New to Washington Hunting. Can you help me make my 8 year olds first hunt great?

[DoubleJ]

Hey guys.  I've lived in Washington for a few years now but have never hunted it.  I have hunted a lot in South Dakota but, it has been a VERY long time.  This year, I am taking my 8 year old out for his first hunt and I have some questions.

1.  The guys at work said that GMU 242 is a good spot to hunt.  How is the terrain?  Taking an 8 year old and not really interested in going up and down a mountain side.  Maybe when he's older.

2.  Is this a high percentage GMU?  I'm taking the "Teach a kid to fish" approach where, high success rate is more important at this stage than quality.

3.  What is the difference between Alta A, Alta B, and Alta F?  I was reading last years reg book and late modern firearm is in Alta A, and youth modern firearm antlerless special permit is in Alta F.  I'm assuming these are areas within the GMU.  What are the boundaries?

4.  When does the rut normally begin here?  I'm assuming after modern firearm season.  What is the best approach to hunting modern firearm here?  Stalking them or sitting and trying to attract them in?  

Thank you all for your help

[lokidog]

The only question I can answer is that Alta A, B, F, etc. are all in the same unit they are either for different time periods and/or different weapon choices.

Good luck with the boy.  If you repost asking for help trying to find a good hunt for your boy's first, you might get more of a response.  There are a lot of good people on this site with good resources available.

[DoubleJ]

Thanks for the clarification on Alta A, B, and F.

Thanks also for the suggestion.  I changed the thread title

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Youth Permits !!!
If you get drawn, its a great chance to fill a tag.
Also apply for EVERYTHING to start building points....

[jackelope]

if you want him to kill a deer...you should look at the northeast corner of the state, there's general youth antlerless tags available OTC and loads of whitetail.

[NWBREW]

Some of your questions I do not know the answers to but I can give a little info. There is a youth season for does in the N.E. corner. Lots of does to be seen and a chance for a buck. There is also a lot of public land to hunt there as well. Some of the units are open to any whitetail buck with the option for a doe for youth. Let me clarify that only one deer can be taken. Lots of clearcuts to watch with a good chance at seeing deer. The one thing to watch for up there is Mule deer. The N.E. corner has a very short regular season for mule deer and a 3pt. min.. The youth season there is for whitetails. Good turkey hunting there as well. Good luck.....you can PM me for a few more details if you wish. I always like to hear about a youngster tagging his first deer.

And welcome to the site.  

[Shootmoore]

Yes that is a good unit. I took my first deer in that unit at 8 years of age in....well lets just say pre 80's.  It is mountain country, and you will mostly be either hunting up and or down.  Good excuse to make sure the 8 year old is in good shape to before you go.

Heck I would not worry about it, when I was 8 I could just about run up and down those mountains.  Now a days, I take it much slower.  If you can score a youth doe tag I would try for both 242 and 239.  239 has a lot more private land, but there is some good spots for a kid that has a doe tag that the terrain is not as steep.

3.  I've never put in for the special tags so not sure what the differences are.

4.  Rut starts after the general season.  It will depend on how much pre-season scouting and how well you know the area on what technique works best for you.  Without spending a lot of time and or knowing the area very well spot and stock will be your best chance of success.  Growing up in that area I knew where the deer traveled and could set up on trails between bedding and feeding locations.  But I mostly do spot and stalk because I enjoyed that more. 

Shootmoore

[DoubleJ]

Youth Permits !!!
If you get drawn, its a great chance to fill a tag.
Also apply for EVERYTHING to start building points....

That's the plan.  Any word on WDFW breaking up the point system like they were talking about?

[DoubleJ]

I was looking at the NE corner too.  We are stuck with where my brother and father are hunting though.  Wife says I need to go with them this first year.  They are hunting Foster Creek probably.  Camping at Bridgeport, I was planning on making the drive to Alta.

[DoubleJ]

Heck I would not worry about it, when I was 8 I could just about run up and down those mountains.  Now a days, I take it much slower.  If you can score a youth doe tag I would try for both 242 and 239.  239 has a lot more private land, but there is some good spots for a kid that has a doe tag that the terrain is not as steep.

Was also looking a bit at 239 and the southern end of 224

[Shootmoore]

I was looking at the NE corner too.  We are stuck with where my brother and father are hunting though.  Wife says I need to go with them this first year.  They are hunting Foster Creek probably.  Camping at Brewster, I can make the drive to Alta if it's going to be better hunting

Foster Crk is flat sagebrush country if your worried about how steep things are.  There are alot more deer up in those sagebrush and wheat fields than people think.  It may look flat but there are a lot of dips and draws that hold deer.  If you could draw a youth doe tag for that area (no clue if there is a doe tag for there) it would be pretty easy to get a shot at a doe.  

Shootmoore

[huntnphool]

if you want him to kill a deer...you should look at the northeast corner of the state, there's general youth antlerless tags available OTC and loads of whitetail.

I'm with Jack, its a lot more open and flat than Alta and much better odds of picking up a youth tag. Has your son taken Hunters Ed? If not, its going to be tough to get him thorugh a class now before the permits have to be in.

