Swakane Unit- late archery-13 year old son's 1st archery hunt

[jnorrisfam77]

I am looking to take my son up for his first Mulie archery hunt (now pulling 40lbs) this late season. We will be out in the Orando area for Thanksgiving so I am looking at hitting up the Swakane unit for 3-5 days. Can anyone provide some good insight on areas/ access/ roads I should look at getting to, access issues (snow, wildfires, etc), and any pointers for this unit on where we may have a good chance to get into some deer? I really appreciate it and I am hoping we can get out, do some good spot and stalk and just enjoy some time out away from everything for a few days. Thanks for any feedback or tips you have!

[Goldy79]

Bring chains, the Swakane access road is steep and slick. Pray for snow too, they will stay up high unless it snows and you won't see anything. We spend 4 days up there 3 years ago, the first three were just and dry and we didn't get into any deer. Last day we were there it had snowed hard all night and in the morning we saw they bouncing all over.

[elkoholic1]

pray for snow and get chains for all 4!!!!!   

[jstone]

STEEP both of you better be ready for a leg burner. Make sure he is ready could be a long trip if you have a city boy with you. Good boots and warm cloths if it snows. I have been there in the sun and snow. sometimes it will be below 0. I Had my release freeze up. Just saying be ready for anything. Good Luck

[BowForElk]

Double check but I think minimum draw weight is 45lbs. Other then that GET SOME!!!

[h20hunter]

a.   It is unlawful for any person to hunt
big game animals with a bow that does
not produce a minimum of 40 pounds
of pull measured at twenty-eight

[Rainier10]

All great information, the only thing I can add is get off the road... and be ready for how steep it is off of the road.  We hike 5 to 8 miles a day, we just keep moving and looking.  The days are short so it is not bad.  The weather is normally cold even without snow so moving keeps you warm.  With a young hunter I would be concerned getting to far down the hill and having to come back up.  Try sidehilling off of one of the switchbacks.

Good luck to you guys.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

pray for snow and get chains for all 4!!!!!   

 

[jrod]

Holy sh#t !!!!!!   You guys make the swakane sound like the Grand Canyon with a foot a snow on it!!!!   Wow!!!    I feel sorry fer all those disabled antlerless hunters!!!   Make sure u pop yer ears when u get to the "access" road!!!!   Lol

[jnorrisfam77]

Ok, all good info guys. I had heard that a bit about the chains. Now I am double guessing myself on whether this is the right hunt for us. I was originally thinking about hitting up North in the Okanogan towards the border. I heard a lot of good things about that area (i forget the GMU). Is there a better area for us to get into than Swakane? My goal is my boy wanting to get his ass back out each hunting season; I want to make sure its some work but not so much as it drives him away. Maybe Swakane is more of a trip he can trek in the snow/ terrain once he hits 15-16 years old?

[muleracks]

From Orondo you will see a lot of black across the lake.  Most of the country between the Entiat River and Swakane burned this past July.  I would focus the hunt northwest of Roaring Creek and on the southern side of Swakane and road 6200 along the ridge.  Not much snow; hunt the western part of the unit.

[jnorrisfam77]

MULERACKS- Can you tell me a bit more about some good access points in West Swakane unit and Roaring Creek? Thanks for all the info.

[Biggerhammer]

Holy sh#t !!!!!!   You guys make the swakane sound like the Grand Canyon with a foot a snow on it!!!!   Wow!!!    I feel sorry fer all those disabled antlerless hunters!!!   Make sure u pop yer ears when u get to the "access" road!!!!   Lol

Haha! exactly! The canyon of DOOM! Chains and artic attire may not work. You may have to fast rope in up top and hunt from a good set of ski's on the fly. pray for snow because those bucks are NEVER, ever! Did I mention NEVER there unless there is 10' plus of snow.

[jrebel]

Drove up and over from Mills to Naham without chains today.  Roads are very drivable as of now.  I do agree that if there is snow you will want chains for all 4 if you plan on hunting high.  The scary part of the roads in this unit are the ice.  They are steep and unforgiving if you start to lose traction.  It is not doom and gloom until you are sliding down the hill backwards!!!!  Chain up before you need them. 

There are places in the unit you can hunt very low without driving the steep roads.  The terrain is also very huntable for a young hunter.  Stick'm deep!!! 

[bullcanyon]

If you value your and your sons safety you will get good chains for all 4 tires and make sure they fit before you go up there.  Outside of that it's not that hard to figure out how to hunt that unit. 
Good luck and stay safe please.

[Goldy79]

Drove up and over from Mills to Naham without chains today.  Roads are very drivable as of now.  I do agree that if there is snow you will want chains for all 4 if you plan on hunting high.  The scary part of the roads in this unit are the ice.  They are steep and unforgiving if you start to lose traction.  It is not doom and gloom until you are sliding down the hill backwards!!!!  Chain up before you need them. 

There are places in the unit you can hunt very low without driving the steep roads.  The terrain is also very huntable for a young hunter.  Stick'm deep!!!

Agree 100%. Myself and two of my friends thought we didn't need chains because the day before the roads were great, huge mistake. Almost slid off the side and were stuck for about an hour before we could safely bounce it back on the road. We still talk about it to this day... bad situation.