Methow. Late. (In the old days)

[boneaddict]

After a storm like this.  If you were in the right place about an hour before this snow stopped it was unreal.  If you were out right after it stopped you’d see thousands of tracks with about a half inch of snow in them.   

Hearing reports of a foot of fresh in Carlton. 


Oh to have a late tag right now.   If you aren’t freezing under a tree right now in a runway, you are in the wrong place.   

[Claymore15]

True story right there.

[Sakko300wsm]

Doesn’t look like it’s going to stop till morning - saw a bunch of deer today , mostly all bedded. Tomorrow should be a different story- I saw about 12” today and still snowing

[boneaddict]

This oughta rough up the burn scars a little.   That’s a lot of wet

[Smokepole]

You're bringing back memories, Bone.  Killed some nice bucks after storms like this.  My favorite time is the sunrise at the tail end of the storm.  Lot of good memories.

[boneaddict]

As a kid, you know when seeing a pile of deer turds got you excited and you had to pick on up and  squeeze them to see if they were fresh or not.  You come across this ridge and there would be thousands of tracks, all headed in the same direction.   I dont recall ever catching up with those.   I was in the migration a couple times.  It was basically indescribable.   

[kirkl]

My cousin has a foot at his place.

[Sakko300wsm]

Looking forward to seeing a bunch moving tomorrow

[boneaddict]

Might have to go old school and get a saddlehorse.   

[Smokepole]

Then you get back to camp to announce your success, only to find your partners all having beers with bloody forearms and laughing. The meat pole is about to break.  No room left for mine.  "Don't shoot any more, boys.  We're all tagged out!"

[boneaddict]

Speaking of the color red,   none of that orange stuff.


oh and road hunting was taking a trip by Beaver Creek campground or Little Bellingham to check out those meatpoles.  That was half the fun.  A whole lotta handshakes, and whoppers told
One thing about working at the gas station every year.   Every car that pulled in, youd hop up to see what was tied on the hood. LOL

[Sakko300wsm]

Might have to go old school and get a saddlehorse.

I’ll be hiking in again , but a horse wouldn’t be a bad idea haha

[slavenoid]

Is a "runway" migratory mule deer terminology?

[glocksWetrust]

I have a unfilled modern rifle tag that isn’t filled out yet if you want to take me for a late hunt here soon, sadly I only have a car lol

After a storm like this.  If you were in the right place about an hour before this snow stopped it was unreal.  If you were out right after it stopped you’d see thousands of tracks with about a half inch of snow in them.   

Hearing reports of a foot of fresh in Carlton. 


Oh to have a late tag right now.   If you aren’t freezing under a tree right now in a runway, you are in the wrong place.

[boneaddict]

Is a "runway" migratory mule deer terminology?

Yes I suppose.   There are particular funnels or routes where the migration “used to” travel down.  A particular ridge, around a particular rock formation, through a canyon, etc. 

A particular weather event would trigger this.  Depending on the weather even, you might get all doe, or every animal there. 

[bigmacc]

Boy howdy! Yep, this was the kind of weather that would fall into the catagory of “the switch is about to be flipped”. Yep get under “grandpas tree”, like, yesterday😆 and stay there til you pick the one you wanted. I remember hearing stories of 2 bucks killed by that tree in the morning, then 2 more relatives going in at lunch (the pile of branches used as a ground blind only provided cover for 2) then a couple more would go in for the afternoon hunt. Many times during the migration 6 or more bucks would die by that tree in a days worth of hunting, one of the best runways I know of in that valley when the snow starts piling up, a steep draw with a jack pine jungle flanking both sides for miles, they got to come through it to get to point B from point A. I remember back in the late 50,s and 60,s sitting under that tree with my great grandma and counting over 800 come up that draw by noon, I would ask her as we were hiking out how come she never killed any of the big bucks we seen (sometimes dozens of nice bucks over 5 or 6 hours), she would say “ they are just getting started, there might be some bigger ones tomorrow “, I along with others from the “Little Bellingham” camp helped grandma and grandpa get some monsterous bucks out of that hole on the “second day”  or the “third day” of those old migrations👍

And yes bone, the times sitting in some of those routes in a blizzard, just seeing shadows moving through the snow, 50 yards or so out but not being able to see what they were or how big, just “bodies” moving through sideways blowing snow, sometimes non-stop for a half hour or so. Or like you said, I remember being parked in another one of my family’s favorite runways when deer were on the move and seeing 5,6, 7 hundred head or more move through over the course of an hour or so but not seeing a horn, all does and fawns, then a couple days later sitting in the same spot and counting another 200 or so with half of them being bucks.

