High Hunt - Chiwawa & Entiat

[muleracks]

Access to popular spots in the Glacier Peak Wilderness remain closed at this time.  The 2015 and 2016 Entiat fires (Duncan & Wolverine) closed the Entiat and the access road and trails remain closed.  The Buck Creek and Mt. Saul fires have caused the Forest Service to close the Chiwawa River road and trails plus the Indian Creek trail.  Currently the White River road (above Lake Wenatchee) is also closed about 2 miles below the trailhead; cause is road damage from spring rains.   This photo was taken before the latest wet spell.  Shows the barn at Trinity with the fire burning on Phelps Ridge near the Phelps Cr. trailhead.

[acnewman55]

I can vouch for the damage to White River Road. Walked its entire length above Tall Timber Ranch in June.

Absolutely destroyed over the spring from water running over the road. It carved out a stream through the road 3-feet deep in places.


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[Ridgerunner]

Looks like the alpine lakes will be crowded this year, too bad for all the closed areas


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[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Thats a cool pic!

[Bill W]

Nice picture but bad news.   I hunted up at Spider Meadows for 20 years.  Last trip in was 1996.

[jeffitz]

Any chance the road to Cottonwood Campground might open if the weather gets cool and wet ? Forest circus told us it was closed thru September30 but hopin they change their mind if the weather cooperates.

[muleracks]

Glad they gave you date, Sept. 30th.  The forecast if for nicer weather in the weeks ahead;they want to be very cautious (risk averse).  The days of riding past wilderness fires seems to be gone.   Hope the Forest Service does open things on Oct. 1st so the General Season in Oct. can still happen in the Chiwawa.

[Bill W]

Is the fire on top of Carney Mt or at the top of Leroy Creek.

[muleracks]

The burn, so far, has only gone from lower Buck Creek, crossed the Chiwawa River and climbed the lower end of Phelps Ridge to the Phelps trailhead at the end of Phelps Road.  It has not gone up Phelps Creek or up Carne.  If it gets warm next week, that kind of move could happen but the cool moist week we have just had should slow its growth.  It only burned 3500 acres so far.  The Forest Service doesn't mind if it burns in the Wilderness but will probably try to prevent it from burning much into the non-wilderness.   they call it a "healthy burn".

[jeffitz]

Bill W sounds like you hunted up there for a long time,what was it like in the 70's ? Or 80's ? Was there more deer ? Was it still decent in 96 when you last hunted there ? Just curious

[Bill W]

I hunted up there from 1977 thru 1996.   I told savagehunter some of my spots and I think he came close to shooting something there either last year or the year before.   If I was a guessing man I'd say there's the same number of deer up there.

[muleracks]

I agree with Bill about the deer numbers.  It does drop off a little on big winter kill years like the winter of 67-68 and after the big winter range fire of 94.  Maybe some drop off after a big early snow that pushes the deer into the easily accessed (winter range) when every General Season hunter goes home with buck.  Usually the 100% harvest rate only happens for the November special permit hunters.   Overall a pretty stable deer population in the high hunt areas.

[Bill W]

Here's my observations of the high hunt.  First two years I didn't think there were any deer to be seen.  After I figured out where they were I started shooting bucks.  Then the "bambi rules" were enacted to 3 points or better.  It took a year or so but then I found where the bigger deer hid out.  After that I could have shot a deer a year but wanted to get a really nice one.  I would say the "really nice ones" don't hang out with the run of the mill 20 inch wide 3 or 4 points so one needs to again do some better searching.

One year before the bambi rules I saw 16 bucks shot on opening day.  Next year there were a lot of hunters and few bucks.  Year after that there were few hunters.

[teanawayslayer]

Both fires are considered inactive. Open up the valley!

[muleracks]

The Forest Service is still saying that the closure will be lifted on Sept. 30th.   If so, that would make the 2nd year in a row with no High Hunt in the Chiwawa.