Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Annette on June 24, 2013, 09:11:02 PM

Title: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 24, 2013, 09:11:02 PM: Spent most the day scouting the Desert unit, wow they sure chopped it down! I think you'd have to be on a tractor to kill anything!
My hunting partner drew a tag there, glad it wasn't my idea...... :yike:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:14:29 PM: Heard rumors that they brought a tanker battery (bigger then a brigade not a energy source) into the YTC area
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: buglebuster on June 24, 2013, 09:23:49 PM: Quote from: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:14:29 PM
Heard rumors that they brought a tanker battery (bigger then a brigade not a energy source) into the YTC area
What would that have to do with the desert unit :dunno:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 24, 2013, 09:27:53 PM: Quote from: buglebuster on June 24, 2013, 09:23:49 PM
Quote from: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:14:29 PM
Heard rumors that they brought a tanker battery (bigger then a brigade not a energy source) into the YTC area
What would that have to do with the desert unit :dunno:
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Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:30:07 PM: Isn't that unit on the military base? If so those tankers could have been doing training and they're known to knock things around a bit.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: ellensburgpo on June 24, 2013, 09:31:21 PM: The yakima firing center and the desert unit are not the same thing.
Title: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: benhuntin on June 24, 2013, 09:31:59 PM: Quote from: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:30:07 PM
Isn't that unit on the military base? If so those tankers could have been doing training and they're known to knock things around a bit.
alkali is a different unit
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:32:21 PM: I stand corrected. Disregard my previous posts.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: huntnphool on June 24, 2013, 09:47:47 PM: Quote from: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:30:07 PM
Isn't that unit on the military base? If so those tankers could have been doing training and they're known to knock things around a bit.
Good thing you didn't draw a Desert tag. :chuckle:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:56:48 PM: Lol I stick to the areas I grew up hunting so haven't bothered on permit areas
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Mfowl on June 24, 2013, 09:59:22 PM: What did they chop down? The russian olive trees? A few years ago they chopped all the russian olives down in the Wahluke W.A. in an effort to restore the native plants. Thats federal land though, I am not sure if Desert is or not. I believe they were having trouble with purple loosestrife in Desert in recent years, maybe it has something to do with that.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: buckhorn2 on June 24, 2013, 10:18:58 PM: Finally draw and they cut it down . Always wanted to catch a walleye anyway.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 24, 2013, 11:18:41 PM: Quote from: huntnphool on June 24, 2013, 09:47:47 PM
Quote from: Jolten on June 24, 2013, 09:30:07 PM
Isn't that unit on the military base? If so those tankers could have been doing training and they're known to knock things around a bit.
Good thing you didn't draw a Desert tag. :chuckle:
My Hunting partner Randy did draw a permit for the unit...He's working, I'm scouting...LOL
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Timberstalker on June 25, 2013, 06:50:55 AM: Quote from: buckhorn2 on June 24, 2013, 10:18:58 PM
Finally draw and they cut it down . Always wanted to catch a walleye anyway.

This is freaking hilarious. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: boneaddict on June 25, 2013, 06:54:20 AM: Duck hunting is good that time of year there.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Timberstalker on June 25, 2013, 07:09:04 AM: Great Coyote hunting.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Chad E. on June 25, 2013, 08:15:03 AM: I'm not following what your meaning by chopped it down? Unless your talking about the increase in farm ground?
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: woodywsu on June 25, 2013, 09:24:13 AM: Annette, are you referring to agriculture conversion? Private land can be "chopped down" all they want. WDFW is doing some Russian olive removal in the unit as well as phragmitise control to increase surface water for suitable waterfowl nesting habitat. I'm just curious as what you are seeing.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Elkstuffer on June 25, 2013, 10:08:35 AM: Quote from: Mfowl on June 24, 2013, 09:59:22 PM
What did they chop down? The russian olive trees? A few years ago they chopped all the russian olives down in the Wahluke W.A. in an effort to restore the native plants. Thats federal land though, I am not sure if Desert is or not. I believe they were having trouble with purple loosestrife in Desert in recent years, maybe it has something to do with that.

The fire there a couple years ago didn't help the russian olives either.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Mfowl on June 25, 2013, 10:43:03 AM: What did they chop down? The russian olive trees? A few years ago they chopped all the russian olives down in the Wahluke W.A. in an effort to restore the native plants. Thats federal land though, I am not sure if Desert is or not. I believe they were having trouble with purple loosestrife in Desert in recent years, maybe it has something to do with that.

