collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Needs tips/mentor for blacktail in the North Olympic Peninsula  (Read 5136 times)

Offline Pack and Boots

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Sep 2020
  • Posts: 3
  • Location: Port Angeles, WA
Re: Needs tips/mentor for blacktail in the North Olympic Peninsula
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2020, 08:21:20 AM »
Of the units you listed only one has alpine hunting, the others have midland to lowland hunting. You should decide if you want to hunt alpine bucks that will migrate to lower elevations when the snow/weather pushes them down or if you want to hunt midland/lowland bucks that tend to be residential deer (generally don't travel more then a square mile). These are two drastically different hunting styles and require different gear to accomplish them. Ask yourself if you have the gear needed to complete an alpine hunt or if you need to stay in lower elevations. Anything midland/lowland I'd focus on finding areas that have the following features: clear cut 2-5 years old, bordered by standing timber and a creek bottom with alders. Scout the fringes of the clear cut for sign and the immediate area in the timber for access trails and beds. Then look in the creek bottom for rubs on the alders and any other trails that access the cut. There are elk in all those areas which may confuse the sign. I personally wouldn't consider most of those units to be excellent deer hunting but there is always a monster in every unit- the density of those mature bucks is what separates one unit from the next.

For this season, I will probably try the midland/lowland approach. But a follow-up question - what is the gear difference between alpine hunting versus midland/lowland hunting?

Offline Pack and Boots

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Sep 2020
  • Posts: 3
  • Location: Port Angeles, WA
Re: Needs tips/mentor for blacktail in the North Olympic Peninsula
« Reply #16 on: October 03, 2020, 08:28:06 AM »
Thanks for all the replies. You have provided very useful guidance. Best wishes to you all for a successful hunt this year.

Offline Aginor

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Mar 2020
  • Posts: 93
  • Location: Kitsap County
  • https://caltopo.com/m/B201
Re: Needs tips/mentor for blacktail in the North Olympic Peninsula
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2020, 02:42:56 PM »
The biggest difference between the two is accessibility. You can get into lowland areas easily enough and be closer to roads, which means you can ditch a lot of gear. If you’re hunting an alpine area, you’ll most likely need to carry camp on your back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline Alchase

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Legend
  • ******
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 20309
  • Location: Tinker AFB, OK
Re: Needs tips/mentor for blacktail in the North Olympic Peninsula
« Reply #18 on: October 05, 2020, 04:51:02 PM »
Be careful allot of that country out there is Rayonier land and they require an access permit. 

And Merrill & Ring which doesn't allow any access at all.
Did they discontinue the Physt tree farm permits?  That area had pretty good numbers of deer, including some bigger bucks.  I think the harvest % for 603 will likely increase over the next few years (if kills get reported).  Lots of new people moving out to/building in Joyce.  The deer population seems to go up as the area gets developed.  Probably skew the stats like 621 where so many animals are actually backyard animals, then people look at harvest prospects/reports and think it was spread all across the unit.

M&L went to a draw permit only for elk. No more general access for deer/bear/cat with a permit is my understanding. I think there are a few elk and deer that go unreported on that section of the peninsula. Call it "subsistence hunting" and not by tribal members.

That would be the understatement of the decade !
Only 2 defining forces sacrificed themselves for you:
The American Soldier and Jesus Christ. One died for your freedom, the other for your soul.

My rock,
He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
Psalm 144.1

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

Nevada guide draw Mule Deer by High Climber
[Today at 07:18:34 AM]


Anterless 1334 muzzle loader by Bendejo
[Today at 07:17:52 AM]


Cowiche Quality Buck by buglebuster
[Today at 07:10:20 AM]


2025 Draw Results by Elkaholic daWg
[Today at 07:02:27 AM]


Son drawn - Silver Dollar Youth Any Elk - Help? by Rugergunsite308
[Today at 06:27:17 AM]


Bow mount trolling motors by CP
[Today at 06:03:13 AM]


SE raffle tags holder by HntnFsh
[Today at 05:39:57 AM]


11th Annual 'Pull For Scouting' Clay Crushing Classic by high_hunter
[Today at 12:27:18 AM]


AKC lab puppies! Born 06/10/2025 follow as they grow!!! by high_hunter
[Today at 12:21:33 AM]


Ritzville Rifle Buck - GMU 284 by high_hunter
[Yesterday at 11:49:16 PM]


Antlerless Moose more than once? by shootem
[Yesterday at 11:25:51 PM]


Nooksack Muzzleloader Bull Tag by high_hunter
[Yesterday at 10:42:24 PM]


My wife drew quality deer DESERT rifle 10/18-10/26!!!!! by high_hunter
[Yesterday at 10:17:15 PM]


Palouse buck deer by blumtnelkndeer
[Yesterday at 10:14:00 PM]


Drew Quality by Jimmer
[Yesterday at 09:34:00 PM]


Quality Swakane by Rainier10
[Yesterday at 09:09:17 PM]


Observatory quality bull rifle by buglebuster
[Yesterday at 09:00:02 PM]


A little Martini Cadet varmint rifle I have been working on by JDHasty
[Yesterday at 08:43:33 PM]


Pogue Quality by geauxtigers
[Yesterday at 08:38:35 PM]


2025 OILS! by HUNTNORTHWEST
[Yesterday at 07:46:27 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal