Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: trophyhunt on October 12, 2020, 12:24:44 PM

Title: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on October 12, 2020, 12:24:44 PM: My dad also drew a second deer doe permit for the desert unit this dec 12-27th, he will be using a rifle. He can't hike much or up hills, I'm worried about his ability to hike in the sand. Anyone willing to give a good access point for a disabled hunter or possibly a name and number for private land that would welcome him? Appreciate any help.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: OltHunter on October 12, 2020, 12:36:45 PM: Had that one a few years back. PM'd my top spot that is not very hilly and seems to hold deer consistently.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on October 12, 2020, 12:48:01 PM: Got it, thank you!!
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Pegasus on October 12, 2020, 12:57:53 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on October 12, 2020, 12:24:44 PM
My dad also drew a second deer doe permit for the desert unit this dec 12-27th, he will be using a rifle. He can't hike much or up hills, I'm worried about his ability to hike in the sand. Anyone willing to give a good access point for a disabled hunter or possibly a name and number for private land that would welcome him? Appreciate any help.

If he is just shooting a doe I would just go into the Pothole area on Road "C" SE. Just driving in you will probably spot deer. It is sandy for most of it but pretty flat. Sometimes a deer trail makes it easier to traverse. Anywhere you go in there you will probably see deer. He will have some company with the duck and goose hunters that will also be in there.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Todd6117 on October 12, 2020, 01:04:22 PM: South from I-90 on Dodson road to Road 4 SW. Then head east. There is public land on the north side that has roads that you can get to high points on and look around. Not as sandy and I have always seen does in there.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on October 12, 2020, 03:21:03 PM: Thanks to all you guys, and the PM’s, appreciate all the info!
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 08, 2020, 06:44:00 PM: Thanks again for the advice, heading out Saturday. One last question, I don’t buy discover passes, just believe it’s BS. So, should I expect a ticket or do you not need one??
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 08, 2020, 06:48:15 PM: Roll the dice 🎲
You are the one responsible for your choice.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: bobcat on December 08, 2020, 06:55:50 PM: You don't need a Discover pass on a WDFW wildlife area. That's what your WDFW pass is for, the one you got for free with your hunting license.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 08, 2020, 07:35:45 PM: Thanks bobcat, wasn’t sure which public land we would be hunting on.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: jstone on December 08, 2020, 07:36:21 PM: I have never bought one. I am year’s ahead of I ever get a ticket
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Sandberm on December 10, 2020, 07:51:36 AM: I'm curious what you see out in the Desert as far as deer numbers. I just spent parts of 12 days in a neighboring unit trying to arrow a deer only to see ONE buck, a 2x2. I averaged seeing maybe 6-7 does/day with a high of 13 one day. That's abysmal numbers and I am curious what the deer population throughout the basin looks like.

Saw, but did not talk to the game warden 3 times.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Onewhohikes on December 10, 2020, 08:18:02 AM: You might try a public records request of the helicopter survey results that WDFW does in the area after the seasons are over.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: vandeman17 on December 10, 2020, 08:23:13 AM: I duck hunt around the unit and though I don't physically see a lot of deer, I have been seeing way more tracks than years past. Hiking in the dark, then coming out late morning with my head down just trucking along doesn't help me spot many deer. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 10, 2020, 12:10:25 PM: I'll let you know what we see after we are done.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: bigdub257 on December 10, 2020, 12:42:07 PM: In my experience, those deer are super spooky. If they see you physically skylined or walking they will run a long ways!
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 12, 2020, 08:15:27 PM: Yup, pretty spooky! We saw about 5 small bucks today and a herd of about 17 does. My dad has hunted archery for about the past 40 years, not much shooting a rifle. Soooo, he did miss a doe today but it was at 425 yards and all he could see was the head and neck. We figured what the heck, a clean miss or dead as heck. Cool ground, pretty easy hiking. The desert is a strange unit w pockets of public, checker boarded with private, doesn’t seem that big of a unit. Came home tonight, I have Friday off so we will go back then. Thanks again for the tips and PM’s
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: ThurstonCokid on December 12, 2020, 09:09:55 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on December 12, 2020, 08:15:27 PM
Yup, pretty spooky! We saw about 5 small bucks today and a herd of about 17 does. My dad has hunted archery for about the past 40 years, not much shooting a rifle. Soooo, he did miss a doe today but it was at 425 yards and all he could see was the head and neck. We figured what the heck, a clean miss or dead as heck. Cool ground, pretty easy hiking. The desert is a strange unit w pockets of public, checker boarded with private, doesn’t seem that big of a unit. Came home tonight, I have Friday off so we will go back then. Thanks again for the tips and PM’s
Sounds like you guys have it figured out! I sent you a PM. Hope all goes well

