Post by: Dave Workman on October 06, 2008, 12:09:18 PM
East?
Okanogan?
Chelan?
Republic?
Chewelah?
Colville?
Snake River breaks?
Klickitat?
West?
Lewis Co?
Grays Harbor?
Forks?
Sultan?
Darrington?
Trout Lake?
Post by: MichaelJ on October 06, 2008, 12:10:31 PM
Michael
Post by: rasbo on October 06, 2008, 12:11:48 PM
Post by: Jamieb on October 06, 2008, 12:18:01 PM
Post by: Houndhunter on October 06, 2008, 12:21:17 PM
Post by: Gobble on October 06, 2008, 12:21:45 PM
Post by: DeKuma on October 06, 2008, 12:21:54 PM
Post by: wence5 on October 06, 2008, 12:27:53 PM
Post by: catwithboost on October 06, 2008, 12:30:28 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 06, 2008, 12:41:45 PM
Post by: wackmaster on October 06, 2008, 12:57:53 PM
Post by: Bean Counter on October 06, 2008, 01:00:59 PM
East?
Snake River breaks
:rockin:
Post by: chester on October 06, 2008, 01:03:52 PM
Post by: andrew_12gauge on October 06, 2008, 01:04:48 PM
Post by: agchawk on October 06, 2008, 01:06:56 PM
Post by: robodad on October 06, 2008, 01:07:55 PM
Post by: jeepasaurusrex on October 06, 2008, 01:31:30 PM
Post by: Swiftkid on October 06, 2008, 01:33:07 PM
Post by: Bofire on October 06, 2008, 01:44:08 PM
Carl
Post by: boneaddict on October 06, 2008, 01:58:15 PM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 06, 2008, 02:09:21 PM
Post by: boneaddict on October 06, 2008, 02:15:11 PM
Post by: washingtonmuley on October 06, 2008, 02:34:18 PM
Post by: Sagedawg on October 06, 2008, 02:51:06 PM
Sage
Post by: finnman on October 06, 2008, 03:16:53 PM
Post by: jjhunter on October 06, 2008, 03:19:42 PM
Post by: X-Force on October 06, 2008, 03:54:07 PM
Post by: MichaelJ on October 06, 2008, 04:34:39 PM
East side - I am not rifle hunting myself, but will be patrolling the borders of our ranch and keeping road hunters honest. Way more fun than hunting. :chuckle: :chuckle:
LoL that could be fun!
Michael
Post by: jjhunter on October 06, 2008, 04:49:27 PM
Post by: prophet on October 06, 2008, 05:17:45 PM
Post by: Dave Workman on October 06, 2008, 05:31:45 PM
east for muleys til the end and west for blackies til the 31 : 8)
Leading to the question...and perhaps a whole new topic...WHY...OH, WHY??!!! do hunters settle for a one-week season on mule deer; a self-perpetuating structure that allows the herds to expand and then suffer a winter kill, requiring the WDFW to retain the one-week general buck season and antler restriction?
Years ago I can remember when hunting went on for at least two full weeks and three full weekends.
There are about 100,000 fewer hunters now than there were then.
If the object is to protect mature bucks to improve herd quality, why are we targeting mature bucks?
If the object is to provide a "quality" branch-antler experience, what's wrong with setting a few units aside here and there to accomplish this while giving more people an opportunity in other units to just take home a buck?
If the object is to provide a "quality" branch antler experience, who speaks up for the hunters who don't care about antlers?
If we want to grow the herd back after a winter kill, why hunt does at all? Why allow archers and muzzleloaders and permit rifle hunters to take a single antlerless deer?
:dunno:
Post by: bobcat on October 06, 2008, 09:49:24 PM
To answer the question, I'm staying close to home this year and hunting blacktails, since the mule deer numbers are down, and secondly due to the price of gas. First day will probably be somewhere in Grays Harbor County on state land. Sunday, somewhere else but haven't decided yet. Could be Lewis County, Grays Harbor, or Thurston. Oh, and I'm not planning on shooting anything myself, as I'm saving my tag for my late Grayback permit hunt. But I'm hoping to help my uncle get his buck. However I will have my rifle and will take the first B&C blacktail buck I see. :chuckle:
Post by: wrangler on October 06, 2008, 09:59:04 PM
Post by: jackelope on October 06, 2008, 10:01:50 PM
headed to the south-east for the 2nd weekend if needed.
