Dawn to Dusk

[jweber240]

Hello all. I've got just 24hrs to make my hunt happen this modern season. I'm headed to my old hunting grounds out if Winthrop this year . It's been a solid 10 years since I've hunted this area (10 years since I've hunted period) but it has yielded some great bucks in the past when hunted. I'm driving over from Bellingham at midnight to arrive where I park my truck at 3:30am to make a 2 mile no trail ascent to my hunting spot hopefully before sun up. From there I have until legal shooting time ends to pack it up. I'm hunting around 5k foot elevation and will be situated over looking a saddle that deer use for escape routes and a general area for traveling with the safety of a little cover. The last muley I took outta there was a nice 5x5 (4x4 with legal eye guards) that had literally dug the hole area up the night before I shot him.  This little area has produced a handful of bucks for me hence the reason why I feel it is my best chance for this little of time to hunt.

My question is should I hit this place up open day? Later in the season? Do you all have better luck in the latter part of the season or does it really matter and I should just pick a day I wouldn't be asking here if I had more than just a day to make it happen but just would like to make every little bit count while I'm out there.

Also, usually when I hunt for the week I will sit in one spot from legal time to about 12:30 and start slowly walking around glassing as I go to spot any bedded deer. Wise choice or just sit in my one spot the entire time to better my chances of seeing something wander through?

Appreciate everyone's thoughts and hope to post my first deer in 10 years on here and if I don't get a deer will post up some follow up details of my hunt. Thanks everyone.

[92xj]

Opening day, sit all day if the cover is somewhat heavy and you can't glass for hundreds of yards for a spot and stalk. Let the other hunters push the deer to you and through your bottleneck.

[jweber240]

Opening day, sit all day if the cover is somewhat heavy and you can't glass for hundreds of yards for a spot and stalk. Let the other hunters push the deer to you and through your bottleneck.

Thanks for the advice. Was leaning towards that thought too. I'd love to make it opening morning but it all depends on me getting some maintenance done on the truck. Fingers crossed I can get it done. If not then the opening day suggestions might haunt me if I can't make it.

[UBA]

I agree. Opening morning is your best shot I think. Most deer should be in their normal routine but after the shooting starts a lot will hunker down tight for the whole season. Just seeing them after that is a challenge. Good luck.

[Chad Osterholtz]

I've hunted over there for years... Opening day's great for moving around looking for a good spot and stalk. Everyday after that your best bet is to sit in one spot and let everyone else push them to you. Sounds like you've already got the perfect spot for that. Also, something to think about is the weather... Accuweather, which in my opinion is the most accurate, says opening weekend is going to be in the 70's over there. The following weekend drops to the mid 40's. I'd go the following weekend. You'll probably catch the beginning of the migration and might have a better shot at some quality bucks that won't be on the move the first weekend... Something to think about. When it's hot, hunt high. When it's cold, hunt low. That's always worked for me over there.

[Turner89]

If I had 1 day on the eastside for mule deer,  I think it would be opening day. West side BT, it would be happy halloween.

[jweber240]

I've hunted over there for years... Opening day's great for moving around looking for a good spot and stalk. Everyday after that your best bet is to sit in one spot and let everyone else push them to you. Sounds like you've already got the perfect spot for that. Also, something to think about is the weather... Accuweather, which in my opinion is the most accurate, says opening weekend is going to be in the 70's over there. The following weekend drops to the mid 40's. I'd go the following weekend. You'll probably catch the beginning of the migration and might have a better shot at some quality bucks that won't be on the move the first weekend... Something to think about. When it's hot, hunt high. When it's cold, hunt low. That's always worked for me over there.

You are thinking like myself here with the weather. I was looking at AccuWeather and it does cool off a bit later in the season.  It's something to think about and with my schedule being that the second weekend of the season is out for me and it may be pushing it for me to make the opener with maintenance on the truck. It looks like it'll be any day during the week and the last two days of the season. I think I will just narrow my days down to the weather. The spot I'm going to hunt has never produced a deer opening weekend. But knowing that there is less hunters in the woods during the week makes me wish the second weekend would work out. Thanks for the advice in helping me make up my mind.

[rickomatic]

You said you haven't hunted there for a good 10 years. Have you scouted it lately? Depending on what drainage you're hunting you might find some pretty badly burned places. Last years fires burnt a lot of ridges that I've hunted for 40 years.
Which creek drainage you looking to hunt? Cougar, Bear, Benson, Perrygin, and Ramsey, to name a few got pretty toasted. Not totally, but some pretty burnt up areas in there.

[jweber240]

You said you haven't hunted there for a good 10 years. Have you scouted it lately? Depending on what drainage you're hunting you might find some pretty badly burned places. Last years fires burnt a lot of ridges that I've hunted for 40 years.
Which creek drainage you looking to hunt? Cougar, Bear, Benson, Perrygin, and Ramsey, to name a few got pretty toasted. Not totally, but some pretty burnt up areas in there.

I hunt near cub creek area. Haven't heard about it being lit up last year in that area. Will that be a factor?

[7mmfan]

Cub Creek area did not get burned up much, I don't think that will be an issue for you. They have however done a fair amount of logging in certain areas up there...