Entiat late archery hunt

C

coonhound40

Guest
I drew a late archery tag for Entiat this year the November 20 -29 hunt. I usually hunt the units around Conconnely and Loomis but i've always heard great things about the Entiat hunt.

Does anyone have any input that might help me make the most out of my 1st few days in the Entiat unit. I plan on hunting every day, that is if my wife doesn't change her mind about me missing Thanksgiving. I've never had the opportunity to see the Entiat unit so I'm going in blind. Is this going to be better than the Loomis hunt I usually take, that hunt is always great?

Some stories and Pictures would be great, I'm pretty pumped already but a few good stories couldn't hurt.

Jeff
 
Jeff,
Sent you a PM, unfortunately not with help for Entiat, but with a question or actually a few of them about Loomis.

Thanks Mike
 
sent a pm to ya with some starter places, if you got any questions shoot one back at me. i'll post up the buck i took out of there back in '03 archery hunt there when it was an open unit soon
 
Jeff. It's gonna be a great hunt bud. Lots of deer in there. Best advice I can give you is take CHAINS. Do not go in there without them. Those roads get very dangerous once the snow hits. If we get snow. There will be deer in darn near every canyon that shoots up off of entiat river rd. A couple years ago I seen a buck a girl shot during bow season that was similar to your buck with a little less mass. That was up crumb canyon.

Best bet will be to hit the little draws that can't be seen from the road. At least for the bigger bucks. You'll see good bucks every day right from the road.(If we get snow).

I''ll probably be down the road from you in swakane around the same time. You gonna stay in a motel or are you gonna be camping? I think we're gonna stay in Wenatchee. Not sure yet though.

Good luck

Kris
 
Sounds like our hunting worlds have reversed this year. I've drawn the Entiat tag the previous two years, but not this year. So I will be concentrating on the Conconnely/Loomis area this season. Maybe we can help each other. I'll send you a PM if I can figure out how, fairly new at posting.
 
here is a picture of a buck i took out of there opening morning out of the entiat unit back in '03 when it was an open unit. it was the first buck that i saw, and t being my first archery deer hunt i decided he was good enough.

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sorry about the pic, i cant find any other ones that show different angles. he's about 19" wide, straight 4 point with decent mass.
 
Hunted entiat last year on the late hunt.settled for a little one after a few days but saw lots of nice ones, nothing monsterous though. most bucks were in the low to mid twenties and a few in the high twenties.I will send you a pm with some details.
 
My experience hunting the units to the North, snow doesn't seem to be key. I've had comparible success with or without snow, in fact I find that I have a lot easier time getting close to the bucks without the snow. I think a lot of the deer up there migrate more on the time of year than weather just my theory.

If I don't get snow in the Entiat unit can I expect to see many deer? I know several posts have stated that snow is key. If snow is absolutely key I may have to revert to my old stomping grounds up North if the weather doesn't start cooling down.

Jeff
 
your still going to see deer, just not the huge concentration of them that would normally be there with snow. i would make a safe guess that without snow you should still see at least 40-50 deer in there a day. but i would definetly pray for snow to get those big migratory bucks down there
 
Snow and the rut are key in the Entiat, either one will bring the big boys down. Its always a good late hunt, you will have a blast, don't let tag pressure keep you from having fun. Good luck and take lots o pic's.
 
It's Snowing, It's Snowing, It's Snowing

I've got the chains, my bow's shootin great, and I can't wait.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-11-06 AT 09:21PM (MST)[p]Sounds like you will get plenty of snow to push them all down maybe way down! If we get the several feet of snow they are talking about, the winter range areas of steliko(sp?) and oklahoma gulch could be great areas to hit. Lots of grassy open country with less of the burned out pickup stick messy stuff. Should be great coonhound!! nwhunter
 
Can't wait to see what that tag brings you Jeff. Hard hunters like you can't help bring home a pig with a tag like that.

Good Luck
Kris
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-16-06 AT 09:58PM (MST)[p]My nieces husband drew a Slide Ridge rifle tag and shot this bruiser on Sunday. He said the deer were definitely down.

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Sorry to all you purists for posting a rifle buck in the archery section, I love all styles of hunting. However Archery is still my favorite.

Seeing a buck like this really gets me pumped up.
 
I imagine you're getting pretty anxious right now coonhound. I know I would be if I were you. I think you're going to hit it just perfect as far as being there at the right time with the rut and snow. Your hunt should be about as good as it gets. Good luck and make sure you take plenty of pictures for us to drool over.