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Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 12, 2020, 09:11:05 PM: Thanks kid, appreciate it!
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 18, 2020, 10:12:47 PM: Wrap up, spooky deer, checkerboard unit, very easy hiking, deer can hide just about anywhere! We hunted two full days, first day saw about 21 deer, 5 of which were small bucks. Today we saw 7 does with 2 small bucks in the AM, just couldn’t get close enough without being spotted. Drove to some new ground for the afternoon hunt and saw 2 does, wasn’t sure if we were on public land so didn’t shoot, ends up we were on public. Oh well. So we ended up going back to the place that was recommended by two different people, the place where we kept seeing deer for the evening hunt. Well, going down the road heading to our last spot for the last 45 min of light, I see about 7-8 deer out in the sage. My dad just wanted to be done hunting, been a long, successful season and he was tired, he told me to shoot. So he didn’t get to shoot his deer but he was all smiles! Hugs and high 5’s! Thanks to all the PM’s and advice, you guys are great! Not sure if all the big bucks get shot but didn’t see a single 3 point or better, but, lots of places to hide! Tired, thanks again for the help.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: deerlick on December 18, 2020, 10:30:06 PM: Congratulations
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Twispriver on December 18, 2020, 10:33:27 PM: You spent time together, explored new ground, found game and got meat - sounds like a good hunt to me :tup: Congratulations
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: bigdub257 on December 19, 2020, 06:38:42 AM: Great job! That hunt can be a little trickier than one might expect.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: ThurstonCokid on December 19, 2020, 07:02:48 AM: Sounds like you guys had fun regardless. And seeing animals is a plus! Memories with dad that’ll last forever. Thanks for sharing!

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Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Sandberm on December 19, 2020, 07:49:04 AM: Thanks for the report and your not seeing any 3 point bucks goes with what I saw in the neighboring unit.

Poaching? Two hard winters since 2015?
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 19, 2020, 10:00:58 AM: Quote from: bigdub257 on December 19, 2020, 06:38:42 AM
Great job! That hunt can be a little trickier than one might expect.
you are not kidding! I seriously thought we would be done 10 minutes into opening morning! I should know better than that by now at my age, lol. Those deer are on high alert! The season goes till the 27th, I wonder if any bucks are shot because they dropped their antlers?? I’ve taken a buck before w my bow thinking it was a doe, it had dropped already and it was dec 30th. Seems the deadline is getting pretty close to drop season. You guys that know those deer in that area, do they drop later? I know each deer is different, just curious
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 19, 2020, 01:14:06 PM: My pops and me
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 19, 2020, 01:14:43 PM: .
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: blindluck on December 19, 2020, 07:52:36 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on December 19, 2020, 10:00:58 AM
Quote from: bigdub257 on December 19, 2020, 06:38:42 AM
Great job! That hunt can be a little trickier than one might expect.
you are not kidding! I seriously thought we would be done 10 minutes into opening morning! I should know better than that by now at my age, lol. Those deer are on high alert! The season goes till the 27th, I wonder if any bucks are shot because they dropped their antlers?? I’ve taken a buck before w my bow thinking it was a doe, it had dropped already and it was dec 30th. Seems the deadline is getting pretty close to drop season. You guys that know those deer in that area, do they drop later? I know each deer is different, just curious
I’ve seen them still packing in mid April out there
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: Fletch on December 21, 2020, 02:39:36 PM: :yeah: if not later
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: highbuckklr on December 23, 2020, 08:06:59 AM: Good Year for you and your dad - Congrats Buddy.
Title: Re: Second deer permit in the desert advice
Post by: trophyhunt on December 23, 2020, 08:41:18 AM: Quote from: highbuckklr on December 23, 2020, 08:06:59 AM
Good Year for you and your dad - Congrats Buddy.
thank you! Yeah, 2020 has been a great year for sure.