Lopez island?

[Night goat]

Anybody ever hunt Lopez?

I’ve never been out there but live in Anacortes so it’s pretty close by for me

Was thinking of going out for late season blackpowder

[ghosthunter]

It’s my understanding you have to have written permission in your pocket to hunt most spots out there. 

[Night goat]

It’s my understanding you have to have written permission in your pocket to hunt most spots out there. 

Yea I saw that there is some land trust stuff out there that gives you like the main seasons, but no late seasons, but looking on OnX, there’s some BLM owned stuff on the south end? BLM land is public land….

[swampbear]

I used to hunt it. Deer population took a major hit in 2021 on Lopez from AHD. I had a 2nd deer tag that year. Saw only 3 does in 3 days. Felt guilty how bad the population was down I didn’t bother filling the tag. From what my buddy who lives out there said, wiped out like 80% of the population. I’d probably give it a few years, and in the meantime start finding permission to hunt private property. The vast majority of the island is private. There’s some land trust that you can get permission to hunt, but not open to hunting during late season. Deer are generally pretty small. More hunters out there than you’d suspect. I’d gotten permission to hunt a relatively smaller spot and caught 6 dudes in there who’d snuck in for the same evening hunt.

[jamesfromseattle]

I used to hunt it. Deer population took a major hit in 2021 on Lopez from AHD. I had a 2nd deer tag that year. Saw only 3 does in 3 days. Felt guilty how bad the population was down I didn’t bother filling the tag. From what my buddy who lives out there said, wiped out like 80% of the population. I’d probably give it a few years, and in the meantime start finding permission to hunt private property. The vast majority of the island is private. There’s some land trust that you can get permission to hunt, but not open to hunting during late season. Deer are generally pretty small. More hunters out there than you’d suspect. I’d gotten permission to hunt a relatively smaller spot and caught 6 dudes in there who’d snuck in for the same evening hunt.

AHD absolutely hammered them. Total ghost town on Orcas after that happened. I think they've started coming back, but it'll take a while.

[boneaddict]

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,283005.msg3851044/topicseen.html#new

[Night goat]

Holy crap

[tbird267]

It’s my understanding you have to have written permission in your pocket to hunt most spots out there. 

Yea I saw that there is some land trust stuff out there that gives you like the main seasons, but no late seasons, but looking on OnX, there’s some BLM owned stuff on the south end? BLM land is public land….

I hunted these chunks like ten years ago. Tons of deer, but they stay in the deep brush a lot.