Steve
 
Also goodluck coonhound, maybe I will see you over there. I will be in a gray/silver jeep liftled jeep wrangler, Ill be camping up mudd creek unless snow is to deep. Good luck. James
 
Well, it was an eventfull hunt, I put a lot of miles on my boots. I focused mainly on the breaks above the Columbia, I saw 50 - 75 deer a day with 15 - 20 of them being bucks. The problem was, every buck I saw was with 5 or 6 does.

I didn't see any tremendous bucks, there were a ton of 3 and 4 points in the 20" - 22" range, respectable but not great. Good luck was definitely not with me, I had at 4 different times quality bucks under 30 yds but none would present an ethical shot. I had a nice symetrical 4 x 4 with eye guards at 10 yds but presented no shot. I had put a 2 hour sneek on him, everything was playing out perfectly, I'm at 10 yds the buck doesn't see me and he's standing broadside. I slowly come to full draw, he spots the movement, instead of just turning his head, he wheels around and faces me. He stood that way for at least a minute and then trotted off after his doe.

On 2 occasions I seen this unique buck, a 4 x 1 with eye guards on both sides. From the front you would think he was a perfect typical buck. The second time I saw him he was in a great spot for a stalk. I covered about 300yds on my hands and knees, when I got to about 100 yds I looked up to orient myself. To my suprize, the buck mounted his doe, he bread her 1/2 dozen times. She finally walked off and he just stood there with his head down, he looked pooped. I thought to myself, "this is going to be my opportunity", I had good cover for the stalk. But murphy's law came into play again, I'm about 80Yds out and I crawl right into the lap of a bedded doe I hadn't seen, that was the end of that.

That night when I got back to my hotel I called my wife to tell her about the events of the day. When I told her I saw a buck breed a doe, and that I thought it was cool because I had never seen that before. She said I was sick, I still think it was cool.

The hunt was great even though I didn't get the buck I was looking for. I had a few stalks every day I hunted, on how many hunts can you say that? Well I was down to my last 2 days and I knew my December schedule was going to be pretty full I decided to take a meat buck. I'm a litte dissapointed but that's hunting, at least I've got a little meat in the freezer. Better than that I've got a lot of leasons learned and a lot of great memories.

I almost hate to post this, but here is a picture of my dink.

457500717e4550c7.jpg


Thanks everyone for all the input,

Coon
 
Great story and nice looking deer. Any deer with the bow is a good deer the way I look at it. There is way to many does over there though I had many stalks blown by them. Congratulations
 
Coon....for the ones that have been up around that area this time of year we all know how you feel. Sounds like you definately put in the effort....and like you said, gotta a great hunt out of it and a little meat in the freezer. Congrats on a good year.
 
sounds like another great year of hunting jeff.......whats he score?.Im joking it's alwasy the guy that's eating tag soup that talks crap.
 
congrats to ya!! Sounds like you had a blast. A friend of mine got a decent buck out of the late nanuem hunt. When he emails me with pics I'll post them.
 
I got them pics of my buddys late archery buck but cant seem to load them. If anybodys interested I could send them to you.





Thanks, Clyde
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-07-06 AT 08:22PM (MST)[p]I haven't received your pm, try again.


Thanks, Clyde

Never mind, I got it!
 
Great bucks, looks like we need to hear a couple stories. Great looking bucks and kids.

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The first two pics are of a friend who drew the late archery tag in 328, nanuem unit. I was with him the weekend before and watched him put a stalk on a monster buck!! I watched from a thousand yards through my spotting scope only hoping it would of worked out. He came home that week and went back out the following. After a few attempts at a couple bucks, he finally connected with this one. He forgot the camera back at his place, so no in the field pics. It's a 3x4 with a couple of eyeguards.

The last pick is myself and two of my kids. I shot this buck back on september 2nd. It's my first year and first deer with a bow. Four hours prior to shooting this buck, my wife called me and said she and the girls are on there way over. Myself and My son were already there hunting. My son and I almost connected with a nice 4x4 still in velvet. I drew back and the buck caught my movement and like that he vanished thru the tree's. Ok, my wife and daughters show up just in time to take an evening drive, and really not hunting, but just spending time with the fam. Saw some does so we watched them for awhile. My youngest abby loves deer. shes only two and is fasinated with them. We decided to go on and around the bend, out pops a buck down this short draw. perfect!! I made a short stalk on him and got within thirty yards. Smack!!! Perfect quartering shot and fifty or so yards, my buck is piled up. My entire family was able to watch the entire thing happen which is pretty rare especially with a bow. My kids were pumped but made fun of me as a was shaking and could hardly stand up after the buck went down. My wife was and still is pregnant with our son who is due anytime. So I guess I had all four of our kids with me. This hunt is going to be hard to beat.




