I won the Western Deer Raffle!!! Need Help with hunt!

[pcgamer16]

Hey, sorry I guys, I'm not really too familiar with the etiquette of forums. I got the 4x5 just out of Colfax, WA over by WSU where I graduated from. If you are familiar with the area it's all wheat fields and rolling hills. I had scouted the area every day before class and found this group of whitetails that would come in around 8:30 AM and bed on this eyebrow. So, on opening day I hunted around the hills till around 8:00 and went to my spot that I had scouted. I arrived a little early and the deer actually walked up behind me and spooked my buddy and I. When they saw us they spooked right away and started to jet. I shot this guy at about 100yrds running away from me. I think it was a pretty lucky shot, but he dropped like a rock. I used a sporterized Mosin Nagant 91/30. Here's a few pics: deer head
The elk I got was up on Uptanum ridge just out of Yakima, near whistlin jacks resort. My uncle and I both had drawn cow tags for the hunt. We had my dad drop us off at the top of the ridge several times and we hunted down toward the valley. Right away we spooked 4 small cows but we didn't take a shot. Later in the day we were hiking down this ridge that looked dead. All of the sign was at least a few days old and didn't look promising to say the least. That is until I heard something clumsily climbing up the rocks on the other side of the ridge. It was a good 400lb cow about 150yrds away. There were trees in my way so I scrambled up my side of the ridge to get a clear shot. I steadied and missed my first (a little high), but hit it the second time. At the same time I shot, my uncle shot it from 200yrds downhill from where I was. So we literally simultaneously hit the cow without knowing where eachother was, crazy huh? That's pretty much the end of the story. It rolled down the ridge breaking its legs in the process and landed on the path that lead out of the valley. Here's some pics of it quartered in my dad's truck.

[Jerome]

Sweet pics.  My aunt teaches at WSU.  How many tickets did you buy for the raffle?

[Crunchy]

Green River should be a good unit for a start.  

[pcgamer16]

Bobcat:

I only bought one raffle ticket for western deer. When I was speaking to the man on the phone he said GMU 45. I didn't think they went that low so you are probably right that either I didn't hear it correctly or he was misread something. What can I contribute if I don't have that much experience? What do you guys suggest for a young newb like me?

[yelp]

Newbie...you sounded a little like the guy that found bigfoot...lol welcome and congrats.  Hope you get somethin bigger than a two point.

[bobcat]

I wouldn't worry about contributing anything more. You posted your pictures and stories, that's enough. Hopefully someone here will help you with some ideas on where and when to hunt. I'm thinking the one unit you cannot hunt is Green River, GMU 485. Since you live in Puyallup, I would suggest looking at the Mashel, Skookumchuck and/or Stormking GMU's. And try to spend as much time in the woods during the month of November.

Welcome to the site and it would be great if you stick around and keep us updated on your blacktail hunt.

[tlbradford]

I think you are off to a good start with that last post.  For a starting point, I would dig into the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young books and find out what county submitted the most entries in the last 10 years or so.  Then study up on accessible hunting land in those areas and do some scouting.  After the last day of rifle season, you may get some more people willing to give up a big buck that they have spotted, but will not have a chance to go after.

Any help comes with an agreement that you will post your pictures and story on the website.  Here is a link to a thread that we had last year.  As you can see, you will probably get a lot of help on here, as long as you make the website a better place.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,1425.0.html

[Gutpile]

I've hunted the Colfax area my whole life! Love that country. Not knocking the deer at all but it has a little shorter tines than normal down there was it typical for the others you saw? Did your pard tag out? You coming back out this way in the fall?

[pcgamer16]

Gutpile:

The deer was average for what I saw out there. There were some monster mule deer out there that I didn't get a shot at. I am going to be hunting out there this year in October. I hunt on Largent's land out off Penewawa Rd. It was just myself hunting most of the time. I brought my buddy out there but he missed a few good deer after I tagged mine opening morning.

[Gutpile]

That deer is about the average down there but you see the occasional hog, 

Swing by and say hi. I'll be down that way both weekends for my kids. I drew a late tag so wont hunt hard for myself until late buck.

PM me sometime and I'll let you know where I'm at if you feel like it.

Those damn Muleys come and go. I see them all over in preseason and the occasional doe during the season but I've never shot one yet. Maybe someday.

[cascademountainhunter]

looks like uve got plenty of time to do alot of scouting.
and u dont have to travel that far u never know where where a big buck could be...
good luck to ya.

[Bigshooter]

If I had your tag I would hunt just west of the pacific crest trail starting sept. 1st.

[bucklucky]

+1

[Black Ghost]

Is this an additional tag?  I wouldn't waste your tag on a early hunt in eastern washington.  Look in the regs, and see where they offer late season permits.  Make sure to be in the woods at least the first 10 days of November! If you haven't been in the woods early November, you won't believe the kinda deer movement during midday!  
I am going to PM you a resource.  Go COUGS

[M_ray]

If I had your tag I would hunt just west of the pacific crest trail starting sept. 1st.