Post by: wsmnut on October 22, 2009, 09:58:44 AM
By Patrick Hannigan
Torrential downpours and dense fog is not the weather most hunters wished for on opening day.
But despite a soggy start to the season, many deer hunters had decent success in the first few days of the general modern firearms season, which began at dawn Saturday (Oct. 17) and will run through Sunday (Oct. 25).
According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin, hunters took approximately twice as many deer as last year as measured by numbers from the WDFW check station on the East Chewuch Road. Fitkin and other biologists checked about three dozen deer at the checkpoint on Sunday and Monday (Oct. 18-19).
“I think the wet weather and the later start to the season this year helped hunters a bit,” said Fitkin. “The deer that were taken were really healthy, fat, big-bodied bucks.”
Not all hunters appreciated the heavy rain or found success on opening day.
“I think the rain has the deer hunkering down and so are we,” said Robbi McAllister of Grangeville, Idaho.
McAllister was staying warm and dry in camp during the heaviest afternoon rain on opening day and speculated that the bucks were probably holed up too.
“The bucks got lucky with the rain and the fog because if you can’t see them you can’t shoot them,” said Von Miller of Seattle.
After four days of unsuccessful hunting, they had to return to Seattle so his 17-year old son Chris could go back to school after playing hooky for two days. Chris has shot a buck every year since he was 12 years old – but not this year. The hunters said all they’d seen in four days of hiking the hills were a lot of does and some two-point bucks.
Some hunters had great success on opening day. By mid-afternoon on the first day of the season, Cullen Smith and his party already had three mulies hanging in their camp in Elbow Coulee. Smith, who is from North Bend, has hunted the Methow for 13 years.
“This is not a year when the lazy hunter is going to find success,” said Smith. “You’ve got to get out there and put in some miles.”
Some hunters have different ways of putting in miles. For example, Bruce Brackett and his son Brad have been using mountain bikes to quickly get five or six miles back into the woods on old roads that are closed to vehicles. Still, the Bracketts said they had not yet seen a buck in three days of biking and hunting.
Different hunters take different approaches to the hunt: some walk around, some bicycle, and some hunters, like Boyd Phillips of Silverdale, prefer to sit quietly and wait. He and his partners generally get up around 5:30 and find a place to sit and wait for dawn. The idea is to rely on other hunters who are moving around to spook deer past their hiding spots.
So far, the approach has worked OK: one of his party of four got a buck on opening weekend.
While there are not yet any official numbers, the consensus among hunters during opening weekend is “slow and lots of does.”
But that doesn’t deter hunters from hoping. Ten-year old Louie Ketchum Jr. of Concrete had his first-ever shot at a deer on Sunday, but missed. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up just yet.
“When I get my first deer, I’m going to enter him in the Antlers’ contest,” said Ketchum.
Post by: NRA4LIFE on October 22, 2009, 10:05:22 AM
Post by: yelp on October 22, 2009, 10:22:22 AM
That is an interesting statement to make at this point in the season..
Post by: KimberRich on October 22, 2009, 10:26:38 AM
Post by: twisp_river_slayer on October 22, 2009, 10:33:23 AM
Post by: MtnMuley on October 22, 2009, 04:28:18 PM
This statement is from Fitkin. Need I say more.Exactly. I sure havn't seen many deer hanging in camps around........... :dunno:
Post by: SHANE(WA) on October 22, 2009, 05:01:40 PM
Post by: wolfbait on October 22, 2009, 05:22:34 PM
Post by: mulehunter on October 22, 2009, 07:32:32 PM
Nice Try Scott Fitkin.
Mulehunter >:(
Post by: wolfbait on October 27, 2009, 11:04:56 AM
Post by: huntnphool on October 27, 2009, 11:10:48 AM
BS!!!!
Post by: Gobble on October 27, 2009, 11:14:52 AM
So, how was the "Twice as good as last year" hunt in the Methow?
Not from what I saw :dunno:
We saw a few small bucks and some does but I didn't think it was much better (if any) than any of the other recent years (than again we hunt more remote, less crowded areas)
I hold the Alta B muzzy tag which is from Nov 25-30, Its an any deer tag so I am pretty excited to see the early snow dropping in the mountains, We should see some decent animals if this trend continues, just got a pic from my partners buddy of one that got away and its a dandy. Hope he's still there when we get to go. :IBCOOL:
Post by: bearpaw on October 27, 2009, 11:24:06 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 27, 2009, 11:25:42 AM
Im contemplating sharing where I hunted this year and what I saw because I think it would seriously SHOCK most of you guys.... Its beyond scary.. :puke:
I also had a conversation with Scott and I dont feel like he is being honest with his assessment of the overall situation.
He readily admits that there has only been 30% fawn survival in the Vally over the last 4 years and that "issues" with the wither range are the likely culprit....however he could not pinpoint any one reason for the complete decline in the younger age classes 0-4 year olds.
He does not think that the wolves have ANY effect on the deer. I didnt bring up the issue he did and was completely defensive about it. I didnt think my personal preference of zero wolves would have been productive in our conversation.
Still the questions need to be asked If the winter range is in such poor shape that fawn survival is not meeting objectives without any wolf predation. How are the deer herds going to fair when the wolves numbers inevitably increase?
How does a deer heard with a small area that it depends on for winter range Twisp/ Carlton co exist with a growing population of predators that will be in the same area and have zero management?
