New hunting area in eastern WA needed.

Alchase · Oct 9, 2006

First off I appologize for the lenght, I am a long time lurker first time poster. I have learned and enjoyed this site for many years so I will turn to you guys for some advise. I have been hunting the Winthrop, WA area for over 20 years until the Tripod fire closed us down this year. So as you can imagine I have become rather lazy in scouting out new areas until this year. I live on the west side (Puyallup) but prefer hunting the east side much more. I scouted out some areas up by Naches and Oak creek area, but really was not impressed with the numbers that we saw. So my questions to the WA hunters is this, what do you know about the Bumping area, Goat Rock, and or the Mt. Adams area. Any advise would really be appreciated.
I wanted everyone here at MM to know how greatful I am for the years of awesome hunting information, pictures, and stories (Cowboy and the Ridge had my wife crying on few occasions)
Thank you so much

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

fletch · Oct 9, 2006

Welcome from one Washingtonian to another. I have never hunted those areas but somebody will get back to you. good luck this fall.

Alchase · Oct 9, 2006

Thank you Fletch

I wrote that post in a hurry from work, so please forgive spelling issues, LOL.

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

ridgerunner · Oct 9, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

They are better elk than deer areas, but there are some deer up there. I've seen good numbers of them in the backcountry up there during the summer. It's not going to be like Winthrop though.

polarbear · Oct 9, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

Welcome fellow Washingtonian! Mt. Adams Wilderness has some great hunting if you are not afraid to go out on a limb and hike into some unfamiliar territory. We have taken some dandy Cascad blacktails out of there as well as bear and elk. I usually suggest that you stay away from the Goat Rocks area. There are far more hunters because of the trail system. Hike in a good trail get off of it a good ways and I will guarantee that you will not see hardly any hunters and some nice animals.
Eric

Alchase · Oct 9, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

Thank you everyone for your insight. I even thought about going up the Wynoochie drainage area (West side). I was up there hunting grouse last year and we saw a few blacktail bucks, but they were pretty small in size. I think I will take a run up by Mt. Adams and look around. I have heard good things about that area if you get away from the masses.

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

huntnphool · Oct 9, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

Are you hunting by yourself or do you have others that you go with? I have hunted the east side for more than 20 years and am very familiar with Winthrop, drop me a line and maybe we can meet for lunch and compare notes. I am in N.E. Tacoma.

Rob
253-209-8638

muleracks2 · Oct 9, 2006

Mule deer - Okanogan

I've elk hunted in the Bethel GMU and only saw blacktail. There is still plenty of good Methow Valley and Okanogan habitat left unburned. If I were you, I would hunt to the east of the Tripod fire for locals. It looks like there won't be any migrators until after the season ends.

Alchase · Oct 10, 2006

RE: Mule deer - Okanogan

Thanks for the input guys, One of my co-workers will be hunting the Loomis side of the burn for the opener, hopefully I will get a good report from him as well. I usually take the friday before the opener through the next weekend, camping in the Bear Creek area. I usually hunt with my 15 year old son and my hunting buddy and his 19 yr old son and 18 year old daughter. This year it will be my son and I. I even thought about the Hearts Pass area as well. There will be hundreds of dis-placed hunters looking for new territory in the Winthrop area this year. It will feel really weird not eating at Three Finger Jacks the night before the opener, LOL.

Huntnphool, a buddy of mine went up for the bow hunt and did really well in the "apple orchard" area of Rondevue (spelling?). He saw tons of bucks. We should deffinately compare notes tonight if possible.

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

wamuledeer · Oct 10, 2006

RE: Mule deer - Okanogan

I am heading over to the Winthrop area again this year as usual. Lots of closed country but still a lot of country to hunt. I will hunting with my 12 year old son and hoping to get him his first buck.
I always see animals in the Apple orchard on Rendezvous. Really close to the road but about the only public land with apples on it around. That one and one small one up by Pearrygin.
Good luck, I will post how we do next week.

rbi999 · Oct 10, 2006

RE: Mule deer - Okanogan

A lot of the Methow guys are scouting the Okanogan Valley. Due to all the closures, could be a sea of orange opening morning. If you don't mind tripping over other hunters, you will see deer.

