Swakane?

[eastside boy]

I really hate to say it, because I love being able to have the chance of hunting these bucks every year.........but with the pounding this unit is currently taking as far as hunting pressure, it probably should be a draw in the future.  It sure would help out with the quality of the hunt.  I have hunted it for a good amount of years...at least long enough to see how the popularity of it has affected the quality of the hunt number of hunters....the multi season permits most likely are not helping out either.  I remember being able to hunt a given drainage, and depending on the size of the canyon of draw.....you might only see two or three other hunters out and about, sometimes you would not see anyone....being able to take your time with a stalk without worrying about weather or not it would get blown by another hunter, instead I would blow the stalk myself 99.9% of the time  .  Take hay canyon for instance....might as well since it seems like damn near everyone knows about it.........opening day I counted 18 vehicles parked at the bottom and a bunch of camps.  Today (Monday), wouldn't it make sense to assume there would be less given it being a week day.....hell no, I was wrong, there were 19 vehicles, and if you have ever been hunting there you would know that that many, kind of jams things up a bit, at least in my opinion.  This is just one of many cases/areas I can think of that this has happened to.  Don't get me wrong....it's still a good time if you can get yourself into a little sanctuary......but as many of you know, word has got out and it's not like it used to be.  Just my    Good luck huntin

[bearclawtommy]

i agree with eastside boy. started hunting that unit awhile back and the deer numbers seem to be down and hunter numbers are way to high. The reason i started hunting it was to get away from all the people that modern firearm hunt. just to many darn hunters in this state the whole state needs to be draw only. 

[flyguide]

I agree, I would support a high permit quota (200-300?) and would be in favor of raising the Chiwawa, Entiat, Slide Ridge, permit numbers and adding a Mission archery tag.  I love that unit (hunted it this morning) but without an alternative I don't like the idea of just taking it down to bare bones numbers.

[jstone]

Been up there for 3 days cold really cold. Heading back over soon. Lots of does. lone does i have seen 10 does with no bucks. Seeing bucks. Spoty

[lablover]

If you like down town Seattle, you will enjoy hunting up there.

[jrebel]

lots of people and not as many deer as there used to be 10 years ago.....   Still saw a really nice buck but another hunter was on it so we let it be.  Hopefully that guy stuck it because it was a pig.  If you did and you are member of this sight, I want to see pics.  You were driving a new Jeep Wrangler....so let us know how it went.

[Cougeyes]

I really hate to say it, because I love being able to have the chance of hunting these bucks every year.........but with the pounding this unit is currently taking as far as hunting pressure, it probably should be a draw in the future.

The bio's in wenatchee know the Swakane during archery can get overran with hunters.  They have tried to switch it to permit only but have failed when their proposal reaches the higher ups.  It's all politics, the bio's care about the resources and see that it is getting over hunted, maybe the deer harvested (can't imagine the success rate being too high) doesn't impact the population too much, but the amount of people up there can only increase stress and decrease the energy reserves in deer in a crucial time when the deer should be increasing their fat reserves for the up coming winter. I agree, it should be switched to permit only and I wish the higher up desk dwelling paper pushers in olympia would pay attention and listen to their field biologists that know what should be done. There is too much pressure by a lot of archers to keep the Swakane open, it's all about opportunity and when any hunting group (rifles, muzzy, archery etc..) claim opportunity is being taken away, eventually the change usually goes in favor of that hunting group regardless of how the resources may get impacted. 

[Armadillo]

Didnt the quality of hunting there get toasted from back in the early nineties when the wdfw opened the area late in the season to anyone with a tag to manage "starvation" and there were hundreds+ of deer that were harvested. After that everyone I know who hunted the place noticed slim pickins as far as deer are concerned

[jrebel]

You are absolutely right...from the Dinkleman Fire.  It appeared to have been making a small recovery though and now it is back to near the worst I have seen.  Still deer there and I have really good luck hunting it.  You just have to get off the roads and glass, glass, glass.....

[Lowedog]

I agree with those who say it should go to permit only.  They proposed it 2 years ago and the WDFW received so much pressure from WSB, TBW and individual hunters that they canned the proposal and instead shortened the season which has done nothing but make the unit even more crowded.  I haven't hunted it the last 2 years.  I prefer September now.  

[Armadillo]

ahh yes thats the name of the fire my dad mentioned. As far as hunter numbers, theres alot now (on the roads), I seldom run into anyone or see anyone when out walking. The number of people there are nowhere near to what they used to be, I was told every pullout had a camp on it back in the day, but then again the herds could more then sustain that kind of pressure. I believe I read in a "Ben Paris" fishing and hunting guide from the 1930's or maybe 40's that there were deer in the thousands being harvested every year from chelan county during the modern season, that makes the harvest numbers now extremely dismal compared to yesteryear...

[Lowedog]

I guess I should specify that I was referring to the Swakane late archery hunt. 

[Armadillo]

Im there both modern and late archery, where we're at the numbers are about the same hunter wise but I only hunt a couple of the drainages

[jstone]

i just got home from my late archery in the Swakane Unit.. I saw lots and Lots of does each day. Saw around 5 to 7 shooters a day. Some with does and some not. I would miss the swakane if it went to permit. Still up in the air on the subject. yes there are a butt load of people. Was going up Derby to hunt behind a gate. Got there an hour before lite and there where 7 rigs there. WOW. that area was CRAZY Ended up going back to my old reliable spot in the afternoon. Deer everywere. Buddy's almost connected. Those hogs don't wait long enough to pull the string at 15 yards. JUMPY. Had a good time always do. Saw a 3x3 that would go at least 28. and a lot of 4x3s and big ones too. Saturday was full of people where i go. Went deep away from the road and got into a group of 4 bucks 3 were big. couldn't close the deal this year, should have but that damn tree branch moved into the way of my arrow.

[FANATIC]

I just got back from there. I have hunted this for some time now and see alot of deer. If you hike into the steep canyons, you leave most people behind. I see quality bucks year in and year out. Some years more than others. This year I was only able to hunt two days split by a week, and still saw 8 bucks and many does. Just today I blew it on a really nice 4x4. His harem of does would only let me in to 80yds. I dont think the harvest #'s are too high, but the pressure might be.Anyone who hunts it on a regular basis knows that closing the distance on these bucks is not a walk in the park for even the most accomplished hunter.  I will agree that I sure would miss it as I look forward to it every year.