Looking for Ground to hunt in GMU 127-142 for late buck hunt

[jbutler19]

Hello,

my son and i were drawn for a late white tail buck hunt for GMU 127-142. We are from grant county and dont know anyone in those areas that would have access to ground with white tail populations.

Also if there is public ground that is good for white tail hunting that would be great to learn about.

thanks

[vandeman17]

Can't offer you much help since I don't know that unit very well but I will also say that one post asking for tips should be sufficient. 

[Seabass]

There is some really good public access in those unit's. I would download the On-x app...it will point the way better than anybody else.

[jbutler19]

yes, agreed i have it but what it doesnt tell me is what areas are more white tail then mulie... i have tried a couple of places but all i am coming across is mulie. any ideas on how to not waste a day of hunting to find out if the area is mainly white tail or mulie?

thanks

[elkboy]

Well, roughly:
* All of 127
* The eastern 2/3 of both 130 and 139
* The eastern 2/3 of 142, excluding the cliffs and open slopes of the breaks of the Snake River

I hope that helps.  Any areas that are "channeled scabland" with shallow soils and exposed basalt rock, often under grazing, will be dominated by mule deer.  Any deep soil areas (Palouse silt loam, typically with a soft, curving topography) under wheat and other crops will be more likely to hold whitetails, especially the further east you are towards Idaho, and especially with more cover of ponderosa pine and Columbia hawthorn (tall reddish/purple shrub with long thorns). 

I hope that helps.  Typically, it really helps the hunter to knock on farm doors in whitetail country six months or so ahead of season.  Not trying to be preachy, just letting you know what helps with the landowners.  Good luck to you.   

[bustedoldman]

yes, agreed i have it but what it doesnt tell me is what areas are more white tail then mulie... i have tried a couple of places but all i am coming across is mulie. any ideas on how to not waste a day of hunting to find out if the area is mainly white tail or mulie?

thanks

Easiest way is to spend more time prior to the hunt out scouting, with that being said draw a line from columbia river south/southeast to creston to St john to snake river and hunt east of it, usually further east is better, as for your doe tags go to a place were you have seen more deer sign then people sign, hike in a couple hundred yards with a bale of alfalfa, set it out and sit 100 yards out from it from sunup to sundown.

[jbutler19]

Well, roughly:
* All of 127
* The eastern 2/3 of both 130 and 139
* The eastern 2/3 of 142, excluding the cliffs and open slopes of the breaks of the Snake River

I hope that helps.  Any areas that are "channeled scabland" with shallow soils and exposed basalt rock, often under grazing, will be dominated by mule deer.  Any deep soil areas (Palouse silt loam, typically with a soft, curving topography) under wheat and other crops will be more likely to hold whitetails, especially the further east you are towards Idaho, and especially with more cover of ponderosa pine and Columbia hawthorn (tall reddish/purple shrub with long thorns). 

THAT HELPS ALOT thanks

I hope that helps.  Typically, it really helps the hunter to knock on farm doors in whitetail country six months or so ahead of season.  Not trying to be preachy, just letting you know what helps with the landowners.  Good luck to you.

[Buckmark]

yes, agreed i have it but what it doesnt tell me is what areas are more white tail then mulie... i have tried a couple of places but all i am coming across is mulie. any ideas on how to not waste a day of hunting to find out if the area is mainly white tail or mulie?

thanks

Good info from elkboy
Also may try contacting the Bio for the area, they may have some good insite 

[Seabass]

Well, roughly:
* All of 127
* The eastern 2/3 of both 130 and 139
* The eastern 2/3 of 142, excluding the cliffs and open slopes of the breaks of the Snake River

I hope that helps.  Any areas that are "channeled scabland" with shallow soils and exposed basalt rock, often under grazing, will be dominated by mule deer.  Any deep soil areas (Palouse silt loam, typically with a soft, curving topography) under wheat and other crops will be more likely to hold whitetails, especially the further east you are towards Idaho, and especially with more cover of ponderosa pine and Columbia hawthorn (tall reddish/purple shrub with long thorns). 

I hope that helps.  Typically, it really helps the hunter to knock on farm doors in whitetail country six months or so ahead of season.  Not trying to be preachy, just letting you know what helps with the landowners.  Good luck to you.

That's pretty darn accurate!

[salt n sage90]

Rough part about most of the area is that they haven't digitalized their tax info so ownership doesn't really show up on OnX. I went to school in Pullman and know 139-142 pretty dang well. You will be competing with a fair amount of people like yourself. Basically its gonna be  combat hunting, First come first serve isn't honored by everyone and people will try to snake deer out from under you. The reserve to hunt deal in my opinion isn't worth the stress, and getting written permission was never very successful either (at least through the system). I would try and go on a weekday, the later the better in the season. 

I dont mean to sound too negative, I've shot a lot of deer over there with that tag as well, but its not a peaceful experience. Most success I have had is going to a feel free spot, finding a draw or top, or bottom and sitting the entire morning, and then going back and sitting till dark. People will run deer to you, and in the witching hours deer come out of the woodwork over there. It sounds crazy but just sitting in a stubble field in the middle of nothing can work, those deer are thick in the dark there.

As far as mulie vs wt ground, once you see wheat fields its mostly WT. closer you get to the breaks the more mulies you will see. Though, I have found several nice WT bucks in the upper half of the breaks where it gets closer to the fields.

Know the property lines of the ground you are on, I've had friends get chewed at pretty bad for stepping on the wrong field. If you dont know exactly where the property line is, remember that a different type of crop or older/newer one can mean you are off the legal ground.

hope that helps.

[jbutler19]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Its helping in understanding what I need to be looking at doing.

[T-Dozzer]

Be careful hunting stuff on onx labeled "state of Washington ". Like mentiomed above Whitman county doesn't have its ownership data online. So that state land may very well have been sold or is leased & the leaser has possession rights.
BLM/DNR are good to go though.

[BAR C3]

I’m curious why you would put in for a tag you know nothing about? Seems to be the norm anymore. Maybe ask folks on here or do some research prior to and not a week before the season.
Your best bet is wheat field country down in Whitman county if you get lucky and a farmer allows you to hunt this late in game. The whitetails in 130 and 133 have been devastated by blue tongue. I own property and haven’t see a whitetail in 3 years out where I’m at.
The game department really is screwing everyone by selling over a thousand permit applications for that hunt knowing the deer are gone!
The same should be said about moose permits as well. We are getting to a point where we are going to see some units get shut down for years to recover.
I wish you luck and success!

[T-Dozzer]

I'm from the Palouse, folks farm there still. That can be a tough ask. A lot of land owners put in for that tag to avoid general rifle. Your best bet, might be the reserve a hunt program if there are any in WT country. Or any feel free to hunt.

[jbutler19]

thanks for the questions.  I don't normally put in for that area. it was third on my list and the only reason was because it was later in the year and would give me and my son some more time hunting if regular season didnt pay off. 

well you live and learn.