Washingtons' "Champion" hunt

S

shep

Guest
Anybody out there put in for the RTI's raffle hunts? I believe the drawing is this week. The deer hunt would be a pretty good one to draw, but the real kicker would be one of the bull tags. I know guys who max out on deer tickets (30) at $15 a pop. What a bunch of idiots. I'm probably ruffling some feathers on this blacktail page, but $450 for a blacktail deer!!??? Thats a raffle too, so its $450 for a chance at a tag, not a chance at a buck. I don't understand it. I've hunted quite a bit in champion, and I know some guys who have taken some nice bucks out of there, heck I've taken a couple of good bucks out of there. But, who in their right mind would pay 450 bucks for a 125" blacktail? I know there are some bigger in there, some quite a bit bigger, but most people wouldn't pass up a 120" blactail, hell I wouldn't. Hell, most people will not even see a buck that big in there. Most of the guys who draw the tag would shoot the first sixteen inch two point they see anyway. What a money making scam they have going there. "Win the hunt of a lifetime" my ass. I know a lot of people who have drawn over the years and the biggest buck they have shot is probably not more than 125" I know nothing that will go book. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to draw the tag, I usually buy a couple of tickets, I'm just saying that people who max out are dumbasses who just don't know any better places to go.
Good luck to all of you in the drawing! :)
 
I left WA. in 1988 so I am not familiar with this hunt, but I sure would not have paid that, I would have saved the money and planned on a California hunt or something else for easier to hunt blacktails, and just hunted my regular areas, or tried some of the early hunts up around potlach up in the mountains for some of those monsters. The hood canal area is not hunted as hard (back when I lived there) because you have alot of climbing, but they have some huge bucks up there........
 
I am a Wa resident and there is no way I'm going to pay $450 dollars to hunt a Blacktail. I have heard that there have been some big deer taking in and around champion but you have just as good of a chance getting a buck close to the same caliber 5 miles from my house. I think I'll stick with the close drive and the $30 dollor tag and license. later...:) B_B
 
I bought one chance for the Trophy Elk tag. I usually pass on the Deer Lottery cuz there is a muzzleloader hunt for all deer except spikes beginning the end of November after the trophy hunt. This hunt is open to everyone. All you need is a muzzleloader tag. Usually there are not alot of hunters but there is an access fee. Can't go this year cuz I'm still trying get that Rifle Desert Deer Tag.

I also buy a chance for the Trophy Elk Hunt on the Psyht Tree Farm. It costs more but there is a better chance to be drawn.

Luck to you in the draw.
 
They had the drawing earlier this week. They were supposed to increase the bull tags by two, to eight. Someone changed their minds at the last minute and decided to stick to six tags. A guy that I work with was the seventh name drawn! He is the first alternate if someone dosen't return their paperwork in time. He only bought two raffle tickets for elk. Thats probably as close as he'll ever come to drawing again. Oh well, he deserves it, he's kind of an a$$hole.
Later
Shep
 
Shep:

For the most part, I agree with you. The deer hunting years back was pretty decent, buts it gone down hill pretty fast. I imagine
the late buck would be pretty decent, unless you got the property
behind Rainier school. I hear that area sucks. The guys that have
done pretty well over the years would be the Argos, Mills, and
the rest of the rat pack up in Carbonado. Those guys crack me up!
They take their hunting pretty seriously, and kick some serious
tail up in that neck of the woods. I'll have to admit I did buy
1 raffle for deer. I didn't buy one for elk because I thought I
would get drawn in one of the Yakima units. LOL !!!! Anyway, I
guess I'll take my lumps just like you and the ret of the yahoos
who didn't draw this year. I guess we'll have to do it the hard
way. Actually get out and hunt hard!!!
 
Hey Shep, I don't know too much about the Champion hunting area but one of my customers hunt it every year. He was telling me about all the bear that is in there also. He hunts the muzzle loader hunt for deer and says there is no problem to get his. He gave me an invite to visit Champion with him and I know I am not paying $450 for a deer but that muzzle loader hunt sounds awefully good. Talk to you later, Jon
 
You're right about the muzzy hunt in Champion OFG. I believe it starts the day after the rifle raffle hunt. If I was a muzzle loader hunter, thats where I'd be, at least on the west side. Its a great time to hunt blacktails. I've hunted for bear quite a bit in champion, and there are a lot of bears there, and they take a lot out too. Ever since Champion sold to RTI, the access permits are all screwed up. You either have to have an annual permit (around $160) or you buy a block permit just for say bear season, or deer season at an outrageous price. Also they say that the annual permit holders can buy a buddy pass for , i'm not sure of the price, but its cheap. The only thing is that the buddy can't hunt, fish, pick mushrooms or hell, even pick his nose in there. That place has gone to hell if you ask me. I guess I could be talked into the raffle elk hunt in there though. ;)
Good hunting
Shep
 
Falcon: I have hunted that area and there used to be plenty of deer and elk back there (I lived a mile away from the north gate by Rainier School for 10 years). I found some bear sign up there, too. If the hunting has gone downhill on Champion land, it's because of poachers and cougars. The cougars are probably doing the worst damage to deer/elk populations because of the exploding populations of them. The greenies pushed through an initiative to ban baiting and hound hunting for bears and cougars (and the foolish majority of this state voted for this ban), and so the cougars have had a free for all with little or nothing to trim back thir numbers. It used to be that you were allowed one cougar and one bear per year...but now it's 2 per year for both, just because things are so out of hand.

In fact, the biggest cougar track I ever saw was just a few miles north of there. I just hope no one gets eaten because of this stupid, stupid decision, but it's probably gonna take a few fatalities for people to wise up, unfortunately. They're all so quick to blame "human encroachment", but tell that to the lady who's dog became dinner one night. Seems that this cat leapt their big fence and chased this poor pooch down, then carried him off to parts unknown. This was in the middle of a local town, and the house had been there for over a decade.
 

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