public land palouse bucks

[nachesboy72]

well my hunt for the late palouse tag opens up this saturday and we are only hunting public land, never been down there and im really excited! we know there is a lot of private land down there where most people hunt. but we also know there are some pretty nice bucks shot off the public land! just wanted some ideas of what im getting into! 

[jollyskwala]

108 reads and no replies......my guess is folks are thinking...WTF...the season opens in a few days...that's a special draw tag, right?

[MHWASH]

There is very little public land around here. Your best bet is to get on wdfw website and find the feel free to hunt locations.

[HighCountryHunter88]

What areas are you planning on concentrating on? Units?

[jrebel]

If you don't have land already lined out...you are in for a very frustrating hunt.  Most of the land is private and the stuff that is not private (that I know about is not whitetail country.  Good luck and let us know how the hunt turns out. 

On a side note.....you will see a ton of deer from the roads.  Don't do what so many do in that area and shoot a deer that is on private thinking you will get the deer and go....all the farmers I know listen for gunshots and immediately investigate cause this is a real problem during this two week hunt. 

[huntnnw]

I know of some excellent state land in this hunt that I use to go hunt over my private spots! I can think of 5 pieces of land just in 127 that all hold good bucks .

[Snakeriver10]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer! 

[nwwanderer]

Watch your self in 127, you can walk less than a mile and cross many property lines.  Some of those folks are very narrow minded.

[Jonathan_S]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer!

 

[huntnnw]

Wait for snow?? This isn't a migratory mountain mule deer hunt! Whitetails ! They get to hunt them at the best time of the year.

Whitetails is a waiting game, not trudging miles

[10thmountainarcher]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer!

Bitter much?

[Elkrunner]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer!

Everyone has a right to sign up for whatever they want.  I sign up for locations so it will take me to new places throughout this state.

[Jonathan_S]

Wait for snow?? This isn't a migratory mountain mule deer hunt! Whitetails ! They get to hunt them at the best time of the year.

Whitetails is a waiting game, not trudging miles

  maybe he doesn't have binoculars and needs the snow so he can see them 

[bhawley76]

I hope you get a monster, I"m sure there is a guy in spokane that would love to see it.

[j_h_nimrod]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer!

Everyone has a right to sign up for whatever they want.  I sign up for locations so it will take me to new places throughout this state.

 
I do the same thing.  There are a lot of areas in the state that have some great hunting but I would not get to check it out unless I drew a special tag. Granted, I would try to do a bit of scouting before season...

[buglebuster]

Wait for snow as its useless without it.  Don't road hunt............Don't be afraid to hunt the canyons, lots of whitetails hang out their this time of year.  Oh and btw, thanks for signing up for a permit that you have no idea about, takes it away from people who can actually be successful and willing to put in the time for a quality deer! 

Thats why they give out 749 more tags

[Snakeriver10]

You would not believe how much snow helps the deer start to move.  It defiantly helps you spot them!  The truth is the snow helps.  I have gotten every deer during this hunt right after it has snowed.  It kicks them into another gear during the rut and they go nuts.  I live in the middle of the Palouse, in the middle of a wheat field.  I know the hunt well and when the snow hits, deer go nuts. 

My bitterness toward this is a guy who put into a draw and had no idea what to expect.  Never scouted it, never even drove to the unit to see what was in store.  Driving around or looking at a website is going to do nothing for this hunt.  There are VERY VERY few areas with FFTH land and those areas get pounded.  The deer will not be in those areas.  This hunt is most successful for those who know where the deer run when pushed.  You can't keep up with a whitetail on a dead on sprint, but if you can have somebody in the brush pushing and know where they are going to escape, you will be successful.  It takes time and those who aren't willing to put in the time to get to know the area will have a very challenging hunt.   

[Naches Sportsman]

Snakeriver10: I will bash you next time you ask for any info. This friend of mine is a damn good hunter and is just looking for a few tips. No need for bashing. Go to the bar if you want to bash someone. This is a hunting site for a reason. Not a bashing site.

[bigtex]

Whitman County has the least amount of public land in E WA. And actually, even on a statewide total the county is near the bottom in terms of public land.

[splitshot]

  enough said.  I think snake summed it up well.  I do sometimes put in for an area I have never hunted to learn a new place but never totally blind.  either I know someone who has nunted it or know a property owner.  I think lots of people look at the 750 permits and say wow .  it is a big area.  I would look at the north part and the west part.  I agree with the snow part but we might not get snow in 2 weeks.  mike w

[Snakeriver10]

Most people will never understand that success happens in August and September, luck happens in October and November. 

