East. Okonagan buck hunt

[marinesniper8541]

I got drawn for the East Okonagan buck hunt for Nov. 1st thru the 20th for white tail only. Any one else draw this tag or has drawn this tag know much about the area r good spots to scout in

[MtnMuley]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

[dfresh96]

Try the MT. Hull area...lots of game up there & during that time the bighorns are rutting...

[Timber]

Congrats on drawing the tag and welcome to the site!

Keep us posted.

PM sent.

[jess]

I had this tag last year. Great tag. Get a little snow on the ground and rattle some horns and be patient lots of bucks.

[jrebel]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

Easy guys.....If you don't like his first post then refrain from responding, especially with a rude / sarcastic response.  Remember he is another hunter in our great state, regardless of how long he has been a member of this site.  If we want this to be popularity / cliquish.. site then keep up your attitudes.  Real easy way to destroy our sport....ostracize fellow hunter cause they are new or can't spell.      Not smart. 

Momma always said, "If you can't say nothing nice, then don't say anything at all."  Words to live by....

[nailbender]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

And here is an example of how to be just flat out rude. It's no wonder some say people on this site suck.

Welcome to the site sniper. Hope you get some good pointers. Not all is bad with folks around here. If I had something to offer up, I would

[popeshawnpaul]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

Man, I miss huntwa...   

[MADMAX]

 dont use a flashlight whatever you do ,wear orange and show your tag in all pics.
ha, I hear you some of the stuff on here cracks me up
You'll do fine on whities, hit the river bottoms

[Birdguy]

Sniper, welcome to the site  . I am guessing you have been a lurker for a while as most of us do before we find a reason to join up . Also think about in introduction post be it in this thread or the intro thread in the campfire tell us a bit about you  and you will likely get a much warmer welcome, don't know why but it helps. As for the tag, do a search, there should be several post on this hunt as it is usually drawn by a couple members each fall. I put it for it each year but have not drawn it in several years now. Hope for a bit of weather and be sure to spend the last week hunting hard. I am certain you will get more info via this thread or PMs that will really help. A buddy of mine and his Dad drew it a couple years back and had an awesome hunt both getting good bucks but noted the hunting really got good the last few days. Good luck keep active on here and let us know what you are seeing when you are out scouting. Looking forward to seeing you post a great buck about the 20th of November  .

Remember lots of us have issues with spelling and no...spell check will not spell Okanogan for you   

[Birdguy]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

Man, I miss huntwa...   

I miss your pictures 

[Elkaholic daWg]

Remember lots of us have issues with spelling and no...spell check will not spell Okanogan for you   

 Depends on which side of the 49th you are on!  Okanogan/Okanagan

Welcome marinesniper8541. by the time your SP season  is open I would bet you'll get some advice which along with some scouting will make it a great experience.   By your handle I would say I need to thank you for your service.

[sanjuankelso]

Hello there Marinesniper, welcome aboard and congrats on your tag. I drew the tag as well and have hunted the area in the past. There are 3 major forest service areas in that gmu and a recent fs or blm map will give you most of the access points and open or seasonally open roads. As was stated in other posts lower is better, close to private land but not on it without permission, lots of whitetails so be patient (new moon is the 3rd and should help us out early), rattling/grunting won't hurt either if not abused. Take a camping trip before September (Bonaparte lake) when a lot of the bucks go nocturnal and explore the area a bit. Pick one area specifically that suits you and spend a few days getting to know it. There's only 50 tags spread out over 20 days so we should all get a crack at a biggy if we play our cards right. Good luck and thanks for your service, if I see you in November at the bar in Chesaw I'll buy you a drink.

[marinesniper8541]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I plan on making a trip over there in August for some scouting and a little bear hunting. As for the spelling I work 3 pm to 3 am mon thru Sat and had just got home from work and was dog tired but will try to read over my post a little better before I send it out. And thank you to everyone who thanked me for my service. Pretty excited for the draw. I drew the Margaret cow tag last year and had great success with that tag so if anyone drew  that tag I am more than happy to return the favor on areas to hunt and scout

[clindsayrun]

I'd check out the Chesaw Wildlife Area and other public lands in that area. Get a good map. Those little blocks hold a surprising number of good deer.
Personally I'd spend some serious time on east of Chesaw in the national forest. There are some big bucks that'll be coming out of the timber and you've got the tag that will be catching them out into the open. Hike up behind some of the gates off of NF-3575.
Go scout it. You'll see the potential right away. Identify past rub lines... they'll hit the same areas up.
Also, sweet talk guys that have run cameras out there in the past. You can identify the regional peak of the rut that way.
Good luck and post pics.

[Skyvalhunter]

Great first post. My recommendation is at least spell the hunt correctly if you're gonna ask for scouting spots with your first post.

Man, I miss huntwa...   

Still lurking I see 

[huntnphool]

Here is a couple 204 whitetails.

Um......that would be "here are a couple 204 whitetail"

[Hermit]

Thats usually my 2nd choice fore a disabled anterless tag. I usually camp at swan lake and scout from there. Lots of poachers last couple of years in that area.

[Jingles]

If people don't know an area what the hell are they doing asking for help finding a deer after they draw a special permit. My suggestion is put the horse in front of the cart you're get farther. Learn where you want to hunt before you snag a permit

[superdown]

I have been hunting that area for 21 years the chesaw wildlife area gets hit Hard not that good of choice for the area if you don't know it.It also depends on weapon choice. It wouldn't be my choice. I would go over by toroda creek or vulcan mtn.
 

[mwhunter]

I lived there all my life so pm me with any questions maybe we can get in a days scouting this summer

[TriggerHappy]

Dennis, glad to see you finally decided to jump on here.... like I said before this is my dads back yard we could probably shoot one from the hot tub but we will do some scouting during bear season. Really good tag to draw bud....

