High Buck hunts

[Duckslayer89]

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.

There was guys one here up in the alpine shooting at rocks down below me and I had hunter orange on. Literally sounded like they were shooting below me from the bullets hitting the rocks and I had orange on I scrambled out fast. Not the first time this certain outfitter has dropped yahoos off up there. Another group shot an arrow over a guys head for "spot poaching". He went with them the year before and hiked in with a friend the next year, alpine drama. Oh ya and that group that shot the arrow was a master hunter

[Skyvalhunter]

What about the guys that shot at the rocks below you were they Master Hunters?

[Duckslayer89]

What about the guys that shot at the rocks below you were they Master Hunters?

Not sure never talked to them it was like 600 yards away around this canyon and didn't feel like confrontation up in the mountains. I highly doubt it overweight wearing blue jeans idk

[Skyvalhunter]

With them being over weight and wearing blue jeans they had to be.

[bobcat]

Ive seen people hunting about one mile outside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary during the high hunt. They camp right alongside a forest service road and hunt up the hill within sight of their camp.   

[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.

There was guys one here up in the alpine shooting at rocks down below me and I had hunter orange on. Literally sounded like they were shooting below me from the bullets hitting the rocks and I had orange on I scrambled out fast. Not the first time this certain outfitter has dropped yahoos off up there. Another group shot an arrow over a guys head for "spot poaching". He went with them the year before and hiked in with a friend the next year, alpine drama. Oh ya and that group that shot the arrow was a master hunter

That's ridiculous. I have experienced a fair amount of just bad behavior from other hunters. I think this sight's members are not those type of people, but I always stay away from other hunters in the field for reasons like your story and many others.

[Skyvalhunter]

I have seen that happen on the North Part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area when I was stocking some lakes. When I confronted them about it they just walked away.

[Duckslayer89]

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.

There was guys one here up in the alpine shooting at rocks down below me and I had hunter orange on. Literally sounded like they were shooting below me from the bullets hitting the rocks and I had orange on I scrambled out fast. Not the first time this certain outfitter has dropped yahoos off up there. Another group shot an arrow over a guys head for "spot poaching". He went with them the year before and hiked in with a friend the next year, alpine drama. Oh ya and that group that shot the arrow was a master hunter

That's ridiculous. I have experienced a fair amount of just bad behavior from other hunters. I think this sight's members are not those type of people, but I always stay away from other hunters in the field for reasons like your story and many others.

It sounds like a hard to believe story but charges should be public record for kittitas county court. Found not guilty it was a he said said she said story. Guy did have a witness and they are class act guys he was shooken up when he came by my camp I was pumping water. Felt bad it's a long ass hike in

[OutHouse]

Ive seen people hunting about one mile outside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary during the high hunt. They camp right alongside a forest service road and hunt up the hill within sight of their camp.   

During another year, there were tons of guys well within 218 GMU and not at all near the Pasayten and the wardens told some of the reporting parties that going all the way up there would "take a long time" so they didn't investigate. SMH.

[Lapua07]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

[Eric M]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

You can find solitude. It just takes some effort. Some of the wilderness areas are pretty big.

[huntandjeep]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

[WA1232]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

And you are hoping to trade your solitude for company, why? I don't understand why people post so much on a public forum. It sounds like you have a special place, try to keep it that way!

[Eric M]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

And you are hoping to trade your solitude for company, why? I don't understand why people post so much on a public forum. It sounds like you have a special place, try to keep it that way!

The Pasayten is 530,000 plus acres. Alpine Lakes is 400,000. Add the rest up. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out this guys honey hole. 8-12 miles into the ride from where?

[WA1232]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

And you are hoping to trade your solitude for company, why? I don't understand why people post so much on a public forum. It sounds like you have a special place, try to keep it that way!

The Pasayten is 530,000 plus acres. Alpine Lakes is 400,000. Add the rest up. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out this guys honey hole. 8-12 miles into the ride from where?

I disagree. Look at a map, the wilderness is just not that big. Not many areas where you get 12 miles from a trailhead where you are still that distance from a trailhead on the other side.