The fire there a couple years ago didn't help the russian olives either.

Yeah, that fire scorched the Wahluke to dirt. Its coming back nicely now though.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: bullchaser on June 25, 2013, 11:12:50 AM: This thread is Weird!!!
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: huntnnw on June 25, 2013, 10:27:52 PM: u respond, but not to what you originally started? :dunno:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: MerriamMagician on June 25, 2013, 10:30:18 PM: Trees chopped down in which area of the unit?? Around C road or Dodson??? :bdid:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: fastdam on June 25, 2013, 10:33:03 PM: And wierder.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 25, 2013, 10:44:28 PM: The area of the Desert unit is almost all Farm land. Has it always been? Looks like you need privet access.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: woodywsu on June 25, 2013, 10:50:56 PM: Yes, ever since the completion of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Not impressed after your first visit to the unit?
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 25, 2013, 10:52:49 PM: is it all flat land like it looks like on Google Earth?
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 25, 2013, 10:57:08 PM: My post was about the Desert unit being smaller than the original unit...Desert A..
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: buckhorn2 on June 25, 2013, 11:08:46 PM: When we hunted it last year Annette there was lots of private property and reuge signs but there were wdfw parking spots where you could walk in and hunt. There were bird hunters all around so most people who hunted it in the past said to crawl up on a big sand dune and glass and we did see deer.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: MerriamMagician on June 25, 2013, 11:23:56 PM: Hunt more to the east. From Dodson road to the reservoir. Lots of public land in the desert wildlife area and lots of deer.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 25, 2013, 11:24:52 PM: Quote from: buckhorn2 on June 25, 2013, 11:08:46 PM
When we hunted it last year Annette there was lots of private property and reuge signs but there were wdfw parking spots where you could walk in and hunt. There were bird hunters all around so most people who hunted it in the past said to crawl up on a big sand dune and glass and we did see deer.
Really, that sounds encouraging....
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 25, 2013, 11:27:07 PM: Thanks MM. Sounds good...
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: boneaddict on June 26, 2013, 04:50:08 AM: When you get out into it Annette, you will be amazed at how much topography there is, and how expert the deer are at using it.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Timberstalker on June 26, 2013, 06:31:43 AM: There is more Public Land than you will be able to hunt in the whole season. Guaranteed.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: floatinghat on June 26, 2013, 08:58:00 AM: Quote from: boneaddict on June 26, 2013, 04:50:08 AM
When you get out into it Annette, you will be amazed at how much topography there is, and how expert the deer are at using it.

Was out bird hunting last fall a couple of times and couldn't believe the number of very fresh (large) tracks we obviously jumped compared to what we saw.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Old Man Yager on June 26, 2013, 09:09:57 AM: Quote from: Annette on June 25, 2013, 10:52:49 PM
is it all flat land like it looks like on Google Earth?
It looks flat, but it's not. there are some tall dunes that are good vantage points. When you start walking out there, you will see it's not flat, you are going up and down small dunes. Unless they cut down all the sage brush, there is still plenty of cover for the deer. I will dig up some pics I took when I hunted it in 2005. Good luck on your hunt
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Special T on June 26, 2013, 09:24:53 AM: I saw plenty of deer from my riverboat in the shallows around the s side of the pot holes. Definatly the hardest part is the fat that there are dunes,a dn LOTS of tall cattails everywhere. IDN how a bow hunter can kill stuff in that unit unless its on the private farm ground N of the frenchman hills RD.
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 26, 2013, 03:57:14 PM: OK>>>>>I'm officially going to stop complaining about the unit. Sounds like a great challenge and good possibility for a good buck.
Thanks everyone for the info and for putting up with my wine...ing :bash:... Should be an interesting fall!
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Southpole on June 26, 2013, 04:10:36 PM: Quote from: Annette on June 25, 2013, 10:44:28 PM
The area of the Desert unit is almost all Farm land. Has it always been? Looks like you need privet access.
Look out for Special Unit Permit Police on this forum, I'm surprised they haven't rudely commented on why you drew a permit without expert knowledge of it. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: What the heck did they do to the Desert Unit?
Post by: Annette on June 26, 2013, 09:01:56 PM: So let them ask....They might get more than they ask for...
By the way, it's not my tag, but my hunting partners..