I visited Swanson Lakes Wed/Thurs this week (yesterday). It was my first visit to the area, and I found it to be most interesting. I called the managment office on the site at (509) 636-2344 to learn that there is site on BLM land where camping is permitted at the south end of Reiber RD. Otherwise, camping is not permitted on WDFW land.
I managed to meet and converse with all the staff up there, including Julie, the manager. They were all very helpful and REALLY want to encourage the coyote hunters to come out. Mike (one of the staff) laments that he is not permitted to carry a rifle with him while he is on duty, or he'd have shot many, many, this year.
They showed me the telemetry units they attach to planted birds. When they get a "no life" signal from one of the birds (no movement for 24 hours) then they go out to fetch the collar. Too often they are found at coyote dens, hence their interest in having us help harvest the 'yotes. They are managing sharptailed grouse and I believe ruffed grouse as well, recently (bringing in birds from other sanctuaries).
The place is huge, relative to the other lands I hunt. They advertise that it is 21,000 acres. It is roughly 9x11 miles across, contiguously, with other lands nearby. There is water scattered all over this shrub-steppe environment. No trees, just grass, rocks, and sage.
Much of the northern half has little contour to hunt with (flat sage). There is one nice drainage on the east side, and rich-looking terrain to the south, that I haven't explored. There are many 'trails' to hunt from, that are really closed roads. Easy to find and follow, with little risk of any vehicles being on it (though BLM does cruise these roads from time to time).
I suggest taking a GPS to mark your vehicle location, and taking extended hikes through the terrain, calling when the situation looks good. You could make trips out and back of 2 to 10 miles, as you might wish. There is no organizing ridges or terrain to navigate by. If you get on the highest ground, you can see the foothills to the north, otherwise this is pretty flat.
Main access to the site is along Seven Springs Dairy RD, with additional access along Telford RD in the east. Lonepine RD in the north was not suitable for my *censored* Intrepid hunting rig (big trunk).
They tell me that the place is a zoo during MF deer season, but that the archers that hunt the area are well rewarded. I saw perhaps a dozen deer while I was there (one coming to my call!)
Wednesday night I cruised the roads, looking for places to hunt from. As it got dark, I began howling at intervals, hoping to hear a response. After a dozen or so stops with no response, I got back to my camp site and gave it a try. What do you know! I got a howl/bark back! It bode well for the morning's hunt.
I got up at 4am, and saw the early-morning twilight in a clear sky. The moon ad set a few hours earlier. It was dark enough that I had to use my flashlight to get my hunting gear together. I was being quiet, but even in the darkness I heard a coyote bark nearby. I suspect "I was busted" right there.
A bit later I was able to leave camp and head upwind. Fortunately, the wind favored hunting towards where I had heard the howl the night before (well, only about 5 hours earlier). I set up along a closed dirt road, with visibility only along its length (due to terrain and sage). I called without visible success. It is very likely that coyotes investigated, and busted me before I got sight of them. It was a less than ideal stand.
I am convinced that the coyotes are there, but it will take sharp thinking to find the places to set up that will put them in view for a shot. It is a challenging place to call coyotes, in my novice opinion.
I'll back that up by saying I saw no coyotes on this trip, despite the assurances of the locals that "they are there". A nearby cattle rancher is reported to have taken 40 coyotes off his property this last year, some at night with lights, and others while just managing his herd. I did see scat along the roads I hiked, but not in great quantities.
I will go back, that is for sure. It wasn't all that pleasant in the afternoons with temperatures in the 90's. I'd
carry my camo jacket to my stand, before donning it. (Coyotes shouldn't be hunted in the summer.) I pulled a few ticks off, too. Rattlesnakes are common in the south half of the site, and never seen in the north half. Go figure.
Here is a peek at the terrain in one location (and it varies widely)
The site has other attractions for the curious. The terrain here is channeled scablands from the ice age floods. Here is an ice-rafted erratic that is found by Telford RD.
This chunk of granite is 5 feet across, and came from Idaho or Canada. It is a little out of place, sitting on the basalt! I'll send GPS coordinates if anybody is going that way and wants to see it. (No hiking, as it is roadside.)
I suggested to the site manager that perhaps a coyote-hunting contest would get more hunters out. Julie said that a tournament run out of Odessa was recently held, but she didn't know how it turned out. Any of you (dear readers) know what the contest harvest might have been?
Ivar