90% of the deer that I saw harvested where 4+ year olds and very nice bucks.. there were very few 2-4 year old bucks or deer....as soon as the older deer are not around the population is going to become unhuntable :twocents:
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 27, 2009, 11:43:34 AM
Post by: huntnphool on October 27, 2009, 11:57:31 AM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 27, 2009, 12:01:18 PM
And yes I literally mean ZERO dear
Post by: Skyvalhunter on October 27, 2009, 12:04:54 PM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 27, 2009, 12:11:25 PM
Post by: saylean on October 27, 2009, 12:16:58 PM
but it was still par for the course for our camp...we average one deer a year....sometimes two.
This year, out of 16 people off and on, we got one.
MOST of us put on lots of miles on the legs. I was the only one with a shot op. I do think the later start helped, but I didnt see hardly any shooter bucks...all does or spikes/2 pts.
Post by: wolfbait on October 27, 2009, 01:42:39 PM
Its all fu@%ing BS Sux!!! I found 7 dead deer this weekend and all of them appeared to have been killed this last summer, not last winter. Mark and I heard wolves every morning in the Smith Canyon, and for those of you nay sayers I do know the difference between coyote and wolf howling, these were not yotes.
Wellcome to my front porch huntnphool, whats even worse is when the wolves are howling just beyond our corrals, the dogs which we have to keep in the house go nuts. I am thinking of just selling out to wdfw let them have their wolf habitat area. Last year I think it was s.fitkin said there was a 70% fawn mortality rate,( can't think of the word). So the wolves, bears, cats, get on the fawning grounds. But I would have to say from what I have seen, the wolves are making the difference between deer and no deer. I have rode through the killing fields of the wolf, and it's not a pretty sight. I always carry the camera now, so the next time I see one, you folks will too.
I took my daughter to the place I have hunted for 35 years, this is where if I only had one day off work to go huntin I could get a nice buck. No deer! So then I took her to another great spot, same thing. So then we went home to hunt where there are some deer. We saw one whitetail doe, four muley doe's and three wolves.
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 27, 2009, 01:49:49 PM
Post by: SkookumHntr on October 27, 2009, 02:03:18 PM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on October 27, 2009, 08:25:27 PM
Post by: Okano-gun on October 28, 2009, 01:22:25 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on October 28, 2009, 05:57:09 AM
Post by: Gobble on October 28, 2009, 06:40:30 AM
Yea but that was with alot of little 3 points or 2 point with eye guards. Soon enough there will just be alot of 2 points running around.
Yeah, MY buddies hunted the Methow a couple of days before I came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck, some other hunters saw him as well. Every 2 pr 3 years they need to allow the youth hunters tags to clean those out of the gene pool to prevent them from passing those crappy genetics
Post by: wolfbait on October 28, 2009, 10:23:26 AM
Post by: Alchase on October 28, 2009, 10:33:07 AM
Though we saw less shooter bucks hanging?
Post by: M_ray on October 28, 2009, 10:39:34 AM
Its all fu@%ing BS Sux!!! I found 7 dead deer this weekend and all of them appeared to have been killed this last summer, not last winter. Mark and I heard wolves every morning in the Smith Canyon, and for those of you nay sayers I do know the difference between coyote and wolf howling, these were not yotes.
Yeah I found quite a few when we split up too! Sounds like this Fitkin is blowing smoke!!!
Post by: huntnphool on October 28, 2009, 01:04:37 PM
Quote
I came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck,
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
Post by: M_ray on October 28, 2009, 07:52:42 PM
QuoteI came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck,
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
Make it two mature two points with trash were culled! :chuckle:
Post by: MagKarl on October 28, 2009, 07:59:09 PM
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
[/quote]
Make it two mature two points with trash were culled! :chuckle:
[/quote]
You two going to share some pics and stories? You're leaving us hanging.
Post by: scoyoc5 on October 28, 2009, 08:15:03 PM
QuoteI came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck,
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
been keeping something from us Phool :rolleyes: Mray :P
did I miss the story :dunno: are you guys going to share? :drool: :drool:
Post by: huntnphool on October 28, 2009, 08:20:02 PM
Post by: mkcj on October 28, 2009, 08:33:50 PM
Post by: alecvg on October 28, 2009, 08:39:14 PM
Post by: M_ray on October 28, 2009, 09:35:03 PM
QuoteI came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck,
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
been keeping something from us Phool :rolleyes: Mray :P
did I miss the story :dunno: are you guys going to share? :drool: :drool:
Well lets just say that we worked real hard for a big one and made something happen at the end again so we got home late and I had to end up taking Monday off from work! Still trying to catch up and I'm in Portland as we speak, but I too will post a story or add to Phools when I get a chance. :)
Post by: Alchase on October 30, 2009, 12:19:10 PM
QuoteI came up from hunting Brewster and saw a monster 2 point that was definately a mature buck,
Well I personally took care of one of them so thats one less in the gene pool ;)
been keeping something from us Phool :rolleyes: Mray :P
did I miss the story :dunno: are you guys going to share? :drool: :drool:
Well lets just say that we worked real hard for a big one and made something happen at the end again so we got home late and I had to end up taking Monday off from work! Still trying to catch up and I'm in Portland as we speak, but I too will post a story or add to Phools when I get a chance. :)
What a tease!
Post by: h2ofowlr on October 30, 2009, 05:07:21 PM
Post by: boneaddict on November 02, 2009, 10:12:59 AM
Post by: MtnMuley on November 05, 2009, 01:57:22 PM