new guy

[hoosier85]

hey hows it going everyone,



I just wanted to say hello to everyone and say that I am new to this site. I will also be new to the state of washington.  I am a pretty big shooter and I have been hunting since a young age. I have hunted everything but your cougars , bear , moose, elk, and ram. correct me if i am wrong but i think it is ram. I am very impressed with the variety of game you have in your area. Hopefully i will be able to get some incite on public areas to hunt so my transition will be easier. I am not asking for private permission or your favorite spots. Just a friendly heads up.  Thank you for reading. 

[huntnphool]

Wlecome to the site

[PacificNWhunter]

Good to have you aboard!

[HuntingFanatic]

Welcome! Id start with a good atlas! Pictures of Dead Indianan(?)deer might help a little.....lol we all like to see dead deer! Lots of pictures and info on here....Im sure youll be addicted to this site soon enough!

[turkey slayer]

Welcome and enjoy

[fishermanjoe]

If you are new to WA one of the best ways to find public property (for me) is the GOHUNT feature on the WDFW website. Right now is one of the best times to check out some new public property, you can scout for some hunting spots and luck out on some sheds. Just be careful of the elk closure areas. Once you find an area that intrests you go get a LC Sportsmap. The LC maps will have all the info for your green dot roads and good topo for finding ravens that funnel game. What areas are you looking into? Eastside? Westside?


Oh and by the way welcome!

[head hunter]

Welcome 

[hoosier85]

Indiana deer? nah that one is a Maine buck. We might have big corn feed deer in Indiana, but if you ever get a chance to hunt in Wisconsin.... I would. serious deer. The does in Wisconsin look like that buck. Thank you everyone for all the help. I really do appreciate it. oh one more thing. What is the average shot range in WA?

[shoot-em-dead]

Average shots are probably within 100yds or so but you must also take into consideration the differnces within the state. The west side is mountains and most of it you can't see past 50 yds once inside. Move to the middle of the state and you have desert where you can see forever. I went to the north east corner of the state and the brush is so thick up there you can't see ten feet. What area are you moving to?

[Young Buck]

Welcome! Let me know what area your moving to and I would be glad to point you in the right direction.

[hoosier85]

I will be near reanton. The first thing i think i will be going after is coyote if that helps any either? I am going to have to much going on for spring turkey. 

[Young Buck]

I wouldn't be much help in that region. Post something in the Turkey thread and the Varmint and Small Game thread for the yotes. I imagine your used to open country yote hunting which you won't get much of on that side of the state. If you head over the mountains to Ellensburg or Yakima thats when the terrain opens up. 

[hoosier85]

so how exactly does the deer season work in WA since you have  several different types of deer? I know this may sound dumb but seriously you guys are spoiled. I am just use to White tail in the mid west and a couple season in the north east. 

[WDFW-SUX]

Here is the 1-2-3-4 of washington deer hunting.

1. Hit the modern muley season at the beggining of October

2. At the end of October if your still looking for a buck hunt the end of modern for blacktails.

3. If you still have no buck then you hunt the late blacktail  in mid november

4. If your still lacking a rack after late westside buck then its off to the northest corner for late whitetail...

[hoosier85]

Awesome! that sounds great. I really cant wait to do some serious deer hunting again. Are the whitetail really that small out there? I have great news too. I get to use some of my future wedding money to buy a new deer gun and scope anybody shoot the remington 700? Or the Remington AR?  Am I really missing out if i dont buy a Luepold? I have a couple Nikons.... How are thos DOA recticles? Will I get allot of use out of my Range finder I spent my allowance on? Or what about my little 15 foor ladder stand, hows that going to work out there.

[7mag.]

Awesome! that sounds great. I really cant wait to do some serious deer hunting again. Are the whitetail really that small out there? I have great news too. I get to use some of my future wedding money to buy a new deer gun and scope anybody shoot the remington 700? Or the Remington AR?  Am I really missing out if i dont buy a Luepold? I have a couple Nikons.... How are thos DOA recticles? Will I get allot of use out of my Range finder I spent my allowance on? Or what about my little 15 foor ladder stand, hows that going to work out there.

The Remington 700 is a good choice, I wouldn't personally use an AR for big game. Leupolds are nice, but Nikon makes a decent scope too. You will use your range finder out here, the different types of terrain can make judging range difficult. Stands work well for blacktails. Welcome, hope to see you on the site a lot.

[hoosier85]

I dont want to give anyone the wrong idea but when I said AR I meant the larger calibers.

[7mag.]

I dont want to give anyone the wrong idea but when I said AR I meant the larger calibers.

I knew what you meant, I'm personally not a fan of the AR platform for hunting. I like my hunting rifles to look like hunting rifles.

[hoosier85]

Hoosier has landed. (after the 3000 + mile drive ) Instead of the 700 I picked up the Marlin XL7 in .270. Awesome gun by the way if anyone is looking for a good shooter for a fair price! Still looking for some Ideas for a scope on my new 270, does anybody have any good suggestions?I am trying to get my feet wet by talking to everyone I can about hunting when it comes up. turns out redmond is not that kind of place.  I did get the heads up from a buddy that I can hunt the base in Ellensburg. Anybody know the area? I have a free pass in my walet with my picture on it that will get me on but dont know if its worth going down there for? so far everyone had told me something else on were too head. Cascades, island, out east? Can anyone narrow it down more??? I remember all the new guys that would come to my work in Maine asking me about places to hunt and fish. Is there any place out here where people can go that is normal?

[toe-jam]