Peaches - Planning through the hunt

[Gringo31]

I drew 1 of 110 available EF Peaches tags

I'm still confused what tag you drew....

[GUscottie]

Well, this has been informative. I have one of the 33 Muzzy tags. Have been up a couple times already and am getting ready to hit it again this "weekend".

Gringo, I think the 110 EF Peaches tags are the "bull" tags that are for the firearms season that allow them to shoot a bull. it was a bull tag, not a Quality tag this year. I know the archery season had a similar tag.

[Gringo31]

I didn't know that many tags were given for draw during general...
 

Thx

[Elkfever]

GUScottie, congrats!  I drew the same tag.  I'll be heading over to put boots to the ground in a couple weeks.  Can't wait to finally put my desktop scouting to use! 

[Stein]

First scouting trip is in the bag, I had a great weekend and near perfect weather.  Wow, lots of mosquitoes in there, glad I threw in some DEET last minute. 

I saw plenty of steep and deep as well as a few rather large horse camps in about 6 miles.  Overall, probably not the area I want to hunt but I had a chance to drive all the way around both units as well as check out a bunch of campsites and see what trail heads were open.

At this point, I'm leaning toward a base camp that I have easy access to several different trails and spots, with backpacking in I don't want to commit to an area that takes a day to get in and a day to get out only to not be where I want to be or have a bunch of camps pop up nearby.

I booked a second scouting trip, this time with the family camping out there.  Should be fun.

Man, that area has some scenery.

[GUscottie]

Glad to hear you're having a good scouting season so far.

I as well have been up there a few times. Been finding a ton of cows and spikes. And a doe mule deer. Lots and lots of sign, some fresh, some old.

With there being so few tags for the Muzzy any bull tag (Sept 30-8Oct), I'm getting excited seeing all of the sign and cow I've been seeing.

I have noticed that there are lots of jeepers running around, but, I'm hoping that slows as we close in on hunting season (am I right or wrong here???).

Since I've never killed an elk, my expectations are high that I may finally break my streak of no elk this fall (10+ years are about enough of that, eh?).

[Duckhunter14]

Glad to hear you're having a good scouting season so far.

I as well have been up there a few times. Been finding a ton of cows and spikes. And a doe mule deer. Lots and lots of sign, some fresh, some old.

With there being so few tags for the Muzzy any bull tag (Sept 30-8Oct), I'm getting excited seeing all of the sign and cow I've been seeing.

I have noticed that there are lots of jeepers running around, but, I'm hoping that slows as we close in on hunting season (am I right or wrong here???).

Slows down? No, and then the dirt bikers start in about the opener too. Good luck.
Since I've never killed an elk, my expectations are high that I may finally break my streak of no elk this fall (10+ years are about enough of that, eh?).

[scudmaster]

Alright question for all of you.  As I said before, I drew a Peaches Muzzy tag.  Silly me I assumed it would be a muzzy only hunt in the unit at that time, did not even think to check.   But DFW in their wisdom has two different labels for the same hunt in the 346 Peaches and Little Naches, all under the Quality hunts.  So now Muzzy hunters are competing with Rifle hunters.  Gonna be fun to stalk up on a bull only to have some guy with a rifle tag it from 500 yards...Not rifle hunters fault of course.  This state just found one more way to piss me off.  And they sell that *censored* as a "Quality" hunt.    Am I off base?!

[GUscottie]

There are 10 rifle hunters. There are 33 muzzy hunters. There are some juvenile cow tags and some disable cow tags. That's it. There are like 60 total hunters. And only 43 are chasing bulls. I think it's still pretty quality.

[poopooheaddad]

and as a muzzy hunter you will be required to wear hunter orange,,,,

[Stein]

There are 10 rifle hunters. There are 33 muzzy hunters. There are some juvenile cow tags and some disable cow tags. That's it. There are like 60 total hunters. And only 43 are chasing bulls. I think it's still pretty quality.

Spread over two units.

I am competing with 109 other rifles and consider myself very fortunate.  It's all in how you look at it.

Looking at the regs, the Quality EF is Sept 25-29 and the EM is Sept 30-Oct 8, so there is zero overlap.

[PlateauNDN]

I hunt the Lil Naches and during archery I never came across anyone while on foot. During muzzy season I came across 1 group of 2 hunting and another scouting for their rifle tags. The Lil Naches is huge and if you find a good area you will rarely cross paths with anyone.

[scudmaster]

There are 10 rifle hunters. There are 33 muzzy hunters. There are some juvenile cow tags and some disable cow tags. That's it. There are like 60 total hunters. And only 43 are chasing bulls. I think it's still pretty quality.

Spread over two units.

I am competing with 109 other rifles and consider myself very fortunate.  It's all in how you look at it.

Looking at the regs, the Quality EF is Sept 25-29 and the EM is Sept 30-Oct 8, so there is zero overlap.

@Stein, that is what I thought.  Look at the Little Naches quality hunt a few lines below and those dates overlap with Peaches Muzzy just in the 346, half the Peaches Ridge area.

I'm not saying I will be over run with other hunters and I am hunting the Norse Peak, as a backcountry hunt so I expect even less pressure there, but just changes the flavor of the hunt.  Keeping seasons separated by weapon would seem to be a better way to go, and what most people I've asked assume when putting in for tags.  In the next public comment period, I am going to suggest that the Little Naches and Peaches Modern seasons overlap.  That would make more sense to me.

[fishngamereaper]

I hunt the naches during general modern and rarely see anyone. I think you will be ok.

[Stein]

Gotcha, that makes sense.  Either way, lots of country, particularly if you have good legs.  There is at least one "closed" trail if you look that will get you by yourself.  I found huge drainage (really big) that has zero trails in it and plenty of dark timber.  If you want to be alone, you can be as alone as you want.

It could be better, but I haven't drawn any tags for the last 6 years so this year looks pretty good, even with 109 other dudes out there and over a hundred hunting before me.