Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: JBR on June 21, 2011, 09:56:09 AM
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Wanted to go scouting this weekend to get started early for my Peaches Ridge tag, but Chinook Pass is still closed due to snow and they're still SKIIING at Crystal Mountain. Doesn't look like it's worth the gas money to try to get up high in the backcountry just yet with all the snow still in the mountains. Geez... Come on sunshine!
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Snow shoes work well :dunno:
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Use the snow to your advantage if possible. The snow is concentrating the animals at a lower elevation just below the snow line. I went scouting the other day and it is keeping bears and deer lower than they would normally be. During an August scouting trip, I'm lucky to find one or two bears and maybe two deer. This time was nine bears and five deer. Once you locate the areas being fed on now, you can follow the animals as the snow recedes. You will have a basic idea of where their trails will be, so it can save a little time later.
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Looked at WDOT web site and chinook pass is supposed to open Thursday. This will be my first year hunting the little naches area. So I think I'm going to head over this weekend and try to get a feel for the area. At least as much as I can.
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Wazukie: True, but I don't have snow shoes...it's on my list of things I want, but have higher priority purchases at the moment. I will focus on my workouts, 3D shoots, maps, info/research, dialing my gear/equipment and some honey-dos in the meantime.
JH: Good point. Right now I'm probably more focused on learning the country, vantage points, access, general info on the area(s) vs finding animals. My July and primarily August scouting trips will be more about dialing in locating herds and patterning animals, but great job on finding that many animals already. Thanks for the info.
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Longrange: Really? That's good to know, could change my plans. I talked to the Ranger station yesterday and they didn't have a really good idea on when it was gonna open. I'll keep checking today and tomorrow.
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opens Thursday at 10.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/chinook (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/chinook)
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Crystal plans to stay open till the first of July. Partly because of all the snow they got this year but a huge part of that is the new Gondola they put in that gets them up to some high areas that couldn't be accessed before. If it weren't for that Gondola they'd a been closed end of April like everyone else.
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LongRange,
I'm not sure were you normally hunt but if it is on the east side one thing i learned the hard way last year is it is a lot wetter in Little Naches during September than ever expected. I normally hunt the Nile and it was suprising how much of a difference there was.
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I am going to Little Naches this weekend scouting/camping. I have family that heads over from the west side, and we have been watching the pass closely. It should open Thursday at 10AM. They were just widening the shoulders, and hanging signs. Just a warning, be ready for alot of dirt bike traffic and noise. I was up there about 3 weeks ago , and it was pretty wet in certain areas. The roads were pretty good
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I've been hunting MF on the west side the last couple years. So Im Used to it being wet. Finally convinced my hunting partner to get into archery and im excited to get back in the woods bow in hand.
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Last year Little Naches was drenched! Especially on opening day. It finally cleared up a bit after the first few days if I remember right, but it might have been wet in the Nile on opening day too. Really not sure what kind of weather we're gonna get this year for the early archery hunt around there. Hope it's not in the 90's with a full moon.
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Its melting fast now! Ive been working up at Paradise and I believe its around 5500' and its still 10' deep! Melting fast though!
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Damn global warming.... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
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Well my partner and I have decided to give it a go afterall now that Chinook should be open. We'll borrow or rent snow shoes just in case.
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Bout 4 miles to the roust theres still 2 or 3ft of snow. Someone went driving on it though but i sure hell wasnt gonna drive on 2ft of snow.
