Methow Deer Forcast

[boneaddict]

First of all you can read this if you want too.   The deer portion of it is a bunch of 
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/2012/district6.php


Now the Truth.   For the most part the western side of the Methow is crap.  There are at least 3 wolf packs working it.  I don't care what the Feds will tell you.   They have essentially whiped out the high country of deer, or forced them to change their habits.   Wolves are sight hunters for the most part and they hit the open high country hard.  The deer either adapted or became wolf    The midrange holds the most deer specifically in the timber.  Apparantly the Lookout pack just showed back up on the valley floor.   Not sure WHY, unless they ran out of food.    I'm giving the Feds the benefit of doubt and guessing these are the wolves or the pack that has been pounding the Sawtooth down from the left of Twisp river down to Gold creek/Chelan country.   There are alot more of them than they are counting or there is another pack.  Thats a big area for them to do that much damage.   The other pack is taking out the right side of the Twisp River with Gardner/ Bridge Creek/Thompson ridge as ground central.  The third pack being up by Sweetgrass/gate creek/Goat creek etc.   They were sighted down by the Weeman bridge, which makes sense becasue most of the deer in the valley floor are in those fields.   Anyone that has spent much time in the valley has noted the collapse of the deer herd there.   Yes there are spots still unaffected, but those are becoming fewer and fewer.  MEANWHILE your biologists are telling you the herd is bigger and better, and there is only ONE PACK.  Go figure.    I haven't touched on what is happening on the East side of the valley.     

[724wd]

what would you know about it bone?     you're just a lowly outdoorsman.  you can't possibly spend enough days afield to know what you're talking about more than a government entity that drove through the area once a year ago. 

was my sarcasm thick enough?    

very sad.  keep up the good fight bone! 

[LiveandLearn]

First of all you can read this if you want too.   The deer portion of it is a bunch of 
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/2012/district6.php


Now the Truth.   For the most part the western side of the Methow is crap.  There are at least 3 wolf packs working it.  I don't care what the Feds will tell you.   They have essentially whiped out the high country of deer, or forced them to change their habits.   Wolves are sight hunters for the most part and they hit the open high country hard.  The deer either adapted or became wolf    The midrange holds the most deer specifically in the timber.  Apparantly the Lookout pack just showed back up on the valley floor.   Not sure WHY, unless they ran out of food.    I'm giving the Feds the benefit of doubt and guessing these are the wolves or the pack that has been pounding the Sawtooth down from the left of Twisp river down to Gold creek/Chelan country.   There are alot more of them than they are counting or there is another pack.  Thats a big area for them to do that much damage.   The other pack is taking out the right side of the Twisp River with Gardner/ Bridge Creek/Thompson ridge as ground central.  The third pack being up by Sweetgrass/gate creek/Goat creek etc.   They were sighted down by the Weeman bridge, which makes sense becasue most of the deer in the valley floor are in those fields.   Anyone that has spent much time in the valley has noted the collapse of the deer herd there.   Yes there are spots still unaffected, but those are becoming fewer and fewer.  MEANWHILE your biologists are telling you the herd is bigger and better, and there is only ONE PACK.  Go figure.    I haven't touched on what is happening on the East side of the valley.   

[fillthefreezer]

found a pelvis and femurs, part of a spine, wasnt too old. hair all over. broken ribs. not sure what got it. this was up in pasayten country 2 wks ago

[boneaddict]

Haven't made it up there yet.   Since they are supposedly closer to the source of these Canadian Greys, I can't imagine its much better.   
Its fairly disturbing to me to watch this happen.   I am not sure what bothers me the most, the lies or the stupidity.

[elkaholic123]

Had a few friends over in the area bow hunting and historically they all tag out and none of them have even drawn an arrow on a deer.....they have not seen nowhere near the numbers they have seen in the past 

[Alchase]

Two years ago we heard a few wolves howling up at Rhy Sweet Grass Butte, the same day the lookout pack was running around the upper Twisp river area.

That reduced to almost non-existent lookout pack sure seems to get around the valley pretty fast.   

[jeepasaurusrex]

Two years ago up in the Goat Creek area, we saw around 30 deer a day. Last year, we saw 3 does in a week, and they were all in the road. Then I spotted my first wolf up by Sweetgrass butte.

The place is basically a ghost town.

We're going to try that area one more year. If its the same as last year, Im taking up hunting wolves.

[grundy53]

There are some over the hill on the Conconully side too.

[turbo]

Thanks for the info. I have hunted the Methow hard all of my life and we ride sleds in a lot of those areas in the winter. On sleds we can help as they stick to the groomed trails in winter. We will try to get a HEAD count....

[ICEMAN]

Isn't it nice to see a balanced natural ecosystem?

