Three-Deer Raffle Strategy

[hunterednate]

Disclaimer: this is an utterly hypothetical and wildly speculative topic, but since it's June, what better time to daydream?

Question: what would be your strategy if you drew the three-deer raffle tag offered by WDFW? (Sept. 1 - Dec. 31, any weapon type, one additional blacktail, whitetail, mule deer) Which units/species would you target first? Which would you save for last? In other words, how would you go about killing a quality specimen of each species in one season?

IMO, this would be one of the funnest hunts to plan for and execute (as long as you've got plenty of vacation time), so I'm curious to see how you guys would go about it.

[Rainier10]

I would go for a whitetail in the early season, blacktail at the end of October early November and whack a muley late November early December.

[bearpaw]

I would go for a whitetail in the early season, blacktail at the end of October early November and whack a muley late November early December.

  agreed

[Karl Blanchard]

 I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

[vandeman17]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

I would tend to agree. I would spend a little time in October during the BT rut then all november into early december would be MD. During this time I would have a few tree stands hung with some alfalfa and grain out to kill my WT in mid December. 

[BULLBLASTER]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

except I’d probly set the mule deer bar a bit lower. Maybe 180.    preseason scouting would be geared toward muledeer but I would efinitely have trailcams up for Whitetail as well in case I could find a Apple loving giant for sept 1. . Then November I would hit Whitetail hard provides the mule deer is filled.
I would probably make a few day trip to the west side in early November to get a blacktail. But wouldn’t be picky.

[BULLBLASTER]

Correction to my prior post.... my preseason scouting would consist of giving karl a fuel stipend to track me down a mule deer 

[Karl Blanchard]

Correction to my prior post.... my preseason scouting would consist of giving karl a fuel stipend to track me down a mule deer 

it would consume my every free minute.  I wouldn't relinquish any of your boolits for a 180" deer though.  Not with a 4 month season

[WAcoueshunter]

Funny, I was just thinking about this same thing.

I'd probably give BT's a few days worth at the first of November after the OTC season closed and I had the woods to myself.  Either that, or maybe an early season trip into the high country.   But I wouldn't spend more than 3-4 days on BT.  I'd spend the bulk of my time at the end of November and December focused on MD, Mission and north.  For WT, I'd bank on finding a decent WT somewhere in the Entiat or Okanogan while looking for MD. 

[shanevg]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

Crazy man.   

[SkookumHntr]

I would take from about Nov 7-thanksgiving off and get a monster in all 3!

[Stein]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

 

I usually fill my MT whitetail tag by spotting a forky in a field on the way back to camp while elk hunting.

[Karl Blanchard]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

Crazy man.   

I wouldn't even be will to spend $40 on a tank of gas to get over there for a weekend  

[DOUBLELUNG]

First I'd ply this and other sites for experienced deer watchers with hearts of gold, and plead with them like Rachel Dolezal applying for welfare, to put the crosshairs on the giant bucks they only see outside of the season; just send me geotagged photos of the monsters, and if it's not too much to ask, help pack him out.

On the off-chance that didn't work, I'd surreptitiously wire a satellite transmitter to the Boneaddict truck, and during November-December anywhere his truck was out of town in one spot for more than an hour, go there the next day.  That should take care of the eastside deer.

For blacktail, I'd wire Karl Blanchard $40 for gas and take him west with me the day after late buck.  Dress him in appropriate PPE, dowse him with estrus doe pee, and send him in with a machete to beat the blackberries, nettles and devil's club until a 3-point or better buck walks into my sights.   

[jackelope]

I would put 100% of my time and energy into killing a 200"+ mule deer.  If I had some spare days I'd go find a whitetail.  After that I'd spend my remaining days gazing upon my mule deer.  Blacktails don't interest me in the slightest.  Sorry blacktail guys

Crazy man.   

I wouldn't even be will to spend $40 on a tank of gas to get over there for a weekend  

You could find some pretty nice "blacktails" close to the crest.