Methow valley

[Scheindogg]

Hello all! First post on hunting-Washington.com!
Just passed my online exam for hunter-ed and am planning my field skills course soon.
Just ordered my first ever rifle- savage 11 trophy hunter xp .308win with Nikon BDC scope.
I will be going deer hunting this fall with my new gun for the first time ever with my father in law (also never been hunting) and potentially a friend who is a very experienced hunter but he grew up hunting in Virginia so doesn't know Washington that well yet.
Any who enough with all that the point is I don't know where to go for our first hunt. Not asking for honey holes just a public area we can go for modern season.
Reason I mentioned methow valley is on WDFW website it seems to say there are a lot of Mule deer in this area.
Of this is true does that make it SUPER crowded or not too bad?
Do tthe "big buck" or "golden doe" wildlife area hold lots of deer or different gmus?
If for some reason this is an area I should avoid or if anyone has any hint they would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you!

[ctwiggs1]

Generally speaking, if it's mentioned on the WDFW website and it's modern firearm, you'll see a lot of hunters.  I generally look for in the national forests for a better hunting opportunity.

That being said, I would find an area that looks fun to explore and start hiking/camping in July.  Get a feel for the area and be on the lookout for deer and bear (plenty of bear up there, and they taste great). 

Congrats on your rifle.  Go to the range with your friend as often as possible and get that thing sighted in.  After that, get comfortable shooting it from a rest, without a rest, laying down (called the prone position), resting on your hunting pack (with your hunting gear inside it), etc.  There are a lot of missed shots every year in this state - don't miss out on a deer or wound one on accident by not being familiar with your firearm. 

Good luck, keep us posted on your progress and ask as many questions as you can think of!  There are a ton of people on this forum with a TON of experience.   

Curtis

[Special T]

Welcome to the addiction! I do not know that area very well but hunted it once. What I would say is look up access points on the wdfw go hunt page and scout the areas now so that you know what they are like with snow.
In general I have found the go hunt mapping program a great place to start and then just burn boot leather. There are both whitetail and mule deer in the area. White tail I have seen in the valley in the early archery season.  Get some snow shoes an go looking for bobcat and cougars. I hear there are plenty of those.

When its not hunting season its scouting season!

[mburrows]

The methow gets very busy during modern but so does just about every other mule deer area. My advice would be to learn where to find deer on a map and hike in. The wild life areas are busy and i think your better off finding some BLM or NFS land that you can hike in on.  Get some optics and hunt all day.

Check out onxmaps for land ownership maps. Learn about places deer will hide and eacape to. Once opening day comes they are trying to hide more than anything else.

If an area is popular and you can find search results online it will be packed during modern rifle season.

[pianoman9701]

I don't know that area and shoot archery. Welcome to the forum. 

[huntnphool]

methow valley is on WDFW website it seems to say there are a lot of Mule deer in this area.

  @mtnmuley

 Not laughing at you S-dogg, welcome to the site

 Get away from town and away from the roads and you will find deer, everywhere in the Methow will be combat hunting though, good luck.

[sumpnz]

methow valley is on WDFW website it seems to say there are a lot of Mule deer in this area.

  @mtnmuley

 Not laughing at you S-dogg, welcome to the site

 Get away from town and away from the roads and you will find deer, everywhere in the Methow will be combat hunting though, good luck.

Pumpkin patch is my preferred term.

When I went through Hunter Ed in Arizona they said 90% of hunters never went more than 100 yards off a road.  So, there, if you were willing to go just a mile from the nearest road you'd have the place to yourself as most of that remaining 10% would still only go 1/4-1/2 mile out.  Here in WA, it's more likely to be 90% of hunters will still go up to half a mile off the roads.  The remaining 10% of hunters it seems are willing to go several miles from the nearest road.  So while you can find places with little pressure you'll have to go a loooong ways.

[boneaddict]

The methow herd imo is in the worst shape it ever has been.  I'd hate to be cutting my teeth hunting there these days.   Goodluck in your adventure and welcome to the sport.  Someone has to get lucky right?

[Skyvalhunter]

Not to be a Debbi Downer Dogg but you probably couldn't have picked a much worse place. Especially after what has occurred over there this winter. I would suggest looking at other places but that's just my 2 cents

[Scheindogg]

What happened there this winter?
What do you mean in the worst shape? I will definitely look into other places now.
And those of you who said you have to hike a ways is that true in this whole state? So if I go somewhere that seems busy and we decide to hike a mile or so we could potentially get away from the crowds a bit?
Btw I wasn't set on anywhere I had just started research and thought that it might be a good spot

[sumpnz]

What happened there this winter?
What do you mean in the worst shape? I will definitely look into other places now.
And those of you who said you have to hike a ways is that true in this whole state? So if I go somewhere that seems busy and we decide to hike a mile or so we could potentially get away from the crowds a bit?
Btw I wasn't set on anywhere I had just started research and thought that it might be a good spot

Summer 2015 there was a huge series of fires in the Methow.  In response the geniuses at WDFW authorized 1800 doe tags to keep from having the herd starve due to loss of winter range from the fires.  Which was totally unnecessary as the 2015/2016 winter turned out to be relatively mild and they'd have been just fine.  But combine that with a higher than normal harvest of bucks and the population was way down by this last fall's season.  I went into a canyon there that I'd never seen less than 6 does a day and say not one single deer in 2 days of hiking all over.  Most other hunters I talked to said similar things.

