I drew a Hunter Ed Incentive tag (UPDATED WITH PICTURES)

[Chesapeake]

Great info Chesapeake. Thanks a ton. Now I have a bigger decision to make

"I can hunt any of the Region 5 units, all general and permit seasons with all 3 weapons."

If your tag lets you hunt the late rifle Nov. 19-25, and late archery Nov. 26-Dec. 8. Trust me, the only decision is where to start scouting in West Klickitat.
You should get it done in the rifle period, things are winding down good by time archery rolls around.

Folks already know where to go. Look at the Quality Draws, 874 apps for West Klicktat, 665 for Wind. Guessing many of those Wind apps are second choice. Not that I have any understanding why a guy would burn "Quality" points in either the Wind or West Klickitat. I guess everyone doesn't want the Mule deer migration tags or Dessert. Apparently WDFW knows this. They added all kinds of crazy quality hunts this year for western units. I guess guys with no points might put in for those, or guys that have a line on a big blacktail that they hope will slip up in the rut. I couldn't imagine burning 4+ quality points for a Willapa Hills rut tag. But hopefully guys do. It will narrow down the playing field. 

All your archery cronies will be across the river in Grayback come late archery.

[Karl Blanchard]

Congrats Ric!  Well deserved tag!  When I get back from vacation we'll talk.

[BENCHLEG]

Congrats Ric. I guess you forgot about all the big sheds I have. Yeah go for wind river. 😭😭 goofball call me.

[willapawapiti]

Elkstuffer - Fellow hunter-ed instructor, I drew that tag 2 years ago, if you like hunting primo Blacktail timber, you're gonna have fun!  Sending you PM 

[jackelope]

Thread jack. Does anyone know when the regular incentive tags are drawn?

Ever year I get teased with "report your hunts by this date and we'll put you in a special draw". I haven't even heard of anyone ever drawing one of those tags.
I know folks who drew moose, sheep, goat, ect... but never an "incentive" tag. I don't even know where a guy could check if he was actually in the "incentive draw".


Hijack over.

A couple huntwa members have drawn them.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[cryder]

Again with the protecting resources and now incentive fees ,I also have never seen or heard of anyone getting a incentive tag, I do know a guy that got a moose tag but it was 35 years ago so im not counting his, so back to the word   ( NEVER ! )

[270Shooter]

Id hunt west klickitat as well. Lots of access.

[timberfaller]

If you can stomach stupidity(outa Olympia) by all means become a Instructor!

As of 2017 we will only be allowed to use "WDFW issued and inventoried" firearms in live fire activities.  And in the classroom "dumbie" guns used.   Should make range day very interesting!!

"inventoried" are firearms registered (under the radar) with WFDW and they have to be gunsmith-ed certified every couple of years.

If a program is running smoothly, leave it up to the government to screw it up!!

Good luck on your hunt!!! Congrats on the Draw!

I was one of the first instructors to receive a Incentive tag(Late whitetail Okanogan) but got sick for 6 weeks and didn't get to use it!  

[Elkstuffer]

Just finished another chapter in my hunting life by taking a nice Columbia Blacktail. Thanks to all of you that furnished info for me. I especially wanted to thank my great friends Mel (Moneyshot09) and Jason (BENCHLEG) for there help. Mel was fresh of of a brutal 10 day muledeer hunt in ID that he cut short to get back home the day before my hunt started. He and his wife brought there camp trailer over to my hunt area in the Wind River and provided a home for us for the next 5 days. Mel's knowledge of the unit and the deer that live there proved to be huge as he had hunted there for 35+ yrs.
Jason came over on Saturday, missing his daughters soccer game, to help spot and hopefully help pack out my buck. They both remained positive as I was slowly feeling the pressure.
Saturday afternoon Jason made a great spot on a doe which turned into 3 does and a shooter buck. They were approx, 250 yrds steep down hill, I'd have to shoot through dark timber and a window through the brush about the size of a paper plate. Thank goodness Mel had brought his .300 Weatherby for my back up gun. It was topped with a 6x20 50mm Leupold which proved to be the right tool for the job.
After the shot they both had seen the buck hunch up and disappear. It took about 30 min to get down there and much to our surprise there was zero blood and no buck. We split up in three directions with me headed straight down and Mel and Jason to my left and right. The buck had only gone about 30 yrds and was in a bunch of ferns at the top of a shoot. 10 more feet and he would have gone over the edge of a waterfall.
My buck is a mature 2x3 with eye guards and gross scored 103 6/8 and will be a beautiful pedestal mount in my showroom.
These two wouldn't even let me pack it out. Jason took the back half and Mel took the front. I just carried the heart, liver, gun and all of the other gear. I truly felt like I was on a guided hunt
Thanks again guys!

[full choke]

Great buck!
Congratulations on your tag. Sounds like a great hunt with great friends!

[bobcat]

Beautiful buck!

[muleyslayer]

Congratulations Ric

[billythekidrock]

Nice!

[fastdam]

That's a beautiful buck and you have awesome friends Rick. Congradulations.

[Skyvalhunter]

Congrats on a fine animal