GMU 454 and 460 Westside

[Savage3006]

I'm trying to decide on which GMU to hunt this weekend, 454 Issaquah or 460 Snoqualmie. Anyone have a preference? Taking a first time hunter along and this is to get him ready for late buck down south...is Taylor Mtn open or permit only? Thanks in advance for any help. Have a great weekend and good luck everyone!

[NW-Eric]

taylor mt is probly the only public land open to modern firearm youll find in the issaquah unit. and yes its open... any buck

[WDFW-SUX]

Are you sure taylor mt is open?

Source?

[NW-Eric]

GENERAL SEASONS

WESTERN WASHINGTON BLACK TAILED DEER
OCT 11-31 GMU 448-466 TAYLOR MT IS IN 454 AS FAR AS IV ALWAYS KNOW IF ITS NOT, ITS IN 460 AND HE WOULD STILL BE FINE

[Savage3006]

Cool! Any other areas you can recommend near Issaquah? Thanks again!

[NW-Eric]

there are alot of firearm restrictions around there so i havnt put in much time but i pulled a monster blacktail off of private land i had permisson to hunt bordering taylor mt.

that guy was two seasons ago and i have seen several others his size and bigger... so there in there

[Savage3006]

Sweeeeet Blacktail dude!

[Dman]

 Just to clarify, Taylor Mountain DNR land/ watershed is closed to ALL hunting. There is private land that border's Taylor open to hunting.

[NW-Eric]

when did they close it cause ive have gone hiking up there several times this year and seen multiple hunters and all the signs say is no motorized vehichles??

[Dman]

 It's always been closed, though there is a private residence right in the middle of the DNR land that was never bought out, they refused to sell and still can drive in there, fairly nice folks though and I would imagine they can hunt their own parcel which is like 50-75 acres. All the rest is closed, the best map of the closed area is on the Washington DNR's Major Public Land's map. All DNR land is usually open to hunting, with the exception of one type and that is Conservation area's, like Taylor. Hope that helps.

[NW-Eric]

thats the base of taylor if you drive up highway 18 theres a couple of access gates on the top of taylor that are open to hunting... i know the family that lives there i went to highschool with one of them.   and yes theres alot of water shed back there but the upper part should be and has always been open as far as i can tell

[Dman]

 Your on track, there's also the northern portion which includes part of Rattlesnake Ridge.

[NW-Eric]

so are we in agreement that upper taylor is open haha, and across the highway is tiger mt. wich is firearm restricted... shotgun or bow only basically

[ck]

"with the exception of one type and that is Conservation area's, like Taylor. Hope that helps."
  I haven't looked at a map, but if it is a DNR NRCA (Natural Resources Conservation Area)  I am pretty sure it would be open, unless there is some special restriction for that one NRCA.  In the research I've done in one of the allowed uses in NRCA's is hunting as governed by WDFW, etc

[Dman]

so are we in agreement that upper taylor is open haha, and across the highway is tiger mt. wich is firearm restricted... shotgun or bow only basically

 Almost right. According to Walt Pulliam, WDNR, the NW corner of Tiger is also DNR Conservation land, closed to hunting and the rest of Tiger Mtn is bow only due to all the roads and trails, you can't possibly meet the State's firearm restriction requirement's for safe shooting along roadways on Tiger, on 90% of it, as well as all the folks on the trails, bad idea.

[Dman]

"with the exception of one type and that is Conservation area's, like Taylor. Hope that helps."
  I haven't looked at a map, but if it is a DNR NRCA (Natural Resources Conservation Area)  I am pretty sure it would be open, unless there is some special restriction for that one NRCA.  In the research I've done in one of the allowed uses in NRCA's is hunting as governed by WDFW, etc

I would call WDNR on that question, WDFW doesn't govern the restriction's DNR places on their own lands, even for hunting. If I can find the original email I got from Walt a couple years ago, I'll share it but he was pretty clear Conservation areas are closed to hunting, without exception.

[NW-Eric]

i dont think upper taylor is a conservation area like the lower part... and as far as tiger it has been open to shotgun bow and muzzle loader, its just no high powered fire arms basically, at least the past couple years any ways

[Dman]

 Here's info on King County Conservation areas, note no hunting at the very top.
 http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/natural-lands/natural-area-rules.aspx

[NW-Eric]

i still think that only pertains to the lower part i have seen no signs what so ever on the upper part stating no hunting or shooting

ok so we could probly go back and forth all day so if it was me i would not hunt on the lower part where it is a park and has no hunting posted as you walk in...

i would not hunt in the water shed on the back side of lower taylor...

i would hunt on the top of taylor off highway 18 where it says nothing about no hunting and i see countless other hunters there through out the seasons and have personally hunted it with out any problems...

thats just my opinion

[ck]

Looks like you're talking about King County DNR, not Washington State DNR? 

[WDFW-SUX]

I've wanted to hunt the lower part for quite a while but I've always been under the impression that it was taboo.........

Sorta like the plateau and the Redmond watershed.....Ron Sims took away all of my good local spots with his king county no hunting proclamations..........*censored*

[Dmanmastertracker]

Looks like you're talking about King County DNR, not Washington State DNR? 

 There really is not a difference that I am aware of between State and County DNR, State administers County, etc.. Same org. really.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I just realized I started over in post's  .

 Another "Dman" signed up so to avoid confusion I changed my handle.