Blue mountains foothills west tag?

[elkoholic]

Anyone ever pull this tag? a good friends grandfather pulled this tag and was asking me for some info about this unit, they will try and do as much scouting as possible but any info would be greatly appreciated, He put down the wrong hunt choice, so he is kind of going in blind. gmu's 149,154 and 162-166

thanks

[bowhiker]

The Mill Creek area out of Walla Walla has some nice looking bucks in it. A lot of the area is private, but there are several feel free to hunt lands up off the creek that hold deer. I turkey hunted there last fall and found about as many deer as I did turkey. Definitely some quality bucks.

[wazzu99]

I also have this tag!  Never killed a nice whitetail, looking forward to it.

Wazzu

[Woodchuck]

That is a great permit gentlemen with a ton of ground to look at. The big advice I will offer is don't give up on higher country, the whitetails have been moving higher and higher in the last 10 yrs.

[Brandobando]

I don't know why they give out a tag, it is open to anyone in the general season just 3 pt. min. Mostly but congrats and good luck!!

[Woodchuck]

  Other than it usually happens during the rut and there is very little "competition". Not to mention probably the largest area that a permit is allowed in. No biggie. 

[wazzu99]

Being mid November helps alot, not to mention the lack of competition.

[400out]

Good tag! Just pray for no fog 

[jackelope]

Fog will ruin you if given the opportunity. tons of whitetails in the higher elevations in late november '10 in whiteout blizzards and 2' of snow on the ground. They were close to 6k feet and showed no interest in moving down at that point.

[wazzu99]

Wow, hard to believe they would stay up there in those conditions.  Looking forward to Nov already.  Gonna be a long summer!

Wazzu

[724wd]

The Mill Creek area out of Walla Walla has some nice looking bucks in it. A lot of the area is private, but there are several feel free to hunt lands up off the creek that hold deer. I turkey hunted there last fall and found about as many deer as I did turkey. Definitely some quality bucks.

"feel free to hunt" is kind of a misnomer on mill creek.  it might be open and unposted, but you should at least know who's land you're on.  just because one family doesn't post their land doesnt mean the whole hill belongs to them.  and for gods sake, DO pay attention to those places that ARE posted!  standing at the no trespassing sign and glassing the canyon at first light opening morning is NOT cool!  we know what you're doing!  I didn't rifle hunt at home last year, but my dad told me there were 13 people in our favorite canyon!    we've been hunting there for 25 years and it took us YEARS to get that canyon to ourselves (adjacent landowner put his paying hunting on someone elses land!  )  and in the last 3 years, it's been HAMMERED with people! 

When you're knocking on doors and some "Maniac" says, "Sure, you can hunt the whole mountain!" ask him who's land it is!  shoot, they live just across the creek and will tell you to go ahead, have fun and good luck, but MOST of the houses on the creek don't own the land at the top of the hill!   

[dvolmer]

This is one of the best whitetail tags in the state.  if it is the rifle hunt the last part of the permit season is the best. If its the muzzleloader tag than the first part of the season is best.  Bucks that are never seen all year long come our of nowhere when there sex drive overrides there common sense.  these bucks never show themselves during the light of day except during the rut.  whitetails are not like elk in that they dont get a harem of does and keep them.  instead they are constantly on the roam looking for a doe in heat.  Once found they will breed with them and then off to find another doe.  These deer will be on the constant move.  The Biologists told me to just drive and be on the lookout and when one is found it is a unique spot and stalk with figuring out where the buck is on the move to and trying to cut him off.  Now I am not normally in support of the "Road hunting Ronnie" kind of hunting but in this situation and in my experience you will see more and bigger bucks by staying on the move than just finding one spot and staying put.  Scouting wont due you much good but will help you know the lay of the land and give you time to seek out permission to hunt areas this is due to the deer not being seen until full rut.  Many farmers that would never give you permission to hunt there property during regular season will give you permission during this late hunt if asked.  Biologist told me to hold out for a big buck and expectations should be in the mid 140's if you spend the time and upper 160's is not out of the  question.  Hint: Blacksnake, Bisquit Ridge, Dixie, Jasper MT, Whisky Creek, Skyrocket RD,etc

[Wacenturion]

