Pumpkins!!!

[nategood21]

Anyone else have an abnormal amount of Pumpkins running around their honeyholes? The place I've gone for the last 3 years that I've seen a total of 4 people in 3 years was overrun. When my hunting partner and I finally found a legal buck he tucked over a hill and it sounded like I was in a war movie. The shooting went on for 3 min. either it was finally hit or the 3 person group ran outta lead. 

I was so excited for the last 5 days for this morning. When I was pulling up to my parking spot there were 3 rigs there. Starting off with that bummer I went further up the road to the next access point parked and was gonna wait a few min so i didn't spook anything when it was too dark. shortly after turning off my rig I saw lights in the mirror, the person pulled in right behind me with another car in tow. Bummer #2. I tell the people which direction we're going luckily they were going a different way. We got 100 yrds in and they were following us in our trail. bummer #3. Finally get away from them get to a spot to glass and there were pumpkins dotting the hillsides all round us, #4. Head back towards the rigs away from everyone that we had seen so far, or followed by, and find a place to look around for a while. start glassing for about 20 min and notice road hunters driving through the fields. Day one of Modern checking off as a fail. hopefully the firefight road hunters driving through the fields and all the hunters discourage everyone from going back tomorrow and I'll have it to myself.

[Angus]

That story makes me appreciate archery season even more.

[deer_hnter]

Same situation here. My bro-in-law were set up in our spot by 6:00. Just before first light we made out a group of deer on the opposite hillside. We had just spotted two bucks when some jack wagon came stomping up the draw. As the group high-tailed it out of there we got our first look at the only shooter in the bunch!   We stayed put for a couple of hours cause there was so much pressure pushing things around. Then at 10:45 some morons came stomping down the hill right past us making no attempts to remain quiet. It was so bad I had to take a pic.

[Ripper]

 

[JJB11B]

Nope. Made the switch to muzzy this year and will never go back to modern . I can't believe how many people think there are deer in the naches area. All the people I know that used to hunt this area have went to dayton or up near colville

All the hunters around here make is sound like Im back in Iraq. There are people everywhere. There is no way I would ever rifle hunt public land again. There is not a single turn out in Blue Creek Prescott or Dayton that does not have at least 1 truck parked in it. NO FREAKING WAY!

[Russ McDonald]

That story makes me appreciate archery season even more.

I hunted one modern season when I moved here.  I decided after that season never again.  Got a front stuffer for back up if I want to do that season.

[nategood21]

I've been considering going archery or muzzy.  But I have to convince my hunting partner to do the same. I don't wanna flake out on him like my hunting partners in the past. would involve buying and learning to use a new weapon

[JJB11B]

I've been considering going archery or muzzy.  But I have to convince my hunting partner to do the same. I don't wanna flake out on him like my hunting partners in the past. would involve buying and learning to use a new weapon

buying and learning new equipment year after year is half the fun

[Russ McDonald]

I've been considering going archery or muzzy.  But I have to convince my hunting partner to do the same. I don't wanna flake out on him like my hunting partners in the past. would involve buying and learning to use a new weapon

buying and learning new equipment year after year is half the fun

I would go with a muzzy not much more to learn except you only have one shot and no scope.  Plus you have to put powder bullet and cap but that is pretty easy.  Never  used one before in my life bought one last year and took it out.  Was easy to figure out.  Lots of good tips here on them too.

[Toptwo]

I went to 6 spots that I had been scouting for the last few weeks and found rigs there before me...and I got there at 04:30! There was at least 2 rigs in every spot with as many as 6 at one. On the way back from the Quilcene area I decided to drive up to Tarboo lake for the hell of it. Same thing...every gate had at least 2 rigs parked. Of course, on the way into the lake itself I see a sign posting it as DAY USE only, so what do I see when I get all the way to the lake. 2 Camp trailers set up, full camp, along with chairs around the campfire?!?!  If anybody knows somebody from POPE Resources you might want to give them a call. I left a message on one of their lines. Since I am retired, and have the whole season, I guess it will be weekday hunting ONLY for me this season, and will be seriously considering buying a muzzy for next year! What a joke of a opening day!

[coyotestalker22250]

Thats exactly why i went to a bow.

[Craig]

This morning hikes up a little hill to a clearcut above the fog. Where you were able to see. Funny listening to trucks down below road hunting in fog that you can't see 20feet. When the fog finally went away I could watch guys on the other hill get out of the truck walk 5 feet glass for two minutes and then leave.

I didn't see crap so I should have stayed warm and dry in my truck like everyone else.

[BOWHUNTER45]

That story makes me appreciate archery season even more.

That's why I bow hunt ...never have encounters with other hunters ...Sooooooo Sweeeeeeeeeeet ... 

