okanogan District GMUs hold cougars and are open to hunting; recent District 6 harvest stayed within guidelines with low control mortality, so numbers are robust. Success is largely snow-and-tracking dependent and often incidental to deer hunting.
- →Hunt fresh snow when tracks are readable on roads and in drainages.
- →Key on deer winter range where cougars concentrate.
- →Confirm current season structure and any harvest-guideline closures before hunting.
Pro tips
- →This is a legs-and-optics unit — plan a pack-in to the roadless Twisp River/Sawtooth high country to reach mature bucks.
- →The Big Valley/Big Buck wildlife-area ground is the roadable, lower-effort access if you can't pack in.
- →Everything takes longer than it looks — the rocky terrain and 3,000-ft drainages eat time; plan conservative daily objectives.
- →Play the migration: a cold snap or snow moving deer to lower winter range is the difference-maker.
- →Scout the Crescent Mountain burn and other scars for regenerating forage that pulls both deer and bear.
Watch out for
- !Much of the unit is roadless wilderness — do not underestimate the backpack/horseback commitment or the rugged, rocky terrain.
- !Wildfire, smoke and road/trail closures are a live seasonal risk on this dry east slope.
- !You are inside the North Cascades grizzly bear recovery zone — bear ID is mandatory.
- !District deer herds are still recovering from drought/fire/disease/hard winters; manage expectations on deer density.
- !Late-season high-country weather can turn dangerous quickly; carry emergency comms and gear.
Logistics
Twisp is the closest hub for fuel, food and lodging, with Winthrop a few miles up-valley and the Methow Valley Ranger District nearby for maps and closure info. Beyond the valley and the lower wildlife-area units, expect trailhead-and-boots or horses — this is a pack-in unit. Cell service disappears quickly off the valley floor; carry a satellite communicator, plan water sources in dry years, and be honest about the physical demand of the terrain.
Nearest towns: Twisp, Winthrop
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2024 District 6 Hunting Prospects (Okanogan County) · GoHunt — Washington Unit 231 (Gardner) Profile · WDFW Big Buck / Methow Wildlife Area Units
FAQ
- How big is GMU 231 in Washington?
- GMU 231 (Gardner) covers about 255 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,800 to 8,979 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 231?
- Approximately 89% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (majority; includes Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness), WDFW Methow Wildlife Area (Big Valley / Big Buck units), WA DNR (small blocks), US Bureau of Land Management (small pieces), Private valley/riparian ground near Twisp. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 231?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 231 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.