East vs WEst Deer

[mendozer]

So this year I got my first multiple season permit. It's gonna be my second season hunting so I'm stoked. I bought a bow in November so I plan to do bow and rifle. My question was, as a beginner with limited private land connections (limited to nil) which side of the state should I do either of the seasons? Mule deer seem pretty popular around the west side so maybe I should do bow here then try rifle on the east side?

[Bob33]

Mule deer seem pretty popular around the west side so maybe I should do bow here then try rifle on the east side?

Mule deer are only found in Eastern Washington.

[mendozer]

Mule deer seem pretty popular around the west side so maybe I should do bow here then try rifle on the east side?

Mule deer are only found in Eastern Washington.

i meant blacktail. Very similar

[elk247]

You might want to stick to the westside. If you do go over east try to blend in, look and act like a local. Start growing your mullett early (like now!) Camel, Marlboro Red and Pall Mall are the east side smokes. Anything menthol will give you away  Coors light, bush, bush light, and Coors original are all acceptable as well as keystone (that ones a secret though) find a Prius and flip it off, drive an old truck (Two or more tone preferably, I use a five tone ford) wear a WSU hat if you are going to ask for permission to hunt (get some dirt on it first, it can't look brand new) of you can't do all of the above and really up your odds for being successful on the east side then hang your head in shame, go down to the watering hole (the one in the center of town) and find a local gal on the heavy side (I mean large, like wow) and get her number (c'mon man! You know what iI'm talking about!) Buy her drinks, dinner, more drinks, dessert, more drinks then bam! Ask her if she's ever eaten a mule deer before. One thing leads to the next and your either in jail, beat-up or hunting private property. Just remember, this works better during archery season then modern season. If you think that there is a chance that you will eat a multi season tag remember this post and how your buddy elk247 taught you how to have a 33% chance of hunting private property mule deer.
 
P.S. ( works for white tailed deer also!) Good luck and happy hunting! Welcome to the forum.

[trophyhunt]

Basically, time to hunt is the main concern with the multi tag.  Mule deer and whitetail are easier to hunt in my opinion, small blacktail are easy but if your looking for quality type blacktail that is tough and will only drive you mad!! If I had a week to take off for deer, it would be on the east side, a place that has both mule deer and whitetail in the same area.  I wont say a specific unit but the NE has good deer units, for the weekend hunting you might think about buying a Hancock pass, any deer this year.  Good luck

[fishnfur]

I would recommend the East Side.  Archery for Blacktails is very difficult, requires a lot of scouting and exceptionally good hunting skills or very, very good luck.  I'm beginning to think a tree stand is almost a requirement to be successful.  That is likely the case with the East Side as well, though I have no personal knowledge of that.

 I buy a multi-season tag every year, but after the bucks shed velvet in late August or the first few days of September, you will be very lucky just to see a buck until mid to late October.  You should go fishing until that time (instead of hunting) if you're not hunting the east side.  I'm tired of missing the salmon runs every year just to be out in the woods seeing nothing but does.

Once modern rifle opens, I would head to the GMUs with the highest success rates on either side of the mountains.