Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Washington permit results are out!

I was wondering if any Washingtonians drew the same deer permit I did? I have applied for 3 years now and unexpectedly Drew it for this season. Quilomene"A"{G.M.U.329}'any buck'{Mule deer} no Whitetail in there and no general season for any hunting method. There were 100 permits for modern firearm available. I'm hoping someone else on this board drew one as well. I went in as a single app., my partner let me down so now he's really sorry........ [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img]

Lady, you have one of the better deer permits in Washington State. Congratulations. I drew that permit year before last, along with my son. Our approach was to take the 4th of July holiday weekend and drive the entire perimeter of the hunting area plus many roads inside it, with Washington Gazeteer map book on my lap. After that trip we bought several topo maps with details of the sections we wanted to hunt. That area is reputed to have the roughest, bumpiest roads in Washington State, and that is probably correct. Some mud or dust, but mostly lava rubble to drive on. <P>While scouting we glassed many bucks in velvet (and a lot of elk). Much of it is open country, so we took binos and spotting scope. We picked several places to camp and hunt, based on where we thought the deer would be when season opened. The higher elevations of the hunt unit are a migrating area and the lower sections are a wintering area. We also made contingency plans in case there was no snow or too much snow for us to drive into the hunting area when the season opened. The whole area is a huge lava flat, tilted from the top of the Colockum all the way to the Columbia River, and cut by huge canyons. At their tops, the canyons are just draws, usually in timber, where they cut into the lava flats. <P> My impression was that there were many bucks, but I never saw any truly big antlered ones or indications there are any really big mulies in that area. A 6x7 about 23 inches wide was probably the biggest and he didn't have deep forks or much mass. <P> I lost much of my vision due to an illness by the time season opened, and could not walk the rough ground off in the canyons. I'm convinced that the bigger bucks were off the flat country on top and had dropped over the rims into the steep sided canyons, at least during the day once the season opened. Rut was in full swing with bucks literally chasing does on opening weekend. In my condition, I mostly glassed from or near our pick-up. I passed nine bucks within shooting range, which was sort of funny considering I was partly blind. A modest 3x3 bedded at 140 yards was the biggest. The rest were mostly fork horns from 15 feet to 50 yards, two spike by forks. On opening day we had a skiff of snow at the top of the legal area in the forest, (about 1 1/2 feet of snow higher) disappearing as the terrain dropped to sage. <P> We saw lots of deer in the edge country, where forest turned to sage. All the permit hunters seemed to work one canyon toward the south edge of the area. One had a wide racked 4x2 he got in a steep patch of timber on the canyon side, probably 27 inches wide but thin tines of a young buck. We stayed north. <P>Our second weekend of the season, violent winds, 80 mph, had all the deer hunkered out of sight. Instead of seeing deer every few minutes, we saw none. It was much colder than the brisk opening weekend. On the second morning of our second weekend, the wind stopped after it dropped a half inch of fresh snow. We cut a fresh track crossing the road half a mile from camp, followed it and I dropped a fork horn with a 208 yard shot across a sage flat along the edge of pine timber. My son had used up his tag on a massive coastal blacktail on Wed. during the week so he did not collect a Quilomene buck. <P>In a way it was a shame for me to use such a permit on a fork horn, but in my conditon, it was a delight and one of my most enjoyable deer hunts. My eyes are back to about 85%, probably 95% when I focus straight ahead. Two days ago, I had the last of three surgeries to repair things.<P>You are in for a great hunt in beautiful country.

No cow tag, No Moose tag, No sheep tag. Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna go eat worms (no tag required on them).

Wow Okanogan, <BR> you have a great way of words to describe this awsome wildlife area. I do know it's the biggest, continous, W.F.D.W. owned area in the state. I have been in their on the Wenachee side at the Clockum pass roads' lower entrance off Malaga-Alcoa Hiway. I've driven those nasty, dry stream beds (so-called roads) a few times in the last four years. It makes one no want to go in very far. I Turkey hunted one season (96') and couldn't buy one in their, but just last spring (2000) we found a feeder just at the tree line the state put in for enhancement for Turkey (you could tell from the kind of feed in it) and could not believe all of the sign left by Turkey's in there! Feathers eveywhere! When we were on that same Turkey hunt in 96' we drove the road that goes E.N.E. along Tarpasin Creek. Once we got into the draws we must have spotted 80+ Elk in one herd on the saged ridges ajaisent to the next bend in the road. And up above the road in small crevises acrossed from us were several bacheler bucks in small groups, hunkered down just watching us. We could tell some of these deer were going to be large antlerd bucks by fall. They sported the very noticable dark brown forheads. Mind you it was only mid May at the time. Since this unsuccsesful Turkey hunt, I've been back for Chukar,Doves,&Grouse, one of which I shot a Beautiful Gray-phased Ruffed Grouse just at the deserts edge in some thick buck brush. <BR> I always see lots of Deer & Elk every time I've been in there {4 times in 5 years now}hey that was when it had a general season in there. I have a good insight of what stradigy I'll use and I just pulled up last years success rate for that draw unit; Quilomene "A" 110 permits issued, 93 reports returned, 87 hunters went out, 76 antlerd deer killed, 87.4% success rate.<BR>That's pretty good odds if you ask me....<BR> I'm glad to hear of your success up in there and sad to hear about your vision complications. That's still amazing how you spotted all of those deer in their considering your plite. Thanks for the wonderful letter and sharing your experience with me. I'll be sure to pass along my experience to the next kind-hearted hunter. Hey we should all stick together........ [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]

