Chewuch quality tag

[bigmacc]

Took a drive up Gunn Ranch Rd this morning, didn't see any deer at all. Did see a 3x4 crossing the West Chewuch by the power co.

Absolutely not good, a lot of deer used to hang around there(at least the lower part) ,not good that is all you seen.

[boneaddict]

So far not a single calendar shot from there this year

[Cushman1]

New to this site and somewhat new to the Chewuch unit. I have the late permit and have not been seeing many deer at all. I see about 11 does a day on average and a few smaller bucks. I came over on opening weekend of the general season to get a feel for the unit as to where everyone was hunting. I'll be honest I have driving around more than beating the brush on foot. The light snow has hardly shown any deer tracks at all crossing the roads. The tracks I have been seeing are mainly coyote tracks and cougar tracks.
Is it lack of snow, not cold enough, to much winter kill and predators or being in the wrong spot. I have been up Cub creek, Rendezvous, Boulder Creek and etc.
Rigderunner50 said he went the Gunn Ranch Rd and saw nothing the same as me.
I need help in finding a good spot in where they are normally at in the late season. Thanks

[bigmacc]

All those spots your hitting are all good areas, with the weather thats been going on over the last 3 weeks you should be seeing hundreds of tracks crossing those roads you are on. Unfortunately all the cat and yote tracks you are seeing(not to mention wolves that are taking hold) have been one of the issues with this herd over the last 5 years especially, not the only issue, but a big one I,m afraid. You are in some good areas, areas that under the same conditions and time of year(that in the past) would be showing you 70-80 plus deer a day, a few legal size bucks, lots of small bucks and even a big boy or two. Like I told another fella, stick with it, hunt hard, they arnt all gone yet.

[Cushman1]

Thanks bigmacc for the inspiration for sticking with it! I guess I was expecting to see more deer than I have seen. I have talked to three other hunters in the field in the last week with the same problem. They say they have seen more deer driving around than in the field on foot. They say there honey holes during the regular season have little to no track.
It seems all the deer tracks I have seen are associated with coyote prints also.
I drove up the 51 road last Wednesday up to Andrews Creek in virgin snow and not one deer track all the way up. Alongside the road for the last half mile was 3 sets of very large dog prints. I have never seen coyote prints that big ever before and they were fresh and must have been wolves.
One hunter I talked to said that he had seen a small cougar (kitten) laying in the bushes on a side road off of boulder creek. He not only seen it once but twice within 4 days in between. He said it was a cougar and not a bobcat. Either its mother was killed there and taken from that area or mother feeding nearby. ?
Bigmacc, I'm not to familiar with the boulder creek area, is there any good areas up there like the 900, 800 or 700 roads or further up the road? Some cattle were coming down the road and not one deer track was seen on Friday.
I'm going to hit hard the last five days of the season.
Thanks again!

[SkookumHntr]

Keep covering ground!

[wamuledeer]

sent you pm

[wamuledeer]

I also just read this from Scott Fitkin about the Methow deer hunting. He is clueless.

People with permits for the late season hunt, which runs Nov. 1 – 20, may benefit from the apparently lower general season success rate, and from the early season mountain snow that will bring deer down to their winter range, Fitkin said.

“The fact that the general season was kind of slow, and with heavy snow in the high country, the prospect for late season permit holders are going to be good. They will see some nice bucks on the winter range, ” he said.

http://methowvalleynews.com/2017/11/10/preliminary-surveys-show-deer-hunt-numbers-falling-short-of-2016-harvest/

[Cushman1]

Thanks wamuledeer! I don't know how higher than average mortality rate and poor hunter success rate translates to "the prospect for the late season permit holders are going to be good."

[bigmacc]

I also just read this from Scott Fitkin about the Methow deer hunting. He is clueless.

People with permits for the late season hunt, which runs Nov. 1 – 20, may benefit from the apparently lower general season success rate, and from the early season mountain snow that will bring deer down to their winter range, Fitkin said.

“The fact that the general season was kind of slow, and with heavy snow in the high country, the prospect for late season permit holders are going to be good. They will see some nice bucks on the winter range, ” he said.

http://methowvalleynews.com/2017/11/10/preliminary-surveys-show-deer-hunt-numbers-falling-short-of-2016-harvest/

And there-in lies the problem folks, or at least one of the heads of the multi headed snake. Along with a predator population that is out of control, a new predator that is taking a toll, fires, bad winters and throw in this from F and W along with them handing out doe tags and spreading mis information to sell tags is atrocious IMO. Anyone who has a history with this herd or in this valley knows the herd has been in a tailspin and numbers are not getting better, only worse. Some of us have said its going to take years, possibly decades and good sound management along with getting predator numbers in check to even have a chance for this herd to just increase enough to where at least its a shadow of what it once was. I will say it again, boy I miss the Washington Department Of Fish And GAME, when they were FISH and GAME these herds sure seemed like they were taken care of better......my 

[no.cen.wa]

I was in the"high country" Pasayten, Sinlahekin,northern Chewuch, guess all the deer where in Canada. We got skunked this year, saw a few at distance but very few. I think some will move down for sure but don't expect a land slide of them. Keep looking, it just has to get better.
The wolf problem is alot worse than the WDFW will let us know, people like Fitkin love the fact that they are there, for him the killing of game is the best thing that can happen, by the way, they don't call it predator kills, it's "winter kill". I read the writeup in the Methow Valley News and just shook my head, we tagged out in the high country in 2015 and missed the "no water thing"?
We heard wolves this year as well as last year but I don't see any listing for wolves where we hunt. The Loop Loop Pack is doing VERY well and don't believe they have any idea how many are in it, or just won't tell.
I'm telling you hunters, the wolf problem is tipping the scales on the Methow Mule Deer Herd, if the WDFW, and their bunny hugger wolf commission continues on it's present path there will be less mule deer till something changes.
Please, take the time to read about it, maybe we as a group can turn it the other way!
Take the time.
John G.

[jackknife]

Update: came back on Sunday morning saw 2 bucks and a good amount of sign. Monday seen 3 bucks no shooters and around 30 does. Hopefully a big boy shows him self.

[Wingin it]

I also just read this from Scott Fitkin about the Methow deer hunting. He is clueless.

People with permits for the late season hunt, which runs Nov. 1 – 20, may benefit from the apparently lower general season success rate, and from the early season mountain snow that will bring deer down to their winter range, Fitkin said.

“The fact that the general season was kind of slow, and with heavy snow in the high country, the prospect for late season permit holders are going to be good. They will see some nice bucks on the winter range, ” he said.

http://methowvalleynews.com/2017/11/10/preliminary-surveys-show-deer-hunt-numbers-falling-short-of-2016-harvest/

And there-in lies the problem folks, or at least one of the heads of the multi headed snake. Along with a predator population that is out of control, a new predator that is taking a toll, fires, bad winters and throw in this from F and W along with them handing out doe tags and spreading mis information to sell tags is atrocious IMO. Anyone who has a history with this herd or in this valley knows the herd has been in a tailspin and numbers are not getting better, only worse. Some of us have said its going to take years, possibly decades and good sound management along with getting predator numbers in check to even have a chance for this herd to just increase enough to where at least its a shadow of what it once was. I will say it again, boy I miss the Washington Department Of Fish And GAME, when they were FISH and GAME these herds sure seemed like they were taken care of better......my 

This is spot on 

[Cushman1]

Wamuledeer, Replied to your PM with PM

[Cushman1]

Glad to read that things are picking up Jackknife. Is the snow going away? It was in the high forties in Winthrop I saw today. I'll be back tomorrow.