[DoubleJ]

if you want him to kill a deer...you should look at the northeast corner of the state, there's general youth antlerless tags available OTC and loads of whitetail.

I'm with Jack, its a lot more open and flat than Alta and much better odds of picking up a youth tag. Has your son taken Hunters Ed? If not, its going to be tough to get him thorugh a class now before the permits have to be in.

Yup.  Licence in hand.  Waiting for the permits to open

[DoubleJ]

I was looking at the NE corner too.  We are stuck with where my brother and father are hunting though.  Wife says I need to go with them this first year.  They are hunting Foster Creek probably.  Camping at Brewster, I can make the drive to Alta if it's going to be better hunting

Foster Crk is flat sagebrush country if your worried about how steep things are.  There are alot more deer up in those sagebrush and wheat fields than people think.  It may look flat but there are a lot of dips and draws that hold deer.  If you could draw a youth doe tag for that area (no clue if there is a doe tag for there) it would be pretty easy to get a shot at a doe.  

Shootmoore

I'm worried about a couple of things at Foster Creek.  

1.  The walking.  My dad says it's quite a few miles of walking.  8 year old legs have a hard time keeping up.  Few miles of flat land vs. a few thousand feet of hills.  It works out to be about even I think.

2.  My dad and brother said that the number of hunters they saw at Foster Creek more than tripled last year vs. the previous few years.  They said it was so bad that you saw hunter orange in every direction.  I was looking at somewhere a bit more secluded.  

Again, I have not scouted any of these areas so, I'm going by the word of people I know and, now you guys.

[6x6in6]

Fairly secluded, easy and successful is going to be a mildly tough combination to achieve.  Secluded being the toughest.
I also would point you to the NE corner of the state.

[huntnphool]

 JMO but Alta is not a kid friendly place to hunt. Way too timbered and steep. A kid should be set up where they can be talked to about their shot and explained why its okay or not to shoot, have plenty of time to glass the animal and determine its legal and ethical. The Alta unit is no where near this kind of area. Sounds like your mind is made up on hunting this particular unit though. I think its a mistake and has far too much potential for a negative outing. With kids you want to keep every outing positive for a few years or I have found they lose interest.

[jackelope]

The youth tags in the northeast have their own season I believe, maybe the weekend before general? I can't remember...for some reason I am also thinking they changed this....maybe I should go look.
The odds of securing private land access is better with an 8 year old doing the hunting too...something else to consider. We hunt farm country, pretty flat if you want it to be and we hunted with an 11 year old this year and walked a couple miles and he was beat at the end of it.
This was in a different part of the state though...but you get the idea. An 8 year old is gonna be worn out quick in country like the Alta unit has.

[DoubleJ]

JMO but Alta is not a kid friendly place to hunt. Way too timbered and steep. A kid should be set up where they can be talked to about their shot and explained why its okay or not to shoot, have plenty of time to glass the animal and determine its legal and ethical. The Alta unit is no where near this kind of area. Sounds like your mind is made up on hunting this particular unit though. I think its a mistake and has far too much potential for a negative outing. With kids you want to keep every outing positive for a few years or I have found they lose interest.

I agree with keeping it positive.  I have not locked on to Alta, I was just going by what the guys at work have said.  Based on what my father and brother are probably going to do, I need to be within about an hour or two drive of Bridgeport.  I can compensate for anything in this range.  Just looking for a good place.  Seclusion is probably the least important

[ThePascoKid]

I'd be looking for a youth permit in the southeast corner of the state, a lot more open rolling terrain where you can do just what phool was talking about, spot your animal and talk the kid through it. Just my  

[Shootmoore]

I was looking at the NE corner too.  We are stuck with where my brother and father are hunting though.  Wife says I need to go with them this first year.  They are hunting Foster Creek probably.  Camping at Brewster, I can make the drive to Alta if it's going to be better hunting

Foster Crk is flat sagebrush country if your worried about how steep things are.  There are alot more deer up in those sagebrush and wheat fields than people think.  It may look flat but there are a lot of dips and draws that hold deer.  If you could draw a youth doe tag for that area (no clue if there is a doe tag for there) it would be pretty easy to get a shot at a doe.  

Shootmoore

I'm worried about a couple of things at Foster Creek.  

1.  The walking.  My dad says it's quite a few miles of walking.  8 year old legs have a hard time keeping up.  Few miles of flat land vs. a few thousand feet of hills.  It works out to be about even I think.

2.  My dad and brother said that the number of hunters they saw at Foster Creek more than tripled last year vs. the previous few years.  They said it was so bad that you saw hunter orange in every direction.  I was looking at somewhere a bit more secluded.  

Again, I have not scouted any of these areas so, I'm going by the word of people I know and, now you guys.

Don't take this the wrong way as its ment to be constructive.

If your worried about the 8 year old being able to walk a few miles, I would suggest looking at the NE area for whitetails.  You ARE going to burn boot leather hunting mule deer no matter if its the Alta area or the Foster Creek area.  More likely than not your not going to be able to walk up on top of a hill and shoot a deer.  Your going to have to cover country, spot and stalk no getting around it.  If your concerned about the 8 year old making it, is there medical issues or weight issues (I'm not trying to be mean here)?  My nephews who are 13 and 7 have went out with me bird hunting and I wear out before they do.  If there is a weight issue or not being in shape I would strongly suggest getting out with the kid hiking this spring and summer (hunt sheds, scout etc.) to make it "fun" exercise.  His experience will be much better if he is not worn out.  Covering country is just a fact of life for hunting mule deer.  

