Methow?

[WDFW-SUX]

Anyone hunt there this weekend?  thoughts?

[TEX-X]

i heard that there were so many hunters there that it was hard to even turn around without bumping into someone...well that was the public land anyways

[WDFW-SUX]

That sounds about right

[twisp_river_slayer]

on opening morning the valley was pretty fogged in. im guessing that didnt help any, especially in the sagebrush. I worked at the meat market all day and probably had only a dozen deer come in which was a drop in the bucket from last year. Sunday the weather was a lot better but didnt hear of any improvements. There were a million hunters but there usually is opening weekend. Most of my buddies tagged out on whitetails and not muleys this year. If the weather drops or we get some snow up high it might move some more deer in.

[TEX-X]

hey twisp slayer....  i'm looking for a local guide  what do you say?  show me some deer?  i'll offer quail, pheasant, or chukar hunting with my dog....

[boneaddict]

we get some snow up high it might move some more deer in.

Or all the wolves might die of Parvo and we'll have three easy winters in a row and they'll cut tags.

NO ONE believes me when I say that the population in the valley is at an all time low.  Ya, I don't have a clue, just trying to keep you from hunting the valley. I ahve no credibility.

[bow4elk]

we get some snow up high it might move some more deer in.

Or all the wolves might die of Parvo and we'll have three easy winters in a row and they'll cut tags.

NO ONE believes me when I say that the population in the valley is at an all time low.  Ya, I don't have a clue, just trying to keep you from hunting the valley. I ahve no credibility.

onoe whtasoverr...

[TEX-X]

that's what i'm thinking....boneaddict...any suggestions?  you don't have to give out your honey hole (although that would be cool)  just point me in the right direction...have gun and am willing to travel

[boneaddict]

Well, there is the Entiat, NE corner, Farm country around Spokane, Clarkston, or blacktails.  I did suggest to everyone that the Methow Population was at its worse, I don't think many listened by how many orange vests I seen. LOL

[twisp_river_slayer]

well bone i agree that the mule deer population is at an all time low but i think the whitetail population is increasing every year. The mule deer have everything working against them while the whitetail seem to adapt.

[WDFW-SUX]

I think the methow needs a year round whitetail tag.

[huntnphool]

I think the methow needs a year round whitetail tag.

 You would need to apply for the 5 permits they would make available, don't think for a second they are not going to give away hunting days without making $$$$.

[boneaddict]

well bone i agree that the mule deer population is at an all time low but i think the whitetail population is increasing every year. The mule deer have everything working against them while the whitetail seem to adapt

Mostly called Private property.   I used to hammer em as a kid.  Those alfalfa eaters tast better than those sage muleys.

[PacificNWhunter]

Well I spent the weekend camped up around 5500-6000 feet in the Methow and got WET. There was alot of deer activity on Friday on my way in, saw about 20-30 deer 3 of those 3 points or better. Saturday found me fogged in larger then life, was able to get onto 2 different 3 points but was never able to close the deal, one I lost in the fog and could only make out his backside and then he moved on, the second I found below me working up a chute and with fog he slipped right past me. Caught him bailing over the top of the mountain above me when the fog lifted for a minute. Boots were soaking wet so sunday was a short day. Drove 4 hours back home and decided to dry out and possibly head back later this week.

[huntnphool]

I hear ya. Hard to tell but this spot is wide open, no trees. The fog would lift for a few minutes at a time, just long enough to spot deer and realize what you were NOT going to get to For the most part we had 30' of visibilty until it would clear, then move right back in.

[boneaddict]

Kinda reminds me of my hunt last year

[PacificNWhunter]

Yeah I was whooped and dissapointed walking out. Plus my gear gained weight from all the water, not good weight at all. I was pretty hairy for awhile up on the mountain, lost my tent for an hour or so Sat. night, the fog was thick!

[FishFurandFowl]

Had a good time other than being wet and the fog issues. I have hunted the same area for a few years now and thought that there was not as much pressure as in years past but I did notice a lot more road hunters. We managed to see a spike and a few does but nothing legal. Hope to have better luck this weekend. Normally I would take more time off but I have a chance to go elk hunting with some friends and plan on using the vacation time for that. I can always fill my tag on the island in November but I would prefer a muley over the big labs we have here.

[huntnphool]

I would agree. Seemed to be less hunters out there. We took a drive up in the timber after our morning trek and the usual camp spots were not as crowded.

[WDFW-SUX]

Thanks for chasing them around for me Ill be over on Wednesday.. they should be in my spots by then

I had a near catastrophe on Sunday..my waffle iron burned my trigger finer oh the humanity 

[Skinnyman]

Just got back from hunting over there. No luck for me. There are A LOT of people road hunting, but if you hike a ways up into the hills, the numbers of people seemed to dramatically thinned out. The only bummer is that there weren't very many deer up in the hills where we were.

