Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: cvandervort on June 19, 2014, 11:20:04 PM

Title: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 19, 2014, 11:20:04 PM: Anyone on here familiar with 142? A buddy of mine invited me to hunt his family's property over there (i'm on the westside), but I was also invited back to a Swakane unit deer camp for the second year...

Hunt a different unit entirely, or stick with one that produces good deer that you're more familiar with? Decisions, decisions....
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: bobcat on June 19, 2014, 11:33:06 PM: There's no way I'd pass up an opportunity to hunt private property in Almota. Lots of deer, and both whitetail and muleys. You can hunt Swakane anytime.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Tbar on June 19, 2014, 11:35:40 PM: Almota is a good unit (can be). It's the hunt you were invited to on the breaks or the grain fields. The fields can be great or you can walk for days and not see a whitetail. I do like the fields because there is always a level of mystery provided by terrain. The breaks can be productive with mulies and there are definitely some big Mule deer there. It does get kinda frustrating with all the slick 2 points in the unit (some fully mature).
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Tbar on June 19, 2014, 11:38:33 PM: Oh and did I mention the breaks are steep? If you hunt the breaks in the early season there are lots of snakes, never bothered me but made it a little uneasy hearing the rattles in the darkness.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Mxracer532 on June 20, 2014, 12:23:55 AM: I got alot of family in that unit and know tons of people there also. What general area? Town??
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 20, 2014, 03:59:04 PM: Not entirely sure about the town...
I'm a bit apprehensive because I'm used to the mountains, not rolling prairie!
I guess I have some time to ponder...
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Timberstalker on June 20, 2014, 06:04:33 PM: Quote from: cvandervort on June 20, 2014, 03:59:04 PM
Not entirely sure about the town...
I'm a bit apprehensive because I'm used to the mountains, not rolling prairie!
I guess I have some time to ponder...

You may not classify it as rolling prairie after you kill a deer at the river and pack him back to the wheat! :chuckle:
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Tbar on June 20, 2014, 06:35:06 PM: :yeah:
The river sits at less than 500 feet of elevation and the wheat is 2500-3000. That's a grueling hunt if you traverse from top to bottom a couple times in a day.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: bobcat on June 20, 2014, 06:37:27 PM: Yeah I got a laugh out of the "rolling prairie" comment. :chuckle:

However, it COULD be relatively flat, just depends on where in the unit the property is.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Todd_ID on June 20, 2014, 07:17:59 PM: :yeah: That was my thought too. If you haven't seen the canyon you'll be hunting, then you'd be best off sticking to what you know. Take a trip over and see it before you decide. Find out exactly how and where you'll be hunting, and then while you're walking that area envision yourself there trying to kill a deer. You'll know then.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Kyle1112 on June 20, 2014, 08:36:43 PM: I've hunted a large chunk of that unit on the breaks of the snake river and have been up and down the "rolling hills" of my section since I was 12(I'm 30 now). I've killed deer in there all the way up till I switched to archery. My great uncles and close family friends are wheat farmers. The killer isn't the elevation climb it's the scorching heat with no relief for both you and your game till the vehicle. Mountains at least have trees to provide shade ya know. Are you going for rifle?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: T-Dozzer on June 20, 2014, 09:30:13 PM: Grew up hunting 142. Got tired of all the shananigans out there and moved one unit over. Where you are in 142 defiantly makes a difference. Last deer I put down in that unit took 5 hours in 90 deg heat to hike out. It only rolled a ways, but man it was a steep hell hole getting it out. That being said, if you got good private access I would take it.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 21, 2014, 03:34:39 PM: Okay, okay....the "rolling prairie" comment was a quote from my friend that owns the property...so back off! haha
I went to school and worked over there, so I should have seen the jeers coming from a mile away!
I'm excited about the opportunity, but, like I said before, I just found out about it, and have yet to check it out in person. All I know is that it IS farmland. I'd be stoked if that included some terrain to break it up.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: countrystyle4life on June 21, 2014, 10:31:20 PM: Well this one of my regular units. It can be a great place to provide some monster bucks feeding in high protein crops. I would ask and see what the hunting pressure is going to be on the property you will be hunting. If its anything thing high it can get frustrating. Its not uncommon to hear a gunshot about every 30 minutes on opening day in high pressure areas. However it can provide some monsters as well, more so in areas that pressure is very limited. 30" wide isn't a hard to get in a well managed low pressure area. Also ask what the terrain is because you can go anything from crop fields to the Breaks and they are called the breaks for a reason. I shot my 142 buck last year at 10:21 a.m. in a canyon and it took me till 4:30 to get to my truck at the gate on the river (and I was going downhill lol). I would say ask questions and look into it if it sounds good spot I would go for it, its a fun place to hunt!
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: jjhunter on June 21, 2014, 10:45:29 PM: A 30"er? I must have been doing it all wrong in 142 the last 23 seasons?
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: countrystyle4life on June 21, 2014, 11:48:57 PM: Not saying that but defiantly have to have the ground managed and be out there a lot. Between my room mate and I we have 3 known bucks on ground we have access to this year so far that we know are at the 30" (most of these are found on horseback, Between us one of us is in the saddle on the ground on average of 4 days a week). The majority of the bucks are smaller though yes. And the 2 points are out there like the damn plague.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Timberstalker on June 22, 2014, 12:45:51 AM: They are already 30" wide?
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 22, 2014, 06:03:12 AM: Thanks for the tips guys.
As far as I know, it would just be my buddy and I hunting the farm...they grow wheat.
As a plus, the guy who farms it for them says he'd put us in to elk too!

