Chiliwist Whitetail Hunt

[Berin Denson]

Howdy - wanted to reach out to the network of fellow hunters who have held this tag and see if they would be willing to share any additional knowledge in the unit.  Before I'm scolded with comments about my late request or not checking earlier, please understand I have been in the unit scouting.  I have multiple cameras up throughout the unit. My hunting efforts this season have been focused on getting other friends and family members taken care of first.  My hunt is creeping up and I was just hoping to chat with some folks about some areas I may be missing, or confirmation I have some opportunity spots picked out. Appreciate all the positive feedback and help that may come my way.

[redi]

Don’t have any info for you but hopefully some of the great guys on this forum are able to help you out. Good luck with your hunt. Hope to see some success pictures

[Berin Denson]

Don’t have any info for you but hopefully some of the great guys on this forum are able to help you out. Good luck with your hunt. Hope to see some success pictures

Really appreciate the kind note.  Excited to get started this weekend.  Will keep the group updated with the hunt.

[stickbuck]

I had this tag in 2014. My best advice would be to hunt the last 10 days. The first 10 are a crapshoot. That was when the rut activity really picked up. I shot my buck the last few days of the season as he was checking a scrape line about 10am.


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[Berin Denson]

I had this tag in 2014. My best advice would be to hunt the last 10 days. The first 10 are a crapshoot. That was when the rut activity really picked up. I shot my buck the last few days of the season as he was checking a scrape line about 10am.
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Great feedback - exactly what others had shared and I appreciate the guidance here!

[HikerHunter]

I also had this tag in 2014 which was an interesting year because of the Carlton fire. It was fun and a little frustrating seeing a lot of mule deer, including some nice bucks. I wound up shooting my buck on the 10th in a small pocket of public surrounded by private ag fields. I liked that we only ran into one other group of hunters our entire hunt. Good luck!

[Berin Denson]

Got a nice Bear on camera last night was hoping for a whitetail buck, but I'll take the bear photos, for now....

[Berin Denson]

Video

[Sitka_Blacktail]

That's a fatty!

[JackOfAllTrades]

Benson Creek, first snow, rattles.

[WildBear]

Best of luck! Had the Quality archery tag couple years ago. Did notice new snow moved in new deer. See some whitetail. They seemed to stick in the same area all week.

[boneaddict]

Unless you have a local buck pinned, south summit is your best bet with numbers. It’s been full of whities for decades.  They have just started showing movement.  Saw my first real scrape yesterday.  One pair play fighting in another location.  The larch are a real pain In The ass with visualization, and look at the ground.  Unless full on rut you’re going to either see their flag (too late) or see them bedded.

[Berin Denson]

Unless you have a local buck pinned, south summit is your best bet with numbers. It’s been full of whities for decades.  They have just started showing movement.  Saw my first real scrape yesterday.  One pair play fighting in another location.  The larch are a real pain In The ass with visualization, and look at the ground.  Unless full on rut you’re going to either see their flag (too late) or see them bedded.

Appreciate all the good info here, Boneaddict!

[Berin Denson]

Well - I'm here to share that I ended up with tag soup.  Lots of ups and down in the last 20 days but nonetheless couldn't get it done.   Put in time in all corners of the unit and finally spent the last week on a mature buck that got me excited.  We had him patterned finally in the last 5 days but was slow to start rut activity that we witnessed.  Around the same time each evening and each morning he would cross a series of cams.  He was smart - waited until just before first light to leave, and last night to come in.  For 4 straight nights he was pretty dang consistent with his travel.  On the night of 11/19 he spent 4 hours on cam interested in a doe between the hours of 1:00AM to 4:00AM and then he would exit.  I couldn't get out until the afternoon of 11/20 (idiot mistake) and at 1:57pm, the same time I shut my truck door, he popped up on my cam. I am 800 yards away and traveling through over a foot of new snow.  It's going to take me some time and I am on day zero of P90X.  I go to grab my cell phone to double check it is on silent, and a cam notification pops up.  He is running away from the cam, straight north.  My thought, damnit! He heard me, which I thought was odd.  Since he was pretty consistent with his pattern, I continued to walk toward a spot I wanted to sit that evening.  I climb up a small hill covered in snow drift, and I am thigh high in snow at this point.  I get on the bench to catch my wind; I am completely gassed.  I set my gun down to think about my next move and start to wipe away though fog on my binos.  I look up and there he is! On a hillside scaling a ridge pushing a doe! He pushed that doe for 30 minutes on that bench, out of sight, and completely unbeknownst to me; I thought he was gone! I get a range, 450.  I get behind the gun, 475 waiting for him to rest since this hill is pretty steep.  He is at 500 and not stopping - I have no shot and he walks over the ridge.  The doe left her fawn so I figure I will go set up where the fawn will not see me and I will wait until he returns at his normal time, for the 5th consecutive night. 90 minutes go by and the I start to feel the emotion behind my season is nearing the end. BUT THEN I look right. 5 whitetails does walk through a thicket looking behind them to my right 120 yards.  My leg starts to shake! It's go time!  Nothing. 2 minutes later, 3 WT does, walk through the same thicket, looking behind them. My other leg starts to shake...it's GO TIME!! Nothing. Nothing but a very long walk back to the truck and some real frustration I am heading home empty handed.  I shut my notifications off on my cam although couldn't help myself, he came back last night at 9:00PM for one last goodbye and hasn't returned since.  I had not hunted whiteys in 28 years since my first buck kill when I was 8 years old.  I appreciate the hell out of the animals, and I cannot wait to do it again.  There is a lot of frustration when you have 26 points on a hunt, but you know what, the sun came up today. My kids woke up and told me they loved me. My wife was tickled pink I wasn't leaving the house again so I could help wrangle our 4 amazing kids.  Today is a new day and life goes on...but, I will remember this buck for a long time. 

[Berin Denson]

The one that got away