Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,836
- 6,311
Washington State offers an interesting hunt every September. Several wilderness areas are open to hunters for ten days. Typically it's a high country hunt, with a low success percentage, but it's an opportunity to hunt the mule deer bucks up in the high country, before they migrate lower, later in the fall.
Several ways to approach the hunt - but the key thing to remember is that it's either afoot, or on horseback. That's it. I like that. A lot of folks get packed in from an outfitter, but being the cheap, broke, middle class guy I am, I just stuff my hunting gear in a backpack and hike in. Sometimes solo, sometimes with a pard. This will be the first year my son joins me.
We're returning to an area I hunted two years ago. It's a tough hike in, only about eight miles, but a lot of vertical climb involved. We'll be camped at about 6,000' and likely hunting up to well over 7,000' - unless a buck falls into our laps in camp.
A legal buck here has three points on at least one antler. A big, mature 2x2 mule deer buck is not legal. I figure ANY buck taken on this difficult hunt is a trophy, not because of size, because of the difficulty of it. Bear season is also open, and a bear encounter is quite likely. Sometimes I've seen more bear than bucks on this hunt.
So here we are, a few days before the hunt, with our packs and gear laid out, food ready, etc. We go pretty minimalist, but a guy has to respect the ever-changing mountain weather. Gore Tex and fleece are good things. A small backpacking tent is a good thing for two of us. On my own I sometimes just bring a bivvy bag and do without the weight & comfort of a tent. A small stove to heat some chow. A way to purify some drinking water. One luxury I sometimes bring is a fly rod. Don't know if it will make this trip or not.
Optics are important, and worth their weight. Only with optics can a guy glass and glass and glass, "hunting" distant ridges without expending valuable energy.
I don't do this hunt every year, usually every other year. This is the year!
I'll be around a couple more days, then we're heading out. The first day will be pretty tough, getting camp into our chosen spot. After that we'll be hunting, and carrying lighter packs.
More later, Guy
Several ways to approach the hunt - but the key thing to remember is that it's either afoot, or on horseback. That's it. I like that. A lot of folks get packed in from an outfitter, but being the cheap, broke, middle class guy I am, I just stuff my hunting gear in a backpack and hike in. Sometimes solo, sometimes with a pard. This will be the first year my son joins me.
We're returning to an area I hunted two years ago. It's a tough hike in, only about eight miles, but a lot of vertical climb involved. We'll be camped at about 6,000' and likely hunting up to well over 7,000' - unless a buck falls into our laps in camp.
A legal buck here has three points on at least one antler. A big, mature 2x2 mule deer buck is not legal. I figure ANY buck taken on this difficult hunt is a trophy, not because of size, because of the difficulty of it. Bear season is also open, and a bear encounter is quite likely. Sometimes I've seen more bear than bucks on this hunt.
So here we are, a few days before the hunt, with our packs and gear laid out, food ready, etc. We go pretty minimalist, but a guy has to respect the ever-changing mountain weather. Gore Tex and fleece are good things. A small backpacking tent is a good thing for two of us. On my own I sometimes just bring a bivvy bag and do without the weight & comfort of a tent. A small stove to heat some chow. A way to purify some drinking water. One luxury I sometimes bring is a fly rod. Don't know if it will make this trip or not.
Optics are important, and worth their weight. Only with optics can a guy glass and glass and glass, "hunting" distant ridges without expending valuable energy.
I don't do this hunt every year, usually every other year. This is the year!
I'll be around a couple more days, then we're heading out. The first day will be pretty tough, getting camp into our chosen spot. After that we'll be hunting, and carrying lighter packs.
More later, Guy