Clyde
 
That is a great story, and a great 1st archery deer. I love getting my family out like that and to have them watch your hunt unfold, WOW. The wives will never understand the shaking piece unless they shoot one themselves. When I quit getting excited like that is when I quit hunting.

To watch your partner put the sneak on a buck is almost as good as doing it yourself. Tell your friend "Nice Buck"....

Coon
 
Coon Hunter. New to this site, but this makes me ask. Why would you shoot a little fork horn buck instead of a doe? You said you were shooting a "meat" deer so why not a doe? It sounds like the Entiat is a permit only trophy area. Don't you think shooting small bucks negatively impacts the potential for big bucks? You obviously know what the area holds potentially for a big buck. I understand you can shoot what ever you want, but in a trophy buck area to shoot a buck that even yourself admit is not a trophy I don't understand. Maybe in a non-trophy area that was over run with small bucks. Only asking to try to get your perspective.
 
Congratulations to Coonhound and Mr Clyde. I did not get a deer on my first archery attempt, but I had fun trying. Thanks for pointing me in some good areas CH. Me and my buddy had fun chasing but never were at the right spot at the right time. Saw a lot of deer but pretty much does, 2 pts and spikes.The biggest deer we saw was a two point that was at least 24", I don't think he was 30" but he made you think about it. We almost decided to go for a whitetail down along Sinlahekin Rd but kept getting caught up chasing what we were hoping was the right mule deer. All I have is grouse. Not the meat in the freezer I was hoping for. Still had a great time and met some good people where we stayed at. Congrats and thanks again!

Mr Clyde - Very cool to have you kids with you for that. I have a two yr old daughter who is also very into elk and deer (she does an awesome cow call). Hopefully she'll want to hunt when she gets older.

Have a good Xmas!
Mike
 
Coonhound, Wondering why you did not shoot a doe? Checked the regulations for that unit and it was "Any Deer". Your buddy shot a toad for sure in a neighboring unit so why not go without or shoot a doe and hope to draw in the future?
 
Canhunter,

What are you trying to say? Are you implying that I'm un-ethical because I chose to harvest a buck before he has a chance to reach maturity? I have never been real keen on shooting doe's, one doe equals many deer in my book. I do believe that there are certain times and places where we need to control the herd but I don't think Washinton has any Mule deer units in that condition.

Remember these deer are migratory and concentrate in this area in the winter. Take a trip up there in the early fall and tell me how many deer you see? Or better yet, take a trip in the spring and tell me how many deer you find that are dead from starvation.

Bottom line, I would have loved to have taken that mature buck I was looking for but, I didn't put it all together. I did however make a choice completly within the law. I made a great stalk, a clean ethical 20yd shot and came home feeling like I had a successful hunt. I had a ton of fun working hard for one of the big boys and in the end at least I come home with something for the freezer and some great memories.
 
Coonhound don't take offense. Why does everyone get so defensive. I never said you did anything wrong. I was just trying to get your basis for shooting a small buck in a "Trophy" buck area. It is totally within your rights, ethics, morals, or what ever to shoot what ever was legal. Heck, just asking a question.
 
Sorry, your right, I suppose I am a little on the defensive side. Probably a little due to the fact that I settled for a small buck. Still trying to justify it in my own mind I guess.
 
I can agree with those who say we should harvest does and let the buck to doe ratio build. A does is just as tasty and as large as a young buck and taking them off the hill leaves more browse for the remaining deer (bucks). I believe that the wdfw biologists support this view. Still a successful hunt is just that; congratulations!!! Season's Greetings.
 
Coonhound, Been there done that. IMO but if you are doubting yourself ever over what you choose to shoot you should never have done it. I have let some great animals walk because I was "just not sure". I would have dropped them when I was younger. The one line that really worked for me was when I was told "If you keep shooting dinks you will never shoot a big one". Bottom line now is it's done so go forward into your next season.
 

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