Bethel and Bumping?

[coriantonk]

How crazy are these areas during the general modern rifle season?  I have been in there for the last 4 years during Elk season, but have not tried it for deer.  I know what it looks like on opening day for elk, but I am thinking of trying for deer anyway.  Is it just as crowded?

[jason4429]

There is not as many deer hunters as there is elk hunters.

[MIKEXRAY]

I've bow hunted Bumping for 6 years and only seen 2 legal bucks over 3 pt in all those years & I have spent a lot of time up in the hills. No idea about rifle opening day. There are plenty of areas that you can get away from the crowds if you want to. I'm going to scout up higher than I have ever hunted this year to see if the deer are higher and stay up there. Mike

[Bigshooter]

I use to hunt it for deer every year.  For about five years.  Not a lot of people and not a lot of legal bucks.

[colockumelk]

If you enjoy walking around without seeing anything legal than its an awsome place to go.  Here's the harvest statistics for that area.

2008:  Sorry it doesn't have Success Rates
http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2008/reports/deer_pmu.php?PMU=P35

In 2007 The success rates were:  352 Nile: 6.4%.  356 Bumping: 3.5% 360 Bethel:  5.8%
http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/harvest/2007/db/deer_region3_modern.php

[coriantonk]

It must be my luck, I have seen at least 3 Good bucks each of the last 4 years.  The only problem is that I saw them during Elk season.  I guess if I went there looking for deer all I would see is a bunch of spike bulls   

[gasman]

There are some monster deer taken from Bethel every year, but they few and far between. If you stop in at wood shed you can see some pic from last year.

If you are going to hunt Bethel, i would suggest to hunt close to the Hwy 410 off the upper ridge. Many of the roads are closed due to green dot road system, so walk these closed areas and ravines.

[colockumelk]

I think most of those bucks you see on the wall are taken during the late rifle permits given out during the rut or the general season bow season during the rut.

[high country]

I have seen a few that tested my moral fiber in there.

[270Shooter]

Not very many deer up there... or any of the yakima units for that matter.

[WSU]

I have hunted bumping a few times for elk, and found that the deer are not evenly distributed.  I found on particular area that had quite a few deer, but the majority of areas I hunted didn't have very many. 

[jake]

send me a pm