Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: fishnfur on March 18, 2015, 11:43:13 PM

Title: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: fishnfur on March 18, 2015, 11:43:13 PM: I'm not quite sure why that previous topic was locked, probably inappropriate posts or something. Maybe this is a forbidden topic. Here's a link to the Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_white-tailed_deer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_white-tailed_deer)

Not legal to take a Whitetail on the Westside as far as I know. I drive by the Julia Butler Columbian Whitetail Refuge very often and see them occasionally along the road. I swear I saw a whitetail doe in the lower hills of Ryderwood, about 10 miles west of Cathlamet last summer when scouting. Big wide brown tail - looked wrong at first glassing. Generally, they are considered to be a lowland/river bottom deer, but you never know. Google will reveal a few interesting leads including a historical map put out by scientists of the believed range of that species in Western WA.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: police women of America on March 19, 2015, 09:50:43 AM: thanks. yeah I don't know why they locked it? :dunno: but its unlocked now.
I was planning on white tail hunting this year but I guess ill be black tail hunting till I can make a trip to the Eastern side.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: ELKBURGER on March 19, 2015, 05:02:09 PM: Many Columbian whitetail deer were transferred to the Ridgefield refuge and now those are starting to branch out. The surrounding area around the refuge is either sex deer (GMU 564) and is bound to have a couple accidentally shot.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: fishnfur on March 19, 2015, 09:41:54 PM: I always worry about the same thing. I have the worst luck in the world. No doubt it will be me that kills the endangered species by mistake.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: kentrek on March 19, 2015, 10:20:10 PM: We had a giant on the property last year.....i never saw him but my bro got a cruddy pic...6-7 inch eye guards...cant make much more out than that

Excited to try an find him this summer
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: Sitka_Blacktail on March 19, 2015, 11:43:08 PM: An old buddy of mine from Alaska now manages the Julia Butler Hansen refuge. he's been telling me about the transfers they have been doing trying to expand the range.

He told me the big floods they had a few years ago really knocked the herd down at the refuge. But they have been recovering.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: Firedogg on March 20, 2015, 01:59:15 PM: There's a fair number of them down in the Wilipa Wldlife refuge too. We saw a few last week on our trip back up from Long Beach going through PeEll and Raymond. A few in a field near Menlo still had nice heavy winter coats. Lots of blacktails along the way too, they look like monsters compared to the CWT.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: chester on March 20, 2015, 02:21:35 PM: You saw whitetails from hwy 6 in Menlo?

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Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: grundy53 on March 20, 2015, 02:47:32 PM: Quote from: chester on March 20, 2015, 02:21:35 PM
You saw whitetails from hwy 6 in Menlo?

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Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: chester on March 20, 2015, 02:56:22 PM: I'm sitting in tombstone waiting to hear where exactly, I'll be there in two minutes camera in hand.

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Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: fishnfur on March 20, 2015, 11:40:47 PM: Hey Firedogg,
Did you find those WT deer sticking close to the tidelands/low elevations ? I don't think these Columbian WT deer are much for living in the forest. River bottoms are supposed to be their preferred envionment.

Kinda cool to have a living relic population of WT subspecies so close to home.
Title: Re: Columbian Whitetail Deer
Post by: Firedogg on March 21, 2015, 12:07:17 AM: The first group we saw were near Nemah in some grassy tidal area on the east side of Hwy 101. The next three were were just before the Palix River. The two near Menlo were At the edge of a field by the river between Hekard and Hunt Club Roads.

Fishnfur, they were all down low near water.

Saw plenty of blacktails in the hilly treed areas. Should have stopped for pictures, but it was early Thursday and we were making good time getting home from our two days away (in other words my hiney was tired of being on the road se I was in a hurry).