Manson GMU bucks

[wastickslinger]

A buddie of mine just told me that there was hunting party in the Manson Unit that killed 4 whitetail bucks. I guess one was a monster. I knew that there were a few whities here and there but to find that many whitetail bucks in that unit in one day seems odd.

I guess I am just wondering, does anyone know if there are lots of whitetail in that unit? Could it be possible that they killed four whitetail bucks on Saturday? I don't get up there much but it realy seems like a mule deer area me.

[George]

The damn whitetail are taking over the Methow.  I will bet they were hunting the Manson GMU along the south side of the Methow River.  Thank God (or the glaciers) that we have Lake Chelan as a buffer to slow the spread of the invaders farther south into the rest of Chelan County.  I wish they had killed 400; not just 4.  Go to the Methow and kills some.

[Guy]

So George...  Why don't you just straight out say what ya mean instead of beating around the bush?

I couldn't agree with you more. That's great mulie habitat - and I suspect the whitetail are going to out-breed 'em up there, ruining the mulie hunting. How about a season up there that allows "any whitetail" ? Maybe even a two or three whitetail limit up there?

Regards, Guy

[Cougeyes]

This state needs to cut them damn white-tails back, there are too many up north and they are invading areas that hold good mule deer.  Our mule deer numbers are going to start declining more i bet if the white-tails become more invasive.

[grade-creek-rd]

I think it's great. I grew up in Manson and dreamed of getting a whitetail. They moved in while I was in High School. Mostly in Union Valley to the Ski hill, but now they are moving onto the Butte. Also since then the big horn sheep have been transplanted and are thriving. I wish I was still living there to see all of the wildlife. Now when I go home, I get to see whitetails, sheep, mulies, and goats, not to forget the black bears (most of which are off color). The occasional grey wolf and moose also visits the upper reaches of the valley on the north shore too...almost like living back in Idaho again.

[jwroberts]

I would be more than happy to help with the white tail population if someone wanted to offer up directions to that area.  No white tails out here in Enumclaw, and fewer blacktail every year it seems.  Starting to explore new areas so any help is greatly appreciated.

[jackelope]

wamuleyhunter posted pics of a big YT  in the entiat i think last year

[WAcoueshunter]

I recall that entiat whitie photo.  That sucks as far as I'm concerned.  Wish WDFW would take a very liberal approach to harvesting whities (i.e., any whitie, any time) on the eastern Cascade drainages.  I haven't seen any whities in the Wenatchee R. drainage yet, but I'm sure they're coming if they're in the entiat.  They'll take over western WA before we know it.  They're already taking over the methow, and there are plenty further north as far west as Conconully.  I have nothing against whities, but I just don't want our mulies to decline any further.  I've taken several "muley" bucks from the southeast (dayton/pomeroy) over the last ten years, and every one of them has an inline rack and eyeguards, presumably from cross-breeding.   Last one was a 4x4 plus 2" eyeguards, with no branches.  That shouldn't happen.  I was up in south central BC last week, and the whities have taken over.  We even saw them up on the dense mountain sides, 2000' above the valley floor in classic muley country.  We shouldn't let that happen to our muley habitat down here. 

[George]

My problem with the whitetail invasion is this:  The mule deer evolved to migrate into the high country during the spring and arrive back into their winter range in late autumn (not all migrated but most did).  Their winter food supply was largely untouched.  Now the whitetail spend all summer eating the fresh growth that in past years would have sustained them through the winter.

The whitetail are far more aggressive; watch them around the hay stacks.  Mule deer have to wait until the whitetail leave the hay stack before they can get a bite.  Hopefully, the WDFW will begin to manage Chelan County (south of Lake  Chelan) as a mule deer habitat.  I hear that Garrett's Dad was about to put that big Entiat whitey buck on the ground when their cell phone pulled them over to that big muley that ended up filling his Raffle tag; wish he had pulled the trigger on whitey.  That was a great muley-congratulations Garrett & Dad.

[PacificNWhunter]

I was hunting near Mazama and Hearts Pass this last weekend and saw a white tail doe in the valley. Kind of surprised me seeing it there.