So I feel stupid asking. But

[chester]

I have a dilemna this year. I have a friend who wants me to go with him to his parents cabin on banks lake, by the sounds of it he doesnt really know the area too well and it sounds like his scouting was limited. Id like to get a shot at a muley. but im not even sure if its a good place to go, I havent heard too much about the area really.
Is there any public land around there? Any suggestions on units or areas close by?  is there even a moderate chance at a buck? or should i just stick to my usual and chase blacktails close to home?
I just feel kinda bad he really wants me to go with and he hasnt gotten his first deer yet. But i also didnt buy my tags because they taste good.   Any input would be helpful. not really sure what to do. 

[Curly]

If you don't go, can you give me your friend's number and I'll call him and see if he will let me go.


Seriously though, I always hear stories about how great the deer hunting is around Banks lake.  There are some monsters around there.

[markts]

Go gettem bud

[mtndew]

Banks Lake is pretty close to buck run.... massive deer in that area.

[chester]

Is there any public ground? I keep trying to get info out of him. but i dunno if he even knows where to hunt(might explain why he hasnt got one yet)

[CAMPMEAT]

Lotsa private land around there, but game dept. land too. The rez is north of Grand Coulee Dam so that's out. Call the WDFW in Ephrata and ask if you can get maps of that area. Do a google search also. I work out of Moses Lake so I know there is WDFW land off of Stratford Rd norht out of Moses. It's not marked so it would make it harder to know where to look. I have a friend that has a cabin near the BeBe Bridge that has some nice muleys. That's west of Banks Lake. Hope that might help.

Campmeat

[chester]

Thanks, ill give them a call tomorrow. 

[WonkyWapiti]

I hunt this area.  Be careful because much of the land is farmland.  Many farmers, rightfully so, get really pissed off at people who trespass without regard for property rights.  Some farmers won't think twice about holding you at gunpoint til the game warden arrives.  There is deer up there but it is also a zoo fest during modern season.  I love the area and look forward to being out there as often as I can.  Check out some online maps before you go and have a plan.  Don't just drive around thinking you'll find a spot because that will probably get ya in trouble.  As long as your buddy has some places to hunt, I'd say go for it.

[Curly]

You can check out the public lands on the WDFW website GoHunt

If you don't get a deer over there, you still have quite a bit more season left on the west side to try to get a blacktail..........and there is always the 4-day late buck season in November.  Blacktails are pretty hard to hunt until the last week of October anyway.

[jagermiester]

Do you have a boat you can use? How much time do you have? If you have more than the weekend spend some time learning something new it could be the best thing you ever did. I went camping on Lake Roosevelt this year and saw some draws that fed into the lake that looked great. Even if not this year you guys should knock on some doors gain some access and do this thing.

[bobcat]

If you only have the weekend to hunt, I wouldn't bother since you haven't scouted it out yet. But if you have the entire week, then it might be worth the drive. There's not enough public land that you can just drive over there and start hunting. You really need to spend some time figuring out where to hunt first.

[duckaholic]

pm sent

[chester]

ok...so im not sure how long they are planning.atleast the weekend, maybe the week. i just talked to him earlier and his dad is heading over on wed. supposed to be going scouting when he gets there. They do have a couple boats if i remember right. Im not sure if i want to be knocking on doors on opening morning. But if it looks good i will next year WELL BEFORE season.

[chester]

thanks for all the replys guys. i just downloaded the go hunt maps of the units. looks like there is a little bit of state land to hunt. i think im gonna give it a shot anyway. the blacktail will still be around when i get back.

[chester]

I just got ahold of the lady at the ephrata office. she gave me a no go on maps. are the LC maps any good? thats about all im finding for the area? they have them at wholesale sports and they are GMU specific.