[bur04024]

I went to 6 spots that I had been scouting for the last few weeks and found rigs there before me...and I got there at 04:30! There was at least 2 rigs in every spot with as many as 6 at one. On the way back from the Quilcene area I decided to drive up to Tarboo lake for the hell of it. Same thing...every gate had at least 2 rigs parked. Of course, on the way into the lake itself I see a sign posting it as DAY USE only, so what do I see when I get all the way to the lake. 2 Camp trailers set up, full camp, along with chairs around the campfire?!?!  If anybody knows somebody from POPE Resources you might want to give them a call. I left a message on one of their lines. Since I am retired, and have the whole season, I guess it will be weekday hunting ONLY for me this season, and will be seriously considering buying a muzzy for next year! What a joke of a opening day!

Quilcene area has a lot backwoods hillbillys(some that live there and others that come in from other backwoods corners of OlyPen) and city-folk that shoot at anything that moves, looks like it moved, or anything that looks like a stump or a tree. Most of the people that fish the Big Quil River are snaggers, and a good number of hunters (a lot of the younger ones) shoot whatever, whenever they want. Know of a D-bag that shot a doe in someones front yard, hung it up and left it to rot because he was to lazy to take care of it. I honestly feel like your taking your life in your hands by hunting in the Quil area during deer season.
 I went out looking for a big kitty when it was December with snow on the ground last year, only time I've been out and not run into any Quilbillys, or just plain trigger happy folk. Either way, I feel like that area gets torn up year round with no real regulation or monitoring. I know this post was filled with a lot of harsh things, so really its just my opinion or  however you want to look at it.
Really Im not trying to make everyone out there seem like crazy trigger happy poachers. I know some of the finest people you'll ever meet in Quil. They will even admit that a lot of shadey stuff goes down out there and there is nothing that ever gets done about it. So please dont feel like Im calling everyone out on the OlyPen!

[Bronson]

I was in that general area yesterday too checking out some old areas I used to hunt.  I was shocked as heck to find two law enforcement rigs running around the area.  This was just north of where you guys are talking about.

[Kc_Kracker]

What's a pumpkin refer to?

[KFhunter]

hunter orange - looks like pumpkins in the field

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I'd guess all the road closures and limited permit only hunting on the west side sent a lot of people east.

Just find the nastiest, steepest, brush hole you can and maybe you'll lose the crowd.

[calib]

i was kind of surprised, went out to a spot where i thought from a distance i would see all kinds of people and i would stay high and watch and nothing. only guy i had seen was my buddy showing up a few hours before we were leaving. didnt see any bucks just does

[steen]

We had the same thing but only one hunter, he was in the spot we scouted and the worst thing is he wasn't in the right spot to see where the deer would be coming in.  We just turned around and hunted in another little spot.  Sometimes all the other hunters can put it in your favor....keep hunting.

[OregonDuck]

After years of buying the Hancock Pass and seeing wayyyyyyyyyy more rigs than deer I finally decided to start hunting behind locked gates and I could not be happier...Its been 2 seasons now and I have yet to see another hunter and am 2 for 2 in the deer department. Yesterdays coming about 5 minutes after sunrise....Amazing what happens with a little scouting and no other people around.

[blackveltbowhunter]

After years of buying the Hancock Pass and seeing wayyyyyyyyyy more rigs than deer I finally decided to start hunting behind locked gates and I could not be happier...Its been 2 seasons now and I have yet to see another hunter and am 2 for 2 in the deer department. Yesterdays coming about 5 minutes after sunrise....Amazing what happens with a little scouting and no other people around.

   Awesome!! Any pics?

[OregonDuck]

After years of buying the Hancock Pass and seeing wayyyyyyyyyy more rigs than deer I finally decided to start hunting behind locked gates and I could not be happier...Its been 2 seasons now and I have yet to see another hunter and am 2 for 2 in the deer department. Yesterdays coming about 5 minutes after sunrise....Amazing what happens with a little scouting and no other people around.

   Awesome!! Any pics?

I have a couple on my phone but he wasnt anything to brag too much about....just your typical mature 2 pt black tail. He was a big fella body wise though....learned a hard lesson about dragging a deer out on a gravel road for a mile and a half...wont be doing that again.

[passing-thru]

So the wife got a new rifle this year and decided ( much to my regret) that she wanted to try modern rifle. Took her out yesterday and remembered quickly why I switched to archery 20+ years ago  ...Saw more pumkins then in the last 10 years of taking kids trick or treating. Never again..

[j_h_nimrod]

Amazingly, opening day had few sightings. I think I only saw 3 other hunters (in the hunting area) and none were retarded wanderers.

Today was a different story. 

-A family of 4 pulled in just as I was leaving then saw a guy wandering below me on another cut road.

-Then got to my glassing spot and look across to another ridge spot two guys about 30' from a paved road with their long shooter on a lead sled glassing at no less than 1000yds using the rifle scope only.

