New to WA, asking for general knowledge...

[30/30_heirloom]

...about NW WA area. I spent quite a few hours researching hunting in WA for whitetail (because that's what I'm used to), and it seems that most people head out East, yea? Assumedly because the west is so populated?

I'm aware I'm asking right on the heels of start of season, but I thought I at least had until the beginning of November before season started  I've lived and hunted in Wisconsin, Montana, and California, and I don't think I've ever seen a state so unorganized...or, I suppose, particular, when it comes to hunting. General season doesn't even extend into the rut?! What is this....lol

I live on Camano, and have animals I need to take care of so weekend trips to go East aren't an option. Day hikes are it for me. I see hunting has opened up on the island recently but with the high density pop surrounding it, and shotgun use only, I don't foresee myself having 'a good time' if you know what I mean. I talked to a new acquaintance who mentioned Acme was a good place last year, but then I also read that Acme had a 30% increase in harvest from the year prior which makes me want to leave the area alone this year.

I'm trying not to travel more than an hour, so ideally I wake up a 4, head out at 4:30, get to where I need to go at 5:30, and walk in to a spot before 7 am. I figured going along the edges of Weyerhaeuser's clearcutting by the Cascades, Lake Cavanaugh, Pilchuck, etc, without walking onto their land outright (since that costs $75 - $275), might yield something but it seems pretty human-populated in those areas too.

So.

Where the heck does a New to WA hunter go that's accessible and likely to provide a harvest? I just want a deer to fill my freezer, not a monster, not a baby, any deer will do. :sigh:

Thanks for any advice, 2 days before opener hahaha.

[boneaddict]

There aren’t any whitetail in the west, so that’s why folks head to the NE.  (Washington)

You live on an island, only want to travel an hour to find deer and no people.  You are on your own for that. 

[PastorJoel]

If you want to fill your freezer on the west side of the state, the easiest way is road kill salvage.  Not joking.  I've gotten quite a few.  Just follow the rules to report. 

[7mmfan]

As Bone said, no huntable whitetails west of the Cascade crest. As you noted, Washington is quite populated, with less public ground per capita than any other western state, hence the reason for such limited seasons. If you've hunted all the states that you've lived in, Washington is going to be frustrating for you. There's a reason so many Washington hunters go out of state every year.

I'm not far from your area, just a little south down I5. There is a lot of opportunity within an hour or so of Camano Island. Camano itself has virtually no public ground to hunt, but if you find a landowner that doesn't mind, you have a high probability of success. You have a higher probability though by just driving the island daily and keeping an eye out for roadkill. Could easily fill your freezer out there annually picking them up.

DNR ground in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish county is going to be your best bet for public access. Acme was suggested because it's kind of the central hub of a large area of DNR ground in that area. People are pretty tight lipped about specifics though. The best advice I can give you is find closed roads with 3-7 year old clear cuts a couple miles behind the closure and hike in and glass those at first and last light. Towards the end of October, the rut for Blacktails begins to really kick in, especially if we get some crappy fall storms. They'll be out and about all day. Stick and stay and make those cuts pay.

[buckfvr]

go to wdfw harvest reports to see for yourself what might suit your alloted time frame. 

[30/30_heirloom]

If you want to fill your freezer on the west side of the state, the easiest way is road kill salvage.  Not joking.  I've gotten quite a few.  Just follow the rules to report. 

As Bone said, no huntable whitetails west of the Cascade crest. As you noted, Washington is quite populated, with less public ground per capita than any other western state, hence the reason for such limited seasons. If you've hunted all the states that you've lived in, Washington is going to be frustrating for you. There's a reason so many Washington hunters go out of state every year.

I'm not far from your area, just a little south down I5. There is a lot of opportunity within an hour or so of Camano Island. Camano itself has virtually no public ground to hunt, but if you find a landowner that doesn't mind, you have a high probability of success. You have a higher probability though by just driving the island daily and keeping an eye out for roadkill. Could easily fill your freezer out there annually picking them up.

DNR ground in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish county is going to be your best bet for public access. Acme was suggested because it's kind of the central hub of a large area of DNR ground in that area. People are pretty tight lipped about specifics though. The best advice I can give you is find closed roads with 3-7 year old clear cuts a couple miles behind the closure and hike in and glass those at first and last light. Towards the end of October, the rut for Blacktails begins to really kick in, especially if we get some crappy fall storms. They'll be out and about all day. Stick and stay and make those cuts pay.

I did find out you can hunt Camano Ridge....but the firearms are too restrictive for me to consider it :sigh: I did read, in passing, that roadkill harvest was acceptable, so thanks!! I'll definitely look into that more. I totally understand the tightlipped-ness too though, I was that way in WI when I had a stand I hunted for years.

So I think this year I won't push it so hard, since I'm clearly a lot less prepared than I thought I was. Im expecting it to snow soon, since the rest of the north country of the US has already received snow. Thanks very much for the useful information, I'll do my best!! Good luck this year if you're going out!

go to wdfw harvest reports to see for yourself what might suit your alloted time frame. 

I have, I've read most of the reports just to get a feel for the general status. Thanks though.

[7mmfan]

If you want to fill your freezer on the west side of the state, the easiest way is road kill salvage.  Not joking.  I've gotten quite a few.  Just follow the rules to report. 

As Bone said, no huntable whitetails west of the Cascade crest. As you noted, Washington is quite populated, with less public ground per capita than any other western state, hence the reason for such limited seasons. If you've hunted all the states that you've lived in, Washington is going to be frustrating for you. There's a reason so many Washington hunters go out of state every year.

I'm not far from your area, just a little south down I5. There is a lot of opportunity within an hour or so of Camano Island. Camano itself has virtually no public ground to hunt, but if you find a landowner that doesn't mind, you have a high probability of success. You have a higher probability though by just driving the island daily and keeping an eye out for roadkill. Could easily fill your freezer out there annually picking them up.

DNR ground in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish county is going to be your best bet for public access. Acme was suggested because it's kind of the central hub of a large area of DNR ground in that area. People are pretty tight lipped about specifics though. The best advice I can give you is find closed roads with 3-7 year old clear cuts a couple miles behind the closure and hike in and glass those at first and last light. Towards the end of October, the rut for Blacktails begins to really kick in, especially if we get some crappy fall storms. They'll be out and about all day. Stick and stay and make those cuts pay.

I did find out you can hunt Camano Ridge....but the firearms are too restrictive for me to consider it :sigh: I did read, in passing, that roadkill harvest was acceptable, so thanks!! I'll definitely look into that more. I totally understand the tightlipped-ness too though, I was that way in WI when I had a stand I hunted for years.

So I think this year I won't push it so hard, since I'm clearly a lot less prepared than I thought I was. Im expecting it to snow soon, since the rest of the north country of the US has already received snow. Thanks very much for the useful information, I'll do my best!! Good luck this year if you're going out!

go to wdfw harvest reports to see for yourself what might suit your alloted time frame. 

I have, I've read most of the reports just to get a feel for the general status. Thanks though.

On the snow part, don't be surprised if we don't get any snow all winter. Thats normal here. The east side of the mountains will be cold and snowy, but here in Puget Sound usually doesn't see much. Last winter was an outlier.