[splitshot]

well said and I know it well.  at least you can figure out where not to hunt.    that does not apply to the desert unit.   mike w

[bobcat]

There's no better way to learn an area than by actually going and hunting it. I always prefer to scout before the season, but if I don't have time, I would go on the hunt anyway.


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[huntnnw]

I've hunted 127 and live in 127 for more than 25 years.. It doesn't matter if it snows or not. You can count on Nov 15-24 th every year with lotta rutting activity. My most memorable days in this unit were 40's and 50's with rain and fog. You may go 5 years or more to see snow in these units before Nov 19

[buglebuster]

I've hunted 127 and live in 127 for more than 25 years.. It doesn't matter if it snows or not. You can count on Nov 15-24 th every year with lotta rutting activity. My most memorable days in this unit were 40's and 50's with rain and fog. You may go 5 years or more to see snow in these units before Nov 19

Last year was covered in snow on my palouse hunt and it was a lousey hunt. Went back to one area late archery and there was no snow and bucks going crazy. Area was not part of the palouse tag but same sort of country.

[Jonathan_S]

I've hunted 127 and live in 127 for more than 25 years.. It doesn't matter if it snows or not. You can count on Nov 15-24 th every year with lotta rutting activity. My most memorable days in this unit were 40's and 50's with rain and fog. You may go 5 years or more to see snow in these units before Nov 19

Yeah it's unusual to have snow on the ground longer than a day or two at all and I have seen whitetail bucks wearing themselves to a frazzle rutting in warmer temps. 

[BAR C3]

Snakeriver10: I will bash you next time you ask for any info. This friend of mine is a damn good hunter and is just looking for a few tips. No need for bashing. Go to the bar if you want to bash someone. This is a hunting site for a reason. Not a bashing site.

How did Snakeriver bash you? Because he spoke the truth? He is dead on! You ask for help a few days before hunt.

What happen to the guys that approached farmers and say hey, I will help you on your place to hunt? How about sending the owner a birthday card with a gift card to his favorite restaurant? Nothing comes free these days. I can give you twenty scenarios of fellow hunters ruining it in the (Palouse Area, everything south of the Spokane river) for others hunting on private land. Cutting fences, leaving gates open, trespassing, leaving trash, and etc..
Everyone complains landowners don't allow hunters. It's called scratch my back, I scratch yours! 
And it better start about the time you get notified you drew the permit.

I can bet you don't get on any land as of now, and the public land, good luck!

You will be lucky to see a doe.
 
Not bashing, simply stating the truth!

[huntnnw]

Wow! Not even see a doe?? Right!! I can tell you some great public land spots and spots I hunt over private!

[BAR C3]

Wow! Not even see a doe?? Right!! I can tell you some great public land spots and spots I hunt over private!

Not sure where your at, but where I'm at, on public land you will see lots of hunter orange and no deer. They go to private land when the first rifle goes off. My roads will be full of road hunters. You have to remember the Palouse hunt is not just "Palouse Country" The Cheney, Mica, and Roosevelt units are 95% private. So I'm guessing your not hunting in those areas. If so, enlighten me with a private message of exactly where your talking. Don't worry, I hunt on my own land and I hunt Archery. 
I read your previous and it looks like you know 127. I know where your talking now. And as I said above, same deal, they head to Private ground. I know several that hunt/own private ground that boarders that land and their cameras get new bucks when this season starts. Not saying a guy can't tag a buck, but better have some hiking boots. And as somebody pointed out, you better know the land, you end up on private, the yuppies aren't kind to hunters. Most the land owners in that area are yuppies.

[mad-bomber]

First let me please say that some of us lucky enough to have spots down here are a little touchy about newcomers to the area. We have earned our keep and kept good relations with everyone and try to keep this area as great as it is.i see too many idiots chasing deer down through fields in their pickups.i stopped rifle hunting because i was tired of idiots flying by me in pickups chasing deer after i had been glassing eyebrows walking my way through the land. do not buy a map at the gas station or anywhere especially the large black topo that claims state land marks. I am friends with a few farmers that this map actually shows parts of their land as state.sometimes it because its in CRP land and the map maker mistook the info and claimed it state.you will get in a sour situation real quick crossing the wrong fence. And farmers and ranchers have every right. People are stupid. Driving through their fields and tearing up ground. Tearing up summer roads when muddy, cutting fences, leaving garbage and so on.  I have hunted the Palouse my whole life. I am friends with a lot of the farmers and ranchers and have a lot of permission on very good ground and if you don't know how to hunt these wheat field bucks it will wear you down.i muzzleload so I get the best seat in the house down there but your special tag isn't a bad time to be down there.  They are the smartest deer in my book. Whitetails and mule deer in this area have become more and more sneaky and I get surprised every year.. Do your home work and respect landowners. In Washington it doesn't have to be posted...

