Anyone hunt 133?

[jnevs23]

Its looking like I'm going to be getting access to 5,000 or so acres of land between Wilbur and the Columbia River.  Anyone ever hunt out this way?  That is unit 133 right?  It sounds like this is a winter wheat farm with only about 80 treed acres and I don't know much more about the land.  Im hoping to get out there in the next couple weeks to check it out but they are pretty busy harvesting right now.  I generally archery hunt but this sounds like a rifle hunt to me.  The land owners son said its mostly mulies with some whitys mixed in.  Didn't think to ask if there are any elk out there, ive heard it can be good in that area.  Any info on the area would be appreciated.  Thanks, Jason

[Jonathan_S]

There are like 12 elk that show up a few times a year, don't reccomend trying to hunt them   

Lots of mule deer, a few whitetail like you said.  I would reccomend a rifle hunt and be CAREFUL of your backstops.  The closer you get to the Columbia River, the better.

[duckmen1]

Ive hunted the last two years on a small piece of private land and deer numbers seem to be good. Lots of does and two points. Wish i was on a bigger chunk though. Might make a better hunt.

[bowhunterforever]

Depending on where exactly this is it's mostly mule deer but there is a few good whitetail bucks north of Wilbur.

[Colville]

If you can gain any elevation do so to look about.  A decade ago i watched a big buck bed down in a divot in a recently cut wheat field.  He wasn't in a high point, but a low point.  The does were almost always bedded in the brushy edges of the fields, not off in the trees even though there were plenty of trees. 

You'll get a big whitetail to bed down in what looks like one tumbleweed and a few blades of tall grass. They are crazy able to bed in a tiny patch of brush.  Be ready to shoot like they're birds because they'll also sit right down and let you walk within a very short distance of them if they don't have cover to escape by. And they're not mule deer, they aren't going to turn back and give you a second look, they'll run like hell till out of site.

Try to find ways to glass the brushy edges of the fields without walking them down. In my trips to that country the trees were where they took off to after you pushed them, they weren't bedding there until they were worked.  even if you are the only guy with permission, you are likely not the only guy who'll be there.  You may end up having to hunt them up like pheasants, minus the dog.  First couple days you could see a groups come running through at any time as they get pushed around from neighboring property, I wouldn't take any mid day time off early in the season.

[BULLBLASTER]

Good advice colville. I agree.
I grew up hunting 133 for both mule deer and Whitetail. Mostly on public land. Lots of pressure on most public but that gets animals moving at all hours. Another thing is to glass very carefully. These animlas once pressured will move only well after dark. They will bed all day. Watch for antler points or a ear twitch. Sometimes they'll get up to stretch or.preposition but that is 5-10 seconds then back.down.

I will also add that 133 has a resident population of elk that is at least 30-50 animals. That stay in a very small area of unit that is almost exclusively private land and not viewable. All but impossible to hunt as they very rarely come off the private and the landowners don't give access easily if at all.