Timber Passes? Anyone else planning for next season?

[Buck Rub Jr]

Every opening weekend my dad and hunting partner(s) head over to the east side for mulies by our cabin but have ended up empty handed the last couple years and come home after the east side season is over to chase blacktails.
I live fairly close to the Hancock kapowsin/Eatonville and Vail areas, I've been contemplating buying a pass for one or the other just because it's nice to have an area closer to home that's logged and all that jazz. Should I invest in a pass or just tough it out and hunt the public land nearby? Always looking for others opinions to help me out. Anyone else plan on making any big changes next season?

[Black Ghost]

Would be costly if you tag out on the eastside

[Hunterman]

I'm flipping the coin on getting a Hancock pass for next year. Not only for deer, but for the firewood, and bear hunting in there.
 
Or maybe going to Iowa and hunt with family back there. All it will cost me is gas.

Hunterman(Tony)

[Buck Rub Jr]

Would be costly if you tag out on the eastside

very, but there's always bears and cats to hunt in them as well if worse comes to worst. Hopefully I'll be able to spend a lot of time scouting our spot on the east side if there's no fires this year I guess it'll all eventually depend on scouting and special permit results

[Buck Rub Jr]

I'm flipping the coin on getting a Hancock pass for next year. Not only for deer, but for the firewood, and bear hunting in there.
 
Or maybe going to Iowa and hunt with family back there. All it will cost me is gas.

Hunterman(Tony)

Iowa sounds like a blast man! That'd be a fun change of scenery. I think I'd choose a hunt out of state with fam over a Timber pass, but that's just me. Each one has it's perks!

[TheHunt]

Next year will be my last year of being cheap and staying home as my son has his last year in college.  After that I am hunting out of state. 

[Seahawk12]

If you have the discretionary funds to purchase the pass(es) then I would go that route.
As for big changes for next season, I am still debating if I will go modern or switch back to archery. In the area I was in this year I found a couple of very promising spots for modern next season, but I am almost assured of a harvest with the bow. In the summer I will be putting out a bunch of trail cams and those will provide my answer.
Whatever you do decide, I wish you the best of luck.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Next year will be my last year of being cheap and staying home as my son has his last year in college.  After that I am hunting out of state.

nice! Where ya plannin on goin?

[Old Man Yager]

Will be renewing my Hancock Eatonville pass.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Will be renewing my Hancock Eatonville pass.

saw the pic of your buck this year! Congrats! Do you think it'd be a good idea for me to invest in one?

[bearpaw]

If I wasn't so busy in the fall I would get a pass and try to get myself a blacktail, never taken a blackie.

[Dhoey07]

Personally, I would hunt public 

[Buck Rub Jr]

If I wasn't so busy in the fall I would get a pass and try to get myself a blacktail, never taken a blackie.

I've only shot dinky ones, love the looks of big blacktails!

[Firedogg]

I got both Kapowsin and Eatonville Hancock passes this year. Muzzle loading for the first time this year, so right now I am chasing deer up there. For me it's convenience trying to work around all my wife's medical appointments. Took me 17 minutes to get from the house to the timber I worked tonight. Also, with those passes ypu are in for the drawing to hunt elk in there when everyone else gets locked out. Draw that tag and there are some monster elk there.
  I get both so I can go with my 72 year old dad while he hunts the rifle seasons for deer.
  With it so close to me I can justify the cost in my gas savings alone. Three days up there and home I have less than 40 miles on the truck.
  After what I've seen up there this week I am also planning on going after coyotes and cats. Sign for them both was all over the place in last weeks snow.

[Buck Rub Jr]

I got both Kapowsin and Eatonville Hancock passes this year. Muzzle loading for the first time this year, so right now I am chasing deer up there. For me it's convenience trying to work around all my wife's medical appointments. Took me 17 minutes to get from the house to the timber I worked tonight. Also, with those passes ypu are in for the drawing to hunt elk in there when everyone else gets locked out. Draw that tag and there are some monster elk there.
  I get both so I can go with my 72 year old dad while he hunts the rifle seasons for deer.
  With it so close to me I can justify the cost in my gas savings alone. Three days up there and home I have less than 40 miles on the truck.
  After what I've seen up there this week I am also planning on going after coyotes and cats. Sign for them both was all over the place in last weeks snow.

