Author Topic: Methow Deer Forecast (Read 9277 times)

boneaddict · « **on:** March 23, 2008, 08:18:51 AM »

If anyone cares to hear what Boneaddict has to say.......

I finally went shedding yesterday in one of my favorite areas. I've been waiting for it to open up and also to give the deer a break. I saw 152 deer in a basin I usually count 400-600. I have been to this area for about 20 years running. year before last I found 26 sheds, last year 16, this year 3.
HERES THE BAD PART
152 live deer, 87 dead deer. Thats right, a HUGE winterkill. About 20 of those were cogar kills, but there were dead bodies everywhere. That was just in the normal path I take looking for sheds. think of all those I did not see. We are talking almost %50 mortality in just the area I was in. The deer that I did see ranged from being in excellent shape to bare bones, counting ribs. I would bet we will loose a few more before its said and done. Not to mention the *censored* that was still working the area. I saw 7 confirmed bucks, one of which would have been a trophy for sure. He was a huge mountain buck. DWARFED all the others.
I honestly don't know if I want to be drawn this year. The hunting in the Methow is going to be PITIFUL. The NE corner didn't fair well either. I hope the Entiat faired much better. It sounds like it might have.

actionshooter · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:22:32 AM »

Thats not good

bobcat · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:32:36 AM »

Thanks for the report. No surprise, really. I won't plan on hunting mule deer this year, that's for sure.

Red Dawg · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:36:32 AM »

I went shed hunting up the road from your house bone and I did not even see a deer track. WE saw to dawgs though and about 300 elk. But it is pretty bad when you see more dogs that deer.

boneaddict · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:42:03 AM »

Basically Bobcat, I'd plan to camp and if you get a deer, be damn happy with yourself. I obviusly won't skip the season, but will go into with a different attitude. I sure don't want to waste my points this year though.
Here is one that made it. He should be a legal buck this year.

bobcat · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:52:18 AM »

Wha'd you do, get a shot of his pecker?

Well, this year I think I will spend most of my time chasing blacktails and elk. I don't wanna go on a camping trip during hunting season.

boneaddict · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:54:22 AM »

Red Dawg · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:55:49 AM »

what a shame. that is such a great area to hunt. But i guess that is the way it happens. Nothing we can do about it. I dont hunt that area but I'm sorry ahead of time for the guys who hunt there every year. But if you hunt hard I'm am sure you wont have a problem. I have a hard time shooting "legal" bucks ( I wont do it anymore). Hopefully it wont start raining and snowing on them now. I heard this type of weather in the spring is what is hardest on them.

boneaddict · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:58:13 AM »

nah Bobcat I'm not as perverted as longtat or Coasthunter.....

WDFW-SUX · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2008, 09:35:24 AM »

The overall deer numbers are very concerning.............

I wonder if they cut back all of the extra opportunity in the Vally this year............I cant see a need for 300 antlerless permits + September archery doe tags and 100+ November tags...........

SuperDave · « **Reply #10 on:** March 23, 2008, 09:47:30 AM »

Thankyou for the update bone! More informative than WDFW! Hopefully the tag numbers are reflective of the situation at hand. I will be saving my points as well!

jae · « **Reply #11 on:** March 23, 2008, 09:56:54 AM »

Very sad! thanks for the update.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #12 on:** March 23, 2008, 10:02:34 AM »

Going to be a sad state of affairs in the valley for sure!!! Might be a good year for points only.

Branden · « **Reply #13 on:** March 23, 2008, 02:59:00 PM »

I have never hunted the Methow but that sucks. Hopefully WDFW cuts tags way back.

Wea300mag · « **Reply #14 on:** March 23, 2008, 03:14:29 PM »

That blows!!! It's going to make selecting permit areas tough. The Desert sucks, big kill in Methow, leaves Entiat or points only as options.

ICEMAN · « **Reply #15 on:** March 23, 2008, 03:22:27 PM »

I hope everyone stays home and avoids the entiat and other areas not hit as hard.....the last thing these areas need is an influx of a bunch of new hunters.....

