Questions Regarding Public Lands

[Sliverslinger]

My 11 year old daughter asked me to switch gears last minute from hunting ours and our friends property here on the wetside. She wants to hunt a mule deer spot and stalk “the way you did in Montana dad!”

Would have been helpful to hear that desire before I spent all summer with cameras and apples, setting up the blind, naming all the different bucks she could shoot here. I don’t really care as long as I can get her a chance at a first buck and we spend time together so I started looking at areas I hunted many years ago around Washtucna, Ritzville, etc…

Simple question, several of those public land squares over there are clearly being farmed for wheat. Some even appear to have barns and such on them. If it’s DNR or other state land, can you hunt it even if someone appears to have an AG lease?

[bobcat]

Yes DNR land is open to hunting. It's written into the lease when it's written up. There are some which they do allow the leasee to post the land closed to hunting but that's only when there's an actual reason for doing so. If they're just growing wheat or grazing cattle it's going to be open.

[millerwheeler]

I believe you would be just fine  , rough change last minute in my opinion going in blind and having somewhere where you have spent a lot of time really creates a different success rate

[Sliverslinger]

I believe you would be just fine  , rough change last minute in my opinion going in blind and having somewhere where you have spent a lot of time really creates a different success rate

It’s a good point except for I’m Feeling like the last week of October and late buck is a shoo-in on our property. We’ve got 8-10 bucks here so if she wants to explore something new and try for a mule deer I prefer the open country over a blind anyway.

[Dan-o]

Yes DNR land is open to hunting. It's written into the lease when it's written up. There are some which they do allow the leasee to post the land closed to hunting but that's only when there's an actual reason for doing so. If they're just growing wheat or grazing cattle it's going to be open.

 

I will add that I'm afraid you're going to have a very difficult time doing a spot and stock on a muley buck on just about any of that DNR land.    Competition is pretty steep.

you might consider having that discussion with your daughter.   I suspect her odds of success are much greater on your land.

Either way, best of luck!

[jrebel]

The land and area you speak of was great at one time.   I hunted all of it when I was in school at WSU.  Last year I returned in an attempt to try and get my son a doe (special draw) and it was a nightmare.  I have never in my life seen such a shiiiiitttt show.  It was a war zone and void of any deer.   Won’t ever do that again. 

Good luck to you both….but know way I would give up private land to go to the area you mention.

[Sliverslinger]

The land and area you speak of was great at one time.   I hunted all of it when I was in school at WSU.  Last year I returned in an attempt to try and get my son a doe (special draw) and it was a nightmare.  I have never in my life seen such a shiiiiitttt show.  It was a war zone and void of any deer.   Won’t ever do that again. 

Good luck to you both….but know way I would give up private land to go to the area you mention.

It sounds like it’s gotten really bad. 10 years ago was the last time I hunted east side and it seemed like we would see tons of deer. Saw plenty of hunters, but always seemed to be able to find a spot to walk into where there wasn’t someone right on top of you. I wouldn’t be giving up the private land since the bigger bucks don’t come out during daylight until closer to Halloween and late buck anyway. But it’s disappointing to hear how bad it sounds like it’s gotten over there.

[GWP]

You could always go to your 'chosen' property from a different angle and 'spot and stalk'. Different hunt.

[dilleytech]

Sounds like you need to plan another out of state hunt next year.