Public land joke..

[rosscrazyelk]

So I originally was planning on some private property that I have hunted to take my niece  for her rifle season. well the landowner decided to give everyone and their mother a written permission slip. so needless to say we went to some blm land that I knew of not to far away. well this land is 11,000 acres and it has multiple parking places. As I pull up to one end of the property I see 12 vehicles. So I pass on to the next entrance point. 5 camps there. Now that daylight has arrived I decided to drive around to the other side of the land. It takes about 45 minutes to get around. in this drive I counted 61 deer. 7 bucks one which is the third largest deer I have seen in this area. But of coarse its all private . finally get to a spot where there is noone around. we hike in for a couple miles and get on a viewpoint.. I put up the binos and see 22 people.
Needless to say I feel bad that I did not get her a deer but she had a good time. She only got this weekend to hunt due to School and her modeling and sports.
Oh, I almost forgot. I drove to the big center area of the peoperty to see what the parking lot looked like. Guess I wont waste my time going there anymore.

[big wood]

That sucks. Take her in the high country. I have horses but you could back pack. You probably will see way less people and have an amazing experience with you daughter.

[Brad Harshman]

That looks like Rock Creek.  My last time modern firearm hunting was at Rock Creek; it scared the cap out me.  Sorry that you experienced such over crowding.  Good luck.

[Bean Counter]

Yeah we had a bit of that in Wyoming this year. Not nearly as bad, and there's a lot more wildlife there, but we thought we'd have the place to ourselves and there were a lot of other hunters with the inside hookup as well 

[270Flat]

I had a very similar experience with my son this weekend. It is his first hunting season. I'll pull him from school to go on a fishing trip... Now we have hunting that he can miss school for. But sports is a different story. Needless to say we missed opening morning for his final soccer game. By the time we got out to our spots (I had 5 spots I wanted to take him) there was so many people I got sick to my stomach... We ended up pulling into the first open spot along a very popular route. We had to hike up, up, up to get into the drainage. We ended up seeing a few deer and three bears. A great experience for both of us. He was so excited to see critters. I felt bad about all the people but the smile on his face makes my day.

[rosscrazyelk]

That looks like Rock Creek.  My last time modern firearm hunting was at Rock Creek; it scared the cap out me.  Sorry that you experienced such over crowding.  Good luck.

That's where we were.  Was better when no one knew it was there.

[jrebel]

That looks like Rock Creek.  My last time modern firearm hunting was at Rock Creek; it scared the cap out me.  Sorry that you experienced such over crowding.  Good luck.

That's where we were.  Was better when no one knew it was there.

Hunted there the first 3 years it was open and took bucks every year.   The 4th year was a zoo so I never went back.  It has continued to be a zoo, which is weird.....usually these places become unpopular after a few years of heavy use, then they become huntable again.  NOT THIS PLACE. 

[2MANY]

"That sucks. Take her in the high country. I have horses but you could back pack. You probably will see way less people and have an amazing experience with you daughter."

This!!!!!!!!

[JimmyHoffa]

That looks like Rock Creek.  My last time modern firearm hunting was at Rock Creek; it scared the cap out me.  Sorry that you experienced such over crowding.  Good luck.

That's where we were.  Was better when no one knew it was there.

Hunted there the first 3 years it was open and took bucks every year.   The 4th year was a zoo so I never went back.  It has continued to be a zoo, which is weird.....usually these places become unpopular after a few years of heavy use, then they become huntable again.  NOT THIS PLACE.

Once an area is a good place for camping, the quality of the hunting doesn't always dictate the crowds.  Lots of big camps still set up each year on the westside during mod elk--same areas same parking configurations.  I went visiting to one that looked like a sales lot for RV World and figured with all the old guys there, they would have some good stories and tips.  Turned out the camp only took one elk forty years before when spikes were legal and the area had huge clear cuts.  Since replant only the precommercial thin was done, now it is jungle and the forest circus decommed probably half the roads.  But still hunt it like it is cuts.  Super nice people that like camping with guns and will shoot an elk if one pops out, but mostly cooking, playing cards and reliving old memories.

[jjhunter]

When I was a kid, I would have never believed that I would see that place full of people or owned by the gov.   It was an amazing place prior to '99.

[wannabhntr]

I remember bird hunting there with my dad as a kid. I don't ever remember him not getting limits. Saw tons of deer and virtually no people.

[JJB11B]

aaaand that's why I quit rifle hunting....

[moocher97]

I would tie a deer to a tree and let you hunt my property if your daughter came along.....KIDDING!!!!

I feel ya on rifle hunting public land. Its a joke. Why I'm doing archery.

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[Stickerbush]

Similar situation. Arrived at a spot I thought I had reserved. Turned out was reserved by some other hunters as well. Anyway I was able to get out away from the crowds some but no deer to speak of

[fishingnut71]

welcome to the eastside swarm. western wa at its finest. its pathetic.