pearrygin

[ElkHunterForLife]

I was over there until from the opener to Monday the 23rd. It has been a family tradition to hunt Pearrygin unit for me since I was 12 and got my first Muley. My Dad has hunted there for more than 40 years and his Dad since the 1930s. I can tell you management is the problem for our entire state. What it comes down to is politics and money. The 3 point rule only works if you don't have incidental kills of 2 points.

1.) Loss of Habitat/Winter Range feed to housing and to people who want there own little piece of heaven!
2.) Zero management of our predators since they banned hounds/bait when I was back in Middle school so many years ago! Instead they decide we need to increase our predators with the non-native Wolves and Grizzly bears that we already have it's just that our ecosystem can't support them.
3.) Not enough natural growing feed for our herds of deer or elk.

Fish and Wildlife which is run by our politicians that love to run things into the ground! They screwed us over royally and yet we keep on spending our money on less and less opportunities in our "Great State of Washington".

Sorry had to vent! Washington has amazing potential which we will never see!

Just got back from Pearrygin on Monday 23rd. First of all hunters need to show more respect to each other! For instance I wake up at 400am everyday get to my spot about a half hour before shooting and sit and wait for the deer to start moving when ever I see a flashlight I go the opposite way and try to stay away from the orange dots by at least 300 yards or more. I go to the same spot every year and usually run into the same guys from years past which are understand hunter etiquette . This year had some local bird hunters come through with there dog hunting for grouse where I usually hunt. They have until December 31st to hunt grouse and they couldn't wait until the deer season is over.

My report is I saw 9 Muley Does and 1 buck a 3x3 plus eye guards which I shot in self defense because some hunter scared it my way. It ran by me at less than 10 feet away. I squealed my lips at him he stopped broadside less than 10 yards and bang he was down! I had 2nd Whitetail Doe tag I was trying to fill and I had a chance on Whitetail Doe of a whopping 120 pounds live weight! I have several public land Pearrygin areas for Whitetails and got one 3 years ago when I was drawn for the 2nd deer tag. This year the Whitetails were non existent I saw a young Whitetail Doe with twin fawns and a younger Doe all by herself. I usually see 8-10 Whitetail Does in each of my places. There's only 15 of the 2nd Whitetail Doe tags so where are all the Whitetails going too!

Went out in the snow and very few tracks! Saw 5 Muley Does in the Safety Zone which back when I was a kid remember 60-80 Muley's in the Safety Zone when the snow came!

[timberfaller]

If its the "Safe Zones" I am thinking of(former Big Valley Ranch) you can thank the WDFW for that purchase!!  Didn't want the "winter habitat" that went with the sale! Only went with the green pastures! WHY?  They(those who convinced the sale to WDFW)wanted "green fields" for the tourist to see when coming over hwy 20   Stupid is as stupid does!!

[bigmacc]

I agree with your post ElkHunterForLife, all good points and I feel your pain on the hunter etiquette points. I have been hunting quite a bit with my 2 young granddaughters over the last 4 years, they are 11 and 13. I have been trying to show them old haunts, hiked them 8 to 10 miles in a day, taught them to respect the animal they are hunting and to respect their fellow hunters. I love that there are young ones showing interest in hunting of all kinds but I,m afraid that "hunter etiquette" is not being taught as much as it should. It seems that its all about the kill and if that means corking another hunter, posting up 20 yards from you in a spot where you been sitting in the dark for the last 2 hours, or walking right in front of you while talking on a cell phone(yes it happens), then so be it and a lot of this is happening while they have kids in tow so there goes a percentage of our future hunters that will carry on the "tradition" so to speak. I know we see good examples and bad out there and I know there are good hunters out there teaching the "respect" aspect of hunting but more and more are not, as I said its all about the kill to some and if it means messing up someone else hunt, then oh well. I usually hunt areas not known for a lot of pressure, not easy to get to and not known to many, but these spots are becoming more scarce every year with more hunters, online maps and all the technology available today and more on the way which is all fine and dandy as long as all these new tools and technology are used with good old fashioned respect and "hunter etiquette. We seen some good examples over there this year and a lot of bad but the bad outweighed the good I,m afraid. We need to teach our young hunters that its not always about killing the biggest and best but enjoying the experience, the friends and family, the hunt and respecting both the animal and your fellow hunter, killing an animal feels so much better when done this way IMHO....

[Skyvalhunter]

Well at the rate the state is going we wont have to worry about killing the best or biggest and it will just be an outdoor experience.

[bigmacc]

Well at the rate the state is going we wont have to worry about killing the best or biggest and it will just be an outdoor experience.

I wish I could tell you that your dead wrong.

[Southpole]

Well at the rate the state is going we wont have to worry about killing the best or biggest and it will just be an outdoor experience.

Bingo! That's the states' goal, except you won't be killing anything, you will just observe and take pictures.

[Southpole]

They state doesn't invite anti hunting groups to participate in their programs for nothing  .

[MADMAX]

I just got back also
very sad
Camped on Ramsey, saw some does, not many in the woods
Mostly valley floor private land or in town
saw one good buck up near 20 mile, no chance at him
Hunters everywhere, few deer taken
sucks

[bigmacc]

I myself am waiting for the season summary to come out by fish and wildlife pertaining to the Methow. We have quite a few ranchers that we know that spend a lot of time at lots of different elevations chasing cattle around etc. etc., I myself make multiple trips over at different times at different elevations to scout and before the season started a lot of us on here warned of the declining deer numbers in the Methow. Some deer were killed, some seen a few but not even close to a traditional "down year". We seen deer, passed on a couple small 3 points but know where near the numbers of a normal "down year", one more time, the worst deer numbers I have ever seen. I am curious what F and W will say about the harvest this year, because as many  have said, not many were hanging in camps, not many were seen and I,m afraid this wasn't a one year hiccup, more of this to come I,m afraid. Way to many problems attached to the decline of this herd, lots of issues need to be addressed or its "lights out" folks.

[no.cen.wa]

Pretty bad counts, 3 of us hunted full season in lower Pasayten,Chewuch and Sinlahekin, had a foot of snow over night on the 22nd, camping at near 6000 ft. With the tripod downfalls and steep conditions it is VERY difficult hunting. Had chance at 4x4,,,shooting steep downhill and missed. One in group settled for 3x3 on last day and had hell of a time just getting out of the woods before dark. This country is not for faint of heart and you HAVE to be prepared for bad weather and seeing few deer, but it has gotten worse each year since our first in 2006. So, think I'll go back next year to pearrygin, my Grandson needs to learn the area and I can show him around( hunted there from childhood and many times have left high area to come back at end of season to harvest my deer. Last year was nice 4x4,, in fact every year we've moved down I've been lucky to harvest a 4x4. But at 69 in a few days my body needs a place that isn't so hard on it! Lots of good memories in both places but my heart is in Methow Valley where I was born, just seems like home. I believe less days of hunting, 3-5 for modern, same for bow and muzzy, no special permits of Any kind would help deer recover. If that does not work then closing some areas would be next. If nothing is done,,, guess i'll save money.
John G.