Free: Contests & Raffles.
Quote from: scudmaster on June 16, 2017, 09:22:27 PMI was able to draw the Muzzy tag with 9 points. Want to do a wilderness hunt. If anyone had done this hunt, I would love to pick your brain. Good luck to all, no matter what you drew.with that tag u don't need to go i to the wildernes to get a 330+ bull but a good true wilderness hunt that u can get the meat out fast enough with out horses: start at cement basin. u get there by east bound hw 410 about 10min after u reach the summit of Chinook Pass and start to descend on the left hand side you'll see a blue sign "bear Gap" take that left follow that road as far as you can and hike straight up the hill fastest way to get there is just a bust brush beeline straight up. then u will see cement basin on your GPS or map. head that way. on the way and a few miles past it up will find lots of good places to hunt. some times u will be competing with the Outfitters and guides but from my experience I've had them treat me with respect. About 13 years ago who i think was Chinook Pass Outfitters was up there with a few clients and they were very nice and respectful even gave us a few pointers.
I was able to draw the Muzzy tag with 9 points. Want to do a wilderness hunt. If anyone had done this hunt, I would love to pick your brain. Good luck to all, no matter what you drew.
Hey guys. I've been hunting the 346 since I was a kid, but for whatever reason have never headed over to Norse Peak. I guess you tend to stay in the areas you know. But this is my first time drawing an Any Bull tag in Peaches, so I am wondering what people's opinion is regarding the Wilderness area. Do you reckon the chances of a decent bull are better by going deep into the Wilderness area? Or stick to the areas I already know? I should note, I'm not a road hunter. I go deep and hunt my tail off, but I don't want to waste this tag and I don't seem to come across the big boys in the areas I go. I've seen there are some outfitters that do drop camps, which I am contemplating. But just wanted to hear from others who have spent time in Norse Peak. Thanks in advance.
Quick update in case anyone is interested.Since I have two GMUs to chose from, I wanted to compare the two units in terms of how many people have tags earlier in the season than I (and 109 of my closest hunting partners) have. I guess it summarizes the difference between the quality permit and the bull permit.In the unit I am focusing on, there are about 160 permits issued for dates before mine (archery quality, modern quality, youth muzzy, 65+ muzzy and disabled quality). Even with that pressure, there is a 45% success rate for my tag with 78% of them shooting a 5+ point bull. So, they certainly are there to find and it isn't just the locals knowing where they honey holes are.In my research, it became clear that the mature bulls are:a) not likely to be in the same area they are during summer scouting or the rut seasonb) probably not going to be with the cows and immature bullsc) are likely to be in spots that offer the most protection (cover or geography) - they have survived several hunting seasonsThat's probably pretty basic stuff to most, but this is my first hunt where I will be doing a true spot and stalk on mature bulls. My previous experience was with cow tags, or during the general season where I found success finding places the other hunters will run the elk into five seconds after legal hours.The maps all arrived except for one or two and I have what I need. There are some interesting discrepancies in state land, but in areas I'm not interested in so I don't have to research further. I'm using a combination of paper maps, Onyx and Google Earth and after about 10 hours of work have a pretty good feel for the land. I also have my list of trailheads and established campsites to scout as well. I will also spend some time looking at NF land for a wall tent basecamp.Using that, I wanted to find as many spots as possible that fit the bill. I found one primary spot and am working on finalizing a few others. Of course, what makes them attractive potential areas is the fact they suck at getting to by both boot and saddle. Depending on what I find and where I end up on opening morning, I might need to line up a few potential packers.I also penciled out the entire summer and fall on the calendar as well as opening days for the earlier seasons. My goal is to get in there during other seasons to see where the common areas for drop camps and pressure will be and use that to finalize my plan (knowing it will be somewhat different for the later seasons). Ideally, I will be able to observe a few escape routes as well as check my primary areas for sign from past seasons. Both of my kids have expressed interest in some backpacking trips, so I hope to include them in one or more scouting trips.Finally, my idea of buying no new gear is running into snags. Depending on the outcome of the first few scouting trips, a spotter will probably be necessary as well as a new stove and filter. I managed to pick up a new headlamp on clearance as well as trekking poles at Costco. I'm also considering a tripod and bino adapter even if I don't need a spotter but need to do some research as my budget will likely be about $100 for a tripod and I know nothing about them.My next step is to finalize target areas and then finalize my first two scouting trips to check them out and get a first-hand feeling for the unit. From there, I'll modify as necessary and do it again followed by in-season scouting and then the hunt. On the side, I need to finalize my plan for my doe tag and see if I can find a youth season for my daughter that doesn't overlap my permit season - I'm really hoping I can get her out for at least a weekend this year.
Quote from: scoutdog346 on June 17, 2017, 07:07:22 PMQuote from: scudmaster on June 16, 2017, 09:22:27 PMI was able to draw the Muzzy tag with 9 points. Want to do a wilderness hunt. If anyone had done this hunt, I would love to pick your brain. Good luck to all, no matter what you drew.with that tag u don't need to go i to the wildernes to get a 330+ bull but a good true wilderness hunt that u can get the meat out fast enough with out horses: start at cement basin. u get there by east bound hw 410 about 10min after u reach the summit of Chinook Pass and start to descend on the left hand side you'll see a blue sign "bear Gap" take that left follow that road as far as you can and hike straight up the hill fastest way to get there is just a bust brush beeline straight up. then u will see cement basin on your GPS or map. head that way. on the way and a few miles past it up will find lots of good places to hunt. some times u will be competing with the Outfitters and guides but from my experience I've had them treat me with respect. About 13 years ago who i think was Chinook Pass Outfitters was up there with a few clients and they were very nice and respectful even gave us a few pointers. Thanks Scoutdog. Weighing the options of outfitting it. While the area look small on the map, those ridges and valleys are steep. I know it is not necessary, but I just want the backcountry experience, derelict is correct, you certainly don't need to go into the backcountry for the hunt to be successful.
Quote from: muledeer78 on June 15, 2017, 10:07:01 AMCongrats!! I was lucky enough to draw the sept. 25-29 for peaches!Sweet
Congrats!! I was lucky enough to draw the sept. 25-29 for peaches!
Quote from: royalbull on June 15, 2017, 07:09:20 PMQuote from: muledeer78 on June 15, 2017, 10:07:01 AMCongrats!! I was lucky enough to draw the sept. 25-29 for peaches!Sweeti think thats the best tag in wa. nice job!
Quote from: scoutdog346 on July 02, 2017, 05:15:36 PMQuote from: royalbull on June 15, 2017, 07:09:20 PMQuote from: muledeer78 on June 15, 2017, 10:07:01 AMCongrats!! I was lucky enough to draw the sept. 25-29 for peaches!Sweeti think thats the best tag in wa. nice job! Thanks! I will be hitting it hard scouting mid August all the way up to the hunt.