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.