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:28:05 PM »

Quote from: Iceman on March 23, 2008, 03:22:27 PM

I hope everyone stays home and avoids the entiat and other areas not hit as hard.....the last thing these areas need is an influx of a bunch of new hunters.....

Now honestly what do you think the chances of that happening are?

boneaddict · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:31:14 PM »

I guess the permit I want this year is a CAT PERMIT.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #18 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:32:31 PM »

[quote year before last I found 26 sheds, last year 16, this year 3.
So wheres the pictures of your sheds?

boneaddict · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:37:57 PM »

Another slam...they weren't worth taking pics of. Two two points and one three with a busted point( another two). As many miles as I travelled, the camera hardly left the pack. I missed one photo op on a piar of bluebirds. It would have been apublishable print too.

they were at 20 feet with the sun at my back. I stopped and dug out the camera and the female flew> I turned on the digital and when the camera beeped the male flew. He circled my and then I was looking right into the sun. Couldn't even see him. I pointed and shot and I may have got him inthe frame, maybe not. Now he was about 200 feet away.

boneaddict · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2008, 04:43:53 PM »

this is cropped. At least I got him on film. it was cool seeing bluebirds in the snow. SPRING is coming.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2008, 05:01:32 PM »

You are right Bone that has the potential to be an excellent pic!!

alecvg · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2008, 05:12:08 PM »

Dang... I only hunt winthrop area... its just been getting worse and worse over their! My dad and brothers started hunting it about 15 years ago and would see 100+ deer per day with herds of 20-30. This year i saw the most deer in my group of hunters... only 43 in one weekend! I only saw one buck and it took of so fast we couldnt tell what it was, though my bro missed a nice 2x3 and my uncle passed on a nice 3x3, and my dad saw a couple racks running away from him. But ya its dissapointing, i sure hope the population goes back up, they deffinley shouldnt do so many antlerless tags this year... but when the poulation goes back up again i hope they open the third weekend back up, thats when the good hunting is!

boneaddict · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:10:30 PM »

It sure would have been if I could have got him at 20 feet versus 200, and with the sun right. Talk about standing out with color.

saylean · « **Reply #24 on:** March 24, 2008, 12:09:22 AM »

Too bad to hear about the nasty kills....thus is nature I guess. I will still be over there more than likely this year anyway...just to do it..last few years, I have not had much luck in Twisp/Winthrop anyway...

Thanks for the updates Bone.

D~

bankwalker · « **Reply #25 on:** March 24, 2008, 12:33:52 AM »

man thats not good news. i really like hunting the methow area. and my buddies parents told him the other day they 5 dead deer 2 of which were bucks on thier property this winter so far.

Ridgerunner · « **Reply #26 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:05:59 AM »

Probably why the number of late tags is going to decrease this year.

boneaddict · « **Reply #27 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:17:54 AM »

I sure hope they cut the antlerless tags as well.

Red Dawg · « **Reply #28 on:** March 24, 2008, 06:20:28 AM »

From what I keep hearing they are going to drop deer tags state wide and raise elk tags.

HuntingFanatic · « **Reply #29 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:17:25 AM »

Bummer to hear since that is the area i mainly hunt. Im not gonna take a point. Id be happy to get drawn.....been through lean years before in the methow.

NRA4LIFE · « **Reply #30 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:06:21 AM »

Crud. As if it wasn't hard enough. Really hoping to draw MT now....

WDFW-SUX · « **Reply #31 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:08:07 AM »

Boneaddict, Did you see any of this years fawn crop or are they all gone?

boneaddict · « **Reply #32 on:** March 24, 2008, 01:11:16 PM »

Alot of the dead were young ones. There are still a few, but obviously not enough to stay par or recover from normal losses. Interesting enough, they were all femal fawns that were dead. I found almost all if not all of the skulls to check, and all were does or female fawns. Typical in teh bird world, you lose the hens first as chicks and there is a majority of males that survive when conditions are not optimal. More robust.

