High Buck hunts

[Lapua07]

I've been in debate on a high Buck hunt in the Cascades for awhile now. Not looking for anyone's honey hole by any means. Angling towards taking horses in for a Basecamp. Over night spike camp from there. Looking for and advice and input on any of the high Buck areas. Successful and unsuccessful hunts and pics accepted  thanks in advance

[Jburke]

I've only done it once but would really like to do it again, just hard to schedule it around other hunts.  The backcountry hunting board on here has a lot of information and you'll probably get more info from there.

[teanawayslayer]

Your not going to get much info reguarding where to go. My advice is to get out this summer and do a lot of scouting. Find a place away from main trails that is not easily accessible. Otherwise you will find more people than deer. Good luck!

[Eric M]

Your not going to get much info reguarding where to go. My advice is to get out this summer and do a lot of scouting. Find a place away from main trails that is not easily accessible. Otherwise you will find more people than deer. Good luck!

This is great advice. To add just a little to it, you will find some beautiful places when scouting. Last year I never saw another person for 3 days. If you find a basin right off a main trail that holds deer, other guys know about it.

[Okanagan]

I recall a high buck hunt dawn 9 miles from a road when a big timberline basin rang with the bracing sounds of horses being saddled, banging skillets and gear, morning coughs and talk from dozens of men in a dozen camps.  Exhilarating for us backpackers!  I set up on what I guessed would be an escape route for deer leaving the basin and was there in the dark. Had nine deer pass by me, only one a buck and it was a spike.  Have not been back...    Alpine in Sept. is hard to beat for gorgeous scenery and weather.

[yakimanoob]

Your not going to get much info reguarding where to go. My advice is to get out this summer and do a lot of scouting. Find a place away from main trails that is not easily accessible. Otherwise you will find more people than deer. Good luck!

This is great advice. To add just a little to it, you will find some beautiful places when scouting. Last year I never saw another person for 3 days. If you find a basin right off a main trail that holds deer, other guys know about it.

This will be my first high buck hunt, and this pretty well sums up my plan.  Haven't settled on a spot yet, but I've been pouring over maps and CANNOT WAIT to get out there and scout. 

Remember, if you strike out, or don't see a single deer, you're still hiking in the high cascades and by all accounts are a lucky sombitch. 

ENJOY!

[HankC]

Going on my first high hunt this year as well, my 2nd season hunting in total. I'd find an interesting area, look up as many trails as you can, find ones that have road closures or brutal hikes in and target those. That's my plan. What do I know anyway haha good luck!

[boneaddict]

If you can, figure out where the outfitters main camps are.   Going in deep may just put you next to tent city.

[Duckslayer89]

If you can, figure out where the outfitters main camps are.   Going in deep may just put you next to tent city.

 

[Bill W]

I did the high hunt for 20 years.  Some years it was very few in the area I hunted and sometime it was like recess let out and everybody was there.   You just need to have a game plan for every possibility.   It is possible to use the average hunter as "dogs" and let them drive the deer to you.  That method won't work on the 2nd day as the deer will usually be blown out of there.

[Skyvalhunter]

If you can, figure out where the outfitters main camps are.   Going in deep may just put you next to tent city.

That's easy to do all you have to do is contact them and they will tell you. That's what I do. Plan on a nice camping trip and bonus if you see a legal buck to shoot. Be prepared to see other hunters

[yakimanoob]

If you can, figure out where the outfitters main camps are.   Going in deep may just put you next to tent city.

Great tip.  I would be my luck to hoof it hard for a day to get to my chosen drainage, only to find 20 other hunters!

[teanawayslayer]

Some areas hold more deer density's than others. Look up harvest reports on the wdfw's website by high hunt gmu. Put yourself in an area where you have a fighting chance to harvest a buck.

[Duckslayer89]

Here's some pics

This particular area I hiked in in the dark and trusted the map that there was streams along the way I could fill up with water. Anyhow there wasn't once I started climbing 5 miles ran out halfway. Never been that dehydrated was staggering around when i reached the tarns. Moral of the story, fill up whenever you can don't try to skimp weight when it comes to filling water, don't trust maps in the summer or September

[OutHouse]

Pasayten Wilderness is really nice but if you go there please actually hike all the way in. There have been years when I'm doing archery up near the Wilderness area and there are tons of rifle hunters who were hunting a few miles up the trail and no where near the boundary of the Pasayten. I tried just talking to these people but they were sure they were in the right area (they weren't). Then I call the game department and they wouldn't do anything about it. Pretty frustrating that people can get away with doing a "high buck" hunt anywhere they wanted to.