Public Land Near Ellensburg

[kglacken]

I'm transferring to CWU next year and one of my concerns is the amount of public land there is to hunt in the area. Is there much? Not looking for places or honey holes. Just wondering if there is public land there for me to scout and hunt? Never hunted anywhere close to that area

[UBA]

Lots of it and pretty much in any direction

[kglacken]

Awesome guys!  I have a big 4 wheel drive f250 so I should be able to get anywhere. I am hoping to make a few scouting trips up there over summer. Gonna find some public land, put the boot to the ground and maybe shoot some yotes and help out the deer population! Thanks guys

[time2hunt]

Hundreds of thousands of acres to hunt but also a lot of hunter to compete with, we are to close to the wet side

[bobcat]

Tons of public land to hunt over there. Any direction you go, once you get out of the valley, will be public land.

To the north you've got the Colockum Wildlife Area (WDFW) and the Naneum State Forest (DNR). And further north and west will be National Forest.

South will be the Yakima Training Center (military) and to the southwest the LT Murray Wildlife Area (WDFW). Continuing west you get into more National Forest, that pretty much goes forever.

Definitely no lack of public land. The only issue you'll have is if you're looking for bird hunting areas.

[kglacken]

No I will be looking for deer. I still am looking to score on a monster blacktail, so I may end up driving back home a couple weekends to find one, but on weekends where that is not an option I may stay around school and hunt Mulies. I have only hunted them one time when I was younger and we hardly saw anything, but I am looking forward to learning a new skill.

[bobcat]

The bad news is the deer numbers around Ellensburg are down to practically nothing.

Look at the harvest report for Naneum, Taneum, Mission, Manastash, Umtanum, and Teanaway.

Teanaway is probably your best bet, but it gets tons of pressure from people driving over from the westside.

[kglacken]

The bad news is the deer numbers around Ellensburg are down to practically nothing.

Look at the harvest report for Naneum, Taneum, Mission, and Teanaway.

Teanaway is probably your best bet, but it gets tons of pressure from people driving over from the westside.

Well thats no good! This is the very beginning of my research. I like putting some miles on my boots and learning new country so Hopefully I can find some good areas. Even if the numbers are down, Id rather be hunting an area with fewer deer, then sitting at home. 

[bobcat]

I was going to CWU back in '89 and killed a nice fat 2 point mulie up in the Teanaway. I still love hunting over there, but I hate how crowded it is.

[Stickerbush]

Yes there is tons of land to hunt! I wish I had taken more advantage of it when I lived there, but I did have this pesky college thing taking up a lot of time. 

On a side note bobcat would you necessarily correlate harvest reports to overall deer numbers? This might be a side topic in itself but I think there are other influences on harvest. 

[buglebuster]

Ive never had a problem seeing 30+ deer a day in manashtash, and thats not just does

[bobcat]

On a side note bobcat would you necessarily correlate harvest reports to overall deer numbers? This might be a side topic in itself but I think there are other influences on harvest.

Yes, I'd say there's a correlation between the deer population and success rates. I consider success rates that go from 4% up to 11% to be pretty poor. Teanaway used to be in the mid-20's.

[Stickerbush]

I didn't realize they dropped that low recently, but could this be due to less hunters afield? Or possible changes in reporting? I have nothing to compare it to so I have to defer to those who have hunted these areas for a long time.

[Chris]

I graduated from Central in 98. I loved every minute I was there. We hunted Manashtash pretty hard. We would frequently come out near the Nile as well as up towards Cleelum. My two roommates and I got bucks every year. We missed a few spike bulls, but never killed any. We also went over to Royal City and killed a few nice bucks. I the fall we would only take 12 credits and never had a class before noon. I absolutely loved Ellensburg!

[PlateauNDN]

Observatory(umtanum unit) didn't seem slow, archery and muzzy camps that I seen had bucks hanging and modern opener sounded like the 4th of july, I helped a non-tribal relative witha buck tag in there and we were in deer like ticks. 