PacificNWhunter · « **Reply #33 on:** March 25, 2008, 07:19:11 PM »

Thanks for the update bone- I was wondering how the deer herds were fairing over that way. Last year was my first year over in the Methow valley and it's got to be one of prettiest places I have ever been. I made several trips over prior to the snow after hunting season because I was hooked on the country. I am still getting used to the area and kind of planned on basically camping around a few different spots during hunting season and hopefully running into some horns. Sounds like it is going to be tough hunting. I saw a kitty late Nov. up off the twisp river road and found a cougar kill up near Mazama. I guess they need to take a few of the cats out like their doing to the sea lions!

RubblesPH · « **Reply #34 on:** March 27, 2008, 05:04:06 AM »

Bone - If I draw another Lion tag, I'll help you clean that cat out of there. Don't have to worry about me knowing your shed hunting spot....not my thing.

RubblesPH

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #35 on:** March 27, 2008, 05:36:25 AM »

Don't we all know Bones Shed hunting area it's the whole Valley!!!

boneaddict · « **Reply #36 on:** March 27, 2008, 06:19:14 AM »

I'm hoping you'll be running your hounds with my tag this year. You'll learn all sorts of country.

DOUBLELUNG · « **Reply #37 on:** March 27, 2008, 07:07:50 AM »

That bluebird picture tells a tale - that bitterbrush has been overbrowsed by too many deer for too many years. If it's representative of the browse in that area, that big die-off is not surprising, and maybe what needs to happen there too. Bet there's not been a seedling bitterbrush survive there for a long time ... we may hate it, but the only way for winter ranges to rejuvenate is for the deer herd to get crushed periodically. It usually gets too political for WDFW to put them in freezers .. so they get to starve and get put in scavengers instead.

boneaddict · « **Reply #38 on:** March 27, 2008, 07:25:02 AM »

You are 100% accurate. There isn't a leaf of bitterbrush left on that mountain. The bitterbrush looks like nothing but deadwood left for the most part on everything. I ran across the occasional other plant like willow or any of the other brushes and they are hammered. It was interesting to me that I ran into a flat of Sage. I'm unfamiliar with the terms, I've heard Russian sage, or blue, but the normal upright sagebrush that has the blueish leaves. NOT the bitterbrush that many call sage brush, and it wasn't touched. Apparantly it isn't a staple, or a pallatable plant. I never knew that. I am hoping that a couple of the fires up there help rejuvanate alot of the winter range. There have been some doozies on both sides of the valley. There is some good bunch grass growing versus all of the typical cheet. I hope thats good.

DOUBLELUNG · « **Reply #39 on:** March 28, 2008, 10:29:11 PM »

It's actually a good sign the sagebrush isn't browsed, though I'm not sure what species you are seeing (Wyoming big, fringed or silver are the most likely). Sagebrush has pretty good protein and energy - BUT the plants produces a lot of volatile compounds that inhibit digestion, so deer pay a price for eating it. (One of those prices is reduced antler mass.) Ceanothus (buckbrush) is about as good as it gets, and in a mild winter they'll be in it all winter long. Unfortunately, the hard winters, there is too much snow on it. Virtually all of the woody plants that come back after fire are good browse, but they are only available for 5-15 years post-fire at typical winter range elevations.

Anything green growing, including cheatgrass, is good early spring forage. Problem with cheatgrass is it can get into a too-frequent fire cycle, and wipe out the browse with a 3-5 year fire return interval.

boneaddict · « **Reply #40 on:** March 29, 2008, 06:50:49 AM »

I'll see if I can get you a picture. Lots of it in the Wenas. I thought it was funny that it was untouched, and everything else was hammered. Apparantly isn't one of the favorites.

mkcj · « **Reply #41 on:** April 07, 2008, 07:41:02 PM »

Bone what part of the methow were in we have had a cabin and land just out of winthrop for 40 year have not gotten up there this year yet though to take a look around

boneaddict · « **Reply #42 on:** April 09, 2008, 10:36:15 AM »

Twisp

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Author Topic: Methow Deer Forecast (Read 9277 times)

Branden

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