Swakane

[jstone]

Any weapon

[NOCK NOCK]

That buck seems to have a really fat belly  .  May have been dealing with that wound for a while now, and could have penetrated his guts.
Was he getting around semi OK?

[jackelope]

Game dept screwed Swakane up when they opened it up for Does a few years ago. Its been on a slow decline for Mature bucks for years and now more hunters every year

They closed it for shooting does a few years ago.

[jackelope]

That buck seems to have a really fat belly  .  May have been dealing with that wound for a while now, and could have penetrated his guts.
Was he getting around semi OK?

He wasn’t putting weight on it when we were watching him. I’m not sure how he moved when he blew out as I didn’t see him go.

[zwickeyman]

Game dept screwed Swakane up when they opened it up for Does a few years ago. Its been on a slow decline for Mature bucks for years and now more hunters every year

They closed it for shooting does a few years ago.

I know.

I had a spot I only saw one guy there in 6 years. Usually see 10 to 20 bucks a day there. The year they opened up for Does I saw 2 guys there. The next year Does went to permit. All the guys hunting Does the year before were back hunting bucks and I saw 6 guys in that spot. Its never been the same.

It kind of reminds me back in the 80's when they gave out hundreds of Doe tags in Blewett, for multiple years in a row. It has never recovered from that. Killed most of all the local Derer. Our Game Dept manages people not animals

Buy I digress because we all know that

[Gobble Gobble]

I was up Swakane Canyon road for the upland game opener with my son (also snowed for the first time this year) begin squirrel moment we ran into a lone hunter and were asked to join him and his dog. It was my sons second time bird hunting and his first time to get to hunt with a dog. Had a great time and the hunter who invited us to join him was John Kruse the host of Northwestern Outdoors Radio. End squirrel moment, the rifle hunters were as thick as the bird hunters. We had several rifle hunters stop by our camp (West end of release site where canyon narrows) all asking if we had seen any deer, several said they had seen bucks but with the snow didn't want to make a stalk up the steep snow covered draws LAZY  LAZY LAZY. I saw a doe in the road on our way out by the orchard and that was the only deer we saw. Not surprised with all the hunters. It's been almost 10 years since I hunted that canyon for archery, we saw 24 deer in just 2 draws and I found my first shed. I believe the fire has had an impact on the habitat effecting population as well.

[Sutherland]

Still plenty of deer to be found in the swakane unit in general, just really have to be willing to put the boots on and rack up the miles to get to them. Got our buck this year and the area we were in had alot of hunters but they weren't venturing far from the local roads and draws they could glass in from the road. Hiked a few miles and got into the beautiful quite area that always seems to hold decent animals. Had a great time and made some great memories. That's what counts. Sure the roads weren't the best and the hunting pressure was there. Just have to figure out how to use it all to your advantage. That's what my dad tought me years ago and I still try and apply that each year. Hope everyone had fun out there and put some meat in the freezer. Happy holidays to everyone.

[Skyvalhunter]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[Sutherland]

Not the biggest buck but happy after a few days spent chasing him around we were able to make it all work out. Had alot of fun doing it and put some meat in the freezer and that's what counts

[NOCK NOCK]

Congrats on the buck!

As far as the lazy hunters with slick snowy hills.......Just realize that some of that country has lots of grassy steep slopes. Put a little bit of wet or slippery snow on it and it becomes very dangerous.
Many moons ago when I was much younger, I killed a deer 7/8ths of the way to the top. left side going up, directly above the orchard at the bottom. Coming down was incredibly scary. I slipped/slid/fell/tumbled 200' multiple times, thought I was gonna die. Actually dug foot holes with my knife in several areas. Will NEVER do that again in snowy times!!!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nice Buck Sutherland!!!
 
Microspikes are an equalizer for the exact conditions your describing Nock. I haven't been into swakane for a few seasons, but when I hunted it alot I never left the rig without them. Some days they would be on all day.

[Skyvalhunter]

That's a nice buck congrats!!!

[Gonehuntin01]

Nice buck Sutherland.  Congrats

[Rainier10]

So it's official,  I won the hat with "Elliot" the busted up deer.  Waiting on the skull being done with Bugs and Bones.

2011 was the first year of the hat, I came in second by inches.  It was a good year, three bucks and one doe from our camp of 9 hunters.

2012 I came in second on a technicallity.  First year hunter shot a doe.  Everyone was breaking camp and I went up to help my buddy look for blood on a last minute shot the night before.  No blood but on the hike down we came across a 4 point that I drilled.  Got back to camp and most were gone along with the hat.  I knew I would win it another year so I let the rookie take it home.

2013 my wife won it with a doe tag.  Only deer our group took that year.

2014 I shot an absolute tank of a buck.  Old warrior with heavy horns and crab claws everywhere.  The next day my buddy shot a 155" buck.  Only two deer taken but one for the books.

2015 on the last day I shot what I thought was a 4x4, when I got up to him one of his points was busted off.  By the time I got back to camp there was a rumor of my buddy's kid shooting a 3x3 with eyeguards.  It was a great deer and he beat me because of the broken off point.  No worries I would win it at some point but this year I was once again the bridesmaid.

2016 "Finally" on the last day I shot what was my smallest deer at that point and it was the only deer, the pink hat was finally mine.

2017 was one of the best seasons ever.  Only one deer shot but it was my 17 year old daughter hunting for her first time with the big kids at Swakane.

2018 no deer were harmed.

2019 my buddy shot "elliot" part one.  I had a great opportunity at a 160" deer and missed on the last day.  I had taken a hard summersaulting tumble the day before and obviously knocked my sight out of whack and didn't know it until the egregious miss.

2020 brought the hat home again with drop tine "Elliot".  Only deer taken again.

My wife's family has been hunting swakane since the late 70's.  It is a shell of what it once was. 10% success is dismal.  There are way easier areas to hunt but it is a family tradition so we continue to go every year.

I'll post some photos when I get a chance.

[Rainier10]

The pink hat.