I am a born and bred westside blacktail hunter, so I headed from Ellensburg back to the farm at the bottom of the Vail Tree Farm for the opener. We saw a lot of does and all 6 of us in my party passed up spikes. I spooked a big buck off a nob, I was down wind of him and he snorted close to 100 times trying to catch my scent to figure out where I was. I zoned in on his location, but it was 100 yards in the middle of thick salmon berries. I couldn't move quiet enough to get close, then darkness set in. Any recommendations for the Ellensburg area? I am new to the white tail and mule deer thing. I have been up in the Naneum area and spotted 4 elk. It was a good opertunity to try out my diaphram, I got a cow to call back. That was cool. Good luck guys.:beer2:
umtanum or wenas area, maybe clemans mt area should have deer. other side of the yakima river, cross the bridge at umptanum and start walking.
Fishing and Hunting News had a note that Yakima area deer had been hit hard by lice infestation and the resulting numbers were low. When I was in the Wenas for Elk muzzleloader, we saw 4 deer the entire time. The group I was with has hunted this area for over 20 years and they ALWAYS see a lot of deer, and ore often than not take a 3 point or better. This year was a first. Take that with a grain of salt, because another area relatively closeby might hold good numbers.
Thanks guys. I'll report back if I knock one down. I am headed back to the westside for the weekend to hunt vail, but I'll be giving this area hell next week. Oh, I saw a bobcat up Reecer Creek Wednesday and cougar tracks yesterday afternoon in the snow up Clockum.
Four hunters, one whitetail, three mulies, including a big 4x4. One black bear, too. Waterville, Tonasket, and Sinlahekin areas. Another great week of hunting!
