Snake River Breaks Deer Hunting

[canyelk48]

Looking for a new area for muley hunting and considering staying at Chief Timothy State Park near Clarkston this year and hunting the breaks between the park and the Almota, Granite Dam (by boat).  Anyone hunt that stretch of the Snake before?  Wondering if the fenced/posted property is as bad as the breaks between the Almota Dam and Little Goose Dam, which is where I'm used to hunting, or is there more public land available to hunt?  Also, is the campgrounds usually full during deer season?  Thanks in advance for any inputs.

[Timberstalker]

Mostly private. The majority of the public land is the area below the Corps fence which is minimal at each canyon. Lots of giant 2pts too.

[Evil_EdwardO]

Off of Wawawai road there is the Nisqually John HMU.  Here's their pamphlet:

http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/portals/28/docs/environmental/HMU/HMU_NisquallyJohn.pdf

[cbond3318]

Mostly private. The majority of the public land is the area below the Corps fence which is minimal at each canyon. Lots of giant 2pts too.

  I have done a couple boat hunts through there, little slivers of Corps and management lands. There are some blocks of public in places but are landlocked by private. Timberstalker is not joking about giant 2's either. you will never stare longer at a buck than an enormous 2 with a 15/16" eyeguard. I say 15/16" because I passed on him.

[jrebel]

It has been quite a few years since I have hunted over there...but it is mostly private.  The land that is public / ACOE land use to be hunted hard....lots of people.  Just south of Wawawai all the way down to Steptoe and a little further south yet, there are a few hunting clubs.  they don't take kindly to trespassers.  We use to hunt Steptoe and all that has changed too.  Most farmers didn't care if you hiked up the canyon from the bottom, but last time I was there it is all posted. 

I have never hunted the west side of the river.....and don't know about that.  My assumption is most of it is private as well.  Whitman County has the most private land of all the counties in the state....very little public land.   

[canyelk48]

Thanks for the info guys.  I know what you mean about giant 2x2's; saw plenty of them on the stretch of river by Central Ferry.  The 3x3 (4x4 if you count the eyeguards) on my avatar was taken in that area a few years ago.  Talked to the owner of Deadman Creek Outfitters last deer season and he said they have a huge genetic problem of those giant 2x2's so they take as many as they can if they have an inch or more of eyeguard on them.  My buddy took one with two eyeguards that was pretty wide.  I did see the Nisqually John HMU on a map and figured that area was probably hit pretty hard with hunters.  Planning on taking a few days this Summer and going over with my boat and possibly knocking on some doors, even though most of the landowners in that area usually say no to hunters on their property.  Never hurts to ask though.

[Sumpnneedskillin]

There are several river access only HMU's both East and West of Central Ferry.   If you contact the Clarkston Natural Resource Office (509-527-7132) they can help you out or you can look at the HMU's on the Walla Walla Website http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation.aspx Click the Habitat Management Link.

[jstone]

is that popular with bow hunters?

[Snakeriver10]

For living five miles from this area, here is the scoop.
1. You will only need a boat if you want to hunt the South side of the river.  On that side of the river, there may be an entire five canyons or less that are posted.  (From Steptoe on down to the dam)  If you want to hunt that side, you will be walking all up hill, that's the main reason why its not posted.  People want you to push the deer up.  A number of the canyons are unhuntable from the bottom due to cliffs and brush.  On that side, I believe there are less deer but far far far fewer hunters. 
2.  2/3's of the land on the North side isn't posted, and really the owners could care less if you want to hunt from the bottom.  The bottom is all owned by about 5 major owners and allot of it just sold in the past couple of years.  Wawawai canyon is fairly posted but if you know the canyons and the movement of deer, you will see legal deer. 
3.  Look out for special permits, there are some good draws for this area. 
4. There aren't as many two points as people like to point out, but there are two points and blind people.
5.  Please don't shoot from one ridge to another, this is the number one reason why land is posted.  Too many people got pissed at bullets hitting rocks near them or hearing a bullet wize by.  Also please use binoculars, your scope isn't used to do the scouting for you.  It scares the daylights out of people and could end in a nasty fight. 
6.  Hunt the brush hard and be prepared to hunt hard.  Allot of great deer get saved each year because people only hunt from the ridges. 
7. Be safe and have a great time.  Its a really great unit overall and holds allot of great mulies.   