Post by: alecvg on October 06, 2008, 10:12:38 PM
Post by: fishseeker on October 07, 2008, 05:12:23 AM
Post by: Ghost Hunter on October 07, 2008, 05:50:05 AM
Post by: Dave Workman on October 07, 2008, 07:18:07 AM
Interesting so far. Quite a bit more private land hunting than I expected.
Might lead to another question
Good post Dave. IMO, there should be ZERO antlerless mule deer killed this year. How stupid can they be?
They're "stupid" by figuring a way to perpetuate a one-week mule deer season by setting regs that actually contribute to heavy winter kill every few years, along with a fair number of traffic deaths, thus "forcing" them to retain the branch-antler regulation and a one-week season.
Bonehead biology 101.
Move the general hunting season back a week, get more big bucks moving, remove the B/A requirement, allow spikes and fork-horns to be taken in certain management units, halt doe hunts for a season or two, grow a herd that offers genuine opportunity to bowhunters, black powder guys and modern rifle hunters.
But let's not get this thread off track.
Original question returns: Which side are you hunting on for the opener, East or West?
Post by: TeacherMan on October 07, 2008, 08:56:51 AM
Post by: zackmioli on October 07, 2008, 09:06:31 AM
Post by: jstamp on October 07, 2008, 09:10:01 AM
Post by: Leanne on October 07, 2008, 11:15:06 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on October 07, 2008, 11:27:15 AM
Post by: klikboom on October 07, 2008, 11:28:38 AM
Post by: bamalefty on October 07, 2008, 11:32:50 AM
Post by: Trophy Hunter on October 07, 2008, 01:24:11 PM
on quest for the Trifecta.
Post by: Crunchy on October 07, 2008, 01:34:57 PM
Post by: SpokaneSlayer on October 07, 2008, 02:52:30 PM
Convoying up north with some guys I work with for a 4-day camp out.
Post by: HuntingFanatic on October 07, 2008, 03:04:15 PM
Post by: roadhuntking on October 07, 2008, 03:43:07 PM
Post by: firefighter4607 on October 07, 2008, 04:02:22 PM
On my families ranches, Eastside of Hwy 97 :drool:
Post by: C-Money on October 07, 2008, 04:12:10 PM
Post by: Dave Workman on October 07, 2008, 05:33:19 PM
West side for me, but no trifecta. Got an elk, actually two elk, and hopefully will score on a decent deer. STORMKING here I come.
That the Storm King down by Mineral?
My dad used to kill a buck there every opening morning. Right on top. Them wuz the days. That place was clobbered pretty bad by the Columbus Day storm of 1962. My first deer opener and the place my dad took me to conk a buck was pretty much no longer there. Broke his heart. Didn't make me too happy, either.
Oh, well.
Post by: runningboard on October 07, 2008, 06:13:35 PM
Post by: River on October 07, 2008, 06:24:06 PM
Post by: Crunchy on October 07, 2008, 06:55:51 PM
West side for me, but no trifecta. Got an elk, actually two elk, and hopefully will score on a decent deer. STORMKING here I come.
That the Storm King down by Mineral?
My dad used to kill a buck there every opening morning. Right on top. Them wuz the days. That place was clobbered pretty bad by the Columbus Day storm of 1962. My first deer opener and the place my dad took me to conk a buck was pretty much no longer there. Broke his heart. Didn't make me too happy, either.
Oh, well.
Ya I hunt about a mile south of the tiny town of Carlson. I like to think there are a lot of deer there, but I havent seen any monsters.
Post by: swanny on October 07, 2008, 08:56:48 PM
Post by: M_ray on October 07, 2008, 08:59:48 PM
Post by: wrangler on October 07, 2008, 09:05:00 PM
Hunting on the east side. We will see how it goes, very little public land, lots of private and I have yet to find somewhere to really go, hopefully I can maybe find something Friday last minute when I finally make it over there. May end up being more of a scouting trip for years to come.i was in the same situation a few years ago when i was lookin for a new spot and ended up making a few turns down a few roads in i unit i never really hunted, walked off the end of a spur road along a ridge id never been down. i ended up 3 miles from the truck in my new honey hole. 3 bucks in 4 years and i have every intention of taking a wall hanger this year from that very spot! good luck!
Post by: buckmaster_wa on October 07, 2008, 09:20:02 PM
Post by: hambone on October 07, 2008, 09:57:01 PM
Post by: grade-creek-rd on October 07, 2008, 10:16:24 PM
G-C-R
Post by: javman on October 07, 2008, 11:22:16 PM
Post by: strutnrut1984 on October 09, 2008, 01:49:50 PM