Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Kc_Kracker on September 10, 2019, 11:24:33 AM

Title: forestry acess permits, any of them worth it?
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 10, 2019, 11:24:33 AM: for non-motorized? :dunno:
Title: Re: forestry acess permits, any of them worth it?
Post by: Lumpy Taters on September 10, 2019, 07:34:32 PM: I am going to assume you are talking about the weyco permits. It really depends on your expectations and location chosen. Some areas are better than others. If you have easy access to a local area then it could be very worthwhile to have somewhere to hunt and hike. If you have to travel a long distance and have limited time I am not so sure. I chose to get the motorized permit myself. It was worth it just for the year round access alone. But I only live a few miles from an access point and get to use it frequently.
Title: Re: forestry acess permits, any of them worth it?
Post by: brokentrail on September 10, 2019, 08:39:38 PM: I choose to buy the Hancock Kapowsin permit and to me, it is worth it. You will get varying opinions, a lot of folks don't like the permits, the rules, the management of the areas, etc, but for me, it works. I prefer to be able to hunt before/after work, every weekend that I can and whatever time I take off of work to hunt. I am within 20 minutes of a gate and I maximize my time in the permit area, I don't just hunt during season there. I mushroom hunt, I grouse hunt, I scout, I shed hunt, I wander around because I can :-)

If I didn't have the permit, I would only be able to hunt when I took vacation from work and it is likely, if I didn't camp, that I would be hunting at least an hour away, one-way.
Title: Re: forestry acess permits, any of them worth it?
Post by: fishnfur on September 10, 2019, 11:31:54 PM: Pretty good answers considering you were not very specific on your question.

If you enjoy the timberlands outside the hunting season and you live relatively close to the gate, it sounds like a pretty good deal. If you only want to hunt during the season, hate road hunters, and you live quite a distance from the gate.............. well, I guess it just depends on how much money you have and how you decide to spend it. I assume the permits for the best areas (Vail, etc.) are already gone, so if you're not familiar with the permit areas and the hunter success rates for the GMU they are in, then you can probably find similar "free to access"/DNR areas close by that will save you a couple of dimes and have similar levels of hunter success.

I like DNR and other free-to-hunt commercial timberlands, but I'm a cheap SOB.