Ok. East (GMU 204) Rutting Activity? Road cond? Experience with Eder area?

[bearhunter99]

Hey all,
Anyone been out in the 204 unit?  My wife drew the late permit and we will be heading up this weekend and then again the last week of the season if she doesn't find anything this weekend.  We have a buddy that has a place in the area but he hasn't made it back up there in a couple of weeks.

Are the roads around Bonaparte still closed?  Has anyone been seeing any signs of the rut starting?  We have been seeing the muleys around here chasing does and lip curling, just curious if we need to focus on rattling or just putting some boot time in.

Secondly, my wife has the Charles and Mary Eder unit access permit from WDFW.  I have never spent any time in that area as we have never had access there.  Anyone have any input on that area?  It looks like it is all walk in so I am just curious if it is worth spending the time there?

She is pretty excited, this is the first special permit she has drawn in WA after 20 years of applying and she has never gotten a whitetail to boot so it a couple of firsts for her and I want to try and make it a great experience.

Thanks for any input! 

[Bigpapa]

Pm sent

[bustedoldman]

“Secondly, my wife has the Charles and Mary Eder unit access permit from WDFW.  I have never spent any time in that area as we have never had access there.  Anyone have any input on that area?  It looks like it is all walk in so I am just curious if it is worth spending the time there?”


It is all walk in but that would be my first place to go, we’ve drawn it twice and had our choice of bucks, and that was during modern and not late season rut time. The north west side is where we have seen the most/biggest bucks. Good luck…

[Birdguy]

There was a great whitetail buck with an extra main beam posted on a hunting Facebook page yesterday. Guy was over scouting for later in the month and stumbled into him. Great buck for sure. I had hoped to see it posted on here but have not seen it yet. Best of luck to your wife with her tag.

[Seabass]

There was a great whitetail buck with an extra main beam posted on a hunting Facebook page yesterday. Guy was over scouting for later in the month and stumbled into him. Great buck for sure. I had hoped to see it posted on here but have not seen it yet. Best of luck to your wife with her tag.

That is a giant!

[bearhunter99]

I saw that buck.  From what I have heard he was "very close" to the reservation boundary.  There was another buck that was found on the reservation very similar that a guy said was a wolf kill.  That buck was amazing, actually both were. 

We saw a few decent 3 points last weekend and a bunch of does but no rutting activity.  Headed back up tomorrow afternoon and staying until the end of the season or she gets one.