I am lucky to have a family heritage of hunting this valley going back to 1917 and personally chasing deer around here for over 60 years. Like you bone, I feel blessed to have experienced this valley during the hay days and actually witnessing some of the unbelievable (to some) historic migrations from the largest migrating mule deer herd in the country (at one time), that is no longer the case, it’s not even a shadow of what it once was, it truly breaks my heart on what this once mighty herd has become. I told you about this past season and what we experienced bone, very sad and unforgivable about what’s happened.

[7mmfan]

I witnessed this last year during my late hunt. After a big snow, we hiked a few miles up into a particular set of canyons. There were deer around,  a few, but the tracks in the snow told a story of what happened overnight. It looked like a hundred deer had had a rodeo in the big broad flat below us. The amount of tracks was, as you put it, undescribable. My dad who was with me and I concurred that there wasn't a square yard in a 100 acre area without tracks through it.

[H2Ofuzz]

That is exactly what happened to me 2 years ago in the Gardner unit!


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[dr.derek]

Speaking of the color red,   none of that orange stuff.


oh and road hunting was taking a trip by Beaver Creek campground or Little Bellingham to check out those meatpoles.  That was half the fun.  A whole lotta handshakes, and whoppers told
One thing about working at the gas station every year.   Every car that pulled in, youd hop up to see what was tied on the hood. LOL

Wonder how many times you brushed shoulders with my grandpa.

[boneaddict]

Great buck Fuzz!   

You never know Derek.

[mountainman]

That is exactly what happened to me 2 years ago in the Gardner unit!


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That was a nice buck Drew! Does your dad still hunt up Smith canyon?

[mountainman]

Boy howdy! Yep, this was the kind of weather that would fall into the catagory of “the switch is about to be flipped”. Yep get under “grandpas tree”, like, yesterday😆 and stay there til you pick the one you wanted. I remember hearing stories of 2 bucks killed by that tree in the morning, then 2 more relatives going in at lunch (the pile of branches used as a ground blind only provided cover for 2) then a couple more would go in for the afternoon hunt. Many times during the migration 6 or more bucks would die by that tree in a days worth of hunting, one of the best runways I know of in that valley when the snow starts piling up, a steep draw with a jack pine jungle flanking both sides for miles, they got to come through it to get to point B from point A. I remember back in the late 50,s and 60,s sitting under that tree with my great grandma and counting over 800 come up that draw by noon, I would ask her as we were hiking out how come she never killed any of the big bucks we seen (sometimes dozens of nice bucks over 5 or 6 hours), she would say “ they are just getting started, there might be some bigger ones tomorrow “, I along with others from the “Little Bellingham” camp helped grandma and grandpa get some monsterous bucks out of that hole on the “second day”  or the “third day” of those old migrations👍

And yes bone, the times sitting in some of those routes in a blizzard, just seeing shadows moving through the snow, 50 yards or so out but not being able to see what they were or how big, just “bodies” moving through sideways blowing snow, sometimes non-stop for a half hour or so. Or like you said, I remember being parked in another one of my family’s favorite runways when deer were on the move and seeing 5,6, 7 hundred head or more move through over the course of an hour or so but not seeing a horn, all does and fawns, then a couple days later sitting in the same spot and counting another 200 or so with half of them being bucks.

I am lucky to have a family heritage of hunting this valley going back to 1917 and personally chasing deer around here for over 60 years. Like you bone, I feel blessed to have experienced this valley during the hay days and actually witnessing some of the unbelievable (to some) historic migrations from the largest migrating mule deer herd in the country (at one time), that is no longer the case, it’s not even a shadow of what it once was, it truly breaks my heart on what this once mighty herd has become. I told you about this past season and what we experienced bone, very sad and unforgivable about what’s happened.

Yup Bigmac, growing up in the Methow, that was the norm, year to year! Sad what has happened to that herd last 20 years.,

[Mtnwalker]

Of course I had to leave today and go back to work, heck of a drive home. Couldn’t have timed it any worse, hopefully there are a few left on public still come Friday

[H2Ofuzz]

That is exactly what happened to me 2 years ago in the Gardner unit!