-Then a guy sitting on a rocky point 50' below the road glassing inaccessible area at no less than a half mile. Then walked probably a mile back through the brush to his truck thinking he really put in his time. I don't think he even realized he was less than 100' from the road with a nice glassing spot.

-Then hiking out I hear a shot that sounds close. I wait a bit trying to see anything that may be moving from the shot when I hear voices. Turns out the wind was just right for me to hear the post shot conversation from 1300 yds. I think they shot from their rig but had no idea if the deer was hit or not and we're not even sure where the animal had been standing.

The High Buck was even worse though. Ten miles in and there were as many as 40 people on an area not much bigger than a football field. We were on one glassing point watching something like 6 guys wandering around like they were on an Easter egg hunt

Certainly considering switching to muzzy or stick and string...

[adamR]

Same situation here. My bro-in-law were set up in our spot by 6:00. Just before first light we made out a group of deer on the opposite hillside. We had just spotted two bucks when some jack wagon came stomping up the draw. As the group high-tailed it out of there we got our first look at the only shooter in the bunch!   We stayed put for a couple of hours cause there was so much pressure pushing things around. Then at 10:45 some morons came stomping down the hill right past us making no attempts to remain quiet. It was so bad I had to take a pic.

Not trying to stir the pot, but why are these people "jackwagons" and "morons" just because they were out hunting in your spot?  I guess I just don't understand all the negative posts this weekend on this site.  People are out hunting just like you and just because they happened to walk down the canyon you were in doesn't mean they are a moron.  Maybe they purposely make noise to kick the brush?

I'd guess all the road closures and limited permit only hunting on the west side sent a lot of people east.

Just find the nastiest, steepest, brush hole you can and maybe you'll lose the crowd.

I was right in the middle of the pumpkin patch Saturday morning.  Saw hunters all around me sitting on ridges and waiting for someone to do the work for them.  I walked about 3 miles into the nastiest group of canyons I could find right in the middle of all these "jack wagons" and killed a buck.  I didn't see another hunter all morning hiking where I was at, just watching from a distance as I packed out what was probably "their" deer while they called me a moron.

[deer_hnter]

My point is to the people who see the other hunter and make no attempt to go around or stay out of the way. The first guy we ran into yesterday clearly saw us and didn't care. He stomped right up the draw. I'm also not talking about a large area; there was only 300 yds separating us from the top of the next hill. He walked within about 75 yds of us. Sorry, not what I consider normal behavior in the woods. 

[nategood21]

Same deal today. Got to my spot and the other 2 rigs pulled in behind me i talked to em again today the guys that shot a box of ammo at the one deer told me the 2 of their friends that did all the shooting didn't get him. there were the same amount of people today but I got in before they pushed everything to the bottom of the valleys. was able to find two barely legal 3x2s at a distance of 500 yrds. looked when i got home. before i could close the gap some hunters sitting in their truck at the bottom of the valley at the back end of the orchard scared em off. wasn't as disappointing today didn't mind not getting to the 2 bucks and i was further ahead of the other hunters so i could see everything they were pushing ahead of em. and i only heard 3 shots today. the best looking buck I spotted yesterday was taken in the opposite field where i didn't have permission. got to see it up close and talk to the guy that found him. excited for next weekend to try again. good luck to the hunters that get to go during the week, I'm stuck at work till Thursday

[JimmyHoffa]

I saw a bunch of pumpkins earlier, and they weren't even hunters.  At first I thought I stumbled into some honey hole.  I rounded a bend on a forest road and as soon as I did a bunch of guys in orange vests and white suits started coming out of the woods and all assembling by their vans.  Then I saw guys in black with guns coming out of the woods.  Looked like it was prisoners doing some kind of work in the woods--they had chainsaws and all kinds of other tools.  Didn't get close enough to 'chat'...the guys in black (guards) didn't look too excited having a stranger driving up.   

[cryder]

thank you for confirming my every belief that bow is the way to go when it comes to public lands,i was shot towards one year never again,my lesson has been learned,i believe that in the ne'er future we will have to draw names day by day to see who gets to hunt

[Sitka_Blacktail]

thank you for confirming my every belief that bow is the way to go when it comes to public lands,i was shot towards one year never again,my lesson has been learned,i believe that in the ne'er future we will have to draw names day by day to see who gets to hunt

That can happen even when it's not crowded. I as hunting deer with a couple guys in Alaska one time and had shot a nice buck. We were hunting up a mile long ridge and after I gutted it out, I hunted on up my side. As I got near the top all hell broke loose from over the ridge. I'd kicked a doe across the ridge top and when they saw it, they started shooting. I could hear bullets whining over my head. Luckily I was down far enough there was no way they could hit me, but it was nerve wracking. The doe ran back towards me and expired about 25 yards away. They didn't even know they'd hit it. Never hunted with those two again.