Gardner Rut Whitetail Hunt (GMU 231)

[slim9300]

I could use a little help. My little sister is 10 years old and drew this tag with only two points! She loves hunting more than anything and I would love to see her get her first buck. I have no idea where to start other than to drive over there this summer and talk to a few land owners that live along the river bottoms. (I'm guessing that's where the majority of the Whitetails live) She will be able to take one full week off for the season and can also hunt every weekend, so she will be able to put in a good amount of time.

I would suspect there are some dandies in the unit considering the lack of hunting pressure and the limited number of tags, but I have no idea where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will post pics of her smiling face if she's lucky enough to kill anything.

You can PM me if you are more comfortable with that.

Thanks!
Conlan

[Huntnphish]

I could use a little help. My little sister is 10 years old and drew this tag with only two points! She loves hunting more than anything and I would love to see her get her first buck. I have no idea where to start other than to drive over there this summer and talk to a few land owners that live along the river bottoms. (I'm guessing that's where the majority of the Whitetails live)

 Your problem is most of the Twisp River bottom is Alta, and the Methow River bottom is Pearrygin not Gardner.

[Huntnphish]

 There were only 6 antlered deer harvested by permit hunters in that unit last year, I'm pretty sure only one was a whitetail.

[BOWHUNTER45]

The game dept land off hwy 20 between Mazama and Winthrop on the South side of 20 is whitetail infested it is area 231 ... huge whitetail but tricky to hunt do to all the safety zones ,,,need to get to the river and find some good trails and site where you can watch the river bank and see a lttle ways ... big ones !!!!!! pm me if you need too !!!

[slim9300]

There were only 6 antlered deer harvested by permit hunters in that unit last year, I'm pretty sure only one was a whitetail.

I realize that but out of the the 14 hunters drawn for the Whitetail tag last year, only 7 hunted. One 4x4 or bigger Whitetail was killed and that was it. There has to be a quite a few deer with that little pressure. I mean, it was about a 1% chance to draw the unit without factoring in bonus points. It has to be decent. Right?

[slim9300]

The game dept land off hwy 20 between Mazama and Winthrop on the South side of 20 is whitetail infested it is area 231 ... huge whitetail but tricky to hunt do to all the safety zones ,,,need to get to the river and find some good trails and site where you can watch the river bank and see a lttle ways ... big ones !!!!!! pm me if you need too !!!

You are my savior. Thank you so much! I may take you up on that offer soon.

[Huntnphish]

I mean, it was about a 1% chance to draw the unit without factoring in bonus points. It has to be decent. Right?

 Um, no! You will be best off hunting up toward Winthrop as Bowhunter says.

[BOWHUNTER45]

all I can tell ya is I have seen 160 class whities in that area ..and huntin the rut would be your best chance of nailing one .....I did hunt their one time had alittle incentant with some dumb$$$$$$ and never went back but being you maybe THE ONLY ONE huntin their at that time you may get a big boy ..... and if you do I exspect a new gun or something ...

[slim9300]

I mean, it was about a 1% chance to draw the unit without factoring in bonus points. It has to be decent. Right?

 Um, no! You will be best off hunting up toward Winthrop as Bowhunter says.

What are you talking about? It's not decent anywhere else? I never said I was going to hunt anywhere else regardless. I had some ideas of places along Hwy 20 based on a few people's advice that I have spoken with. If I couldn't find anything here my next step was the game dept. From there I was just going to drive over there and talk to as many landowners I could and maybe spend some time at the local bar. Your advice has been worthless up until this point. Have you ever hunted unit 231 or are you just talking to talk?

[slim9300]

all I can tell ya is I have seen 160 class whities in that area ..and huntin the rut would be your best chance of nailing one .....I did hunt their one time had alittle incentant with some dumb$$$$$$ and never went back but being you maybe THE ONLY ONE huntin their at that time you may get a big boy ..... and if you do I exspect a new gun or something ...

Sweet! A 160" buck will get you something very nice. Lol. I'm a bowhunter and have many thousands of dollars in gear, I know I have something you will like. =)

[Huntnphish]

What are you talking about? It's not decent anywhere else? I never said I was going to hunt anywhere else regardless. I had some ideas of places along Hwy 20 based on a few people's advice that I have spoken with

 Yes Slim, I have hunted there a time or two. The river bottoms are either in neighboring units or private. Because of this I think your best chance at access and locating whitetail is close to Winthrop.

[bradslam]

Things are getting testy around here.

[Bonehuntn]

Yeah how about ya'll just hunt in ur own neck of the woods ahh!

[Okano-gun]

 

[slim9300]

Let me make myself clear. I have no intention of hunting your area myself no matter how many deer are there. I know the personal importance of one's hunting area probably better than anyone and I will not blab my mouth about this unit to anyone. (Hence why I suggested PMing me) I hunt elk with my bow in WA and MT and that's all I really care about. This is about giving a 10 year old girl that loves hunting an opportunity to kill something. The only reason I put my little sister in for this unit was to maximize the chance that she could hunt a non-general tag unit. I put her in for something like 14 separate special draws hoping that she would get something.

I don't know if this helps, but I am a staunch conservative and I hate Seattle. =)