Vail Tree Farm Help!

[deerslyr]

yah there are alot of people....but from what ive seen the majority of them road hunt thats why there are so many spikes and 2 points shot. If you find a steep cut with 8-12 year old reprod there will be bucks in it 
I would much rather buy a hancock key though like rasbo mentioned.

[12Gauge]

Maps of the farm you can purchase from volunteers on the farm, they sell it opening day for modern firearm. 

Directions to Vail  From I-5 north, 
1. use exit 109,  Sleater-Kinney / Martin way, 
2. RIGHT turn at the bottom of ramp and  after turn immediately grab left turn lane
3. Left turn into College Street  Follow College Street, it will change name to Rainier Road, follow Rainier road until you come to Rainier.  At Rainier you will come to a stop sign.
4. RIGHT turn at the Stop sign
5. Left turn at Vail Cut off road, ( about 700 yards after the right turn) follow Vail road about 5 to 6 mile or until you see the Weyerhaeuser facility sign, (your close to the gate on the right).  If you go there 1 to 1.5 hours opening day you will see a line of vehicle waiting for the gates to open.

Non motorized equipment is allowed during closed gates/or off season, but check with them.

Good luck   

   

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I took my 2nd best blacktail out of Vail in 2002 and the hunting has steadily declined since then. Very good advice to hunt in the Skook outside of Vail, much less people and better quality bucks. Vail has been overhunted, escapement right now is around 12-15 bucks per 100 does, most spikes and two points annually. Other area's worth a look are Stormking, Mashel and Mossyrock units, all have a ton of land to hunt and are productive, just get off the roads and hike. Good luck.

[bucklucky]

I hunt outside vail in the Skookumchuck and need a new place to hunt cause it sucks here , any good advice??

[deerslyr]

buy a hancock key  BL
and if you dont want to do that i suggest storm king....almost all of the huntable land in that unit is gated 

[gasman]

If you go to Vail, just be prepared for the most hunters you will ever see.

The best way to get to know Vail is by showing up and road hunt untill you become famillular with the area and where the clearcuts are (new and old). If just want to kill a leagal buck that this will be your best bet. You are not going to be able to prescout the main tree farm for there is no access to the public.

There are many gates that can be riden behind and some are in the clearwood area (clearwood area is at the end of Bald hills rd). Johnson Creek Rd has some gates that allow access also (that is where i would go).
The back side of Alder Lake (Pleasant Valley Rd, outside Elbe) borders the eastern border of the tree farm. If you can find the gates you can acces this area along with the crack heads.

[deerslyr]

You cant access pleasant valley. Its been washed out since last year. You could access it from FR 74 though....

[heavy hauler]

not trying to rain on any parades, but    i heard that game wardens used to relocate trouble cougar into vail because its a good size area thats gated most of the time.but its still close to olympia.if you hunt vail , bring a cougar tag.

[Jeremy S]

I always have my cougar tag! As for hancock, where's that area located?

[ABugg]

Frogger,

WDFW has harvest data on their website.  Harvest in Vail has declined over the last 3 years, I suspect not just due to changes in deer #s, but the nicer weather during the MF season always reduces total harvest.  Some stats...Average hunter success in Vail since 1998, 21%, average 00-04 = 26%, and 05-07 = 21%; hunter numbers were highest in the late 90s (upper 5K), but in early 2000s has declined to the Mid-4k upper-3k range.  Total harvest of bucks for all weapons has averaged ~863, but was down in the 700s each of the last 3 years; buck harvest peaked in '04 = ~1200.  Long term-average (89-07) proportion of >2pt = 30% compared to all other units combined = 31%; the trend in all units is mostly spikes and 2's. 

The Vail isn't the hotspot it was a few years ago and the other folks are right, there can be a lot of hunters.  If you go, I'd recommend hunting the north side of the Skookumchuck Reservoir where access has been walk or bike at all times for several years; even on weekends.  To access come in off of the Vail Loop Rd or Johnson Creek Road.

Good luck!

[Red Leg]

Saw a several cats and sign in the Stormking this year, the deer numbers also seemed to down. Not sure if it was them, the weather
and the snow from last year. Can't say much about the Mashel, except it is 2 pt or better, the Mossyrock seems to have good numbers taken.

[littlebuf]

dont buy a hancock pass, thats where i hunt and its just terrible, so please nobody buy the hancock pass

[rasbo]

I always have my cougar tag! As for hancock, where's that area located?

kapowsin,eatonville,ashford buckly,rainer park,

[rasbo]

dont buy a hancock pass, thats where i hunt and its just terrible, so please nobody buy the hancock pass

I agree Ive been in there for years really sucks,But I would rather have some of the h-w guys in there being miserable with us

[littlebuf]

i assume your being as sarcastic as i am, the less guys in there the better my chance at a elk draw. now i like these fellas but not as much as i like that 7x7 i saw last year