Lady, you are gracious, and good with words yourself. You know the area well. My presumption in describing it was partly just to relive a good hunt. Regarding eyesight, my son spotted every deer and pointed them out to me except a spike by fork that was standing in the ditch on my side of the road that I triumphantly pointed out to him. I hung onto his jacket sleeve most of the time that we followed the buck that I got, and he directed my eye to it as it fed ahead of us. My right eye was working fairly well if I had lots of time to focus it, and with a leaner on a tree at a standing buck, the shot connected. Some friends still think my son shot the buck for me. The 84% success rate in that area indicates probably close to 100% of those who actually hunted and did not pass up a buck.<P>I can now drive a car again, and again spot more game along the roadway than others in the car, unless they are especially sharp eyed hunters. For the past 2 years, I've had extra time to visit the web due to illness. Right now I'm sitting with a big black eye and purple swollen hand from a botched IV, but a fully functioning right eye from what should be the last surgery, done Wed. <P>We'd be curious to know how your hunt turns out this fall, so give us a report.

Thanks for all the support, everyone! [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] <BR>Okanogan, I hate to admit it but my biggest drawback is that I applied as a single applicant because my newbie partner got discouraged cause we didn't get drawn last season, and this was the first time we went in on a parnership tag. He knew the odds!!!!!! I'm finding out even though this guy is over 40, he hasn't deer hunted in over 17 years! He claims he's shot more deer than you could shake a stick at, right! I think he's referring to the others in past hunts with his Brother and Dad and saying he shot them......<BR> I took him on a Mule deer hunt over in Bridgeport up in the Wheatfields in 99'. He acted like he knew what he was doing, even bragging that he could take a deer with his ironsights!I knew the chances of this, were real low. He's only been hunting in the thick forests of Western Wa. down by Elby. I got a 2*3 just legal, deer on the second day of our trip. I was real happy and took it into the butcher up in Twisp. At the time we didn't realize that there was one in the town of Okanogan! A lot of people that season were getting some real nice one's out of the Twisp/Winthrop area. We stalked the same heard of deer for John & I tried to get him on some legal bucks, I even went for a walk through the little draws to flush out deer for him while he waited above. I had fun with my video camera doing this and managed to kicked out at least 12 deer including a coule of spikes, two points a 1*2 and even a Coyote! but no leagal one's came out! That was more fun getting this on camera, than the hunt itself! In the next few day's as the season wained away, we managed to find & creep-in within 20 yards of a legal buck {another 2*3} with two Does on the edge of the same large field a 1/4 mile across. That's like sneaking up on a flock of geese! I had brought my Remington .280 w/scope & bipods, he left his iron-sight gun at the truck, and I instisted that he use mine instead. We even took him out a month before to learn how to shoot with a scope so he wouldn't smack his nose on it! He had a hard time focusing the objective and said he had used a scope before.....I wonder....<BR>I have no problem with someone that is inexperienced, but what ****es me off, is when he would lie about past experiences and act like he knew what he was doing!!!!!! <BR> I feel, being a Woman that guys are intimidated that they might just learn something from one!. I feel like I was slapped in the face!!! [img]images/icons/crazy.gif" border="0[/img] <BR> [img]images/icons/mad.gif" border="0[/img] He would'nt go in on a partnership this season and he was the only one I knew that didn't already have a partner. Now he's really sorry, and doesn't have a clue on what a great tag I drew!!!!!!I've told him resently that I drew and he say if it were him he would shoot the first deer that walked by...This tells me that he has no idea of the trophy potential that exists in the Clockum! He has not taken a deer in years and I think that's why he'd shoot the first one that he was able to take.I did one the last four I've harvested in 5 years, so its time I hunted for some antlers! I think he's jealous of the Muley I took in Bridgeport, Why I don't know...Hey he had too many chances to shoot one, even right on front of his face!!!!!!!<BR> He was the one that was with me on a camp trip last year and was commenting on all of the deer we saw, not to mention the Elk! Well any ways I'm on my own for this hunt, just me, my camper, and my good unconditional partner, my Red Setter, at least he'll never lie! I'm worried about being capable of hanging, and loading the Deer I'll take in the truck! I can shoot it, cleanly; gut it, & skin it with no problem, that's the easy part but time consuming, but those are some big deer to load and haul out by yourself! My Bridgport Muley was 175lbs. Live wieght! The two of us could barely load in my truck!<BR>I'm hoping to find other folks who drew a tag for the same hunt (100) this year. While I'm in there, I'm going to hunt some upland birds with my setter for the first time this season! I can't wait! This should be a hunt of a lifetime. [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img]

Lady Grouse Hunter, if you shoot a Remington .280 I'm impressed already. Thanks for sharing the info on your hunt with the guy who knows it all but didnt' do much. Hope all of us males pay attention and pick up some ettiquette for hunting with ladies.<P>From what you tell me of your experience, if I were you I wouldn't settle for anything less than a pretty good 4x4 until afternoon of the last day. At least that's what I'd hold out for if you have several days and the weather holds to huntable conditions. We saw one really beautiful and symetrical 4x4 with a tall rack in the velvet during our scouting. <P>Hope you can find a compatible spirit to go with you, somone who enjoys scenery adn would enjoy helping with the critter when he's down. If the buck is in a cahnyon, some places you can take one down to a road but much of the Coluckum there is no road down in the bottom. I'de bone out the critter where he lay rather than do much dragging or lifting on steep rough ground. I was fortunate to have a professional butcher show me how to bone out a deer in my early years, but it's not all that hard if you just cut off everything that is edible and leave the rest.<P>Hope you have time ot really enjoy it and make it a hunt of a lifetime. There are so few hunters during that permit season that you have almost the whole of that big world to yourself.