 

[grizzlyadams]

Sounds like 3s time

[Sawbuck]

Sounds like 3s time

[50CalJim]

All I know is I've been hunting Alta for as long as I can remember & that unit is a shell of what it used to be in my opinion. I had the Alta Muzzy tag Last yr & it was a definate eye opener on how bad its gone down hill. I didn't see any Wolf sign but I couldn't hike anywhere without seeing Cat sign so that doesn't help either.    Scott Fitkin                                                                

[ghosthunter]

Well I have hunted Alta or Gardner for the past 22 years . The last twelve in Gardner. Last year I hunted every day of the modern seaon. I saw no bucks. I mean dawn to dusk. I heard of 4 bucks. On the last day I saw 11 does file by. I stay there in a tent every year. I have never heard a wolf there. Lots of yotes.
It started in the dumpster about 4 years ago and its gone down hill since. We are going to give it one more year becuase one of the guys has a doe tag. But next year we might just hunt blacktail. Not sure.
I know one thing the season is a least a week to early if not two weeks.

[Killmore]

Please tell about the eastside of the valley bone,when the bio is pro wolf what do you expect...

[boneaddict]

A wolf was spotted last week in Finley Canyon with 6 of this years pups with her.   They were hanging in the top of Cow creek all winter/Texas creek/South summit.   THey were listed as lookout pack.   There have been the sightings on the North part, Sinlahekin/Irongate/Starvation, also noted as the lookout pack.   Idabooner usually has 50 or so deer in his alfalfa field every night on Texas creek, this year there has been 1 doe and 1 fawn.  Thats about the best I can do for now.  Unlike the feds I won't make *censored* up.

[mazama]

My buddies kid saw single wolf below klipchuck campground last year,when he told me it was twice as big as coyote then i believed him,seems like they are spread all over the place-somebody isn't doing their grade school math very well.

[adictd2hunting]

I hunt thompson ridge little bridge creek and poorman sometimes also.  And like everyone else i have seen deer numbers decline in the last 4 years not much activity anymore.  I have seen wolf tracks around war creek also year before last.

[robescc]

It makes me very sad to hear that they are up in the Sweetgrass area. I grew up hunting 8 Mile Creek, Billygoat Pass and Sweetgrass Butte. For the last 8 years, it has hit a new low in that area. Now I know why.
I will be going to Eight Mile Creek in a few weeks to spread my Grandpa's ashes. Maybe I can do some predator hunting.

[boneaddict]

I will be going to Eight Mile Creek in a few weeks to spread my Grandpa's ashes.

What a great place. 

[Alchase]

I will be going to Eight Mile Creek in a few weeks to spread my Grandpa's ashes.

What a great place. 

I could not think of a more fitting place, I am putting in my will that my sons have to take my ashes after I am dead up Baldy mountain to a spot I have hunted often.

We saw a black shadow moving quickly through the trees up Eight Mile from East Chewuch last year. I caught it in my peripheral, my hunting partner swears it was a wolf. That was up the last spur on the right before you come to the end where the trailhead is.

I am curious, has anyone been up the Eight Mile trail from the end of that road?
I have only gone a little ways up, but I was hoping it opened up a bit further down?

[turbo]

I have a doe tag this year in Gardner. My gut pile will have a sweet taste..

[CavemantheHunter]

I have hunted the Chiliwist, Pearrygin, and Alta units hard for the last 10 years and the last few years have seen a steady decline, with last year being the worst. Hunt Chiliwist the most, with a lot of time spent in Benson, Texas, and Gold Creek and last year saw about 1/5 of the numbers we usually see. Have a rancher buddy that lives there as well, and his fields get no deer in them anymore when they used to have 100+ a night. I saw two wolves in the hills between Benson Creek and Finley Canyon a few years back. One was black and one was white. Also had wolves howling around the canyon when I was coming out of it last year at night. Not a fun experience.

[KopperBuck]

Seen lots of sign on Virgina Ridge 2 years ago. We didn't get the snow, granted, but still - very quiet up there with a few does here and there.

[bobcat]

I have a doe tag this year in Gardner. My gut pile will have a sweet taste..

I hope you're not serious. 

You dont know what is going to eat the gutpile.

[hirshey]

A wolf was spotted last week in Finley Canyon with 6 of this years pups with her.   They were hanging in the top of Cow creek all winter/Texas creek/South summit.   THey were listed as lookout pack.   There have been the sightings on the North part, Sinlahekin/Irongate/Starvation, also noted as the lookout pack.   Idabooner usually has 50 or so deer in his alfalfa field every night on Texas creek, this year there has been 1 doe and 1 fawn.  Thats about the best I can do for now.  Unlike the feds I won't make *censored* up.

We saw wolf sign up Finley 2 years ago while shed hunting.. When I inquired, someone told me there was a pair up there PAST breeding age. Guess she's still a fertile old gal. We saw that sign the day after we videoed that lone wolf up on the golden doe. The lookout pack sure moves a lot!

[huntnphool]

I know one thing the season is a least a week to early if not two weeks.

[stickbuck]

This isn't very motivating for my late Alta Muzzy tag after reading this thread. I was worried about this. 

[huntnphool]

This isn't very motivating for my late Alta Muzzy tag after reading this thread. I was worried about this. 

You should be worried about the fire in Gold Creek too.

[bobcat]

There's nothing burning in the Pogue is there? 

[huntnphool]

There's nothing burning in the Pogue is there?

Not that I have heard..........yet.

[boneaddict]

about 5 fires on the south summit(head of Texas and Benson), and a pretty good one on Mcfarland and Gold.  Nothing on the Pogue that I know of.