High Hunt

[Kingofthemountain83]

Everybody ready for high buck??? We're going shopping in a little bit... Sportmans has Mountain House on sale 2 for $20 if anyone needs to know... We can't leave till Tuesday till the end of season if need be... Camping near the trailhead and hiking a few miles or so... My Dad is 72 so we're taking it a little slower... Good luck to everyone...

[Kingofthemountain83]

All packed up... Leaving at 7am... Good luck everybody...

[Boss .300 winmag]

Don’t forget your crampons for ice fields.😉

[Kingofthemountain83]

Don’t forget your crampons for ice fields.😉

Lol... Hopefully we won't need those...

[bankwalker]

Don’t forget your crampons for ice fields.😉

.

Only if you hike from C post trailhead

[pd]

Don’t forget your crampons for ice fields.😉

.

Only if you hike from C post trailhead

Wow.  Where is the necromancer theme?

[Ridgerunner]

Any reports yet? 


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[Kingofthemountain83]

Just got back today... My Dad and I went to the Paysayten... We camped low so we could drive to trail heads and hike in for day hunts... He's 72 and I'm 41, not in the best of shape for backpacking in... We hit 5 different trails... Would hike in and hike around a little if you could get off trail in areas we wanted... First am we saw 2 doe and a fawn at 326 yards... Saw two coyotes one at 112 yards... Beautiful coat... Almost killed ourselfs going down a 1/4 mile of rock slide to lose some elevation to check out some off trail country... Great way to start the hunt... Didn't see anything the rest of the day...

 Day two we hit what seemed like the most popular trail head there... 11 vehichles at there... Talked to a few back packers on the way in and a lone hunter that said some hunters with pack lammas got a nice 4x over a ridge... About a mile and a half in a doe with two fawn walked right to us on the trail to 46 yards... Then saw 4 grouse on the trail 20 yards down... Ran into 4 hunter on there way out that saw a forky and a big cat... One hurt their ankle... Ran into three more back packers and didn't see anything else that day...

 Day three we got passed by a hunter coming in right at the wilderness boundary... He was going in to meet three friends... We let him pass and held back a little while my Dad and I bsed... As soon as we get moving I catch movement out of mt left eye... Get the glass up and it's a huge chocolate bear... Huge... We're both excited... It's 303 yards... Eating berries on a rock cliff surrounded by loose rock with bushes... After figuring out We're cliffed out on our side and the bears side... We couldn't get to the bear even if he fell off the ciff... Also noticed a much smaller bear, but still rather large black bear farther up ridge eating berries at 536 yards... We sat and watched them for a couple hours until the sun made them go into opposite directions to bed... We hiked up ridged a few more miles and jumped some deer on the trail but never got a good look at them... Ran into 5 hikers on way out... Didn't see anything the rest of the day... There was a white Fitbit hanging at the sign in at the trail head... Been chewed on by a mouse...

 Day four we moved camp east so we could hit some different trails... Got camp set up and hit the trail in the early afternoon... Got into some great country... Didn't see anything... Ran into a couple on horse that hadn't seen anything 6 miles in... Two hikers passed us on the way out... Saw another hunter off trail on the way out... Didn't see anything else... Talked to a bow hunter back at camp for a while... He was having some great hunts in the mid elevations of that unit (218)...

 Day 5 we hike up another trail with 4 rigs at the trail head and a broken I phone where you sign in... Hiked in and jumped some deer on the trail... They were coming down trail... They back tracked on trail about 1/2 mile before dropping off the trail... One of the three had a huge track... We watched and glassed the opposite ridge for almost two hours, didn't find them... Hiked up a little more but didn't see anything... We were almost out of the wilderness and an outfitter with a pack string and two hunters caught up to us... They didn't get anything... All we gathered from our brief encounter and I had many questions...  They were just leaving as we were getting back to the trail head...

 After hiking 46 miles... According to OnX... We decided to scout deer in 218 while road hunting bear and cougar on day 6... We were dragging a little... In the am chose a road system I've gotten a deer on before... Saw two doe and 2 grouse... Went back to camp and made brunch and a nap... Chose a road system for the pm that we've never been on and saw 6 grouse, 3 piles of bear crap, one really big, some moose tracks, and 20 something deer, with three being bucks, a forky, small 3x2, and a spike... The rest being does and fawns... The biggest herd was 7... Cattle everywhere, with shock collars on...

 What we found out... #1 Readiwise freeze dried is no substitute for Mountain House at a rate of $2.25 per serving... The Paysayten is rugged country... I'm not in near as good as shape as I was in a couple years ago... Was expecting to see mt. goats... Some trail heads are very popular, some aren't but are still used often... There are animals close to some of the trail heads and they use the trails to travel until they get where they want or get disturbed by people... I'm still looking for my monster muley... We had a great time and did what we could... Probably try Lake Chelan Rec Area or Glacier Peak next year if I can and Dad is still up for it... Now I gotta start a job and get ready for muzzy deer and elk in Cowichie... Dad has a cow tag... Then back to 218 for modern deer for Dad... Unless the bench leg hunting has improved... 

[MADMAX]

Thanks for a great report
Sounds like a fun trip

[Kingofthemountain83]

I also got bit by a mosquito on the top of my hand in the middle of it on Buckskin Ridge... (Day #2) I smashed it... No big deal... Has happened 100's of times... My hand swelled up to wear I didn't have knuckles and it hurt to bend or move my fingers... The swelling has gone down now and the pain has stopped... But I've never had such a reaction before... Just the standard bump with itching...   

[MerriamMagician]

I would agree that the regular Readywise freeze dry meals are pretty tasteless. I just discovered that brand last year. However their pro/signature meals which cost a bit more are outstanding.

[bearpaw]

excellent hunt report 

[SkookumHntr]

Mountainhouse is tough to beat!

[Gentrys]

Thanks for the writeup!

[Mtnwalker]

King you are lucky that your dad can still do that with you at 72 years old, sounds like a great trip with your ol' man. Hopefully you guys knock one down during general!