Deer Numbers Down - Methow?

[CavemantheHunter]

I also saw a monster on Sunday, but was unable to get an ethical shot. One of the top two biggest bucks I have ever seen.

Question for anyone that has an answer (Bone or Huntnphool maybe): I was hunting French Creek and heard several wolves howling down in the canyon several different days. Is somebody raising hybrids down there or is this an actual pack? They were most definitely wolf howls and not dog or coyote, but I was surprised at how close the howls were in reference to the residences there in French Creek...

Silly man, there is only one pack in the Methow and that's the "lookout pack", and that pack is without a breeding female.

The "two" that are left were sure singing up a storm each morning at about 7:00 am though

I know, those two sure seem to get around. They've been known to roam Gold Creek, Libby Creek, French Creek, Benson Creek, Yockey Creek, Beaver Creek, Twisp River Road, and all of the surrounding areas. They have even figured how to be in multiple places at once and know how to sound like they're actually 10 different wolves.

[huntnphool]

I know, those two sure seem to get around. They've been known to roam Gold Creek, Libby Creek, French Creek, Benson Creek, Yockey Creek, Beaver Creek, Twisp River Road, and all of the surrounding areas. They have even figured how to be in multiple places at once and know how to sound like they're actually 10 different wolves.

 LMAO, figment of your imagination is all.

[boneaddict]

Hell you left out alot of country towards the Canadian border

[Skyvalhunter]

Theres not but a couple wolves up there just ask Fitkin, and he will also tell you the buck to doe ratio is ideal.

[CavemantheHunter]

Those wolves have successfully mastered the art of teleportation.

On a serious note: I spoke with at least five different hunters who were hunting different areas and found the remains of several deer carcasses that had been devoured, including 3 nice bucks. Unless they were wounded deer from the bow season that weren't found, they were killed by predators. I suspect either cats or wolves, but after hearing those two teleporting wolves, I am inclined to believe that they're the culprits.

[Skyvalhunter]

Indication of why the deer numbers are low there.

[boneaddict]

Nice cat!    That sucker is eating one every couple days.  Wish I could run hounds this winter Sky, I'd take care of him for you.   

[huntnphool]

 We spotted one running down the highway close to Lime Creek a few days ago.

[woodswalker]

After spending 7 days hard at it up there...I can tell you where the deer WEREN'T.  There were some in the HEAVY steep brush on Fawn Pk, along with bear, cat and "big 'yote" tracks in abundance.  I found the remains of a few deer...including a legal buck, all gnawed on.  Several of the usual suspects had good sign (I took one on someone's word) but no big bucks that I could see.  My old haunts have not produced for several years now...and we are talking of moving camp higher/farther out.

The OTHER thing i saw that concerned me was that some of the 2-points i saw were BIG deer...and heavy bodied with heavy and TALL racks.  Including the one with the white scar on his R shoulder...I saw him 3 years ago...and he was a 2-=point THEN...  Makes me wonder if we are inadvertently selecting for the genetics for 2 points.

I CAN vouch that the weather was WAY too nice most of the time...nothing to push the migrators.  I dug out my old tags and took a look...most of my deer there, with 2 exceptions, were taken in the last 4-7 days of the season.  The Photos have snow or heavy frost in most of them.  This short season in the EARLY part is also making it difficult as the only deer about are the locals.  I'm going to try to find my old manuals and see when the seasons were reduced.

[Chadrick60]

We camped at 4900' and we hunted high and low. We had 5 guys hunting in different areas all week long from Saturday to Saturday and all we seen were Does and fawns. WE did see a nice legal buck walk through camp on Friday the day before the opener. I think they are just up high. Also You Methow Hunter's are great. This is the first year we have hunted that area and Every person we ran into up there was very nice and we talked to a lot of people that week and we felt very welcome up there. Thank you if you were one of those many nice guys and gals.
 By the way anyone else see that Subaru wagon flying up and down the gravel roads near Pearrygin? Never seen them wearing orange and it seemed they were just being inconsiderate

[huntnphool]

By the way anyone else see that Subaru wagon flying up and down the gravel roads near Pearrygin? Never seen them wearing orange and it seemed they were just being inconsiderate

 I saw a couple women riding 1950's style bicycles ringing their handle bar mounted bells the whole way down the two track, obviously doing their best to make noise and push deer away.

[boneaddict]

These are the same people that think the wolves are something special.   Its horrible to ethically shoot and harvest the deer with a nice shot, but its ok to have them envicerated and eatin while laying there alive. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Yea that always pissed me off to hear them say how could you shoot a deer, the wolves will thin the population down. They don't have alot to say when you tell them well your beloved wolf will Achilles tendon a deer then eat it's guts while its still alive. At least a cougar will kill its prey before eating the animal.

[mazama]

My budies kid saw a wolf below Klipchuck campground,in doe canyon on hiway 20 about 15 miles below Wash PASS,i asked him if he was sure it was a wolf and he replied it was twice the size of 2 coyotes he saw chasing deer earlier.used to be a lot of deer in that ravine, not anymore.

[Threebyfour]

Man i have to agree with you guys, we hunted hard for four days at multiple ares including chicamun canyon where we used to see 20 deer a day, we saw 3. The road to ramsey was closed due to a slide so we hiked in the 4 hours and i saw 2 BIG clean 2 points.And a gob of moose sign, seemed kinda weird to me. Even up falls creek very few deer just one HUGE black bear sittin in the road. slow year over there fo sho.