Shootmoore

[DoubleJ]

The youth tags in the northeast have their own season I believe, maybe the weekend before general? I can't remember...for some reason I am also thinking they changed this....maybe I should go look.
The odds of securing private land access is better with an 8 year old doing the hunting too...something else to consider. We hunt farm country, pretty flat if you want it to be and we hunted with an 11 year old this year and walked a couple miles and he was beat at the end of it.
This was in a different part of the state though...but you get the idea. An 8 year old is gonna be worn out quick in country like the Alta unit has.

Where do I find info on the youth special hunt in the NE?  I haven't seen anything about this.  GMU 290 is the only early season youth hunt I see and GMU 101 is the only youth special permit I see in the NE.

[DoubleJ]

I was looking at the NE corner too.  We are stuck with where my brother and father are hunting though.  Wife says I need to go with them this first year.  They are hunting Foster Creek probably.  Camping at Brewster, I can make the drive to Alta if it's going to be better hunting

Foster Crk is flat sagebrush country if your worried about how steep things are.  There are alot more deer up in those sagebrush and wheat fields than people think.  It may look flat but there are a lot of dips and draws that hold deer.  If you could draw a youth doe tag for that area (no clue if there is a doe tag for there) it would be pretty easy to get a shot at a doe.  

Shootmoore

I'm worried about a couple of things at Foster Creek.  

1.  The walking.  My dad says it's quite a few miles of walking.  8 year old legs have a hard time keeping up.  Few miles of flat land vs. a few thousand feet of hills.  It works out to be about even I think.

2.  My dad and brother said that the number of hunters they saw at Foster Creek more than tripled last year vs. the previous few years.  They said it was so bad that you saw hunter orange in every direction.  I was looking at somewhere a bit more secluded.  

Again, I have not scouted any of these areas so, I'm going by the word of people I know and, now you guys.

Don't take this the wrong way as its ment to be constructive.

If your worried about the 8 year old being able to walk a few miles, I would suggest looking at the NE area for whitetails.  You ARE going to burn boot leather hunting mule deer no matter if its the Alta area or the Foster Creek area.  More likely than not your not going to be able to walk up on top of a hill and shoot a deer.  Your going to have to cover country, spot and stalk no getting around it.  If your concerned about the 8 year old making it, is there medical issues or weight issues (I'm not trying to be mean here)?  My nephews who are 13 and 7 have went out with me bird hunting and I wear out before they do.  If there is a weight issue or not being in shape I would strongly suggest getting out with the kid hiking this spring and summer (hunt sheds, scout etc.) to make it "fun" exercise.  His experience will be much better if he is not worn out.  Covering country is just a fact of life for hunting mule deer.  

Shootmoore

He has a thyroid condition that puts him at about 4'2" and 90lbs.  He's a bit overweight but, exercises a lot.  He is in shape for as much as his weight lets him be.  No getting around the weight issue though.  No matter how much exercise, he's always going to be heavy

[Shootmoore]

Rgr that DoubleJ.  I was thinking there might be an issue.  I would steer clear of Alta Unit then.  It is steep country.  And as someone said above it is timbered country for the most part, probably have a better chance working some of the sagebrush country or whitetail country.

Good luck and here is hoping that your boy has a great first time.

Shootmoore

[DoubleJ]

Thank you.  I'll look to the sage areas around Foster Creek, Big Bend, and Withrow

[jackelope]

Where do I find info on the youth special hunt in the NE?  I haven't seen anything about this.  GMU 290 is the only early season youth hunt I see and GMU 101 is the only youth special permit I see in the NE.

http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/huntregs2009.pdf

page 12. it looks like it is no longer a special season, just special youth/senior/disabled tags

[NWBREW]

For modern rifle in 2009 ----youth...units 101-124 oct. 17-30....any whitetail deer. Fairly long season for the kid to score any deer. No permits to buy....over the counter tags. That is if they didn't change the season much. Just something to keep in mind if you don't score in the first few days. Less people and more chances to fill a deer Tag. Fairly easy hunting......if there is such a thing.  

[Atroxus]

Good luck on your hunt. Even if you don't bag a deer, hopefully it will still be a great experience for you and your son. I can't wait till my son is old enough to take him hunting as well, and just hope there will still be as many helpful people on this forum when that time comes.  I hope you post pics if you do manage to connect your son with a deer though.

[DoubleJ]

Good luck on your hunt. Even if you don't bag a deer, hopefully it will still be a great experience for you and your son. I can't wait till my son is old enough to take him hunting as well, and just hope there will still be as many helpful people on this forum when that time comes.  I hope you post pics if you do manage to connect your son with a deer though.

Will do.


I've spent the last few hours pouring over maps of the area and have a fist full of private property request letters to mail out.

Thanks again everyone