Vail Tree Farm?

[cbzdel]

Hello, new hunter here.  My first few posts on here have been about finding a hunting location. I decided just to try out the Vail Tree Farm. I understand that this is a busy place but it will be a good first time experience I think.  I have bene doing my research and called the Weyerhaeuser hotline and got the gate time.  But now I am confused. It said no motorized vehicles, so what does this mean, everyone parks outside the main gates and then walks in?   And where do I find the "mainline road" or "gate 101" that they were talking about in their message? I tried to google search it and I found people saying follow the cars from I-5.  I just want to know what I am going in advance haha.

[BackStrappin]

The gates are closed during the week , Weekends it is open .

[AKBowman]

I would have to disagree with that being a good idea for a fist time hunting experience. Why dont you just head a little beat east and hit the west slopes of the cascades?!?! Theres plenty of BT's in there to be had and so many less people, just pick a major drainage and find a locked gate and you will find deer. I dont want a new hunter getting the impression that Vail is "hunting". Not that there arent good "hunting" ops in Vail its just that it takes a few years to get to know hoe to hunt away from people unless you have someone to show you.

[Yelm hunter]

Vail is a great spot for your first time... There are many different roads up there just don't get lost since its your first time...  Good Luck and keep us updated if you get a buck!

[Arteman]

I would have to disagree with that being a good idea for a fist time hunting experience. Why dont you just head a little beat east and hit the west slopes of the cascades?!?! Theres plenty of BT's in there to be had and so many less people, just pick a major drainage and find a locked gate and you will find deer. I dont want a new hunter getting the impression that Vail is "hunting". Not that there arent good "hunting" ops in Vail its just that it takes a few years to get to know hoe to hunt away from people unless you have someone to show you.

I agree, this could have you thinking Wtf, hunting sucks!!!! by the second weekend.  I just laugh about it now, but i havent hunted like that for about 7 years, I walk in hunt now and that is where its at, BUT you have to learn the area and make it your own and this could take a couple years, got to start sometime though.  Id concentrate on permanent walk in areas, not half n half, vehicles pollute good hunting spots and even there is 15 vehicles at the gate you'll find you still hardly run into people.

[heavy hauler]

mapquest vail loop road,  go to the road( off the cutoff road)  get there before sunrise and follow everyone.  good luck

[bucklucky]

Just drive into Rainier and follow the line of tail lights before daylight, it will lead you in the right direction 

[Dmanmastertracker]

Just drive into Rainier and follow the line of tail lights before daylight, it will lead you in the right direction 

 Criminy, you can be following the light's practically from downtown Tacoma any more...

[cbzdel]

I am personally big into the outdoors myself, the buddy I am going with not so much 

Vail was not my first prime choice what so ever, but I was looking for something more on the simpe side to get him more interested into spending time in the outdoors. 

For example my idea of camping is backpacking in 2 to 15 miles and his idea is staying in a hotel outside of the city you live in haha.. He doesn't even own a sleeping bag for crying out loud haha.  So I picked this place, knowing that there would be other people plus its close.

[dblakney]

Field of Dreams...

[cbzdel]

I went up there the past two days, I dont see why everyone says its so crowded.  The only time I ever seen any hunters was while driving or occasionally way across a valley you would see some bright orange, not once did we come across any while out and about.  Saturday all we seen was a single very small doe.  Then on Sunday we were out hiking a trail and this was a first for me, we seen the tail end monster so large it looked like a horse in the middle of the woods!  I knew it was an elk because of its size. I do no have an elk license but we wanted to get a better view to see if it was a bull or a cow.  We tried to go around to see it from the front but it heard us and took off running, it sounded like a out of front freight trail it made so much noise!  We wanted to walk in the direction it ran.  Now like I said I am new to hunting but I think we found a very popular are for elk/deer, this could be a common this but as a avid hiker/explorer I have never seen this.  We went back into the trees and the ground cleared up, there was no vegetation at all on the ground.  Talking a look around all we seen was MASSIVE amounts of droppings, I have never seen so much droppings in my life in one area, there was so much droppings in this area it was seriously hard to walk!! Its like we found their toilet haha!! There were tracks all over the place and many you could tell were fresh.

Next year I will be get getting and elk/deer tag for sure!

[Cylvertip]

  As a side note - rifle elk doesn't open for a few more weeks and Vail does not open thier gates for rifle elk, even on weekends.

[cbzdel]

Oh, thanks for the tip, in all honestly I have not even looked at the big game regs for elk yet.  With as much time as I have spent in the woods and never once seeing one in person, I thought an elk tag would be as practical as getting a unicorn tag 

[Bard Skye]

I went up there the past two days, I dont see why everyone says its so crowded.  The only time I ever seen any hunters was while driving or occasionally way across a valley you would see some bright orange, not once did we come across any while out and about.

This was my first year hunting Vail, also.

The friend that was acting as guide told me to expect so many people that the cleacuts look like pumpkin patches.  At least, until you get out back of beyond, anyway.

He was amazed at just how few people were up there on opening day.

Hardly heard any shots, either.

And loads of sign, no deer.

Skye

[Buckslaya]

Is Vail open for late season this weekend?

I'm looking for the nearest place to the Bothell/Mill Creek area.

Thanks in advance.