Swakane Late Archery

[Son of Chaser]

Heading up to Swakane for Late Archery for a couple days this weekend. Haven’t hunted  there before, looking for any tips about the area. Anything helps, thanks.

[blackveltbowhunter]

I haven't hunted it for a few years. Saw good amount of deer. Pray there is no fog. Finding deer wasn't terribly hard so I wont help in open forum with that. Getting on the deer while rutting is the challenge. Lots of hunters. Don't be discouraged by it though, I almost think it helps in many situations.  Try to find escape routes and sit on them after the morning rush dies down a bit and deer try to bed down. Often they are being followed or will get kicked back up and you can get in position for a shot. I look for draws with water, and steep enough walls that it is hard to see into. Generally there was also cover in them. If you have the opportunity to get some microspikes, they are awesome if the ground is frozen or get snow covered as the hills are no joke. Good luck!

[teanawayslayer]

Use the search engine. Top right. All kinds of advice for the swakane.

[zwickeyman]

It isn't what it used to be but where is? Fewer deer and more hunters


Try high on Rattlesnake Ridge between Entiat and Swakane

[Hoythunter]

Don’t forget your glass.  Glass until your eyes hurt and glass some more.  Focus your glassing efforts on the bottom 1/3 of each drainage.  Sure you’ll see deer everywhere but the bigger bucks will be where you don’t necessarily want them to be.

[HuntnFishnRyan]

i was there saturday through monday. saw a dumb spike up close and personal. A 2 point down and several does really low behind a no trespassing sign. Come monday I only saw one other truck up there. Not enough snow to push the migrators down but then again I'm still a mule deer rookie. How did you do Son of Chaser?

[Son of Chaser]

Yeah about the same. I was up there Saturday and Sunday, saw 12-15 doe and a 2 point on Saturday. Sunday was more of the same. Saw about 20 does but no bucks.

[Goose Noose]

Lots of good bucks around, just have to put the boots to work. Certainly no shortage of people.. hope this unit goes to draw only. The number of wounded deer running around is disturbing. Anyone can shoot a bow... how lethal they are with it is the issue...

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[Wunderlich33]

Goose Noose if you've been bow hunting long enough you'll know and understand that wounding an animal and not being able to finish the job happens.  It happens to the best archery hunters with high success rates... I don't know anyone with a 100% shot to kill rate?   

[meatwhack]

Goose Noose if you've been bow hunting long enough you'll know and understand that wounding an animal and not being able to finish the job happens.  It happens to the best archery hunters with high success rates... I don't know anyone with a 100% shot to kill rate?

This is a little funny to read when you have “1 shot 1 kill” under your avatar pic.

[Wunderlich33]

meatwhack isn't that what we all practice for? have in our mind set for when we're putting on a stalk? getting ready for the shot? rifle of archery?  It doesn't always happen... Personally I wouldn't take to the forum and throw out a generalized comment pointed how others are less capable with archery equipment than myself...  Just my 2 cents       

[Goose Noose]

meatwhack isn't that what we all practice for? have in our mind set for when we're putting on a stalk? getting ready for the shot? rifle of archery?  It doesn't always happen... Personally I wouldn't take to the forum and throw out a generalized comment pointed how others are less capable with archery equipment than myself...  Just my 2 cents       

Never said anyone was less capable than myself. No doubt bad shots happen, just frustrating that a lot of those bad shots are at much farther distances than most should be shooting. Or not having a clear shot and still letting one fly...

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[stickslinger]

Lots of good bucks around, just have to put the boots to work. Certainly no shortage of people.. hope this unit goes to draw only. The number of wounded deer running around is disturbing. Anyone can shoot a bow... how lethal they are with it is the issue...


That's just what we need, less area for archery season so we can really crowd the remaining units .......

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[Mtnwalker]

Lots of good bucks around, just have to put the boots to work. Certainly no shortage of people.. hope this unit goes to draw only. The number of wounded deer running around is disturbing. Anyone can shoot a bow... how lethal they are with it is the issue...

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With the amount of multi tags they give out i think alot of guys have picked up bows as a means to extending their season and don't really take the time to learn the craft. I regularly hear talk between the guys at work of 100-130 yard shots on animals and of course alot of them are never found. Drives me nuts. Also noticed how many guys have the long range target wheel style sights on their bows this year when I was up there. As guys keep trying to shoot farther and farther with both rifles and bows I think the only thing they'll be able to do to compensate for it is lower tag numbers...

[Tradhunter]

  I grew up hunting this unit until about 7 years ago. I left and don't plan to return. The last straw for me was when I was on my second stalk on a 160 buck with my longbow, I was about 40 yards from this buck and closing with him right where I wanted him when all of a sudden a guy comes running around the ridge right past me and purposely pushed that buck off of me so I didn't get him. Apparently he thought he deserved him more than me? Just can't believe or understand what is with hunters being brought up this way these days. Really sad. I actually had that happen twice that weekend with the same buck. Insane.