Let The Methow Herd Destruction Begin

[jason stevens]

We hunted all last weekend by sullivans pond and around that area saw one tag filled and came home with both ours unfilled. We won't be going back so there's two going in the trash.your welcome

[wsmnut]

This from the Methow Valley News:

Nobody knew quite what to expect when the general modern firearms deer season opened in Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Game Management Units last Saturday.

On the heels of the state’s worst wildfire – much of it concentrated in the greater Methow Valley – it was anybody’s guess as to how the nine-day season would flesh out, notwithstanding floodwater damage that served as the kicker for the area.

Opening weekend results, however, tell the story of hunters crossing paths with legal, three-point-or-better mule deer bucks in just about every corner of the country hereabouts.

While the WDFW check station located in the parking lot of the Winthrop Barn only documented four bucks as of early last Sunday morning, hunters were obviously finding their targets nonetheless.

By early morning on Tuesday (Oct. 14), Thomson’s Custom Meats in Twisp had taken in over 150 deer carcasses for storage or processing, said Seth Thomson, and the phone call and traffic volume seemed to indicate more were on the way.

Katie Russell and several helpers were up to their elbows in deer hides after opening weekend at Russell’s skinning station just north of the Twisp town limits.

“I took in about 35 hides so far,” Russell said Monday (Oct. 13). “Last year I had 45 by season’s end.”

Some interesting stories came in along with the deer racks. There was Bruce Hall of Anacortes, for instance, who took the time to click off a telephoto snapshot of his 4×5-point muley before trading camera for rifle and dropping the standing buck.

And it all happened quite by accident.

“I had forgotten to put on my hunter orange,” Hall discovered after he had hiked some distance in the Rendezvous area.

As he made his way back to camp to retrieve the mandatory garment, Hall spotted his trophy standing in cover.

“He thought he was hidden,” Hall surmised of the buck’s motionlessness that allowed Hall time to take his photo, grab his .7mm Weatherby rifle, take aim over a nearby stump and fill his tag.

Barb Haight from Concrete was hunting with husband Larry in the Chewuch area when she shot her 3×5-point with a 30.06.

James Alvard began hunting in the Benson Creek area in 1955, and in 1958 shot his biggest Methow buck in his near-81 years on the planet. Last Saturday he bagged his second-largest, a huge 6×4 with a 29-1/2-inch spread with one shot from his .270 Remington while the deer was “full-out running,” said Alvard’s wife, Dee. The nimrod turns 81 on Oct. 16.

Walt Micona of Bellingham has six years on Alvard, but that didn’t stop the 87-year-old from being the first in his four-man party to shoot his buck on the Loup Loup summit.

Micona was hunting with son Walt Jr. and the father-son team of Tim and Dustin Schindler from Arlington when Walt Sr. put one of his 30.06 reloads into his 3×3 at 250 yards.

“We saw four bucks in a bunch and he shot the largest,” Walt Jr. said.

Stories like those mix with comments concerning the heartbreaking vistas left in the wildfire’s wake.

“It was just so sad,” Dee Alvard said of the Benson Creek landscape she and James have frequented for some 34 years. “It’s an important vacation opening for us.”

When he wasn’t on the phone or unloading carcasses, Seth Thomson took a moment to describe the vast acreage he and his dad Sam, drove by back road on French Creek from Pateros to north of Methow before deer season opened.

“There’s a hunting ranch there, 15,000 acres,” Thomson said, “and in years past I would see 300-400 deer a day. We didn’t see one.”

Fire has now denuded much of that land, Thomson added, and left lots of dead deer as testament to its passing.

“That fire was moving at 50 miles an hour,” Thomson said of the inescapable flames.

John Lindsay, assistant manager of the Methow Wildlife Area in Winthrop, spent opening weekend scouting Aeneas Mountain in the Sinlahekin for late-season archery prospects.

“I saw mostly whitetails but lots of sage and ruffed grouse,” Lindsey said.

Alluding to speculation that there may be many cougars about, Lindsay mentioned that one of his hunting companions who joins in the scouting trips has taken three mountain lions in the past six years.

“I’ve only seen one in the wild,” Lindsay marveled, and pointed out that his profession puts him in the outdoors much of the time.

a

Fire area closures

Some fire area closures have been modified or lifted for portions of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest lands within and adjacent to the Carlton Complex, Chiwaukum Complex, Duncan Fire and Mills Canyon Fire.

The only Carlton Complex closures remaining in place in the Methow Valley Ranger District are on roads No. 300 and 370 in Finley Canyon. The Duncan Fire area closure has been reduced to encompass the Entiat Valley Road north of Tommy Creek and the fire area east and north of the road. The closure still includes Shady Pass Road from the Entiat side to its intersection with Big Hill Road No. 112.

Mills Canyon Road No. 5200 was closed weekdays through Oct. 13 due to Burned Area Emergency Response operations occurring in the Mills Canyon Fire area. Chiwaukum Fire area closure has also been reduced to include Chiwaukum, Thomson, Painter, Battle Canyon, Hatchery, and Fall creeks.

Area closures due to the Hansel Creek and Shoofly fires on the Wenatchee River Ranger District remain unchanged.

Modern firearm general deer season for mule and white-tailed deer in the Game Management Units that comprise the Methow Valley ends Sunday (Oct. 19). Hunters are cautioned to check WDFW’s 2014 Big Game Hunting Seasons & Regulations pamphlet for specific details.

[huntnphool]

Well sounds like it's all rainbows and butterflies this season, guess the extra late buck and doe tags are justified then, boy were some of us wrong!

