First time in Capitol Forest this weekend

[jordanwlee]

I got out to Capitol Forest this weekend. First time in there and first time bowhunting! As the day grew on, I was hiking around and glassing tons of areas for deer and/or bear. I'll take a doe or buck. Not picky, just happy to be out and finally getting to hunt with my bow this year. I traveled down a forest road and came up on two guys trying to pull a motorcycle out of a ditch. One guy was really banged up and could hardly move. His helmet was really messed up and I asked if I could help. I helped the other guy pull the motorcycle out of the trees where his buddy just crashed. He was laying on the road in pain. I offered water and a phone but they declined and where going to push it out of the forest down the hill and get some help.

An hour later I came across two doe. Twice. Followed them down an embankment. They crossed me the second time and I took a shot at one. Missed. It was a 50 yard shot but I wasnt disappointed. Really glad I finally got to see some deer. I know where they are and I will be heading back to the area shortly.

Ive never hunted Capitol Forest. How is the deer population in there? I've usually hunted eastern washington but the areas I've gone to have been hunted out big time or scattered the deer due to forest fires. Any advice or tips on Capitol Forest would be awesome. I've already read the posts about all the crackheads and tweakers in those woods, thats why I carry my 9mm 

[ICEMAN]

Well, I am surely not the guy to ask. IMHO the area has been destroyed by so many different user types and active advertising of the area. Horse riders, motor cycle, brush pickers, trash dumpers, berry pickers, hikers, mountain bikers, plinkers, tweakers. I understand the area is for all taxpayers, but I have seen it decline a whole bunch. It used to be a different place, believe me. Shot my first deer there around 1979.

With all of the surrounding private timberland closed up, the open road system in the capitol forest will be it's demise IMHO. People literally have no where else to go.

Sorry for the negative viewpoint.

[jordanwlee]

Your viewpoint is well taken!! First time hunting down in that area. I started in Rochester and worked my way all through the Capitol Forest up to Highway 8. I was surprised at the amount of traffic through there and people on motorcycles. Just before calling it a day I spotted those 2 doe. Gave me some hop,e but I want to be realistic about the area since I found abandoned campsites and lots of people on motorcycles, people picking random plants on the road, saw 3 other hunters.

I recently relocated to the southern area in wa. Auburn. Grew up in Snohomish county. Seems like Kapowsin and Hancock own the majority of the area closest to Auburn and this was the closest place I could determine that I could hunt and spend a day in the woods without a permit to get through a gate. I've looked on maps and other resources for areas east of Capitol Forest without going over the pass but didnt look promising. It sure is nice bowhunting in 70 degree weather much different than modern firearm in the snow with a tent LOL

[Eli346]

 There's actually some pretty nice bucks taken out of there but they are well-seasoned to human traffic. The south side is mostly hiking and horse trail but a little brushier in my opinion. The rest of it is a zoo with people everywhere. Stay away from the roads and the bike-quad trail and look in the bottoms of the cuts. It won't be easy but they can be found.

[smalldog]

 

[smalldog]

I hunted Capital Forest back in the late 60s thru the early 70s. I went in on the Porter side of the area. Back in that time that was my favorite area in December. I would once and a while would see a buck that would possibly score between 120 to the 130 range. I know that its sounds to good to be true, but there was some good bucks there. I never bagged one of those bucks but have great memories of those days. My brother had moved here in the early 70s and I had talked him into going bowhunting with me and a friend. That was the best thing I ever did because, he has become my hunting and fishing partner for all these years. I quit hunting Capital Forest and started hunting Nason Creek in the late season and Swaken. In 85 I stopped hunting Swaken and started hunting Whitetails and have hunted them ever sense.   Capital Forest I am sure still has some great bucks, I think Blacktail Bucks are probably the toughest bucks to get especially if it is a booker.  You find someone who is consistant of getting a good Blacktail Buck almost every year, pick his brain because that's one buck is real smart.

[bafister69]

I have hunted capital forest for the last 2 years. we have seen deer every time I have been in there. we took 2 nice does last year, 1 in early and 1 in late. been averaging at least 8 deer a day. rock candy road has a lot of traffic in forms of bikes, 4 wheelers ect. but still never had an issue getting on the deer there. took today off but heading back out there tomorrow.