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That was a nice buck Drew! Does your dad still hunt up Smith canyon?

My dad has not hunted in the last 15 years or so I don’t think. I drag him out every few years for a bit but not much. How do you know my dad?


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[gee_unit360]

Boy howdy! Yep, this was the kind of weather that would fall into the catagory of “the switch is about to be flipped”. Yep get under “grandpas tree”, like, yesterday😆 and stay there til you pick the one you wanted. I remember hearing stories of 2 bucks killed by that tree in the morning, then 2 more relatives going in at lunch (the pile of branches used as a ground blind only provided cover for 2) then a couple more would go in for the afternoon hunt. Many times during the migration 6 or more bucks would die by that tree in a days worth of hunting, one of the best runways I know of in that valley when the snow starts piling up, a steep draw with a jack pine jungle flanking both sides for miles, they got to come through it to get to point B from point A. I remember back in the late 50,s and 60,s sitting under that tree with my great grandma and counting over 800 come up that draw by noon, I would ask her as we were hiking out how come she never killed any of the big bucks we seen (sometimes dozens of nice bucks over 5 or 6 hours), she would say “ they are just getting started, there might be some bigger ones tomorrow “, I along with others from the “Little Bellingham” camp helped grandma and grandpa get some monsterous bucks out of that hole on the “second day”  or the “third day” of those old migrations👍

And yes bone, the times sitting in some of those routes in a blizzard, just seeing shadows moving through the snow, 50 yards or so out but not being able to see what they were or how big, just “bodies” moving through sideways blowing snow, sometimes non-stop for a half hour or so. Or like you said, I remember being parked in another one of my family’s favorite runways when deer were on the move and seeing 5,6, 7 hundred head or more move through over the course of an hour or so but not seeing a horn, all does and fawns, then a couple days later sitting in the same spot and counting another 200 or so with half of them being bucks.

I am lucky to have a family heritage of hunting this valley going back to 1917 and personally chasing deer around here for over 60 years. Like you bone, I feel blessed to have experienced this valley during the hay days and actually witnessing some of the unbelievable (to some) historic migrations from the largest migrating mule deer herd in the country (at one time), that is no longer the case, it’s not even a shadow of what it once was, it truly breaks my heart on what this once mighty herd has become. I told you about this past season and what we experienced bone, very sad and unforgivable about what’s happened.

How old are you Big Mac

[2MANY]

Of course I had to leave today and go back to work, heck of a drive home. Couldn’t have timed it any worse, hopefully there are a few left on public still come Friday

You will be fine.

[buckcanyonlodge]

As a kid, you know when seeing a pile of deer turds got you excited and you had to pick on up and  squeeze them to see if they were fresh or not.  You come across this ridge and there would be thousands of tracks, all headed in the same direction.   I dont recall ever catching up with those.   I was in the migration a couple times.  It was basically indescribable.

I witnessed the deer migration down the Rattlesnake/Nile area in the '70's. Bow hunting above the Rattlesnake Canyon I sat in one place and saw hundreds and hundreds of deer migrating down the canyon.  All headed toward the Naches River. I'm sure they crossed and went up the mountains south facing slopes and wintered there all the way down to Cleman Mountain. . I shot at and missed a buck like the one Drew has in his pic...Still haunts me to this day. It was unbelievable.

[boneaddict]

I’m not sure that happens much anymore either.  Very cool you got to see it.  I catch an occasional bruiser in that zone, so that makes sense.   They used to fill up out here on the LT. I’d go for a snowmobile ride behind my house and see quite a few deer and bucks.  I haven’t seen that for some time. 

[7mmfan]

Of course I had to leave today and go back to work, heck of a drive home. Couldn’t have timed it any worse, hopefully there are a few left on public still come Friday

You will be fine.