[JLS]

If people don't know an area what the hell are they doing asking for help finding a deer after they draw a special permit. My suggestion is put the horse in front of the cart you're get farther. Learn where you want to hunt before you snag a permit

Thanks for your input

[floatinghat]

I work 3 pm to 3 am mon thru Sat

ouch 72hr work week, hope the $$ are good!  welcome and best of luck.

[jess]

dont hunt vulcan mt as someone said its not in your unit.. I hunted just out of republic last year when i had that tag. Seen tons of bucks and killed a 160 inch buck and seen a couple bigger that i wasnt fast enough on. Everything south of 20 and west of 21 is in your unit.

[superdown]

yeah don't hunt vulcan mt. that's alot further over than i realized assuming you have all of gmu 204 to hunt i have seen quite a few nice whitetail up in the dry gulch area. Good luck with your hunt.

[Southpole]

If people don't know an area what the hell are they doing asking for help finding a deer after they draw a special permit. My suggestion is put the horse in front of the cart you're get farther. Learn where you want to hunt before you snag a permit

Sometimes people get drawn their 2nd choice or 3rd choice not knowing anything about the unit or not even wanting that unit, but you have to pick something. I got drawn for central Okanogan (my second choice) when I wanted North Okanogan (First choice) second deer archery. Couldn't help how the draw went, so I'm going to make the best out of my second choice. No need to chew on people about not knowing a unit good enough, you don't know how they got it... and why should you care.

[Mudman]

I thought some of that was 101 unit?

[Southpole]

By the way great unit, you'll have fun exploring it. Good luck.

[Southpole]

I thought some of that was 101 unit?

I don't believe so.

[Mudman]

Yes.  Torada cr rd is a border from Wauconda north.  Sherman is east of toroda rd east towards Republic/Curlew.  If Im wrong then oops!  Im confused then.

[MtnMuley]

Ya know, the boundries are only a couple clicks away .

[Southpole]

Ya know, the boundries are only a couple clicks away .

That's too easy 

[180-GRAIN]

Thats usually my 2nd choice fore a disabled anterless tag. I usually camp at swan lake and scout from there. Lots of poachers last couple of years in that area.

A couple of us were in there with second deer tags in 2010 and ran into some locals. They confirmed heavy poaching saying they had seen a truck with over 20 deer in the back of it. I ran into them up by swan lake, hunting was tough in that area that year, seen one doe and she was gone as fast as we had seen her.

[finnman]

If people don't know an area what the hell are they doing asking for help finding a deer after they draw a special permit. My suggestion is put the horse in front of the cart you're get farther. Learn where you want to hunt before you snag a permit

That all sounds like great advice.....exept for one thing, this is Washington, remember? If it were Oregon or Wyoming then yes this works, not here! You pray for a tag and when you draw, then you start the research.

[sirmissalot]

If people don't know an area what the hell are they doing asking for help finding a deer after they draw a special permit. My suggestion is put the horse in front of the cart you're get farther. Learn where you want to hunt before you snag a permit

Sometimes people get drawn their 2nd choice or 3rd choice not knowing anything about the unit or not even wanting that unit, but you have to pick something. I got drawn for central Okanogan (my second choice) when I wanted North Okanogan (First choice) second deer archery. Couldn't help how the draw went, so I'm going to make the best out of my second choice. No need to chew on people about not knowing a unit good enough, you don't know how they got it... and why should you care.

This is what I don't understand, it's very common for people to draw 2nd or 3rd choices... It's not like Wyoming where you don't burn any points on those choices if you draw. I'm always confused when people say "well it was my second choice not really what I wanted", you don't have to fill in all the blanks most times I only put one or two choices.

That said, I also get annoyed at people bashing on guys for asking about a hunt they drew... Why not help a guy out on a limited hunt, if you had the same tag I could see it but most likely it won't affect you whatsoever, besides that is what sites like these are for.

Not trying to single you out South Pole just though you brought up a good point.

Good luck on the hunt sniper this is a tag I've been considering putting in for, will be interesting to see how you do I know there are some toads in that area.

[bobcat]

Sometimes people get drawn their 2nd choice or 3rd choice not knowing anything about the unit or not even wanting that unit, but you have to pick something.

Like sirmissalot said, you do not have to apply for a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choice. Oftentimes, I only put in for one hunt.

It doesn't make sense to apply for a hunt that you do not want.

[jess]

i only put in for one choice in every catagory. Why would i want to burn points and waste time on a tag i didnt want. That said i am always willing to help someone out. As for the poaching i spend a ton of time in this unit working/hunting/shed hunting/ fishing/ cutting firewood.. And have seen very little signs of poaching. Wolves kill 100x more deer than poachers...

[Mudman]

Put in whatever ya want!  Your right.  Everyplace I hunted had a first time being there.  I explore new areas in general seasons. 

[Skyvalhunter]

There is alot of poaching taking place there. talked to one of the wardens and he was telling me about constantly trying to catch up with them. Lots of night shooting and spot lighting going on. That being said there are some really nice bucks in there. A guy I know had some monsters on his cams but they were nocturnal. His method of choice was tree stand hunting and getting away from the road.

[Southpole]

I could have sworn I tried leaving my second and third choices blank, but it wouldn't let me. Evidently it was a dream and I really didn't try doing that for real . I'll be doing that next year. Sometimes some of these unknown, less desirable drawn units become quite an adventure and a guy can learn some things, might become a first choice down the road. No biggie Sirmissalot, call me out anytime, I didn't think anyone ever paid any attention to anything I posted.