Umtanum GMU

[Clark33]

Hey all, im new here and this is my first post.  I'm an avid big game hunter going to school and Central Washington University right now.  I get done with class at 2pm and today i headed up to Umtanum from the Ellensburg side.  I was just wondering if any of you are familiar with this unit.  I assume it gets hit pretty hard opening weekend.  Today i drove just below the top of the north radio tower.  I took off towards the Yakima river canyon hoping to get away from the road.  I got about 2 miles out there and around 5:30pm i spotted a doe and a fawn feeding.  That was about the extent of it.  I was just wondering if anyone who knows this unit might have some insight as to where the bucks head to in this area after the openening weekend madness hits.  Any insight would be awesome.  Thanks, and this is a great site... im really drooling over some of these bucks you guys bagged so far!

[Bigshooter]

I just got back from over there.  We hunted the canyons away from the roads.  The canyons we hunted all ran north to south.  On the west facing sides of these canyons in the morning while they are still shaded all held deer.  We saw a lot of does and two legal bucks.  One was a small 15 inch wide three point.  And the other was a little bigger 18 inch wide three point.  We also saw a 24 inch wide two point.  Tryed to put a thrid point on him but couldn't.  Would of shot him if he would of been legal.  If you hunt the south side of the unit it has more timber and has less roads.  The timber is kind of brushy.  I have never really hunted that end of it.  But the biggest buck I have ever saw in that unit was over there.  He was a wall hanger for anybody.  The bottoms sage flatts hold a lot of deer but you have to get high and glass it really hard.  You always see a lot of does out in the sage flatts.  But if I were going to hunt it again this year I would get away from the roads and walk the tops of the ridges.
Hope this helps. 

[Slenk]

Clark33
I live in this Unit Have hunted it sence 1953 , worked there when it was a working cattle ranch. It got hit pretty hard this last weekend on the south side of the towers . Lots of hunters . Keep working your in a good area .No roads more deer work the draws out around brush patches ,their there just not that many as there used to be .
Slenk

[Dman]

 I went to CWU around 1999 and lived in Eburg. Some good advice already, but I saw a real wallhanger years ago, as well as some other bucks right around legal size up Robinson Canyon Rd. Head up and get away from the crowds, walk back in some canyon's off of any driven rd, there are a few good trails also that will take you back in there a bit. That is more Manastash area, where it border's the Umtanum. On the Umtanum side, I have heard of some real monster's back in the Umtanum side (this year), as far as you can get back in there.

[Clark33]

Great info guys, i really appreciate it.  Thanks

[spin05]

My boss saw a 4x4 with a drop tine near Wenas a week ago while hunting elk...

[boneaddict]

Sent you a pm.

[Ellensburg]

Hey Clark, funny reading this. I am also going to cwu and went up the umptanum 2 days ago. I'd be willing to hook up with you and go on a few hunts. I'm from here but have always hunted up north. I know a few good spots up the umptanum especially if theres two people. What part exactly did u hunt?