 

[bigmacc]

Boy howdy! Yep, this was the kind of weather that would fall into the catagory of “the switch is about to be flipped”. Yep get under “grandpas tree”, like, yesterday😆 and stay there til you pick the one you wanted. I remember hearing stories of 2 bucks killed by that tree in the morning, then 2 more relatives going in at lunch (the pile of branches used as a ground blind only provided cover for 2) then a couple more would go in for the afternoon hunt. Many times during the migration 6 or more bucks would die by that tree in a days worth of hunting, one of the best runways I know of in that valley when the snow starts piling up, a steep draw with a jack pine jungle flanking both sides for miles, they got to come through it to get to point B from point A. I remember back in the late 50,s and 60,s sitting under that tree with my great grandma and counting over 800 come up that draw by noon, I would ask her as we were hiking out how come she never killed any of the big bucks we seen (sometimes dozens of nice bucks over 5 or 6 hours), she would say “ they are just getting started, there might be some bigger ones tomorrow “, I along with others from the “Little Bellingham” camp helped grandma and grandpa get some monsterous bucks out of that hole on the “second day”  or the “third day” of those old migrations👍

And yes bone, the times sitting in some of those routes in a blizzard, just seeing shadows moving through the snow, 50 yards or so out but not being able to see what they were or how big, just “bodies” moving through sideways blowing snow, sometimes non-stop for a half hour or so. Or like you said, I remember being parked in another one of my family’s favorite runways when deer were on the move and seeing 5,6, 7 hundred head or more move through over the course of an hour or so but not seeing a horn, all does and fawns, then a couple days later sitting in the same spot and counting another 200 or so with half of them being bucks.

I am lucky to have a family heritage of hunting this valley going back to 1917 and personally chasing deer around here for over 60 years. Like you bone, I feel blessed to have experienced this valley during the hay days and actually witnessing some of the unbelievable (to some) historic migrations from the largest migrating mule deer herd in the country (at one time), that is no longer the case, it’s not even a shadow of what it once was, it truly breaks my heart on what this once mighty herd has become. I told you about this past season and what we experienced bone, very sad and unforgivable about what’s happened.

How old are you Big Mac

Closing in on 70, first time I sat under “grandpas tree”, I was 5.

[getreal711]

Been closed to 20yrs since I've been over to my aunt and uncles old place off stokes road south of Carlton. I'm assuming it's just as bad there between the Predators and now wdfw land. I still remember a tree or two over there with the same experiences.

[mountainman]

That is exactly what happened to me 2 years ago in the Gardner unit!


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That was a nice buck Drew! Does your dad still hunt up Smith canyon?

My dad has not hunted in the last 15 years or so I don’t think. I drag him out every few years for a bit but not much. How do you know my dad?


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Grew up together, LBHS ‘80!
Tell him hi from Dewey

[boneaddict]

I forgot just how old (ancient) you were Dewey. LOL

[gadwall]

I witnessed exactly that in 94 or 95 above Carlton last 2 days of the general season.  Saw about 600-700 deer just running out of the mountains with the weather coming!

[timberfaller]

HEY!! Just because mountainman is sporting more gray in his beard(like the rest of us)don't mean he's to old!!

[mountainman]

I forgot just how old (ancient) you were Dewey. LOL

Not far behind me buddy lol!

[mountainman]

HEY!! Just because mountainman is sporting more gray in his beard(like the rest of us)don't mean he's to old!!

I bleach it weekly to give me that old wise man look👍

[huntnphool]

I witnessed exactly that in 94 or 95 above Carlton last 2 days of the general season.  Saw about 600-700 deer just running out of the mountains with the weather coming!

96 had a dumping.

[Bronson]

I will never forget seeing a major migration one year.  I think it was around '90 or '91.  My old man used to take me hunting on the east side quite a bit.  We hit the timing perfect with a good storm one year.  We went up a road on the Chelan side that we probably shouldn't have gone up during a snow storm (the drive down was also something I will NEVER forget...talk about white knuckling it, even as a teenager).  Everywhere we looked there were deer moving on a beeline downhill.  Small groups would meet up with other small groups and those groups would keep getting bigger.  In some areas it looked like a herd of cattle crossed the road because the snow and ground was tore up from so many animals on the move.  It was something I will never forget and likely will never see again, or get to share the experience with my kids.

[timberfaller]

HEY!! Just because mountainman is sporting more gray in his beard(like the rest of us)don't mean he's to old!!

I bleach it weekly to give me that old wise man look👍

 

[MtnMuley]

I will never forget seeing a major migration one year.  I think it was around '90 or '91.  My old man used to take me hunting on the east side quite a bit.  We hit the timing perfect with a good storm one year.  We went up a road on the Chelan side that we probably shouldn't have gone up during a snow storm (the drive down was also something I will NEVER forget...talk about white knuckling it, even as a teenager).  Everywhere we looked there were deer moving on a beeline downhill.  Small groups would meet up with other small groups and those groups would keep getting bigger.  In some areas it looked like a herd of cattle crossed the road because the snow and ground was tore up from so many animals on the move.  It was something I will never forget and likely will never see again, or get to share the experience with my kids.

