Western Wa whitetail?

[Southpole]

Okay, so I'm prepared to get shredded with ridiculed and laughter on this... So here it goes. So yesterday afternoon we get a call from a very good friend of ours saying that he was in his backyard sitting in a chair when he looked up and seen, what he assumed, would be a blacktail deer walking through (not unusual). However, he said it had all the characteristics of a whitetail deer. When the deer seen our friend looking at it with a little bit too much interest, it turned and ran off showing it's large, long, fawn colored tail waving goodbye like a classic whitetail does when they want to leave the scene. He called another friend in the area and he too claimed in the past 3 years that he had seen, a couple of times, what looked like a single whitetail deer (he never bothered telling anyone thinking nobody would ever believe anyway). These 2 guys, that have claimed to have seen this whitetail deer, are seasoned outdoorsman not known for making up tall tales about nonresidential deer and more than know the difference between a blacktail and a whitetail deer. This was in northeast Snohomish county by the way. Has anybody ever heard of anyone ever claiming to see a whitetail in Northwest WA? Okay, flame away.

[jackmaster]

i doubt you will get flamed, i personally havent seen any but i know a couple guys in sequim that have said to have seen a couple, and then also down by raymond or somewhere by there, i have heard that whitetail are the most aggressive deer, it wouldnt suprise me to find out that there are a few on this side

[steeleywhopper]

Any chance a general area could be announced for the sighting? I have heard of a white tail deer that was seen up around the Trafton area.

[Ebell]

I've heard of sightings in the area north of Snohomish, around the Machias area.  I personally haven't seen one, but I'm always keeping my eyes out for them.   The folks who are making the whitetail claim are other hunters, and I believe them, but this is one of those things that I need to see with my own eyes. 

[Southpole]

I've heard of sightings in the area north of Snohomish, around the Machias area.  I personally haven't seen one, but I'm always keeping my eyes out for them.   The folks who are making the whitetail claim are other hunters, and I believe them, but this is one of those things that I need to see with my own eyes. 

I didn't mention it, but we had a guy working for us (not anymore) that lives in Granite Falls that claimed he saw and had a picture of a whitetail in his backyard. I never saw the picture, didn't believe him and thought in my own head that he must not know what he's talking about. Now I'm wondering if he really did? I'm like most, I need to put my own eyes on it to believe.

[Southpole]

Any chance a general area could be announced for the sighting? I have heard of a white tail deer that was seen up around the Trafton area.

Oso

[Russ McDonald]

I was up on Grass Mt. just above Verlot for work and saw and saw a whitetail doe. It suprised the crap out of me too. Oh and I am orginally from Minnesota so I know whitetails.

[pianoman9701]

Is there any chance these are protected Columbia whitetail?

[jackelope]

Is there any chance these are protected Columbia whitetail?

It would be geographically way too far away from where they're supposed to be. Random stray whitetail from the Eastside would be more likely.

[Ebell]

Can't rule anything out at this point.  Need more sightings, need something verified.

[Kittman]

Only once but...Couple of years ago NW of Darrington up high up on an old logged unit one morning while bearing hunting I saw the flash of white deer tail running down the unit about 150 yards away from me.  The "width" of the tail and the obviously the color as well as the way it ran, not "jumped" over the foliage was hard to mistake.  I grew up in N. Dakota so I know a whitetail when I see one...I have hunted that area since around 1989 and never saw one here in W. WA till then.

[Southpole]

Is there any chance these are protected Columbia whitetail?

It would be geographically way too far away from where they're supposed to be. Random stray whitetail from the Eastside would be more likely.

Yeah, I would think the whitetail, that people might be seeing in Snohomish County, would more likely be from Eastern WA as well. Reading that other people have seen whitetail in this area makes me feel a little better about posting those questionable stories.

[grundy53]

In my opinion if mulies can make it to the Westside cascade foothills then whitetails definitely could.

sent from my typewriter

[Shane54]

Def. possible

[Skyvalhunter]

Anything is possible but I would doubt it. I know a guy that shot a blacktail that had whitetail characteristics i.e long browtines and basket shape.

[Kola16]

Any chance a general area could be announced for the sighting? I have heard of a white tail deer that was seen up around the Trafton area.

Oso

I have positively seen a mule deer doe with two fawns near Oso so I think it is possible 

[50CalJim]

I've been told that a couple Whitetails live in the Lake Cavanaugh area. I've seen 2 Deer at the Sudden Valley Golf course numerous times that were 100% Whitetail which I assume came down from Canada.

[Southpole]

So, what do you think would happen if whitetail deer prolifically moved to western WA? Do you think they would run the blacktail off, live together in harmony, and or mix together and start a new breed of deer... what say you.

[Jonathan_S]

Is there any chance these are protected Columbia whitetail?

It would be geographically way too far away from where they're supposed to be. Random stray whitetail from the Eastside would be more likely.

Yeah definitely not CWD.

Some people who see the antler on a 3-pt blacktail think they're whitetail.  Probably because the shape is similar and most people haven't seen many 3-pt blacktails   

[Russ McDonald]

So, what do you think would happen if whitetail deer prolifically moved to western WA? Do you think they would run the blacktail off, live together in harmony, and or mix together and start a new breed of deer... what say you.

