Pasayten High Buck Hunt

[7mag.]

PM received, thanks.

[Dipsnort]

I'll tell you what I don't understand about the Payseten unit.  "On paper" it looks like a great area for deer and yet year in and year out the harvest statistics show it to have very low harvest rates compared to most units.  I don't get it.

[shanevg]

I'll tell you what I don't understand about the Payseten unit.  "On paper" it looks like a great area for deer and yet year in and year out the harvest statistics show it to have very low harvest rates compared to most units.  I don't get it.

It's very steep and very rugged.  A lot of places that look like they should be very good hunting on maps just aren't that good, and a lot of places that look like good deer spots just see too much traffic.  There are a lot of hunters so success rates are relatively low.  And there are less and less migratory deer going up to the high country these days because so many of them just live on the farm lands down in the Methow year round.  There are definitely deer to be found in the Pasayten, but it takes a lot of work.

[Dansk]

I was there for a week in 2007- hired Early Winters to pack us in.  Decent packer but nothing fancy.  We packed out of the bowl just past harts pass - there were a ton of cars at the trailhead and on up the other side where they kept the stock, and further up the ridge where the DIY's park.  Probably 20-30 cars total.  We camped on the main trail head in the valley 6 miles or so in, and ran into people everywhere - hunters, hikers, etc. on every trail, and every ridge. 

We saw two shooter bucks down lower on our drive up to the pass from Mazama- we were stoked.

However those two bucks were running a ridge going out of the wilderness area.... and the last legal deer we saw.  After 2 hard days and thousands of feet of vert, we stopped hunting for deer and just tried to find sign of any kind.  It was scarce to non-existent. We scoured the area.  Then it snowed and we thought we were in like flynn... hunted 3 days in the snow- again, up and down the ridges, rock slides, in the timber, etc... still- hardly any sign... did see cat tracks though.

I truly believe the population is thin- at least any area that is within a day or two's hike from Harts pass, or frequented by the outfitters.  I think they had in 10+ camps.  That is a lot of traffic.

Here is some good data - check out early winters hunting picks - only 1 buck from thier high hunt drop camps.  The rest are from General season.
http://www.earlywintersoutfitting.com/home.html

[7mag.]

I went in with Early Winters as well in '06. They are great people and good packers, fairly inexpensive as well. I think you are right about that area. Maybe over hunted?

[Dansk]

I dont think its overhunted- there are deer there earlier in the year, and it's rarely accessible for General. Hikers see them all the time in July and August- I've seen many pics of deer in hikers camps along the PCT.  During the summer, they don't seem to mind the people.  However, come september they vanish- the sign we did see was very old, and in the gnarly spots you would expect a wise old buck to hide.  I just think they are wise and move to another area in september.

[andrew_12gauge]

if you read the outlook it says they took 5 bucks on the '08 high hunt

of course it says the deer are wintering well and the 2009 season should be great

[jlane]

I hunted out there in '08 with Early winters outfitters. Good people. We (me and two others) did a drop camp about 12 miles back and I have to agree with everyone else. Steep country, hot weather(one day hit almost 80) until the last day when we were leaving it snowed. One of my hunting partners did get a descent 3x3. I dont know if I would do the early hunt again but I wouldn't mind trying the general hunt when the weather gets better. We also didn't see any other deer.