Any Good spots for Deer around Ravensdale, WA?

[cowboycraig]

Any Deer around there? Just went through this area and wondering about huntable GMU's etc.
Will be doing research on my own, but wondering if anyone knows of public/private land for some respectful Deer hunting?

Also if there are any guides that know the area, would pay to be shown around.

From Colorado and have lived in WA for about 10 years. Getting back into hunting but work is really long hours these days and keeping me from scouting.

Take Care All,
Craig

[justyhntr]

Most of the land South of there belongs to Palmer Coking Coal . They do not allow hunting . There is a couple small parcels of state land with a few deer but it's pretty limted and presured hard. I've not looked much north of there , say around Hobart .

[bhawley76]

Go look around the power lines and sugarloaf. From what I have seen it gets lots of pressure also. Make sure you don't forget your elk tag.  

[CAMPMEAT]

Get permission to get on the Merlino pit. It backs up to the watershed out past Ravensdale.

[ctwiggs1]

Sugarloaf is a tough hunt with lots of pressure.  Hancock just south of that area is now owned by the Muckleshoot, but you can buy a pass.  Oh - if you hunt 653 just east of Enumclaw, there is no elk hunting allowed so generally speaking it gets less deer pressure as well.

Curtis

[bigtex]

Go look around the power lines and sugarloaf. From what I have seen it gets lots of pressure also. Make sure you don't forget your elk tag.

Make sure not to hunt Sugarloaf Mountain itself. The 285 acre forest/mountain was purchased by King County in 2001 and is off-limits to hunting.

[cowboycraig]

Get permission to get on the Merlino pit. It backs up to the watershed out past Ravensdale.

Who do I ask?

[bigtex]

Cowboy,
What everybody has said is pretty much spot on. Here's my insight:

As the urban sprawl really started to move outwards from Maple Valley, King County went nuts and bought a ton of forested land in the Ravensdale area. Now for me this is both good and bad. Good: doesn't develop it, provides habitat, etc. Bad: No hunting or discharge of firearms on King Co lands. So these areas are basically little wildlife preserves.

As far as legal public land to hunt there is DNR land on the east side of Kanaskat-Kangley Road that is open to walk-in/bike access. This area is known as the "McDonald Ridge Forest Block." Basically DNR owns all the land from that point all the way into the Green River watershed. Now up on Courtney Road which comes off of Kanaskat-Kangley Road there is about 400 acres of forest land that about 10 years ago you could access, but dumping and illegal OHV riding has shut it down, the land is for sale and there is a local push for DNR to acquire those lands since they border the McDonald Ridge Forest. DNR also owns some land near Cumberland off of Green River Gorge Road, again pretty well marked.

As you get closer to Black Diamond and Enumclaw there will be a lot of forested land that is owned by Palmer Coaking Coal and the Yarrow Bay Group (Paul Allen.) Palmer has slowly been developing their land, and Yarrow Bay is looking to add 20,000 residents to Black Diamond in the next 10-20 years. Palmer allowed access until about 10 years ago. Both company lands are now closed to access.

If I were you, I would look at buying a Snoqualmie Tree Farm access pass and hunting there. For you it would only be a hop, skip, and a jump from Hwy 18 and there is a lot less pressure and better animals.

[cowboycraig]

Cowboy,
What everybody has said is pretty much spot on. Here's my insight:

As the urban sprawl really started to move outwards from Maple Valley, King County went nuts and bought a ton of forested land in the Ravensdale area. Now for me this is both good and bad. Good: doesn't develop it, provides habitat, etc. Bad: No hunting or discharge of firearms on King Co lands. So these areas are basically little wildlife preserves.

As far as legal public land to hunt there is DNR land on the east side of Kanaskat-Kangley Road that is open to walk-in/bike access. This area is known as the "McDonald Ridge Forest Block." Basically DNR owns all the land from that point all the way into the Green River watershed. Now up on Courtney Road which comes off of Kanaskat-Kangley Road there is about 400 acres of forest land that about 10 years ago you could access, but dumping and illegal OHV riding has shut it down, the land is for sale and there is a local push for DNR to acquire those lands since they border the McDonald Ridge Forest. DNR also owns some land near Cumberland off of Green River Gorge Road, again pretty well marked.

As you get closer to Black Diamond and Enumclaw there will be a lot of forested land that is owned by Palmer Coaking Coal and the Yarrow Bay Group (Paul Allen.) Palmer has slowly been developing their land, and Yarrow Bay is looking to add 20,000 residents to Black Diamond in the next 10-20 years. Palmer allowed access until about 10 years ago. Both company lands are now closed to access.

If I were you, I would look at buying a Snoqualmie Tree Farm access pass and hunting there. For you it would only be a hop, skip, and a jump from Hwy 18 and there is a lot less pressure and better animals.

Thanks for all the great info!

These are the passes you are mentioning? https://hancockrecreationnw.com/snoqualmie/about/about-snoqualmie
Those are like $300 but I would pay that for a good place to legally hunt.

Thanks!
Craig

[Ridgerunner]

Not to mention you actually have large pieces of ground to hunt, definitely the better way to go.

[wooltie]

Following this thread....I had the same inquiry.

You can still hunt the White River Tree Farm (w/permit) NORTH of 410, correct?  That area is 454 and OPEN for elk as far as I know...

[ctwiggs1]

Yes but you must have a hancock pass.

[wooltie]

K thanks.  Wanted to hunt that area this year and am scouting for access to the tree farm (bike/foot) other than the two main recreation gates.  I see there are other gates on the map that look good, but I suspect those are PCC gates.

[CAMPMEAT]

Get permission to get on the Merlino pit. It backs up to the watershed out past Ravensdale.

Who do I ask?

Gary Merlino Construction....

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

My personnel recommendation from growing up in that area and watching it degrade year after year would be pack up and move. Theres to many people and with 20,000 more coming in the next 10-20 years per Bigtex nows a good as time as any? The growth out there is unbelievable in my eyes and I have watched it for 39 years. There is animals behind those gates he's talking about. Some real dandy blacktail bucks when they are rutted up! Good luck. Let us know how you do in there? Brings back lots of memories in there...