Then, this winter has been harsher than normal, so winter kill is expected to be high.  The whitetails might be OK, but I wouldn't expect the mule deer population to back up to fall 2015 levels for a long time.

[pianoman9701]

What happened there this winter?
What do you mean in the worst shape? I will definitely look into other places now.
And those of you who said you have to hike a ways is that true in this whole state? So if I go somewhere that seems busy and we decide to hike a mile or so we could potentially get away from the crowds a bit?
Btw I wasn't set on anywhere I had just started research and thought that it might be a good spot

If you can get a mile away from any roads, regardless of where you hunt, you'll be hunting further in than probably 80% of the hunters.

[Special T]

I'm a big fan of hunting close to where I live.

[sumpnz]

I'm a big fan of hunting close to where I live.

From Redmond he's going to be driving a ways to get to anywhere he can hunt with a rifle.  It might make sense to target areas off the I-90 and Hwy 2 corridors, but I wouldn't fault him for wanting to hit the Methow Valley.  It's probably only an extra hour and a half or so drive to get there vs mulie areas off 90 or 2. 

Now, blacktails might be a more local option, if there's public land or tree farms reasonably close that don't have firearm restrictions.  Though, the tree farms are charging for access.  So that may or may not be desirable for him.

[Special T]

I kind of got cut off on my response. The reason why I personally like hunting close to home is I can do it more often. A huge part of being a successful hunter is learning an area. If there is one person we can all learn a lesson on this is Boneaddict. He spends lots of time in the woods and grew up in the methow. For him that translated into how mule deer act and the kinds of areas they like. That is why he has so many great pictures of bruiser deer.  Most westsiders can not attain that kind of knowledge with out hunting 1 area for 20 years.

I hunt blackmail because it's possible for me to sneak out for an afternoon on a weekend and scout an area out. I'm no kind of great white hunter but I understand my major limitation. Time. The time it would take me to get to the methow is less but in that 2 hours to get there I can already have spent over an hour in the woods. Additionally I can spend it in areas I used to hike and play as a kid dispute the fact that my father was much of a hunter.
It's said that hunting mature blacktail are  harder than mulies but I also look for mushrooms and wander through the timber achieving a good lay of the land.

If you decide to go the blackmail route then read Boyd Iverson Blacktail Trophy Tactics 2

[ctwiggs1]

On the roads  - 100% chance of seeing other others
100ft off the road - 75% chance of seeing other hunters
.5 mile off the road - 25% chance of seeing other hunters
1-2 miles off the road - 5% chance of seeing other hunters
3-5 miles  in - you've got the whole forest to yourself.

OK... Stats may not be perfect, but you get the idea 

Curtis

[boneaddict]

A later season mixed with an early migration equaled an enourmous harvest.  Then the doe debacle.   Then large number of permit tags, and a horrible winter along with multiple flourishing wolf packs.    Honestly it's A travesty what has happened.  Hats the simple version of the story.

[mburrows]

A later season mixed with an early migration equaled an enourmous harvest.  Then the doe debacle.   Then large number of permit tags, and a horrible winter along with multiple flourishing wolf packs.    Honestly it's A travesty what has happened.  Hats the simple version of the story.

Nailed it

[Scheindogg]

Great info to know! Thanks guys! I really did join the right forum at the right time (months BEFORE my first hunt haha)

So if I go scout the area in the summer and somehow see a bunch of deer despite what you guys have said then I still may check it out.

Also what's up with the "high buck hunts"? I see on the site it's an earlier 3pt minimum season you can use modern firearms. It's only in certain areas but one place it says is "alpine lakes" is a place to do high buck hunt. Does this mean ANY "alpine lake" in the state or is it referring to a set of lakes in particular somehow?
Don't know if you guys have the answer for that one but that would be a big help.
It would be a nice summer trip to hike up to an alpine lake, cast for trout and scout some deer if I knew I could come back there for a buck hunt.
Thanks again all 😁👍

[kselkhunter]

Alpine Lakes is the name of the wilderness area between I-90 and Highway 2.  High buck hunt is a rifle season for hunting within the wilderness area boundaries, specifically the ones listed in the regulations. 

You're going to run into plenty of people in the backcountry.  Either other backpack hunters, or horseback hunters.  So scout an area you like and give it a try.  The Methow and to the north west Pasayten wilderness are beautiful areas to hunt.  Not as many mule deer these days, but still more deer per square mile than most other places in the state.  Hence the "orange army" of hunters. 