I believe it was 92 you're referring to. The winter of 96 was a monster, but that snow was later. I don't think 90 or 91 was substantial during deer season. Possibly 90 towards the end........

[bigmacc]

I will never forget seeing a major migration one year.  I think it was around '90 or '91.  My old man used to take me hunting on the east side quite a bit.  We hit the timing perfect with a good storm one year.  We went up a road on the Chelan side that we probably shouldn't have gone up during a snow storm (the drive down was also something I will NEVER forget...talk about white knuckling it, even as a teenager).  Everywhere we looked there were deer moving on a beeline downhill.  Small groups would meet up with other small groups and those groups would keep getting bigger.  In some areas it looked like a herd of cattle crossed the road because the snow and ground was tore up from so many animals on the move.  It was something I will never forget and likely will never see again, or get to share the experience with my kids.

I believe it was 92 you're referring to. The winter of 96 was a monster, but that snow was later. I don't think 90 or 91 was substantial during deer season. Possibly 90 towards the end........

You are correct M Muley. ………68 was another, brutal, flat azz cold!! worst I’ve ever seen. Deer and livestock froze leaning against trees.

[Bronson]

I will never forget seeing a major migration one year.  I think it was around '90 or '91.  My old man used to take me hunting on the east side quite a bit.  We hit the timing perfect with a good storm one year.  We went up a road on the Chelan side that we probably shouldn't have gone up during a snow storm (the drive down was also something I will NEVER forget...talk about white knuckling it, even as a teenager).  Everywhere we looked there were deer moving on a beeline downhill.  Small groups would meet up with other small groups and those groups would keep getting bigger.  In some areas it looked like a herd of cattle crossed the road because the snow and ground was tore up from so many animals on the move.  It was something I will never forget and likely will never see again, or get to share the experience with my kids.

I believe it was 92 you're referring to. The winter of 96 was a monster, but that snow was later. I don't think 90 or 91 was substantial during deer season. Possibly 90 towards the end........

That sounds about right, thinking back.  It really was something to see.

[GASoline71]

Speaking of the color red,   none of that orange stuff.

Back when a red Crusher and a red plaid flannel or a Red mackinaw was all you needed.   

As a kid, you know when seeing a pile of deer turds got you excited and you had to pick on up and  squeeze them to see if they were fresh or not.  You come across this ridge and there would be thousands of tracks, all headed in the same direction.   I dont recall ever catching up with those.   I was in the migration a couple times.  It was basically indescribable.

I witnessed the deer migration down the Rattlesnake/Nile area in the '70's. Bow hunting above the Rattlesnake Canyon I sat in one place and saw hundreds and hundreds of deer migrating down the canyon.  All headed toward the Naches River. I'm sure they crossed and went up the mountains south facing slopes and wintered there all the way down to Cleman Mountain. . I shot at and missed a buck like the one Drew has in his pic...Still haunts me to this day. It was unbelievable.

The most Mule deer I have ever seen in my life was on the backside of Clemans Mountain back in the early 1990's.  It was truly a sight to behold. 

Gary

[huntnphool]

I will never forget seeing a major migration one year.  I think it was around '90 or '91.  My old man used to take me hunting on the east side quite a bit.  We hit the timing perfect with a good storm one year.  We went up a road on the Chelan side that we probably shouldn't have gone up during a snow storm (the drive down was also something I will NEVER forget...talk about white knuckling it, even as a teenager).  Everywhere we looked there were deer moving on a beeline downhill.  Small groups would meet up with other small groups and those groups would keep getting bigger.  In some areas it looked like a herd of cattle crossed the road because the snow and ground was tore up from so many animals on the move.  It was something I will never forget and likely will never see again, or get to share the experience with my kids.

I believe it was 92 you're referring to. The winter of 96 was a monster, but that snow was later. I don't think 90 or 91 was substantial during deer season. Possibly 90 towards the end........

 Agree with 92, but 96 saw a big dump of snow as well. I had a late tag in 96, and watched the buck I shot, toboggan 100 yards down hill, past us, all the way to the bottom of the draw.