Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: HuntHigh on January 12, 2011, 04:09:25 PM

Title: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 12, 2011, 04:09:25 PM: Anyone know of any good areas in the Blues around Dayton? I'm really looking to do kind of an Alpine hunt kind of thing. and I'm totally cool with packing in.I do it in the Olympics for the Highbuck hunt and for bear. I will mostly be after ropetails but if I see a bear its toast. so anything to point me towards an area that might hold both would be much appreciated :)
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 12, 2011, 04:15:45 PM: Wenaha, but you better study a map and scout it, big country
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 12, 2011, 04:16:18 PM: Have you been down there deer hunting or exploring before?
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 12, 2011, 04:20:55 PM: never been there b4 I just got invited by a buddy that has family over there. im going to try and go at least once for a week or so to do some scouting
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 12, 2011, 04:34:13 PM: It is very difficult to find good numbers of mule deer in the Blues. It is also huge country and I didn't find it to be like any of the Alpine type country like you see in the Cascades. The deer density is very low relatively speaking. The deer in my avatar is from down there and it was the 1st buck I saw, day 3 of my late season rut hunt if that tells you anything. Day 1 we saw 15-20 deer, all does and fawns. Day 2 was a virtual blank. I scouted probably 5 days total before my hunt and felt like I needed another week at least to feel confident once I was there.
Good luck...it's some incredible and beautiful country.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 12, 2011, 04:47:32 PM: that picture is exactly what I plan on doing. scouting with my optics not my legs lol. that is a dandy buck in your avatar. I'm OK with seeing few deer a day waiting to see a buck. I'm use to it hunting blacktail :chuckle:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: 400out on January 12, 2011, 05:19:05 PM: Quote from: HuntHigh on January 12, 2011, 04:47:32 PM
that picture is exactly what I plan on doing. scouting with my optics not my legs lol. that is a dandy buck in your avatar. I'm OK with seeing few deer a day waiting to see a buck. I'm use to it hunting blacktail :chuckle:
Just a little thing to know about that picture isthats a fire area! it's some hard country and very thich in places when you get up in there! Lots of room to hide! until dark :(

Jackelope gave you some great info! It's a lot different! I am getting the reason lots of people go to the cascades ;)
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: luv2hunt on January 12, 2011, 08:24:44 PM: I was in the Wenaha unit in September for the first time. All I can say is holy chit thats some brutal country. Lots of vertical steep nasty thick terrain. I did see some elk, a few deer and a bear about 50 yds away standing on it's hind legs giving me the stare down. Bring a chainsaw winch with ya because chances are your going to need it.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 13, 2011, 01:17:41 PM: thanks for the info guys im looking into those areas now. (luv2hunt) was the bear color phase or black?
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 13, 2011, 01:27:32 PM: My advice would be to make a trip over early in the year and spend a couple days in there to get a feel for it, i would guess it isn't what you think it may be. :twocents:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 13, 2011, 01:42:59 PM: yeah I'm planning on going over for about a week or so b4 season to scout a little and see what I think
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: gonehuntin68 on January 13, 2011, 05:47:13 PM: there is no deer in the blues :)
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: luv2hunt on January 13, 2011, 06:50:05 PM: Quote from: HuntHigh on January 13, 2011, 01:17:41 PM
thanks for the info guys im looking into those areas now. (luv2hunt) was the bear color phase or black?
Big healthy cinnamon colored bugger. I went in past the ski Bluewood ski area, where I saw the bear was probably only 2 miles from there.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: couesbitten on January 13, 2011, 08:08:51 PM: Quote from: luv2hunt on January 12, 2011, 08:24:44 PM
Bring a chainsaw winch with ya because chances are your going to need it.

Wouldn't that be illegal in the Wenaha unit? I believe the entire unit is a wilderness area, which would make anything motorized illegal.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 14, 2011, 04:21:03 PM: I may just bring my bow and try to stick a bear and just let my buddy carry the rifle. even in the burn areas its conducive to stalking with a bow?
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: 400out on January 14, 2011, 04:37:19 PM: Quote from: HuntHigh on January 14, 2011, 04:21:03 PM
I may just bring my bow and try to stick a bear and just let my buddy carry the rifle. even in the burn areas its conducive to stalking with a bow?
be kind of tough in the burned area I think but where your talking I don't think is burned, jackelopes picture is a ways away from the wenaha but shows the terrain :)
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on January 14, 2011, 04:37:31 PM: There's no animals left in the Blues (elk, deer, bear, grouse, etc), the wolves ate them all and went back to ID and OR. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 14, 2011, 04:51:17 PM: OK well when i do my scouting i guess ill decide what I'm going to do. who knows i might just tag out in the highcountry b4 I head over there for deer. and i may just become the pack mule for my buddy :chuckle:

:hunter: i don't really smoke but if i get over there and see a wolf or five i might have to end up smoking a pack all at one time. ;)
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 14, 2011, 04:53:36 PM: The stuff that isn't burned down there is really thick where there's timber and/or trees. There's some open country, but it's tough. If you spend the time, you'll see deer(and bears I guess) but not like what you might think. When I was doing my scouting and talked to the biologist and he told me what to expect as far as deer numbers, I got really nervous about my permit. 15-20 deer a day is scary. When we hunt late season stuff, lets say, in Chelan county, we probably see 15-20 deer in an hour.
I don't think much of anything burned in the Wenaha units. My hunt was in the Tucannon.
This pics is on the border of the Tucannon and Wenaha units, kinda like about the junction of Dayton, Tucannon and Wenaha, or dang close anyway. I snapped a few pics from the road. It's almost like the road was the fire line for the School fire back in 2005.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 14, 2011, 04:58:58 PM: Quote from: HuntHigh on January 14, 2011, 04:51:17 PM
OK well when i do my scouting i guess ill decide what I'm going to do. who knows i might just tag out in the highcountry b4 I head over there for deer. and i may just become the pack mule for my buddy :chuckle:

:hunter: i don't really smoke but if i get over there and see a wolf or five i might have to end up smoking a pack all at one time. ;)

I could name about a thousand other places that would be a hell of a lot worse places to be than in the mountains in the Blues...succesful scouting trip or not....it won't be a bad trip.
Make sure you have a lion tag, Lord knows there's enough of them *censored*s down there.
Good luck and keep us in the loop.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: HuntHigh on January 14, 2011, 05:14:27 PM: thanks for the great info. I'm going to check out some maps and talk to some ppl. it looks like a great place to be if i do or don't fill a tag. I'm just excited to check out a new spot!!! and Ive been on a late hunt in the cascades and seen 300+ deer a day. my brother got a 160ish buck on that trip along with my dad and i filling our tags on 120ish bucks
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: mtncook on January 14, 2011, 08:01:08 PM: The fire that burned through the Tucannon unit and did the most damage was the Columbia Complex, the year after the School Fire. Very little of the Wenaha unit burned. For the most part the Washington side of the Wenaha is south facing, yes there is timber but alot of great open sided ridges that hold deer and elk. Bears you bet, I wish my clients would knock down more. The biologists here give alot of info from their desks, they fly winter counts and use that info for the whole year. At least they tell everyone the same story. Good luck on your scouting but remember that seeing game in June or July does not mean they will be there in Oct.

mtncook
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 15, 2011, 10:00:41 AM: Highhunt,
Good luck finding mule deer in the Wenaha. They are there, but are few and far between, as has been stated over and over on this thread already. It's brutal country, as has already been stated too. The saying around here is; "The Blues aren't high, but they're deep". Also, very thick in a lot of places.
I have met a couple of old timers that used to hunt muley's back in the "old days" in the Blues. They all said the same thing; still hunt the thick timber. Unfortunately, to do that, you have to already know where the deer are. I tried it years ago with a couple of buddies. We bailed off into the wilderness. Hunted like madmen and camped cold for 4 days. Didn't see a single deer, buck, doe, fawn or otherwise. Plenty of elk, LOTS of bear and cougar sign, but no deer. Haven't done it since.
Had a buddy that decided to try it last year. He had the time to scout in the summer. Bailed in there and did a couple of weekend marathons, but only saw a couple of does. He chose to hunt somewhere else come fall.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: 400out on January 15, 2011, 02:48:08 PM: and still no one believes there are no deer in the blues :dunno: :chuckle: It really makes you think WHY!
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 15, 2011, 07:24:24 PM: Yeah its a great area! You should go down into the bottom and push the ridges with a couple buddies, thats how you get em to move up there! Ill sit at the top and shoot the ones you kick up to me. ;)

But seriously, I have been obsessed with the area since I was a child, it is to big and rugged to not have a good muley population. It was a great place in the 70's and 80's according to my father and grandfather, but it started going downhill and the deer just weren't in there anymore. I cant figure out why it doesn't hold more deer. Usually I only see does during the season, if that. but really it comes down to being in the right place at the right time. However, if you get a tag for the late season, or wanna chase them with a bow, you will see more deer. I switched this year to bow and saw more bucks than I did scouting all year. First time in my life I have seen legal bucks during my season. If you don't need meat its a beautiful place to hunt and camp and who knows, you may get lucky. You don't need to go into the wilderness though, there are remote places you can hunt and at least have a nice camp to come back to at night.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 16, 2011, 08:12:20 PM: I have heard a couple of theories as to why the muley populations have plummeted since the 70s. For one, elk and deer don't compete well, and the downslide of the deer happened to coincide with the uptick of the Blues elk herd. Another reason is predators. Bear and cougar play hell on the fawns in the summer. By August it is not uncommon to see 4 or 5 cows per calf, and we have a healthy elk population. Imagine the same ratio for a sparse mule deer herd.
Here is one encouraging thought; I have been told that the mule deer in the Blues live in isolated pockets. If you find a productive "pocket" chances are that you can return there and find deer in it every year...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 16, 2011, 10:08:07 PM: That does make sense, there is so much area for them, they can just find a place to hide out and avoid pressure. I haven't seen a "pocket" up there, but I have see hell holes ; ) Sometimes I wish the game department would work on restoring the muley population as hard as they did the elk, that should be their next project.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Hot Lunch on January 19, 2011, 06:55:11 PM: the blue mtn. mule deer population is in really sad shape, call the Forest service bio and they will tell you the same. Elk population is so-so, and the predator population in spectacular.

I had always wanted to hunt the blues for deer, but having a family member with a farm in the foothills naturally that where I spend all my deer hunting time. I have heard and seen some pictures of great bucks taken from the blues. This past year I spent one full day sun up to sun down in the Wenaha wilderness. I actually had scouted a lil bit the year before and saw 8 mule deer. I went to that same exact spot and saw 2 more deer. They were two far more me to see if they had antlers, but through my binos even if they did nothing big. I did see 4 bears and chatted with the patrol officer and he told me he sees about 7 cougars a year and countless bears as well as some deer and elk.

The predator-prey balance is seriously out of control and birthing rates are very low in the blues. Back in the 50's-70's some of the forest service guard stations had so many deer hanging around them they were a real problem. Those days are obviously long gone. If you are going to go to the blues, be prepared to have the foothills as a back up option. There is a lot of private ground open to hunting on the Coppei (sp) creek areas, thousand and thousands of prime blue mtn foot hills, lots of deer, elk, pheasants, bears and turkey on this ground.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: gonehuntin68 on January 19, 2011, 07:39:54 PM: yeah no deer or elk in the blues
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 08:53:58 AM: Hot Lunch makes a few good points. I don't know that the "birth rates" in the Blues are low though. At least not for elk. I see elk herds in June with plenty of calves. See the same herd in August/Sept and you see 4 or 5 cows per calf. I don't think it's the birth rate, I think it's the calf survival rate that is the problem. Mule deer may have a low birth rate, I don't know... honestly, I don't see enough of them in the mountains to formulate an opinion on it :dunno:
X2 on what the game warden told you about cougar and bear. The predator situation is out of hand.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 08:56:59 AM: We saw, for sure 300-400 elk in 3 days in the unit I hunted in the mountains.
I'm not too sure about elk herd number issues...deer yeah, I think the elk are doing fairly well...even though a lot of folks on here will tell you there are no elk in the Blues. I couldn't believe my eyes when we saw them. It was awe-inspiring....I thought they were extinct.
:dunno:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 09:00:51 AM: That was an optical illusion jackalope. Bigfoot uses cardboard cutouts of elk to fool the hunters into thinking there are still elk in the Blues. He has to. Since he ate all of the deer and elk, he has to lure more food. They are like duck decoys. If you would have investigated them, you would have found out, but it would have been too late...
If you are going to hunt in the Blues, it's best not to leave the safety of your truck.. :twocents:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: GUscottie on January 20, 2011, 09:03:06 AM: :yeah:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 20, 2011, 09:08:28 AM: :yeah: x10 8)

Blue Mountain Mafia
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 09:15:08 AM: Montana Decoy testing grounds maybe?
I thought I saw a lot of cow elk asses.
:dunno:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 20, 2011, 09:31:20 AM: were your glasses fogged maybe? :dunno:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 09:50:05 AM: OK, it is rapidly becoming apparent to me that not everyone believes my explanation on the elk/Bfoots/decoys thing. I would think that my status as a YAR, and the fact that I am a hunter AND a fisherman would put my integrity beyond question in this matter (since, as we all know, hunters and fishermen are incapable of a lie..)....but, it appears not.
So, for all of you who doubt me, I will attach a trail cam photo showing beyond any question that Bigfoot is in fact emplacing decoys in the Blue Mountains to lure elk hunters to within "eating" range.
This should put the debate to rest...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 09:57:18 AM: oh no you didn't...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 20, 2011, 10:03:37 AM: Oh yes he did....
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: gaddy on January 20, 2011, 10:06:40 AM: i would like to thank pathfinder for offering up some photographic proof. some people just cant believe untill they see it with thier own eyes.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 10:14:28 AM: Yeah, laugh all you want. It's all %$#! fun and games until THIS happens to YOU. I found this on one of my trail cams last year. Poor *censored* never even saw it comin...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: ThePascoKid on January 20, 2011, 10:17:06 AM: Quote
There is a lot of private ground open to hunting on the Coppei (sp) creek areas

If you think about hunting this area better bring your own rock to sit on, and a bullet proof vest, at least during modern rifle
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Woodchuck on January 20, 2011, 10:18:59 AM: what a shame Pathfinder, what a shame :'(
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 10:27:11 AM: Sorry for the loss of your friend.
:'(
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: gaddy on January 20, 2011, 10:27:22 AM: poor fella evidently wasnt paying close enough attention to scent control
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Caseyd on January 20, 2011, 10:30:22 AM: Quote from: ThePascoKid on January 20, 2011, 10:17:06 AM
Quote
There is a lot of private ground open to hunting on the Coppei (sp) creek areas

If you think about hunting this area better bring your own rock to sit on, and a bullet proof vest, at least during modern rifle

:chuckle:

Aint that the truth, i wont even hunt our mountain ground on the weekends during modern season.

Id rather shoot a smaller deer down low, but still have my life :chuckle:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 10:34:24 AM: Quote from: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 10:27:11 AM
Sorry for the loss of your friend.
:'(

s'OK. We never even knew him. Just some poor sap that stopped to take a grumpy in front of one of my cams. I won't post the next picture in the series. Too graphic...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: runamuk on January 20, 2011, 10:39:33 AM: More evidence of bigfoot being ignored....so sad....
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on January 20, 2011, 10:54:06 AM: I think that's a juvenille bigfoot. See how short he is compared to the poor unattentive fellow.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 11:18:12 AM: Quote from: Sumpnneedskillin on January 20, 2011, 10:54:06 AM
I think that's a juvenille bigfoot. See how short he is compared to the poor unattentive fellow.

You are right Sumpn. That's a small one. Here is a full grown one...
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: BLUEBULLS on January 20, 2011, 11:23:52 AM: Hunting the wenaha… you have to be able to deal with thick timber, seeing almost no deer while glassing, and seeing very very few deer period in a week.

Honestly that about sums it up. Not many bucks killed in there each year, it’s not a hunt for everyone. The blues have been my stomping grounds my whole life and every year that I deer hunt it, I wonder why?
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: 400out on January 20, 2011, 11:35:10 AM: I know a guy that does good in there almost every year :dunno:

Pathfinder I never thought about the decoys... How many indians do you think fall for it :dunno: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: jackelope on January 20, 2011, 11:38:58 AM: Quote from: BLUEBULLS on January 20, 2011, 11:23:52 AM
Hunting the wenaha… you have to be able to deal with thick timber, seeing almost no deer while glassing, and seeing very very few deer period in a week.

Honestly that about sums it up. Not many bucks killed in there each year, it’s not a hunt for everyone. The blues have been my stomping grounds my whole life and every year that I deer hunt it, I wonder why?

Listen to this guy.
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Skyvalhunter on January 20, 2011, 11:40:19 AM: Thats one mean looking SOB
Title: Re: Headed to the Blues for deer season
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 20, 2011, 11:41:37 AM: Quote from: 400out on January 20, 2011, 11:35:10 AM
I know a guy that does good in there almost every year :dunno:

That's what I mean about the guys who "find pockets" of mule deer.

Quote from: 400out on January 20, 2011, 11:35:10 AM

Pathfinder I never thought about the decoys... How many indians do you think fall for it :dunno: :chuckle:

Bfoots mostly leave the Indians alone. Something to do with not wanting to screw with the casinos. Too dangerous, even for Bfoot...