[nachesboy72]

well despite (most of you) downing on my hunt, thank you for the ones who were actually encouraging!  any way as i said i would, i hunted all free to hunt land, and saw quite a few bucks! one HUGE whitetail  but he was hot on a doe and just would not slow down for a damn thing. kept hunting hard through the day and saw a few mulies also a very large clean 2 point! but i wasnt going to get down on myself, i knew there was quite a bit of public land just hard to find, we ended up taking tons of backroads for about an hour or so during the afternoon and we ran into a farmer, he stopped to talk to us and i told him i was just trying to hunt public land this year nothing special, he was im guessing in his upper 70's he told me a good chunck of land was just up the road. hed also never seen hunters on this road in about 7 years! "im shocked you guys are on this road, but glad to see you doing it the challenging way and hunt the public land not alot of people do that anymore" his words exactly and made me feel pretty good!  we found the where he was talking about and i made my way up and over some rolling hills and glassed the edge of the ground where it had been bladed and hadnt been bladed met up, sure enough a doe bedded down, 2, 3, 4, BUCK! he wasnt the pig i had seen early in the morning but hey i saw 3 points!  so tag not wasted, ruined, or given up on. it all depends on the effort you put into the hunt. no i didnt have time to scout out the area this year, but it brought me somewhere new, and into a diffrent type of hunting, i had never hunted whitetails and it taught me alot actually. i also plan on hunting there next year so really the tag wasnt a waste one bit.. and for the people that said things about me being a moron for not asking farmers for permission to hunt there land, private property yadda yadda yadda. all i asked for was what should i expect with free to hunt land since thats where i had planned on hunting the day i drew the tag. but thanks for all the info on private proprety 

[nachesboy72]

when i got up to him, found out he had eye gaurds also! forst whitetail, and i wont complain one bit about a 3 point with eye gaurds! the 3rd picture is where he lay! spotted him bedded down, shot him bedded down, never even flinched, i almost thought i missed when i loooked up to see him the exact way i saw him before i shot!  the last picturre is of the mulie i was talking about!

[SemperFidelis97]

Way to get it done, and find yourself a little honey hole in the process.

[PolarBear]

 

[Bigluke1981]

Awesome, way to go on getting over there and getting it done. Congrats on a great deer!!

[BAR C3]

when i got up to him, found out he had eye gaurds also! forst whitetail, and i wont complain one bit about a 3 point with eye gaurds! the 3rd picture is where he lay! spotted him bedded down, shot him bedded down, never even flinched, i almost thought i missed when i loooked up to see him the exact way i saw him before i shot!  the last picturre is of the mulie i was talking about!

You obvious don't take things well. No need to private message me. You can air it on here. I have thick skin. I deal with felons everyday.
Nobody is plotting against you. I hope all on here are successful! Myself and several others were just pointing out what to expect. Sorry you didn't like it, I'm glad you were successful! Next year do some homework and maybe that huge buck you saw will make it through the year and you will have a shot at him.

[wsubeagle]

Congratulations! This was my first season hunting whitetail. I hunted public lands here in the Palouse. Mostly around Rimrock Cannnon and Nisqually John Canyon, and a little around Colfax. I saw probably about 30-50 doe and about 300+ hunters, but no bucks. Although opening day was Dad's day at WSU (and a football day), so I wonder if more people came into town then normal. It was like the fourth of July opening day with all the gunfire. I'm glad somebody new to the area and hunting public lands managed to find something. I went this weekend up to Colville for the late hunt, struck out there too. LOL so maybe I'm just bad at this.

[Snakeriver10]

Congrads on the deer! 

[hambone]

Congrats hunting public lands is a tough find in the palouse 

[Naches Sportsman]

Nice buck going for a blackie next year?

And also, a real hunter only hunts public ffth land. Good job