Pomeroy deer...good, bad or ugly?

[ELKBURGER]

I am going to be hunting south of Pomeroy for deer opening weekend. I was able to check out some areas mid september and saw some good deer but am curious about the rifle hunting pressure. I have secured some private access but its not much and may need to fall back into the NF if were not seeing much.
I'm hoping to get some input from the HuntWa family What can I expect? Thanks

[boneaddict]

I know at least one antlered rabbit that will be in the neighborhood.   I  myself have never hunted it but suspect it has a fair amount of pressure like everywhere else.   GOODLUCK!

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Ugly.....

Feel free to hunt areas are full of about 50 of your newest friends.  Permission to hunt is full of people too.   Lots guys driving around fields, lots of road hunters, lots of trespassers, lots of posers (saying they have permission and don't).  You shoot a buck while trespassing and get caught plan on being a guest of the Garfield County Sheriff until at least Monday.

Last year my son and I were in a feel free to hunt CRP field.  Heard a nearby shot and watched a buck stagger into a freshly planted field next to us.  As the buck was doing the death wobble the guy fired 4 more shots at it as the richocets were flying past us.

If you can get permission and avoid the trespassers it can be good.  As for the NF I've seen some bruisers but not sure of the pressure down there.  Most of the bruisers are in the same kind of places the big bull elk like so plan for a long steep hike.

[n_mathews13]

My family way back in the old days, homesteaded in pomeroy. So I grew up hunting it, but too many people started hunting around us and then it got put in "feel free to hunt"   That place is crawling with people now. Nice bucks, just have to deal with people   I hunt somewhere else niw

[jackelope]

The Pioneer will have no vacancy this weekend if that's any indication! 
National forest gets crowded with low deer density. Private ground can be good for legal deer. A few good-great bucks get killed every year on private, usually they're whitetails it seems.  Always seems like there's more deer around in the summer time. It's fun hunting in some really pretty country either way.

[jackelope]

I agree with everything that's been said so far. It can definitely be a circus.
 

[pashok23]

I agree with everything that's been said so far. It can definitely be a circus.

[Caseyd]

Feel free to hunt being crowded?

Jackelope is your man in that region

[bobdog86]

Opening weekend just about anywhere can be a fiasco, my group usually concentrates the last 4-5 days of the general season and do very, very well year after year. Deer are settled, crazies typically head back from where they came from. And yes, we hunt in SE WA. and yes we hunt the majority of the time on public land. Actually what I like hearing is how people say modern is a zoo, too many people, keeps folks away. Keep it up, hopefully more people choose alternate methods. Back to the topic, i'd hang on the private dirt, if its a bust, i'd head to the mountains and the Nat'l Forest. Good Luck.

[GameHunter1959]

Hunted there 31 seasons. It is an opening day hunt in the public areas. If you don't have a 3 point or better down by 12noon, your chances are pretty slim. Too many hunters. The deer get shot off. As fast as they get away out of one canyon; they get killed in the next. Yes there are still legal deer around, but you are better off waiting until the pumpkin patch of people clear out by Monday. The area can get better in the later part of the week, but you have to hunt really hard and push a lot of canyons.

Too many doe tags in the 90s and 2000s killed off the deer. Not to mention the game department advertised in the regulations; that the area was the #1 deer area in the state back around 1989-1991.

Your best bet is to hunt the national forest, or try and get drawn for the late hunts in Nov.
Good luck!

[ELKBURGER]

Thanks for all the input. It is greatly appreciated! I am plaaning on pressure in the NF to push the deer into or through the private. Just a theory. It will be my 13 y/o daughters first hunt so we're hoping to get her any legal buck, however she can harvest a white tail does if she wants. I think she wants some horns though
Thanks again guys!

[jackelope]

Did she draw a doe tag?

[ELKBURGER]

Did she draw a doe tag?

No, unit 178 has been added to the 65 and over, disabled and youth general season. New this year...p.19 in the regs

[jackelope]

Totally missed that...thanks. I'll have a 9 year old with me hunting for the 1st time.

[ELKBURGER]

Totally missed that...thanks. I'll have a 9 year old with me hunting for the 1st time.

How exciting! Out of my 5 kids, my youngest is the only one that wants to hunt with me Maybe after this weekend she'll change her mind.....