Alchase · Oct 12, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

Huntnphool, I did not want you to think I blew you off, normal life stuff has been getting in the way of my hunting stuff. If I do not get with you before the hunt, have a great hunt and good luck.

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

MikeLonsford · Oct 12, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

I hunted around the Mt Adams area during archery elk this year. Saw and heard some elk, heard some deer that we bumped in the woods but never saw any. You can PM me if you want.

We are going to go to the Loomis area for late archery, if your friend has any news to report that you can share that would be good to hear. We haven't ever hunted there before and are wondering about a few general areas.

Thanks
Mike

Have2Hunt · Oct 12, 2006

I spent a lot of time in Goat Rocks in 2000 goat hunting, saw alot of elk and goats but only 1 good buck and a couple does. I would love to hunt elk in there some time but the pack out would be brutal. I've done a lot of deer hunting up the Wynooche just because it's close to home, not in the last few years though. I hear its not as good as it used to be.

huntnphool · Oct 13, 2006

RE: Thank you Fletch

Dont sweat it Alchase, I can relate. I am not heading over until the 18th, there won't be any large bucks down from the Mts. this early anyway. If you can get away for a couple days give me a call, I will be heading home on the 22nd and heading to Montana on Nov. 3rd...................rf

boneaddict · Oct 15, 2006

Adams has bigger bucks in my opinion than the bumping/goat/Naches etc. Naches has been improving, but nothing in the numbers compared to what you might be used to seeing up in the Methow. The deer in the Klickitat tend to carry more mass. Okanogan is getting slammed this year from people bumping over. The rest of the Methow is still good, and tons fewer hunters than normal. Its dry dry dry, so I hope this rain helps out a little. We got lots in Yakima, but according to my Dad in Twisp, just enough to wipe tracks. I was really amazed at the lack of hunters in the valley (traffic) even in areas that are open. Good luck!
I hope I'm not too late to help!

Alchase · Oct 16, 2006

Thank you Boneaddict, I have not had the time to get out yet, but I will take a scouting/hunting trip tomorrow morning down the west side of Mt. Adams. I was planning on taking rd 23 out of Randle as far as it will take me. Hopefully it will be productive, at least I will get some good scouting in.

Anyone have any luck yet?

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase

Triple_Shock · Oct 16, 2006

i used to hunt bears down in that area, didn't see a whole lot of deer but the bears used to be thick! lots of cool color phase boars down there... good luck. on a side note, id point you up around the chiwawa/swakane/entiat area but after the dismal opener for me up there and the lack of shooting going on i think your better off down south! heard the crowds were pretty thick up in the methow as well, the fire up there sure threw things a skew for the regulars. good luck on the rest of the season!

boneaddict · Oct 16, 2006

Hey Huntnphool did you go to your normal haunt, and if so how was it?

Alchase · Oct 18, 2006

Back from our scouting/hunting trip around the Mt. Adams area yesterday.
We came down Rd 23 from Randle to south of Mt. Adams. Covered alot of ground yesterday. We jumped a button buck and three does of rd 23 about five miles north of Trout Lake (the town). Continued south on 141, and hunted the Guler Mt. area. Came back up 141 to rd 24 hunting the Sawtooth and berry fields area. Then up rd 90 to rd 23 and back towards Randle. We really did not see as much deer sign as I thought I would. There was Elk sign everywhere. The berry fields had a ton of bear sign. Most of the huckleberry are gone now, but August must be just loaded with bear. I would like a closer look at the Hidded lakes area and closer to the lave fields as well. I was glassing some really good looking land in the reservation above the Glenwood area aroundQuigley Butte. Does anyone know this area? Or have experience with hunting on the Yakima Res.?
We did not get a deer, and we still had a productive scouting trip. Almost took out a couple of cow elk walking across the highway north of Elbe, LOL
Thanks everyone for all the information and ideas they really helped alot.

There are only two types of people - The Hunters and the hunted,
I hunt.
Alchase