Saw a handful or two of spikes, but very few with branched antlers.

[Okano-gun]

Hunted hard, 1 two point and 12 does in three days. lots of pumkins

[WDFW-SUX]

One more day.. keep those deers moving

[bearpaw]

I was really curious to read this topic, I seem to remember wolfbait pedicting a lower deer harvest this fall in the methow.

[WDFW-SUX]

Doesn't sound real good does it.... 

[NRA4LIFE]

Saturday was fogged in worse than I have ever hunted.  Most of the time Saturday it was about MAX 50 yd visibility. Then the rain would set in, then more fog, etc.  Tough day, wet, wet ass.  The good thing is that I did not see one other hunter while in the woods.  Saw deer but no shooters.  Lots and lots of road hunters though.

[wolfbait]

we get some snow up high it might move some more deer in.

Or all the wolves might die of Parvo and we'll have three easy winters in a row and they'll cut tags.

NO ONE believes me when I say that the population in the valley is at an all time low.  Ya, I don't have a clue, just trying to keep you from hunting the valley. I ahve no credibility.

The begining of the end as far as hunting deer in the Methow. I have said about enough on the subject of how many deer we don't have anymore. As time goes on some of the rest of your will realize the very same thing. Can't feed the wolves and hunters both. Next year there won't be as many hunters as this year and the year after there will be fewer yet. 

[mulehunter]

Only I know a boy his first Deer  Barely LEGAL 3x2 was take down Carlton His dad Emailed to me with a Picture. I was very surprised that He shot him for his age 10. Not bad... His dad is very good at hunting Deer whole his life. They are from Tacoma, Wa His dad own a Cabin up there. He havent filled his tag Yet and still hunting up there. He said He saw 5 bby 4 whitetail ZOOM gone and come back next day zoom GONE and He is trying to NAIL him.

We will see...

I asked him how is deer herd to you? . He said  its pretty Weird this year than usually. So He doesnt care anyway as long as he want this whitetail Buck.

He also saw a Helicoptor above and two Gamedept drove upper Dav Lake Monday Noon.  Not sure what for?     

Maybe Next year will be lot different!  We will see...    Damn Wolves!


Mulehunter   

[alecvg]

Just got back, lots of fog and rain through Sunday, but after that hunting was good, I saw 26 deer this morning, including two bucks, just couldn't get on them, only saw two hunters the entire trip, as well as one horse back rider.  Didn't see as many bucks as I expected, but had a good time anyway.  Going back out next weekend again.  Heard alot of shots, and know of quite a few nice bucks down.

[wsmnut]

My son and I just got back from four days hunting the Alta unit.  Same really tough day Saturday with the weather.  Lots of fog, then the rain.  Great navigation excercise for my son!  Sunday more fog in the morning, but frustrating because we saw a group of deer disappear in the fog after taking about three hops away.
Nice weather yesterday and today.  Spotted a big bodied buck way up at the top of a hill we were glassing, but by the time we tried a stalk he was gone.  The wind came up and he winded us, or he was tired of being there.  This morning we had our situation ruined by another hunter.  Not once, but twice.  After not seeing another hunter within miles of us for three days, this knucklehead storms up the hill mid morning, comes right up to me after breaking every twig he can scrape up, and says " Hey man, I'm sorry I came up this way.  Have you been here before?  Did you go over there this morning".....blah blah blah in a loud voice.
      Up another ridge this guy goes, and came down the same one about an hour later.  Never stopped to glass a thing.  It was as if he was out to set a record for squashing mules ears or something.    My son was disgusted.  At least he was the only other hunter in four days.
     Not a lot of fresh deer sign in our corner of the Alta.  We tried a couple different locales including up to about 5,000 feet or so.
     Not nearly so many camps as last year, and last year was down from before.  Shooting in the area was down by at least 75% from last year.  The statistical summary from this will be interesting....

Tag soup for us now...    

[Snowman]

Spent a week there before it open. Was gathering my thoughts before I spreaded my Dad's ash's there. I did not see a legal buck or any buck. I was up in the Chewuch unit we had snow high and low monday thru wednesday there. We found an area where the wolves where chasing the deer around. Thought they might be coyotes, but after reading the local newspaper an them talking about the wolf problems an then reading that they have had a 70% mortality rate from the last 4 hard winters with fawns. We saw does an fawns and not as many as we usually do over there. Talking to some of the locals, it seemed that there is a real problem over there as they said there was no bucks taken during archery that they had heard of. Doesn't seem like the wild life dept. gives a *censored* as usual. Defenitly wouldn't waste my time this year or next going over.