[huntnphool]

Great info to know! Thanks guys! I really did join the right forum at the right time (months BEFORE my first hunt haha)

So if I go scout the area in the summer and somehow see a bunch of deer despite what you guys have said then I still may check it out.

 I'd be surprised if you saw a single deer in the areas you mentioned during the summer, good luck to you though.

[Skyvalhunter]

Just as a note if you look at the regs for the high hunt you will see the Wilderness areas open for this. Not all wilderness areas are open for it though. Being that only certain wilderness areas are open for it there is a high concentration of hunters in some of the areas. Success is very low with the weather usually being nice. For most its another excuse to be out there and maybe get a deer or even a bear. As far as taking the pole along to fish also remember this if there is a trail there will be hikers so this typically means less deer in the area at least legal 3 point or better ones. Good luck this year, I would do some scouting this summer but keep in mind there is a chance when you find an area that you like or looks promising that come opening day you might have a lot of company. Don't get discouraged but realize success rate is around 5%.

[Scheindogg]

@skyvalhunter I know they are listed in the regs. That's why I asked about alpine lakes I thought it meant Alpine lakes in general I didn't realize that was the name of a wilderness area. And as for the fishing I meant check out the high buck area pre-season and cast for trout while scouting, not during the high hunt hahah.
Thanks for tips and as far as success rate that's good to know!! Didn't realize it's that low

[sumpnz]

@skyvalhunter I know they are listed in the regs. That's why I asked about alpine lakes I thought it meant Alpine lakes in general I didn't realize that was the name of a wilderness area. And as for the fishing I meant check out the high buck area pre-season and cast for trout while scouting, not during the high hunt hahah.
Thanks for tips and as far as success rate that's good to know!! Didn't realize it's that low

Yeah, if you want to kill a lot of deer you should have moved to Maryland, or South Carolina or some place like that.  Granted this was 2007, but when I interviewed for a job in Baltimore I looked up the regs.  Bag limit there for modern firearm hunters was 10 does and 2 bucks.  Archers could take unlimited does.

I have an uncle in SC.  He said the bag limit there was 1 deer.  Per day.  Season ran from something like August to February.  I never looked it up, so I can't confirm if that's correct, but it wouldn't surprise me much.  Granted, the whitetails out in MD and SC are about the size of a German Shepherd, so you need a few to get a decent amount of meat, but still.

[Scheindogg]

Wow that's totally insane! I've never moved in my life born and raised Bellevue now reside in Redmond. With a wife and 4 year old were not going anywhere haha so I'll gladly deal with what we got here! Going just a couple weekends per year will keep it sport-y and challenging and I'll look forward to it every time!!
If that makes any sense hah!

[Eric M]

Take at look at the harvest reports for the GMU's closest to you. From where you live, you're not too far from some nice blacktail country, maybe an hour. Pretty good black bear country too. @skyvalhunter gave good advice when he suggested country close to you.   

[Scheindogg]

I will look at harvest reports close to me and see if there is anything close by worth trying but I'm looking forward to getting out for a weekend with my father in law.
If methow valley isn't the place to be does anyone have suggestions of where might be a good place to start on the eastern half of Washington?
Chelan national recreation area? All the way over near Spokane? Any ideas? Thanks again everyone

[boneaddict]

From the sheds I see being scooped up, the Entiat seems to be fairing well.

[OutHouse]

I have to agree with some comments here. The Methow herd is not doing well. I have a place up at the top end of the valley. The last two seasons have been abysmal for mule deer.  I saw one mature 4 by 4 with eyeguards this year and that was it for mules save for a few spikes and numerous does.

However, in low elevations the whitetail are taking over. If you have access to private land or can otherwise access lower elevations give it a try for whitetail. From talking to other people around me, there's no shortage of those. This year (which was technically a bad year even for the whitetails) I had approximately 8 legal bucks that were staying within a one mile radius of me.

[boneaddict]

That's one of the "snow  jobs" or cons of the WDFW.   Apply for that late whitetail permit.  Buy those points.   98% of the whitetails in the valley are On private land.   Yes I ve killed some nice whities in the valley, and have seen even bigger, but you have to have access or at least be familiar with the fringe.   They are holding their own because of their domain.   Less wolves, less pressure.  Hiway kills most of them. 

[OutHouse]

That's one of the "snow  jobs" or cons of the WDFW.   Apply for that late whitetail permit.  Buy those points.   98% of the whitetails in the valley are On private land.   Yes I ve killed some nice whities in the valley, and have seen even bigger, but you have to have access or at least be familiar with the fringe.   They are holding their own because of their domain.   Less wolves, less pressure.  Hiway kills most of them.

Good points. When I tell others about all the whitetail they look at me like I'm making it all up. Now that I think about it, almost all that I have taken were on private land or within 1000 yards of private land in low elevations. I can recall seeing one large whitetail buck higher up on a mountain around 3,500 feet. That's the only one I've seen that high.