[bobcat]

This is from the hunting prospects for 2012 from the WDFW site:
(District 8 is Yakima & Kittitas Counties)


Deer:  Deer hunting in District 8 has been the worst in the state for a number of years.  The average success the last 5 years has been 8% compared to a statewide 23-25% success. The 2010 and 2011 harvests were the lowest in recent history.  There have been mild winters and decent fawn production, but lice, causing hair-slip disease, seems to be keeping populations down.

There are some signs the population might be starting to increase, but don’t expect great hunting.  Hunter numbers have declined with the deer population.  Many of the remaining modern firearm hunters are probably setting up camp and claiming their favorite spot for elk season.  If you are looking for relatively low hunter densities, consider the higher elevations of District 8.  Hunter success is typically highest in GMU’s 335 and 342, but so are hunter numbers.

[Naches Sportsman]

I would stick to 342 for good chances.  There were 14 legal bucks last weekend that I spotted.

[Seabass]

One of my best friends lives in the Burg. You will probably love it. It's a great community for a sportsman to be in. I always have a great time when I'm over there.

[chad s.]

Graduated from CWU in 2003.....killed one deer up Joe Watt Canyon when I was there. There was hardly any hunting pressure at that time in that area. The coolest thing about going to CWU was that you drive 15 minutes any direction, and you're in the hills looking at elk!

[Harborhunter]

I agree with Chad.  I graduated in 2006 and it is awesome that 15 minutes either way, you are in the hills.  Awesome place to go to school if you love the outdoors.  I was there from 2003-2006, and used to see plenty of animals, and shot a buck one year up Coleman Canyon, but haven't hunted there since and it sounds like the deer numbers have dropped off quite a bit since that time.  I have not seen this first hand though, like I say, I haven't hunted it since I graduated. 

[Chinook73]

Graduated Central in '98.  Staple foods in the winter was ramen and Mallard.  There was no shortage of either.  Even a few Chinese Chickens off of Durr rd.

[Kowsrule30]

This is from the hunting prospects for 2012 from the WDFW site:
(District 8 is Yakima & Kittitas Counties)


Deer:  Deer hunting in District 8 has been the worst in the state for a number of years.  The average success the last 5 years has been 8% compared to a statewide 23-25% success. The 2010 and 2011 harvests were the lowest in recent history.  There have been mild winters and decent fawn production, but lice, causing hair-slip disease, seems to be keeping populations down.

There are some signs the population might be starting to increase, but don’t expect great hunting.  Hunter numbers have declined with the deer population.  Many of the remaining modern firearm hunters are probably setting up camp and claiming their favorite spot for elk season.  If you are looking for relatively low hunter densities, consider the higher elevations of District 8.  Hunter success is typically highest in GMU’s 335 and 342, but so are hunter numbers.

I read that shortly after it came out... They didn't mention one thing about how the abundant preditors have a huge impact as well as the louse infestation... A little disapointing...

[fishunt247]

Graduated from there in 2010. Ellensburg is very, very good times. Don't spend so much time in the hills that you ignore the girls downtown, though. Very centrally located as far as hunting and fishing goes. You'll have fun.

[runamuk]

I love it here, good people, a good community, a great school, lots of outdoors stuff minutes away plenty of fun bars and good food.....I wont leave if I can find work to support myself when I finally graduate....

[dvolmer]

Good elk hunting with lots of Westy pressure.  Mule deer hunting is extremely poor.  Get on to I90 and head for Vantage.  then take highway 26 to the Palouse if you want good muley country.

[fishngamereaper]

Man you'll love it. Lived there for 5 years during and after school. So much to do School often got in the way of fun

Killed my biggest mulie( 171") south of town back in 96.

Almost to much country to learn, get some maps and start driving.

Also get in contact with farmers, there is still alot of good country down low and if you get private access your set up. I worked on a ranch for a couple of years north of town and always had access to good deer numbers and endless supply of yot's in the winter time.

PM me if you want any other info. I help however I can.

[Westsidebowhunter]

I graduated there this year in law and justice and those classes only run monday thru thursday so gave me good weekends to hunt and mess around i was like you and would always go back to the west side to hunt blacktails until the last year and ended up getting a good buck out of teanaway and watched my buddy get a brute there as well and nothing ever beat going up in the hills in september and watching nice bulls rut it really was a great time up there and if your willing to hike you will not be disappointed!