Isn't that what a mule deer is or is it the other way around mulie and white tail made blacktails.  I think they would live together just fine.

[grundy53]

So, what do you think would happen if whitetail deer prolifically moved to western WA? Do you think they would run the blacktail off, live together in harmony, and or mix together and start a new breed of deer... what say you.

That's how mule deer came to be. Whitetails and Blacktails cross bred.

sent from my typewriter

[Southpole]

So, what do you think would happen if whitetail deer prolifically moved to western WA? Do you think they would run the blacktail off, live together in harmony, and or mix together and start a new breed of deer... what say you.

That's how mule deer came to be. Whitetails and Blacktails cross bred.

sent from my typewriter

Interesting.

[huntingaddiction]

There is a wild one that jumped the fence at the kagaroo farm down by burlington.  It comes and goes as it pleases and it is most definitely a whitetail doe i was 10 yards from the thing.  I think they are here and the population will get bigger in the next few years.

[Big6bull]

Several refuges have released columbian white tails. I'm sure a few wonder out here and there 

[Bhunter253]

Over the last several years in the ryderwood area, we've seen several white flags raised and running  away. we've thought whitetail but didn't think they were around there.my cousin also saw a buck 3 years ago he swears was a whitetail 5x5.we've been hunting this area for generations and know the deer there very interesting if their moving in.

[CavemantheHunter]

Have seen whitetail in the Olympics.

[superdown]

Anybody got pictures of these western washington whitetail?

[Southpole]

Anybody got pictures of these western washington whitetail?

Good question. Is this going to be like a "I saw bigfoot" kind of conversation? Pictures, or you really didn't see a whitetail deer in western wa. 

[Shane54]

Anybody got pictures of these western washington whitetail?

Good question. Is this going to be like a "I saw bigfoot" kind of conversation? Pictures, or you really didn't see a whitetail deer in western wa. 

Lol. I can't believe all the disbelief. Really guys is it that far fetched?

[Longbowz]

In my opinion if mulies can make it to the Westside cascade foothills then whitetails definitely could.

sent from my typewriter




Well of course mule deer have always been there more or less.  Perhaps it's a rare giant Columbia whitetail that migrated east.  LOL

[Axle]

It isn't uncommon for blacktails to 'wave the white flag' when they run away. They can look much like whitetails when they do this.
So - is there whitetails here? It is certainly possible. People transplant fish from waters to waters and I would not be surprised to hear of a whitetail enthusiast transplanting deer. I think western WA would be and area they would thrive in.

When I lived in SW OR in the 70s, I knew 2 old guys who were at the release sight just outside of Roseburg, OR when the whitetails were released. They told me there were two release sights. One just outside of Roseburg (I know the very spot) and one near the Columbia river (I don't know the exact spot of that one). Those old timers called them 'Mexican whitetails' because they came from down south near Mexico (otherwise known as cous whitetails these days). My how some stories have changed since then! Those 'Mexican whitetails' are extremely small and when I lived there, they were hated by all the locals and ranchers. Advance forward in time and - these days, guys will pay thousands of dollars to fill a tag for a breed they think is native to that area. If only they knew.....
I worked in a slaughter house back then and I can say for sure, even though they were protected, we had them come in occasionally. Those are some small deer! They also crossbreed with blacktails which is what the locals there didn't want to see. I saw many crossbreed bucks. The outcome is small too.

[Southpole]

Another sighting today! This time by my very own husband. He was driving to work on the Jordan rd. from Arlington to Granite Falls this morning and a deer caught his eye standing in a pasture. There are a ton of deer on the Jordan road so he's usually on the look out as not to cream one out with his shop truck. Anyway, he looks good and hard at this deer (due to our friend claiming to have seen a whitetail) and he thought the color was an unusual shade of brown, the head was all wrong for a blacktail, then it turned to haul ass like a typical skiddish whitetail would do and low and behold there's the famous, long, fluffy, whitetail waving goodbye. We're are very well aware of what blacktail and whitetail deer look like and he knows it was a whitetail, plus he doesn't have a B.S. bone in his body. Ironic I know , but true storey. I just hope you guys on here reading this will have a sighting soon so I won't feel so alone with my unbelievable stories 

[180-GRAIN]

My dad grew up on burn road just up out of Arlington and when he was younger said there were quite a few whitetails running around in that area. I didnt really believe him, well kinda did but anyway 3 years ago when I met my wifes dad who lives less than a mile from where my dad grew up he told me a story that made me believe there were whitetail around the area. He said one morning he woke up and looked out his bedroom window and saw one of the horses in the apple orchard. He went outside to put it back in the pasture and it raised its head and looked at him and he said it was the biggest dam buck he ever saw. He said it had stickers and points all over but he counted 7 on one side before it bolted and waved bye bye with its big white flag. Seems like my dad might have said there was a guy that had whitetails he raised up in that area for meat and he ended up getting in trouble for selling illegally or something and he let them go before they were taken from him? Dont quote me on that but I think I have heard that from a couple different people?

[180-GRAIN]

Any chance a general area could be announced for the sighting? I have heard of a white tail deer that was seen up around the Trafton area.

Oso

I have positively seen a mule deer doe with two fawns near Oso so I think it is possible 

My uncle shot a 2 point mule deer in Arlington heights 30 or so years ago.