Snake River Area Help

[buckmaster_wa]

Clockum its a great area if you got lots of money to pay the farmers.      Us poor folk have to hunt the public ground on the south side of the river.

[colockumelk]

Who said anything about hunting it.     All I said was that I've seen elk there, but that doesn't mean anything because they move around ALOT.  Also I've never paid any money to any farmer to hunt.  You know that. 

[popeshawnpaul]

Thrasher, I've hunted all along the Snake.  It's going to be a zoo no matter where you go.  You go get set up before daylight and wait for them to run all around.  Find the first 2 point with an eye guard and pop him.  Anywhere from Lyons Ferry to Clarkston is good and holds a lot of mule deer.  You need to be half way up between the top and bottom.  Either walk up from the water or down from the top.  It's not a secluded paradise and there won't be any booner bucks walking around...

[jjhunter]

Thrasher, I've hunted all along the Snake.  It's going to be a zoo no matter where you go.  You go get set up before daylight and wait for them to run all around.  Find the first 2 point with an eye guard and pop him.  Anywhere from Lyons Ferry to Clarkston is good and holds a lot of mule deer.  You need to be half way up between the top and bottom.  Either walk up from the water or down from the top.  It's not a secluded paradise and there won't be any booner bucks walking around...

Oh no, not a boater.   Be careful, a lot of guys think the Army Corps owns the breaks to the top.  Make sure you no where you are, a lot of guys "access" from the river and are trespassing.    We get the "Army Corps" line all the time - I can assure that the Game Warden does not accept that excuse.  In Washington, you are responsible for knowing where you are at all times.  We don't have to paint our posts orange!     You may not kill a booner, but I hunt it every year and have opportunities at 25"+ bucks.  There may be a lot of road hunters, but if you get access to good private, the presssure will be minimal and it will be a great hunt. 

[jjhunter]

Sorry Pope, not implying you are a boater, was just reminded of boaters from "access from the bottom. 

[Bean Counter]

"access from the bottom." 

That's what she said 

[Thrasher]

There may be a lot of road hunters, but if you get access to good private, the presssure will be minimal and it will be a great hunt. 

Therein lies yet another problem. Not knowing any of the property owners, or a place to go.

Thanks for all of the replies so far. I can see that this may end up being a "Let's do it next year" sort of thing. I just hate putting it off any longer than I have to. I clearly do not know where to send us. I'm not looking for a trophy, merely a decent shooter and a good time with my Dad.

[colockumelk]

If you are looking for some public land hunting for open country mule deer then check out the Columbia Basin GMU's.  Such as 278, 272, 379, 381.  There's a ton of public land and a good amount of deer.  It's flat and an easy walk for your father.  Just use google earth and find where there's some water a mile away from a road and head there.  Be there before light.  Good luck. 

[B.G.hunter]

gmu 186 has a large amount of public land and good size bucks but it is steep country

[Wea300mag]

I've hunted that area several times and it's a zoo unless you can find a super secret spot(private land).

[Old Dog]

I believe you because I've seen elk near Rock Springs road.  I give you props if you get an elk every year.  They can really cover some ground.  Those elk move ALOT!!!!!

Rock Springs - you are getting close to my neck of the woods!

I was there the 1st to the 3rd of this month chasing them with my recurve.  We saw 24 bucks in three days, but only 3 of them were legal.  I got in one exciting stalk, but couldn't quite get close enough. 
jjhunter, whose ground do you hunt on?

[jjhunter]

I hunt the entire county......depends on where I find the big boys. I am fortunate to have access to a bunch of ground.   I am a severly inbred whitmancountyan - which means I am related to far too many people in close proximity to one another.  Not many choices for a prom date, but it sure works out on the hunting side. 

[Slayock]

There is some good ground on the south side of the snake in Garfield county that is private but the owners dont hunt it because they cant drive to it.  I imagine they would give you permission to hunt it.  Its above Lower Granite Dam several miles.  I dont know for sure about being able to get permission but there is a pile of ground up that way that doesnt get hunted.

[GUscottie]

From my experiences...Def head towards C. Wa, near Ritzville, Washtucna, Hatton, Lind and even further north . I'm from a small town in there, originally, and every year I went on the CRP, I or my buddy got one.

As for scouting it, go out there find the feel free to hunt lands or the BLM. I had a fortunate youth and knew all the farmers in and around the area. If you have time, ask around to see what is public land. People are typically kind and if you hit them up in the Spring/Summer time, they def are willing to show you areas of public land where others typically aren't hunting, or where there is far less pressure.

As was stated previously, the area away from the Snake is far flatter, and easier to manage, and if there is water around, there are deer. Hunting near the Snake River Breaks: Rough going.

Either way, just doing some scouting before hand will increase your chances at finding land and maybe even finding a honey hole. I wish you the best of luck.

[Thrasher]

Well, thank you to everyone for their responses so far.

I was chatting with a friend and he had mentioned that many people head to Lower Granite Dam area.

What can someone tell me about this area? Is this hunting mayhem? crowds? He said that many people just drive the roads over there? I am rather confused and still have no idea where to take us, no leads on land owners, etc

Anyone want to enlighten me about this? PM's are ok.