[boneaddict]

I wonder how many of those carcasses were of the 1000+ doe tags, and I am sure there was some success in the burns.  Its not like there is much cover for a deer to hide in.

[Alchase]

I just got back last night. I was camped between bear creek and Pearygin creek for the last week. I did not see anywhere near the bucks taken this year compared to last. There simply were not anywhere near the amount of hunters. I also did not see tons of does taken. I only saw three does taken, and talked to at least four more (three were youth hunters) that were leaving without filling tags.
Opening day I hiked in to Lightning creek from 4320 road. Got to the hill between lightning and Blue Buck looked up and there were two wolves staring at me from about 200 yards. I shifted my rifle to take a picture and they took off over the hill as soon as my rifle moved. Seems they have been schooled.
After Sunday I was the only camper between the creeks and only a few were in Bear creek campground.
No where near the crowds others have been talking about.
I saw very few deer in pearygin and very little sign, though I spent more time in Gardner and Chewuch. I still for the life of me can not figure out why they back burned the whole area between Bear and Pearygen creeks?

Saw four legal shooter bucks in town, lol

[Alchase]

I took a drive up Libby and felt like crying with the devistation up there. Cougar flats looked like a moon scape. I was going to walk Pipestone, but could not handle the thought that it was gone as well.
It was nice to see "some" green coming through the sterilized landscape though.
Still really hard to see so much land, with so many memories.
It hit hard the perspective that I am seeing it as a long time visitorand had strong feelings, I could not imagine what the residents must feel like.

[wsmnut]

Well sounds like it's all rainbows and butterflies this season, guess the extra late buck and doe tags are justified then, boy were some of us wrong!

I suspect there will be more rainbows and butterflies when Fitkin gets to give his post season report.
     All of us feeling nauseous weren't wrong.
     Any bets on how many rainbows will be attached to the 2015 special permits?

[boneaddict]

Alchase- did you notice if Beaver Creek Campground burned.   That has been an established camp/town  for decades during hunting season.   I wasn't sure where the fire cut through there.   I just finally figured out the significance of them calling them the lookout pack.  Its not the mountain that they were on, but that you can lookout anywhere in the Methow Valley and see one.

[Griz231]

Can anyone clarify this? Heard that if you drew second deer permit choice 1330 for whitetail antler less that the Wdfw is allowing you to shoot any doe. True or false?

[wolfbait]

Alchase- did you notice if Beaver Creek Campground burned.   That has been an established camp/town  for decades during hunting season.   I wasn't sure where the fire cut through there.   I just finally figured out the significance of them calling them the lookout pack.  Its not the mountain that they were on, but that you can lookout anywhere in the Methow Valley and see one.

E-mail from a friend October 10-2014:

Wolves hazing flaggers 

Dale C. said he saw spot lites all around his place on the loup a couple nights ago.  Went out and ask what was going on.  It seems a cougar and some wolves have been coming in close to those flaggers late at night scoping them out.  They are trying to spook them off.
 Must be the lookout pack,   Lol

Sent from my iPad

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Funny how WDFW doesn't mention these sort of incidences on their dangerous animal reports. WDFW must go dark on these issues, except for flashlights of course.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Can anyone clarify this? Heard that if you drew second deer permit choice 1330 for whitetail antler less that the Wdfw is allowing you to shoot any doe. True or false?

Post #93 on this thread.  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,161313.25.html

I just got off the phone with WDFW (360-902-2515).  The "antlerless whitetail only" special permits are actually good for either antlerless whitetail or mule deer.  The WDFW said that this is clearly stated in the WAC that authorized the change.  This was not communicated in the email sent out to the permit recipients. 

[wolfbait]

Also WDFW are giving out doe permits to folks who did not get a permit in the draw.

[MtnMuley]

Did anybody notice this comment from the methow newspaper article above? Since when has there ever been a sage grouse in those areas?? And this guy is an assistant manager of the Methow Wildlife Area?? Unreal. I suppose we have hyenas and tule elk on the wildlife area as well.

John Lindsay, assistant manager of the Methow Wildlife Area in Winthrop, spent opening weekend scouting Aeneas Mountain in the Sinlahekin for late-season archery prospects.

“I saw mostly whitetails but lots of sage and ruffed grouse,” Lindsey said.

[Jonathan_S]

I would rather buy 10 tons of alfalfa to feed those deer over the winter than to read this thread as a reality   

[Alchase]

Alchase- did you notice if Beaver Creek Campground burned.   That has been an established camp/town  for decades during hunting season.   I wasn't sure where the fire cut through there.   I just finally figured out the significance of them calling them the lookout pack.  Its not the mountain that they were on, but that you can lookout anywhere in the Methow Valley and see one.

Bone, which Beaver Creek campground are you referring to ?
I have heard the campground where upper beaver creek and the 4235 road meet called Beaver Creek. Those up near Volsted were burnt but looked fine and had about half the normal crowd. I usually camp at Bear creek "east side of road" but I heard it was burned up so I relocated back to the flat between Bear and Pearygin. After setting up my camp I drove by bear creek east, and people were camping there, lol
There were a few up towards Lood Loop that are gone as well. Weird part was a few people were camping in the desolation by cougar flat and Cambel lake. That are looked sterilized by fire. I saw very littl sign in the cougar flats burn at all. Contrast that with the burn that went up Pearygin creek (6 years ago) was loaded with browse and sign.
Cub creek and that side of the valley was loaded with browse. It must have been a good growing year up there.what was the snow depth last year?
Hopefully the west side will help sustain the herd from what was lost on the east side.