Methow twice as good as last year?

[wsmnut]

This from the Methow Valley News:

By Patrick Hannigan

Torrential downpours and dense fog is not the weather most hunters wished for on opening day.

But despite a soggy start to the season, many deer hunters had decent success in the first few days of the general modern firearms season, which began at dawn Saturday (Oct. 17) and will run through Sunday (Oct. 25).

According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin, hunters took approximately twice as many deer as last year as measured by numbers from the WDFW check station on the East Chewuch Road. Fitkin and other biologists checked about three dozen deer at the checkpoint on Sunday and Monday (Oct. 18-19).

“I think the wet weather and the later start to the season this year helped hunters a bit,” said Fitkin. “The deer that were taken were really healthy, fat, big-bodied bucks.”

Not all hunters appreciated the heavy rain or found success on opening day.
“I think the rain has the deer hunkering down and so are we,” said Robbi McAllister of Grangeville, Idaho.

McAllister was staying warm and dry in camp during the heaviest afternoon rain on opening day and speculated that the bucks were probably holed up too.

“The bucks got lucky with the rain and the fog because if you can’t see them you can’t shoot them,” said Von Miller of Seattle.

After four days of unsuccessful hunting, they had to return to Seattle so his 17-year old son Chris could go back to school after playing hooky for two days. Chris has shot a buck every year since he was 12 years old – but not this year. The hunters said all they’d seen in four days of hiking the hills were a lot of does and some two-point bucks.

Some hunters had great success on opening day. By mid-afternoon on the first day of the season, Cullen Smith and his party already had three mulies hanging in their camp in Elbow Coulee. Smith, who is from North Bend, has hunted the Methow for 13 years.

“This is not a year when the lazy hunter is going to find success,” said Smith. “You’ve got to get out there and put in some miles.”

Some hunters have different ways of putting in miles. For example, Bruce Brackett and his son Brad have been using mountain bikes to quickly get five or six miles back into the woods on old roads that are closed to vehicles. Still, the Bracketts said they had not yet seen a buck in three days of biking and hunting.

Different hunters take different approaches to the hunt: some walk around, some bicycle, and some hunters, like Boyd Phillips of Silverdale, prefer to sit quietly and wait. He and his partners generally get up around 5:30 and find a place to sit and wait for dawn. The idea is to rely on other hunters who are moving around to spook deer past their hiding spots.

So far, the approach has worked OK: one of his party of four got a buck on opening weekend.

While there are not yet any official numbers, the consensus among hunters during opening weekend is “slow and lots of does.”

But that doesn’t deter hunters from hoping. Ten-year old Louie Ketchum Jr. of Concrete had his first-ever shot at a deer on Sunday, but missed. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up just yet.

“When I get my first deer, I’m going to enter him in the Antlers’ contest,” said Ketchum.

[NRA4LIFE]

Wowwwwwww, 3 dozen deer in 2 days.  Sounds like a slaughter fest up there.

[yelp]

Last year gmu 242 and GMU 231 combined for 177 bucks during modern firearm seasons..2008 game harvest reports

That is an interesting statement to make at this point in the season..

[KimberRich]

This statement is from Fitkin.  Need I say more.

[twisp_river_slayer]

that check point is a joke. The only good that comes out of it is watching him put the road cones back up that we knock down

[MtnMuley]

This statement is from Fitkin.  Need I say more.

Exactly.  I sure havn't seen many deer hanging in camps around...........

[SHANE(WA)]

oh he is a great guy  dept finest

[wolfbait]

Did you say fulla----fitkin, isn't he the same guy who said most wolves don't kill livestock? Can't be the 9 er so wolves that have been hittin the deer herds for say a little over a year,, you know, the first wolf pack in Washington in 70 years.

[mulehunter]

I think Scott Fitkin is such a FUNNY GUY! he just want to clean up his whole LIES he have done over year. No wonder why he is trying to be Famous in Methow Valley News and repeat and repeat his Side Soo many times.


Nice Try Scott Fitkin.

Mulehunter  

[wolfbait]

So, how was the "Twice as good as last year" hunt in the Methow?

[huntnphool]

BS!!!!

[Gobble]

So, how was the "Twice as good as last year" hunt in the Methow?

Not from what I saw  

We saw a few small bucks and some does but I didn't think it was much better (if any) than any of the other recent years (than again we hunt more remote, less crowded areas)

I hold the Alta B muzzy tag which is from Nov 25-30, Its an any deer tag so I am pretty excited to see the early snow dropping in the mountains, We should see some decent animals if this trend continues, just got a pic from my partners buddy of one that got away and its a dandy. Hope he's still there when we get to go.  

[bearpaw]

I have seen some guys post about getting deer, but I thought it sounded like at least as many hunters are disappointed than thinking it's twice as good.

[WDFW-SUX]

Have fun with it this year because next year is going to be worse than anyone can imagine..

Im contemplating sharing where I hunted this year and what I saw because I think it would seriously SHOCK most of you guys.... Its beyond scary..  

I also had a conversation with Scott and I dont feel like he is being honest with his assessment of the overall situation.

He readily admits that there has only been 30% fawn survival in the Vally over the last 4 years and that "issues" with the wither range are the likely culprit....however he could not pinpoint any one reason for the complete decline in the younger age classes 0-4 year olds.

 He does not think that the wolves have ANY effect on the deer.  I didnt bring up the issue he did and was completely defensive about it.  I didnt think my personal preference of zero wolves would have been productive in our conversation.

Still the questions need to be asked If the winter range is in such poor shape that fawn survival is not meeting objectives without any wolf predation. How are the deer herds going to fair when the wolves numbers inevitably increase?

How does a deer heard with a small area that it depends on for winter range Twisp/ Carlton co exist with a growing population of predators that will be in the same area and have zero management?

90% of the deer that I saw harvested where 4+ year olds and very nice bucks.. there were very few 2-4 year old bucks or deer....as soon as the older deer are not around the population is going to become unhuntable

[WDFW-SUX]