[jrebel]

For living five miles from this area, here is the scoop.
1. You will only need a boat if you want to hunt the South side of the river.  On that side of the river, there may be an entire five canyons or less that are posted.  (From Steptoe on down to the dam)  If you want to hunt that side, you will be walking all up hill, that's the main reason why its not posted.  People want you to push the deer up.  A number of the canyons are unhuntable from the bottom due to cliffs and brush.  On that side, I believe there are less deer but far far far fewer hunters. 
2.  2/3's of the land on the North side isn't posted, and really the owners could care less if you want to hunt from the bottom.  The bottom is all owned by about 5 major owners and allot of it just sold in the past couple of years.  Wawawai canyon is fairly posted but if you know the canyons and the movement of deer, you will see legal deer. 
3.  Look out for special permits, there are some good draws for this area. 
4. There aren't as many two points as people like to point out, but there are two points and blind people.
5.  Please don't shoot from one ridge to another, this is the number one reason why land is posted.  Too many people got pissed at bullets hitting rocks near them or hearing a bullet wize by.  Also please use binoculars, your scope isn't used to do the scouting for you.  It scares the daylights out of people and could end in a nasty fight. 
6.  Hunt the brush hard and be prepared to hunt hard.  Allot of great deer get saved each year because people only hunt from the ridges. 
7. Be safe and have a great time.  Its a really great unit overall and holds allot of great mulies.

Just because it is not posted doesn't mean you have permission to hunt......  Almost all of that land has cattle fence which by law is enough for a landowner to not have to post it.  If there is a reasonable assumption the land is private (i.e. the fence) then you cannot be on it without permission.  Maybe you are correct and some landowners don't care...but if he crosses a fence to one that does, he is screwed.  Best answer is to have permission or stick to the parcels of public land. 

I don't hunt this area often so I am not trying to scare someone away from a "honey hole."  I am just trying to keep someone out of trouble.  Maybe the landowners don't care....but they should probably give that advise.  I can't imagine a guy on the internet telling everyone that reads this post they can access others land without their permission.  Not wise advise......

[Snakeriver10]

Actually, if you really want to know what the signs say at the fence, go look for yourself.  All I am saying is there is allot more huntable land than is made out to be if you want to hunt in the canyons, now in the fields on top, a totally different story........

[jrebel]

Actually, if you really want to know what the signs say at the fence, go look for yourself.  All I am saying is there is allot more huntable land than is made out to be if you want to hunt in the canyons, now in the fields on top, a totally different story....

I know what the signs say.  I have great friends that farm said fields on top and hunt said canyons.  I know where you can and can't be....and it is not as simple as you make it.  A guy could really get himself in trouble if he ends up where he shouldn't. 

My only point is....it is still private land and unless you are the landowner you have no right to tell people to hunt it.   You are correct that a few land owners don't care...however there are some that do.  How is a guy to know which is which.  All the signs you see down low don't tell you where their property boundary ends and there are no signs as you hike up.  Trust me I have hike most of those canyons. 

And again I don't hunt them now so I am not trying to scare people off.  Just being reasonable and don't think telling everyone on the web to hunt private land without permission is correct. 

[Snakeriver10]

There are signs.  That is all I will say.  I bow out.  Please don't hunt the canyons by the Snake River, its obviously all private.............

[TMortensen]

There is an easy solution to hunting this area. Get on the county assesors site find out who owns the land along the river. After doing this make a phone call, write a letter or go knock on some doors and let them know what you'd like to do and obtain permission to hunt some of the canyons your interested in. If you don't get permission don't hunt there. really easy to do.

[Dhoey07]

There is an easy solution to hunting this area. Get on the county assesors site find out who owns the land along the river. After doing this make a phone call, write a letter or go knock on some doors and let them know what you'd like to do and obtain permission to hunt some of the canyons your interested in. If you don't get permission don't hunt there. really easy to do.

