Pasayten Wilderness Mule deer Hunting information

[roostertrio]

Hi there, A buddy and myself are headed into the Pasayten wilderness > for 10 days this september for early season archery. We are fairly > unfamiliar with the area but are very experienced in the outdoors, > we are ready to work hard and push farther in than most hunters will > want to go, the harder and rougher the better in our estimation. > We are looking for high quality mule deer bucks, preferrably 150 > class and above for sure. Any information that may better our > chances would be awsome. Possible coordinants that we might focus. > Thank you very much.

[boneaddict]

I won't give you coordinates, because if I had them I'd be there.  I assume you are going in on your own and not with an outfitter........The object is to find the deer.  They are in little bunches all throughout.  Look for bachelor groups as they won't be withthe does.   Its very important that you don't get discouraged by not seeing alot of deer.   The action is fast and furious once you're SPOT on. The more mobile you are the better or it will tuen into a very niice camping trip.   There is alot of open country up there so be prepared to glass.  The deer are coming out of their reds, but are still quite visible.  Have a spotter with you as you maybe watching deer miles away.  You have to remember there is ALOT and I mean ALOT of country back there with x amount of deer covering the whole thing.   Early season should be or can be quite warm.   The bugs can be awful if the freeze hasn't happened yet.  have a bear tag handy.

[BnB]

Maybe I'm missing something but checking last years regs unit 203, paysayten, doesn't have a early archery season. Could buy a modern firearm tag and use a bow I guess.

[JPhelps]

If I am not mistaken you can use archery equipment during the High hunt.

[BnB]

Yup, if you buy a modern rifle tagyou can use a bow. But I don't think there is a early archery season in 203. Modern and ML sept 15-25, but no seperate early archery.

[WDFW-SUX]

You should put a map on the wall and throw a dart at it to find your spot.  Im not joking.

[boneaddict]

Thats about how it is and it changes EVERY year more so than I have seen anywhere.  I think its because there is just so much realestate.  They go to a spot, and a cat moves in, they go to anotehr spot.   I have no idea abouthte regs as I have never hunted any earlier than the high hunt.   I have no idea if that is open for the early arechery or not.

[bobcat]

No, it's not open for archery season. One of the few units that isn't.

[shanevg]

It totally sucks how limited the deer hunting in the Pasayten is.  It's open for 10 days and 10 days only, and only for rifle.  At the very minimum, the early buck hunt should be open to hunters holding any deer tag.  If not, then there should be a special hunt application for archery and muzzleloader.  I know that you can hunt with your bow or ML with a rifle tag, but I want to be able to have an archery tag and hunt in the unit.  What do you guys think?

[boneaddict]

That would be nice, but then you have the conflict of different weapons competeing at the same time, hunter orange requirements etc. and its nice to keep the number of folks down for a qualty hunt.  The primitive guys get a couple seasons to get their job done, they an hunt anywhere else in the state practically, and they have their lae hunts.  Let the modern guys have a bone.  If you really want to hunt the pasayten with a bow, do what I do with the modern tag.  It just depends on what you want to give up.

[bobcat]

It totally sucks how limited the deer hunting in the Pasayten is.  It's open for 10 days and 10 days only, and only for rifle. 

Actually it's open for 11 days.     Sept 15-25...do the math, it's 11 days. Then, it's open again for 9 more days for the regular modern firearm season. That's a total of 20 days it's open.

At the very minimum, the early buck hunt should be open to hunters holding any deer tag. 

It is open for both modern firearm and muzzleloader tag holders, just not archery.
 

What do you guys think?

I think you need to convince the WDFW of that, or do as boneaddict says, and buy a modern tag, and hunt with a bow. You can get in 20 days of hunting in there. Sounds like plenty of opportunity to me. How much time did you want to spend in there?

[shanevg]

That would be nice, but then you have the conflict of different weapons competeing at the same time, hunter orange requirements etc. and its nice to keep the number of folks down for a qualty hunt.  The primitive guys get a couple seasons to get their job done, they an hunt anywhere else in the state practically, and they have their lae hunts.  Let the modern guys have a bone.  If you really want to hunt the pasayten with a bow, do what I do with the modern tag.  It just depends on what you want to give up.

It wouldn't be the only unit for both Modern and Archery at the same time.  Just make everyone wear hunter's orange.  I would still love for the Pasayten to be open for archery tags.  The modern hunters still get there chance because they do get to hunt in there in the early season.  Just let the archery hunters do the same!

[Ridgerunner]

There are lots of other wilderness areas open Sept. 1 for bow that you could go to, some of them don't even have a high hunt in them. 

[Chopaka81]

Rooster - PM Sent - Don

[joe10]

This was the fruit of my Pasayten hunt in 2010. There are monsters in there, but you have to work. To me this is a spot and stalk area, and yes it can be hunted with a bow, but you would hate to lose a chance at a 30" + buck that was on the move. My advice:Pre Season scout, Pack in, Pack Lite,  and get off the trail!
Joe