This is one of the best whitetail tags in the state.  if it is the rifle hunt the last part of the permit season is the best. If its the muzzleloader tag than the first part of the season is best.  Bucks that are never seen all year long come our of nowhere when there sex drive overrides there common sense.  these bucks never show themselves during the light of day except during the rut.  whitetails are not like elk in that they dont get a harem of does and keep them.  instead they are constantly on the roam looking for a doe in heat.  Once found they will breed with them and then off to find another doe.  These deer will be on the constant move.  The Biologists told me to just drive and be on the lookout and when one is found it is a unique spot and stalk with figuring out where the buck is on the move to and trying to cut him off.  Now I am not normally in support of the "Road hunting Ronnie" kind of hunting but in this situation and in my experience you will see more and bigger bucks by staying on the move than just finding one spot and staying put.  Scouting wont due you much good but will help you know the lay of the land and give you time to seek out permission to hunt areas this is due to the deer not being seen until full rut.  Many farmers that would never give you permission to hunt there property during regular season will give you permission during this late hunt if asked.  Biologist told me to hold out for a big buck and expectations should be in the mid 140's if you spend the time and upper 160's is not out of the  question.  Hint: Blacksnake, Bisquit Ridge, Dixie, Jasper MT, Whisky Creek, Skyrocket RD,etc

Pretty much right on.  That season is your opportunity to kill a really big whitetail buck, but to do that you have to be willing to pass on smaller ones, many of which are pretty damn respectable.  I've hunted that tag several times over the years, and 160-180 plus is not out of the question. 

Back in 1993, I passed on a very symmetrical 190-200 class whitetail tending a hot doe at approximately 100 yards.  Watched him for over an hour.  Didn't pull the trigger because it was the first morning of a planned two week stay to hunt whitetails.  My son who was with me and didn't have a permit named it the "*censored*" buck.  That because he said I was a *censored* for not shooting it.  He was right.   Although I did have a great two weeks and passed on a couple other nice bucks, only to end up taking a typical 4x4 out of Mill Creek.

  You'll get all kinds of weather from want to lay down and sleep in a wheat field 55 degrees to whiteouts and roads blown shut by snow drifting.  Best thing to up your odds is to find property you can hunt and hunt it.  Driving around will present visuals of some nice bucks, but can be frustrating if you can't get to them.

Good luck you guys....great tag....take the entire last part of the season off for sure, the whole season if you can to scout and prepare for the rut kicking in.

[MtnMuley]

This is one of the best whitetail tags in the state.  if it is the rifle hunt the last part of the permit season is the best. If its the muzzleloader tag than the first part of the season is best.  Bucks that are never seen all year long come our of nowhere when there sex drive overrides there common sense.  these bucks never show themselves during the light of day except during the rut.  whitetails are not like elk in that they dont get a harem of does and keep them.  instead they are constantly on the roam looking for a doe in heat.  Once found they will breed with them and then off to find another doe.  These deer will be on the constant move.  The Biologists told me to just drive and be on the lookout and when one is found it is a unique spot and stalk with figuring out where the buck is on the move to and trying to cut him off.  Now I am not normally in support of the "Road hunting Ronnie" kind of hunting but in this situation and in my experience you will see more and bigger bucks by staying on the move than just finding one spot and staying put.  Scouting wont due you much good but will help you know the lay of the land and give you time to seek out permission to hunt areas this is due to the deer not being seen until full rut.  Many farmers that would never give you permission to hunt there property during regular season will give you permission during this late hunt if asked.  Biologist told me to hold out for a big buck and expectations should be in the mid 140's if you spend the time and upper 160's is not out of the  question.  Hint: Blacksnake, Bisquit Ridge, Dixie, Jasper MT, Whisky Creek, Skyrocket RD,etc

Pretty much right on.  That season is your opportunity to kill a really big whitetail buck, but to do that you have to be willing to pass on smaller ones, many of which are pretty damn respectable.  I've hunted that tag several times over the years, and 160-180 plus is not out of the question. 

Back in 1993, I passed on a very symmetrical 190-200 class whitetail tending a hot doe at approximately 100 yards.  Watched him for over an hour.  Didn't pull the trigger because it was the first morning of a planned two week stay to hunt whitetails.  My son who was with me and didn't have a permit named it the "*censored*" buck.  That because he said I was a *censored* for not shooting it.  He was right.   Although I did have a great two weeks and passed on a couple other nice bucks, only to end up taking a typical 4x4 out of Mill Creek.

  You'll get all kinds of weather from want to lay down and sleep in a wheat field 55 degrees to whiteouts and roads blown shut by snow drifting.  Best thing to up your odds is to find property you can hunt and hunt it.  Driving around will present visuals of some nice bucks, but can be frustrating if you can't get to them.

Good luck you guys....great tag....take the entire last part of the season off for sure, the whole season if you can to scout and prepare for the rut kicking in.

  Your son was too kind.

[Woodchuck]