Hope you put one on the ground, good luck! Post pics if ya get something!

[Jamieb]

Because of the access permits I'm planning a Idaho deer hunt. I've completely given up on western WA elk and will spend a week during our modern elk season over in Idaho deer hunting.

[Tom Tamer]

With the gas savings and the wood permit, it pays for itself for me. I can be in the woods inside a half hour and is limited entry so don't run into a lot of folks. Unless you stay on the roads. I will. we use it all the time. just some days for a joy ride to just be out in the woods if nothing else.

[Sneekee23]

Will be hunting Idaho for elk and deer... I have hunted Washington my entire life and this season is was my last for elk.  I bought 2 more trail cameras to replace the ones that were stolen this year while in search for a decent blacktail.

[wence5]

Because of the access permits I'm planning a Idaho deer hunt. I've completely given up on western WA elk and will spend a week during our modern elk season over in Idaho deer hunting.

I'm with you on that one. Weyco and any other timber companies can eat their %$#@*+? pass as far as I'm concerned.

[Netminder01]

I'll be renewing my Snoqualmie pass and probably one more Hancock pass. I hunted deer in Eastern WA and probably will do the same next year. If you don't normally have access to wood, it's nearly worth the pass by itself. This year was my first year but I typically would go in for firewood and use the rest of the time scouting. 

I saw a decent number of bucks in the back of trucks and good intel from those hunting when I was ripping wood.

[headshot5]

A few years into the pass system, and I bet their will be a trend towards bigger animals.  Due to less pressure in hunting season (less hunters having access), and high rate of animal escapement.  It'll be interesting to see if it helps the blacktail population in some of these areas.  So far, I have not bought a permit and really don't see myself doing so anytime soon.     

[Taco280AI]

I saw lots of groaning about them charging fees, but since people will pay it and buy multiple permits they're going to keep charging. Soon after everyone will charge everywhere because people keep paying.

[swisski]

I saw a decent number of bucks in the back of trucks and good intel from those hunting when I was ripping wood.

You see those bucks in Snoqualmie unit? I haven't seen a decent buck up there, and I spent quite a bit of time in their last season. Granted there are definitely a lot of animals around, and some great habitat. I know they are there, but they completely slipped by me this year, and I saw a ton of animals!

[bigtex]

I saw a decent number of bucks in the back of trucks and good intel from those hunting when I was ripping wood.

You see those bucks in Snoqualmie unit? I haven't seen a decent buck up there, and I spent quite a bit of time in their last season. Granted there are definitely a lot of animals around, and some great habitat. I know they are there, but they completely slipped by me this year, and I saw a ton of animals!

There's some big boys up there...

[trophyhunt]

If I wasn't so busy in the fall I would get a pass and try to get myself a blacktail, never taken a blackie.

If you want a big blacktail, my advise, don't try!  It will only drive you to madness!!!  Some guys cheat, some just get damn lucky and very few are good at killing big blacktail every year.  I've been trying my azz off to get a 130+ blackie for many years now, my best is 117.  Now I have passed some deer that many would not, but I just haven't seen my ghost yet.  I was much happier when I hunted mule deer and whitetail!! 

[BigGoonTuna]

with the weather we've been having it seems like buying a pass will be a very risky venture this year.  odds are everything will be locked up tight for "fire danger" as soon as summer comes.

[JimmyHoffa]

with the weather we've been having it seems like buying a pass will be a very risky venture this year.  odds are everything will be locked up tight for "fire danger" as soon as summer comes.

I was thinking about that recently.  Even with the new great dates and additional units opening, the dry forecast would likely have archery/early muzz on fire closure.  Could be good for modern.  But, still a whole lot of weather left to come before Sept and Oct.

[fireweed]

Because of the access permits I'm planning a Idaho deer hunt. I've completely given up on western WA elk and will spend a week during our modern elk season over in Idaho deer hunting.

I'm with you on that one. Weyco and any other timber companies can eat their %$#@*+? pass as far as I'm concerned.

just say no;  Public land all the way.