You ain't from around these parts, are ya? 

[canyelk48]

LOL!  I lived in Tennessee for 7 years and that's all I ever heard from the "locals"!  Seriously though, my hunting partner has maps on his GPS that shows who owns the lands or if it's public, so we'll be knocking on some doors this Summer, although I'm not too optimistic about our chances for getting permission to hunt the breaks that are on private land.  Maybe our firefighter t-shirts and hats will help sway them, lol!

[TMortensen]

There is an easy solution to hunting this area. Get on the county assesors site find out who owns the land along the river. After doing this make a phone call, write a letter or go knock on some doors and let them know what you'd like to do and obtain permission to hunt some of the canyons your interested in. If you don't get permission don't hunt there. really easy to do.

You ain't from around these parts, are ya? 

Nope but I've gone on hunts with some friends that hunt that area and every year they make a phone call or go knocking on doors. They've done this for years so they probably have an in with the land owners. But my point was to go ask, it never hurts and the worst they're going to say is no! but if you don't try you'll never know!

[fly4fish]

I grew up hunting that area from the top. Usually by the mid morning we were near the river after chasing the deer down that were chased to us by the people coming in from the bottom. There are more people than what has been mentioned so far. The south side is almost completely private. There are a ton of signs that let you know where the Army Corp land ends and the private begins.  The line is not very far from the rivers. Above this line is private land. I would never encourage going wherever you want or say that the landowners don't care. Some will let people hunt, but few want people on their land without permission. 

There are good deer numbers, but the buck/doe ratio is poor. I have glassed it during the rut and don't see how the does all get bred. Seems as though the rifle hunters do a good number on the bucks before the archery season rolls around.  I am sure there are a few decent ones in there though; its great habitat           

Good luck

[denali]

 hunted the area over the years.  Please, know where you are and that you have permission to hunt the ground you are on, it is serious business in that region. 

[Firetwin3]

My family hunts the north side of the Snake on private land and every year we have problems with the land owners on top coming down off the top and shooting deer on the land we hunt  They often shoot ridges across and "illegally" kill the animal, and illegally trespass and say they shot it on their land and it ran into our land. Even last year i was about to pull the trigger on a 3x3 with eyeguards when one of the hunters took a shot from the top and put down the deer. You have to be careful when hunting to make sure you're not crossing any property boundaries, luckily our hunting party isn't looking for a fight so we just kindly remind them to get off our land and to have fun dragging the buck back up to the top.

[Chesapeake]

LOL!  I lived in Tennessee for 7 years and that's all I ever heard from the "locals"!  Seriously though, my hunting partner has maps on his GPS that shows who owns the lands or if it's public, so we'll be knocking on some doors this Summer, although I'm not too optimistic about our chances for getting permission to hunt the breaks that are on private land.  Maybe our firefighter t-shirts and hats will help sway them, lol!

Your GPS hunting Maps card likely doesn't show land ownership out there. That card only seems to have land ownership for counties that have the information free on the net. Counties that you have to send a written request in for tax lot info don't seem to have data on the card.
My card just has a very large field of white (private) for Adams, Whitman, ect.... counties. It shows the state and Fed lands though. Just doesn't list owner names.

Something to look into.

There is some decent ACOE land along the river as well as some small state parcels, ect... It hunt able, but you wont be alone. If your used to the area around Central ferry, than you know what to expect. Its very much the same further east.

[trophyelk6x6]

 

[T-Dozzer]

Always big mulies taken down there. Lots of unethical shenanigans and paying WDFW customers too. Seems like it's been a lot of huge 3x3's over the years. Needs some new gene pool contributors.
I stay away from the river breaks. It's like the Wild West down there.
Put one down out there in my younger years and it wasn't a fun hike/drag out.

[Sandberm]

Does anybody try the HMU's from Big Flat on up the river during archery season? Or is it a waste of time with dove hunters constantly walking through? I never have time to hunt in September but have often wondered whether anybody gives it a go.