Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: Moose Eyes on March 30, 2009, 09:57:12 AM

Title: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Moose Eyes on March 30, 2009, 09:57:12 AM: A buddy drew a spring bear tag for this area. Can anybody who knows about, or lives near, that area provide some information about timing a spring hunt? Based on past experience and this years snow pack, when do you think will be the best time to hunt this spring?

Thanks!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: jackelope on March 30, 2009, 11:43:56 AM: in may.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Timberstalker on March 30, 2009, 02:21:34 PM: That hunt can be as tough or as easy as you make it. My dad has had it twice (03,07) He shot a 5' Black the first year after 8 days and then a 6'5 blonde in 07 the first day out. Snow will control a lot in that unit. Get on the onions and it should go good. Be patient they are not all big
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: bucklucky on March 30, 2009, 05:21:33 PM: I would say between mid april to the end of may is a good time ;)
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Gobble Gobble on March 30, 2009, 05:46:34 PM: I was in the unit hunting the last day of Fall season and it can be an easy hike or a hard hike it's up to you. There are a lot of active service roads and just as many abandoned jeep trails. You have areas hit hard by the fire and areas untouched. There are some good clear cuts. I know the natives road hunt the unit as I saw several the day I was there. There are several OEV parks along the Check out the GoHunt mapping on the WDFW web site of the area.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: wastickslinger on March 30, 2009, 05:51:56 PM: I would say May this year
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: jackelope on March 30, 2009, 09:49:20 PM: there's a guy on here who doesn't come around much anymore that had that tag last year. him and his wife both had them. they hunted the more remote areas off of the 40 road and also out of the peola area hard, a few trips over several days a piece off horseback and both of them ate their tags.
they had issues with access due to snow. i can tell you last year at the national forest boundary at the peola road there was 4 feet of snow on the ground on the opening weekend of turkey season. i don't think this year will be much different seeing what i saw 2 weeks ago when i was there. there is lots of roads and lots of big views you could use to glass areas. there's also a lot of nice green grass in the burn areas from the school fire a few years back in the peola area. native hunting is an issue with the elk herds, if you see any idaho plates running around up there, thats where the natives come from.
there's also some neat wilderness areas up the 40 road.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Archery King on March 31, 2009, 08:24:58 PM: Hey I have hunted that area a lot from 99' to 08' im just gonna say Smoothing Iron seen a monster red coloered bear up thier last fall. Always alot of bears on the hill sides with sunflwers im pretty sure thats because they have a lot of wild onions on them. Its gonna be the first of may before you get up thier.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Moose Eyes on March 31, 2009, 10:35:39 PM: This is all good information. Thanks, everyone!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Rob on April 02, 2009, 12:22:41 PM: Thanks for posting this for me! I just registered so I could poke at this topic a bit more.

I have only been down to this area once and I am looking fwwd to hunting bear there this spring. The snow is still really deep from what I see, over 8 feet in the high altitiudes over 5,000 feet. So we will be hitting this area hard in May hoping to get some access via roads that are snowed in right now.

So from what I understand, look for meadows just below the snow line, and look for wild onion patches. Are there any more ideas? Regions to try, valleys to hit, trails to walk, etc? Is the East side of the unit better than the west side?
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: jackelope on April 02, 2009, 12:24:37 PM: you might be able to access some of it through asotin creek earlier as it is lower elevation. trying to go in through peola or the mountain road would be pointless anytime soon.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Moose Eyes on April 03, 2009, 09:22:46 PM: Nice to see you joined up, Rob!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Rob on April 06, 2009, 10:20:50 AM: Cool, I'll try looking into the Asotin creek area. I like the way that valley looks on the maps. I will be heading over on 4/25 to hunt it. hopefully the snow will be lower by then. If not, then I'll be back several times in May.

Looking to bump into a turkey as well!

I recall from my visit to the area in early Feb, that there is a lot of "feel free to hunt with written permission" signage up. I'll be scouting that out too!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Moose Eyes on April 06, 2009, 08:50:33 PM: Nice avatar, Rob!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Rob on April 07, 2009, 08:18:41 AM: Why thankyou! It should be in my Den by end of May if all goes well... Only 20 months after I shot it!
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: jackelope on April 07, 2009, 08:25:38 AM: how about a story on your avatar pic?
start a new thread.
:drool:
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: agchawk on April 07, 2009, 08:36:42 AM: Just to throw some more info out there for you folks hunting this area.

I was just up Cloverland Grade yesterday. The road into the National Forest is a mess but certainly passable...at least to the gate. Pulling a trailer might be a bit of fun but if they are pulling sleds on trailers into there then you should be able to get a small 5th wheel in there also. I guess you can't expect a lot after all the snow up there this season. Once you get off the road there is still a LOT of snow in places with drifts still there that are over 3" deep. I took a quick walk down an old skid road and spent most of the time falling through the snow up to my waist and hoisting myself back on top.

The good news is that it was damn near 60 degrees up there so the snow should continue to melt...and it's supposed to be a couple degrees hotter today. The bad news is that it looks like we have another series of systems rolling in over the second half of this week. Looks like the Blues will see a mixture of rain and snow through the weekend. Low temps won't be much lower than 31-33 degrees so it shouldn't be a lot...but just expect a little more of the white stuff.

Good luck guys! I'm lookin' forward to seeing the pics.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Rob on April 07, 2009, 12:01:09 PM: Thanks for the update on the roads! here's hoping for hot weather!

Quote from: jackelope on April 07, 2009, 08:25:38 AM
how about a story on your avatar pic?
start a new thread.
:drool:

Here you go!
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,24661.0.html
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: dune on March 12, 2021, 07:45:00 AM: Did you ever get into the bears?In 175 I drew the tag not much info outside of what you have posted

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Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: Timberstalker on March 12, 2021, 12:32:10 PM: Phenomenal unit, with high numbers of bears in certain areas.
Good luck on your hunt, dune.
Title: Re: GMU 175 Lick Creek
Post by: dune on March 12, 2021, 01:28:58 PM: Thanks. hope snow will be melted mid May.

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