Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bow Hunting => Topic started by: deanosborne on December 27, 2010, 10:53:04 AM

Title: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: deanosborne on December 27, 2010, 10:53:04 AM: Expert opinions on the BEST Wetside Hunting Method? Spot & Stalk, Hike Miles & Miles, Sit and Wait, Treestand??? Thanks :)
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: jbeaumont21 on December 27, 2010, 10:58:27 AM: I would say spot and stalk would be the best advantage if possible but I usually have to hike miles and miles to get that opportunity. So with that said I think the more area you can cover the better.
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Hunterman on December 27, 2010, 11:05:01 AM: Quote from: jbeaumont21 on December 27, 2010, 10:58:27 AM
I would say spot and stalk would be the best advantage if possible but I usually have to hike miles and miles to get that opportunity. So with that said I think the more area you can cover the better.

I would have to agree..The spot and stock method is by far the best way to hunt the Westside..

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Grouse Hunter on December 27, 2010, 11:15:36 AM: I'm not sure about spot and stalk being the best method on the westside. You would be pretty much limited to clearcuts, and most often, during hunting season, most animals will only feed in the clearcuts at night. So you need to be in the timber. And I'd say the best method in the timber, especially for a bow hunter, would be tree stand hunting. But that does require extensive scouting to get set up in the right spot.

Also I don't know if you're asking about deer, elk, or both.
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: True Sportsman on December 27, 2010, 11:24:08 AM: I hunt modern, so I will break this into 2 parts: Early season (October 15th-25th) and late season (last week of October and late buck).

Early season I would park my ass in a saddle, natural funnel, or escape trail in an area where there was lots of clearcuts/timber and lots of people. I would let other hunters push deer to me. Or i would go where no one else went, far from roads and people. A treestand would probably work, but i never tried one. So i guess a little of everything. (early season is tough)

Late season, I would have to go with Hiking miles and miles looking at many clearcuts, glassing (lots of glassing), and then spot and stalk. Do this in a productive area with lots of deer, and you will see bucks moving.
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on December 27, 2010, 11:24:30 AM: I think the question is a bit vague. There are different types of terrain on the westside: swamps, tree farms, older growth forest, clearcuts, farms and residential areas, etc. Then factor in weather. I think most people consider the westside to be dense forests with clearcuts, and the weather to be rainy/drizzly. I would say that spot and stalk would probably be the most productive method for an area that hasn't been thoroughly scouted. If you do find animals and learn their patterns, then I vote for treestand.
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: True Sportsman on December 27, 2010, 11:26:03 AM: Quote from: True Sportsman on December 27, 2010, 11:24:08 AM
I hunt modern, so I will break this into 2 parts: Early season (October 15th-25th) and late season (last week of October and late buck).

Early season I would park my ass in a saddle, natural funnel, or escape trail in an area where there was lots of clearcuts/timber and lots of people. I would let other hunters push deer to me. Or i would go where no one else went, far from roads and people. A treestand would probably work, but i never tried one. So i guess a little of everything. (early season is tough)

Late season, I would have to go with Hiking miles and miles looking at many clearcuts, glassing (lots of glassing), and then spot and stalk. Do this in a productive area with lots of deer, and you will see bucks moving.

I just realized this was in the bow hunting section, sorry guys i'm new!
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Kain on December 27, 2010, 11:49:26 AM: Road hunting.
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Pathfinder101 on December 27, 2010, 11:50:58 AM: this seems to work for us...
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: deanosborne on December 27, 2010, 12:07:52 PM: Excellent information, I primarily hike miles and miles and spot and stalk but my wife got me a treestand for x-mas so I thought I'd gauge others methods over here. Thanks to all :)
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: washelkhntr on December 27, 2010, 12:10:21 PM: Quote from: Kain on December 27, 2010, 11:49:26 AM
Road hunting.

:chuckle:
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Buckrub on December 28, 2010, 11:21:22 AM: Quote from: deanosborne on December 27, 2010, 10:53:04 AM
Expert opinions on the BEST Wetside Hunting Method? Spot & Stalk, Hike Miles & Miles, Sit and Wait, Treestand??? Thanks :)

Which critter? So much depends on the game?
I would say all of it plus much more...
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Pathfinder101 on December 28, 2010, 11:25:05 AM: In my experience most west-sider's use the following method:

1. Pack your truck with a week's worth of stuff
2. Point your truck east
3. Drive over the Cascades
4. Continue east until you find Pathfinder101's truck
5. Park next to it
6. Hunt that area until Pathfinder101 gets frustrated, hikes back to his truck and drives off
7. Repeat steps 4-6
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: alecvg on December 28, 2010, 11:43:52 AM: Quote from: Pathfinder101 on December 28, 2010, 11:25:05 AM
In my experience most west-sider's use the following method:

1. Pack your truck with a week's worth of stuff
2. Point your truck east
3. Drive over the Cascades
4. Continue east until you find Pathfinder101's truck
5. Park next to it
6. Hunt that area until Pathfinder101 gets frustrated, hikes back to his truck and drives off
7. Repeat steps 4-6

:chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Alan K on December 28, 2010, 11:56:28 AM: Glass, glass, and. . . . GLASS! For blacktails anyways, find some 10-15 ft reprod that you can see into fairly well and sit as long as you can glassing it. You can spot an ear, leg, tail etc.

If you've got some weather, which is generally everyday over here, you can still hunt through said reprod or timber and be successful. I've sat probably 15 evenings in a treestand and managed to take a bull. It takes patience and the understanding that you most likely won't see something, but when you do, all that time in the stand was worth it!
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: deanosborne on December 28, 2010, 11:59:07 AM: :chuckle: The last one sounds great, I'll try that. :chuckle:
Title: Re: BEST Wetside Hunting Method?
Post by: Wenatcheejay on January 02, 2011, 11:33:58 AM: There are no elk on the Westside! U must go to the Clockum! That is where the elk are. The method is to follow the truck in front of you and shoot when they shoot.