Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: jstone on December 02, 2023, 04:20:25 PM

Title: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jstone on December 02, 2023, 04:20:25 PM: This is the first year in probably 30 years that I have not hunted late archery in the Swakane or surrounding units. How were the deer this year?
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:29:35 PM: I've got a buddy who's been hitting it a bit, just doe and one small legal buck right before the season opened. He said conditions were tough today, limited vis until noon and 8-10" of snow to drive in. He sent me a pic of his truck sideways in an icy patch under the snow.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jrebel on December 02, 2023, 04:34:45 PM: Quote from: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:29:35 PM
I've got a buddy who's been hitting it a bit, just doe and one small legal buck right before the season opened. He said conditions were tough today, limited vis until noon and 8-10" of snow to drive in. He sent me a pic of his truck sideways in an icy patch under the snow.

I hope he isn't hunting the Swakane today......It closed two days ago. :dunno: :dunno:
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: highside74 on December 02, 2023, 04:37:22 PM: That's what I was going to say. Swakane is closed as of the 30th.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jrebel on December 02, 2023, 04:39:20 PM: Unless he has a governors tag or other special / incentive permit. :dunno:
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:40:17 PM: Quote from: jrebel on December 02, 2023, 04:34:45 PM
Quote from: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:29:35 PM
I've got a buddy who's been hitting it a bit, just doe and one small legal buck right before the season opened. He said conditions were tough today, limited vis until noon and 8-10" of snow to drive in. He sent me a pic of his truck sideways in an icy patch under the snow.

I hope he isn't hunting the Swakane today......It closed two days ago. :dunno: :dunno:

I don't know where he was today then, he didn't say. Just that conditions were crappy.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:51:43 PM: Quote from: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:40:17 PM
Quote from: jrebel on December 02, 2023, 04:34:45 PM
Quote from: Mfowl on December 02, 2023, 04:29:35 PM
I've got a buddy who's been hitting it a bit, just doe and one small legal buck right before the season opened. He said conditions were tough today, limited vis until noon and 8-10" of snow to drive in. He sent me a pic of his truck sideways in an icy patch under the snow.

I hope he isn't hunting the Swakane today......It closed two days ago. :dunno: :dunno:

I don't know where he was today then, he didn't say. Just that conditions were crappy.

Turns out he wasn't archery hunting today, just coyotes but still saw no deer to speak of.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: highside74 on December 02, 2023, 04:54:00 PM: Lol no way I'd hit those hills in December looking for coyotes. Heeeeck NO! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: Rainier10 on December 02, 2023, 08:03:04 PM: We go every year. My wife’s family has hunted there since the seventies.

It is a shell of what it used to be and with no snow this year it was even worse.

We saw 20-30 deer a day with one legal buck each day.

With that said I had my oldest daughter with me on my hip every day. She had a few opportunities that just didn’t work out. I had an absolute blast spending time with her. Weather was bluebird skies every day, little to no wind, crisp and cool.

If it weren’t a tradition to hunt with friends and family there I would go somewhere else.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jstone on December 02, 2023, 08:52:51 PM: Unfortunately this shows the miss management of our fish and game. I also remember seeing 100 deer a day and lots of legal bucks. So sad that they let it get this bad. I don’t understand our state. I shake my head at these times
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jrebel on December 02, 2023, 09:01:17 PM: The snow just came.....like today. The migratory deer hadn't even thought about coming down in the masses. Sure, there were some bucks down chasing does...but the vast majority of animals people are accustom to seeing in the Swakane late season were still in the Chiwawa.

That said....the deer herd has been better. I think this year will actually help the herds as most late season hunters struggled.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: String Bender on December 03, 2023, 10:04:09 AM: I hunted the entire season. I seen around 10-50 deer a day and quite a few legal bucks but only a couple of nice ones. I also seen 6 1x2 bucks with a big pile of does one day. As has been stated, this hunt is a shell of what it once was. The conditions were tough for trying to sneek up on anything with the ground being frozen but I still got to hunt and be in the mountains.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: boneaddict on December 03, 2023, 11:22:30 AM: You guys didn’t really feel like chaining up every day did you? Personally I missed the late Alta hunt or even Nason creek.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: String Bender on December 03, 2023, 11:31:52 AM: Chaining up is part of the adventure. Swakane road is getting pretty bad. A wet winter will wash it out in a couple of places and that first big hill after the old barn is getting bad.
Title: Re: Swakane Late Archery
Post by: jstone on December 03, 2023, 02:04:29 PM: Always chain up in the Swakane