I'll get some more specifics and report back.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: njdmb on June 22, 2014, 07:17:48 AM: Not that hard to kill a 30" deer? I don't care what tag you have in what state, that won't be true. I spend 7 days a week in 142 and I can count the 30" deer I have seen on one hand.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: jjhunter on June 22, 2014, 07:28:49 AM: Quote from: njdmb on June 22, 2014, 07:17:48 AM
Not that hard to kill a 30" deer? I don't care what tag you have in what state, that won't be true. I spend 7 days a week in 142 and I can count the 30" deer I have seen on one hand.

What would you know about 142? :-) Great write up in HF a couple of issues ago!
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: T-Dozzer on June 22, 2014, 10:12:49 AM: 30 inchers running around and you've seen multiple??? Hmmmm..... I would love to see some pics. I would gladly give up hunting my own property and start hiking the breaks again! Not saying they aren't out there, but I've been hunting around there for 25 years without running into deer that size. I don't think the deer JJ hand feeds growth hormones at his place even get that big.....
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: zackmioli on June 22, 2014, 11:21:37 AM: Been hunting the wheat fields of 142 for 15 years now, love it over there! Good luck, access to low pressure private land should not be passed up. :twocents:
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Mxracer532 on June 22, 2014, 12:07:16 PM: Quote from: cvandervort on June 21, 2014, 03:34:39 PM
Okay, okay....the "rolling prairie" comment was a quote from my friend that owns the property...so back off! haha
I went to school and worked over there, so I should have seen the jeers coming from a mile away!
I'm excited about the opportunity, but, like I said before, I just found out about it, and have yet to check it out in person. All I know is that it IS farmland. I'd be stoked if that included some terrain to break it up.
[/quote

you went to school over there and worked yet you dont know what the closest town is? Where does your friend farm? I have hunted that area for my whole life and my dad and grandpa also. My gpaw was the president of the grain growers for years so we know that area EXTREMELY WELL. I could maybe help you if you could atleast let me know the closest town or maybe even the farmers name. PM if you like.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 22, 2014, 07:36:55 PM: Mx: I Went to school in Cheney, worked in Moscow/Pullman, hung out around Lewiston....I said I know the area a bit (as in general look and feel). I assume you have more than one town down there: not sure which is closest to the property.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: Mxracer532 on June 22, 2014, 07:46:17 PM: Quote from: cvandervort on June 22, 2014, 07:36:55 PM
Mx: I Went to school in Cheney, worked in Moscow/Pullman, hung out around Lewiston....I said I know the area a bit (as in general look and feel). I assume you have more than one town down there: not sure which is closest to the property.

Sure there is more than one town but if you know the area the smallest of towns I will know where it is. Its private ground so even if you say exactly where it is it wont matter. Find out closest town and maybe I can help ya out.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 22, 2014, 09:03:03 PM: Will do. thanks
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: cvandervort on June 23, 2014, 07:53:24 AM: Okay, last question, then I'll leave this one alone...
Going from only ever hunting timber, to hunting wheat fields, I am a bit lost.
Do I need a ground blind? Just hunker down and glass? Any other considerations?
I suppose a google search would answer my question, but I'd rather hear it from people with firsthand experience.
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: T-Dozzer on June 23, 2014, 09:17:26 AM: Glass & good boots
Title: Re: 142 (Almota) or my usual....hmmm?
Post by: gunrinwa on June 23, 2014, 10:25:13 AM: After hunting private land out there for more than 10 years I can tell you that you will not be the only person on that property. You'll need good boots, hydration, and good glass. Depending on where you're hunting, expect to see, "family friends", schoolmates, neighbors and other people on the property as well as occasional trespassers. Don't be surprised if you roll up on a spot start glassing some deer and a couple of boys in a 4x4 with 8 dudes and rifles drives by you.

How I've been successful over the years is I head to the escape routes, hidey holes and ledges that hold the bigger bucks. I've shot deer from 25 yards to 350. I've shot more good bucks around 10 - 2PM than any other time. When people go in for lunch etc. Plan on being a good spot. potentially near a spring or water, is a good suggestion.

Get a basic understanding of the topology and if you can get over and walk around before the season all the better. :twocents: