Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: mattaylor81 on April 27, 2008, 06:51:05 PM
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Looking to do a hike in hunt with a buddy during the high buck. Anyone have any info on some good areas to access the Alpine Lakes from the west side where I can park the truck and start my hike. Don't mind putting some miles under my feet. Will be doing 4 - 5 days of hunting.
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im looking into doing the same hunt.
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Pacific Crest Trail is hard to beat for access, though I don't know the west side of the ALW very well. Two guys could plan several pretty good walk-abouts leaving a rig at a lower trail head. Recommend leaving the trailhead at o'dark thirty to get ahead of the masses of non-hunting day hikers. Or, head up a trail, then back down a ridge.
Better know how to read a topo map, and understand what it means when the lines meet!!
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I'd tell where to access from but than I would have kill ya LOL. Grew up around there and is good hunting. The country is really steep and you don't want to leave your rigs at the the trail head for any lenght of time, it will get broke into or striped right where it sits. But I can tell you this, there is two access points to alpine lakes wilderness on the west side, If you guys are interested pm me and I will tell what you want to know. Oh another thing is to, you have to think of meat storage cause it is usually hot up there during high buck. Also be best if you want to hunt up there to go up and do some scouting. Hunting High Country is alot different than the lowlands. So better be well versed. Years ago my uncle and me had to go up and find some guys that got lost up there. Lucky for them my uncle knew every aspect of the land up there and it only took a little while to find them. Good thing to have is a gps unit when going up. I've been up that way four times now and still four feet of snow over everything. Should be about another month or so before you can access the trails. Doublelung is right you want to leave the trail head before sunlight and is a must to know how to read topo maps. I always carry a topo map with me up there and mark gps cordinates on the map. Alot of hikers up there, but they stay generally on the trails. Like I said pm me if you want more info on that area, it's part of my home away from home.
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PM tmike, i believe he hunts that area, and has been very sucessful......he is good gouge if you know what i mean.......
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Best to get dropped off at a trail head or your vehicle will be vandalized when you make it back to it.
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I am going to do the same hunt. I was thinking about goin on the dorthy lake trail...any one know if this is a decent place to go?
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Dorothy lake trail is well traveled at that time of the year. If you take that trail plan a longer hike on that trail to Bear Lake. It'll be a long first day hike, but well worth it to get away from people. Get your maps ready, its easy to get lost up there.
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If I was doing that hunt with a backpack, I would go up Ingalls Creek (off US97). This is a mule deer hunt. You may have seen Sawtooth Outfitters at the Sportsman Shows; the big buck he displays at his booth came out of Ingalls in the late 80s. There are still some good bucks up there. You may see a few archery combo hunters up there going after elk, bucks and bear but they won't bother your modern rifle hunt. You can also access that country from the Teanaway but make sure that you get into the Wilderness (GMU 249).
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Dorothy Lake is a zoo that time of the year. I have done some over night hikes there that time of the year and went in with 5 cars at the trailhead and come back in the afternoon to 40+ cars. Granted I wasn't doing high hunt there but was going into some off trail lake fishing. Definately look at the Crest trail access. If you need some suggestions shoot me an IM.
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Another good jumpoff would be the Tonga Ridge trail off the Foss river rd.(off hyway 2, just pass Skykomish). High elevation start. Lota day hikers that time of year, but get in a ways and it should be Game On. Trail head is at about 4000 ft.(trail comes into the Crest trail somewhere if I remember right, never went that far) :)
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If you go to the end of Tonga ridge road you can either go down to Deception creek trail and up to hit the Crest Trail or go up towards Fisher lake and hunt that area. But beware there is always a group of hunter camped at the end of the road.
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During the high hunt most spots are just like the general season, its pretty hard to get away from other hunters in this state in 95% of the circumstances, it can be tough but if you are anywhere close to a trail you will have company.
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never done it before but my dad and i are going to give the high buck hunt a try this year.
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If you like to hike it will be a great hike!! Hunt is tough you really have to be dedicated. Some of the terrian I've hunted in there is bourder line suicide. Once a buck is on the ground you better be ready to work your ass off. For me only a real monster buck is worth the effort. Good luck
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I'll be up there this year and yes it is for the dedicated and there are some monsters up there. Alot of hunts are suicide mission that's the fun of it, you go where the animals are high, low and inbetween. It's some of the most rugged and steep country we have to offer here. I think everyone under estimates the blacktails up around here. Just because you don't see them that doesn't mean that they are not there. I have seen quiet a few, but like most it didn't seem worth all the trouble. But now that I've been seeing some real brutes the last few years from a distance, I'm ready for the suicide mission. I've always been a meat hunter, but have two and maybe three people with tags this year in my house, I'm going for broke. Maybe with some luck and gods blessing I just may succeed.
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All this talk of vandalized cars has me worried. Is this primarily from West side access points or have you guys had problems when going in from the East side as well?
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Problems on the west seem to be worse or as bad as eastside. IMO if you are going to be hiking for a few days don't leave your rig there, have some one drop you off and pick you up.
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I'll be up there this year and yes it is for the dedicated and there are some monsters up there. Alot of hunts are suicide mission that's the fun of it, you go where the animals are high, low and inbetween. It's some of the most rugged and steep country we have to offer here. I think everyone under estimates the blacktails up around here. Just because you don't see them that doesn't mean that they are not there. I have seen quiet a few, but like most it didn't seem worth all the trouble. But now that I've been seeing some real brutes the last few years from a distance, I'm ready for the suicide mission. I've always been a meat hunter, but have two and maybe three people with tags this year in my house, I'm going for broke. Maybe with some luck and gods blessing I just may succeed.
i always go big or go home empty(mainly go home empty LOL)...i have a whole family of meat hunters as well.
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i always go big or go home empty(mainly go home empty LOL)...i have a whole family of meat hunters as well.
Yeah hopfully the latter of the two. But will enjoy myself even if I don't bag one. Just the experience of it is awesome. Been packing for bears for a few years now.
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i would love to just get up into the high country no need to kill anything. its beautiful up there and the experience is well worth the effort
