Late Season Mule Deer draw tags?

[LDennis24]

What does everyone think of having late season mule deer limited draw buck tags for the Spokane area unit's and North and South of the surrounding area's? I for one would love to be able to hunt late season Muzzleloader for a mule deer buck in my area (unit 139) but know that it should be limited to a drawing only tag. I'm gonna send in my suggestions to the upcoming 2015+ season suggestions poll for WDFW. Online suggestion submission's should be available starting today.

[jjhunter]

I would not be a proponent of a late mule deer tag in 139 or 142.  Here's why:

I think that there is plenty of opportunity to chase mule deer and target the older age class bucks in 139.    Escapement is already an issue - look at our average age class!    You can hunt mule deer in the early archery,early muzzy (since 2012) and rifle.   Given the openness of the terrain and the ability to get a rig on nearly every inch of dirt in Whitman County, the mule deer get hammered.   

Because unit 139 is 99% private land, trophy potential has more to do with private land access than the actual hunting dates.

I would support a 100% mule deer draw in 139/142 with some special rut-timed seasons!

[ellensburgpo]

I would not be a proponent of a late mule deer tag in 139 or 142.  Here's why:

I think that there is plenty of opportunity to chase mule deer and target the older age class bucks in 139.    Escapement is already an issue - look at our average age class!    You can hunt mule deer in the early archery,early muzzy (since 2012) and rifle.   Given the openness of the terrain and the ability to get a rig on nearly every inch of dirt in Whitman County, the mule deer get hammered.   

Because unit 139 is 99% private land, trophy potential has more to do with private land access than the actual hunting dates.

I would support a 100% mule deer draw in 139/142 with some special rut-timed seasons!

  pretty much hit the nail on the head.

[LDennis24]

I would agree with that, I have only shot 2 mule deer in the 15+ yrs I've been hunting here and had ample opportunities to shoot them on opening day but enjoy hunting whitetail's much more for the fact that mule deer around here can be easy prey. Don't get me started on Suburban's running wheatfield's and road hunter's chasing everything across the country. I have alot of private ground to hunt around the area and see alot of nice buck's. I have no problem filling my tag every year. Mule deer just seem to have an issue in common with all of them in that they will stop before cresting a hill to look back at what spooked them and that's an issue when a guy is waiting with a rifle in hand. I just can't count how many times I've been late whitetail hunting and jumped a mule deer buck that would rival the Tri-pod burn bucks on this forum and that kind of gives me an itch to be able to hunt them atleast once in the late season and see if I can get one of those opportunities to take a nice muley from my home area. I grew up in Cheney and always heard stories of the Tyler ghost. This was a mule deer buck as big as any ever seen and he always disappeared before hunting season and was seen again every summer  for almost 6 yrs. No one ever shot him that anyone knows and he was eventually gone. My buddy found a dead buck on the tracks that a train hit south of Cheney about 10yrs ago and it scored 196 and some change, we had to collect the pieces and tape them together to get an idea of a score. Had ALOT of mass and deep fork's and we never see these brutes until the late season is around and then they are off limit's so I guess you make a good point that if it was allowed then alot of these big guy's would simply be annihilated and we would never see them again. Wishful thinking... and maybe a little greed? 

[jjhunter]

Once you get north of SR 23 from about Ewan over, you are talking about an entirely different landscape and I would agree that there are some big deer and enough cover to hide an old grey ghost (Unit 133).

This will be my 23rd deer season actually hunting 139, but I was rolling around in the truck with my dad and uncles when they were still shooting spikes and two points (pre-'92).   We've taken deer into the 170's in 139, but you are talking about the BEST access, literally hundreds of tags and over 100 years of experience in hunting that country (5th generation).   I've spent thousands of days in the field from Almota to Central Ferry, Lacrosse to Ewan, Lamont to Benge and back to Endicott and can literally count on one hand the number of legitimate 170" plus deer that I have seen. 

You have the right idea chasing whiteys.    I should have switched long ago...

 

[no.cen.wa]

       "Stopping at the crest of the hill to see whats chasing them"
I've been hunting muleys over 50 years in steep and wooded terrain and found they just don't all run up to the top and stop to look around. I guess maybe 1 or 2 have but maybe it's something they do in open country more than wooded?
wish they did!
              John G

[LDennis24]

I would have to say yes, they are to very different animals. I have hunted alot up north and noticed that the mule deer act alot different than the one's around here. Especially the young barely legal 3 pts that always get whacked on the opening weekend. I have jumped hundred's of muley's from walking eyebrows and they always stop and look back before making there escape. I have even thrown rocks at them to see if they are waiting for another buck to get up and follow them.