peaches ridge/ natches hunters etiquette

[MADMAX]

  same here
we spent from the 9th up there to yesterday at noon scouting/hunting/working the elk.
Met a few members from this site and had no problems or issues whatsoever,,,,,,,,,,,,, except the crazy wind, lack of bugling and lots of cows.
all the folks we encountered were decent nice guys, was PO'd at some woodcutters lighting chainsaws off at 0730 but hey its public land and they also had a barking dog.

too bad about your bad experince, trust me it was far better than the last 10 years hunting Winston

no bull for me, RT I hope you got yours.

Ghost Hunter, you should do well up there also.

[Gringo31]

Welcome to the site js139!

[greenhead_killer]

I made the mistake and went in the colockum this year with open season on cows. What a joke. Last five years I have not seen other hunter in there. This year was a zoo. Really couldn't go anywhere people were not. Anyhow, I did walk up on people and I always try to get a conversation going on what their plans are. I will always go the opposite direction.  I did walk up on one guy, gnarley hike in, I wanted to do the same, ask his plans and move on, walked within ten feet of me and wouldn't make eye contact. What do you do. This open cow is a fail on fng though. What a sad way to stack people up. Too much pressure and stress on these animals. I did have peaches tag last year and never had a problem with anyone imposing on me. Never saw anyone in the field while I was out. I think most people road hunt up there. Just too many people hunting too small of tracts with too much access and too few animals. Welcome to Washington hunting.

[js139]

Welcome to the site js139!

Thanks! Figured it would be good to chat about the upcoming hunts and maybe learn something. Getting ready for my Peaches Ridge big bull tag. Been scouting several 6point, 7point, and 1 8 point bulls. Hope they get through the quality tags so I can get a crack at them.

[Band]

,,,,,,,,,,, except the crazy wind, lack of bugling and lots of cows.

Sorry to hear you didn't fill that tag, Steve.  I didn't either but I gave it 8 days of serious effort, passed on 2 easy shots at spikes and saw 2 other spikes and three 6-7 pointers up close.  Just couldn't get a shot at them.  You're right about the crazy wind.  All but the last 2 days the wind switched direction constantly and blew several chances I should have had.  It was extremely frustrating!

My second to the last day I was surrounded by 4 bulls, all within 300 yards, that were answering my bugles the last 45 minutes before dark.  I picked one and went after him, got within 40 yards but never saw him before it got dark.  He was bugling and huffing and puffing but wouldn't come out of the thick trees.

I encountered...are you ready for this?...one other hunter in those 8 days!  He walked by me on the last evening I was out.

Oh well, there's always late season.  Grumble, grumble...

[T-Dozzer]

There is always going to be a turd in the punch bowl. 2  ago days we finally got the bull we had been playing for 5 days to come within shooting distance  just to have some guy in jeans and sleeveless shirt walk through our set attempting to bugle. If  we weren't in shock with what we were seeing it would have been hilarious.
Bull obviously boogied. We waited till dark at the end of valley to let them know how much we appreciated their tact and cunning hunting prowess.
3 dudes come walking out.....all drinking beers and pin point pupils like they had been popping oxy all day. We shrugged it off and hiked the 5 miles back to our rigs.

[MADMAX]

Thanks Dave
it was a tougher hunt than we thought, we also saw minimal guys in the "woods" it was weird not to have people all over so i liked that
cows on the late hunt and deer hunting next up

,,,,,,,,,,, except the crazy wind, lack of bugling and lots of cows.

Sorry to hear you didn't fill that tag, Steve.  I didn't either but I gave it 8 days of serious effort, passed on 2 easy shots at spikes and saw 2 other spikes and three 6-7 pointers up close.  Just couldn't get a shot at them.  You're right about the crazy wind.  All but the last 2 days the wind switched direction constantly and blew several chances I should have had.  It was extremely frustrating!

My second to the last day I was surrounded by 4 bulls, all within 300 yards, that were answering my bugles the last 45 minutes before dark.  I picked one and went after him, got within 40 yards but never saw him before it got dark.  He was bugling and huffing and puffing but wouldn't come out of the thick trees.

I encountered...are you ready for this?...one other hunter in those 8 days!  He walked by me on the last evening I was out.

Oh well, there's always late season.  Grumble, grumble...

[Odell]

I think we just need to accept reality and change our expectations of what 'quality' means.