WA high buck hunts?

[Gunnerboy]

Anyone hunted the sept high buck season for washington? and if so can i get some info on where to go and what it was like.

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[zeppelin]

Yes I have done it in the past. You will need a horse or two. I went to Wenatchee and then turned east along the Columbia River like you're going to Chelan. At Entiat turn back north along the Entiat River. Go to the end of the paved road and keep going to the end of the road where you will come to an established campground called Cottonwood camp (even had showers there when I went). From cottonwood camp pack out north along the trail that parallels the Entiat river. Go about 12 miles straight in and you will hit some meadows at trails end at Icicle Creek. Camp there. There are also some trails you can branch off from on the way to get into this area and most have meadows for grazing horses. This area is in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, but there are others. Spent 10 days up there with 2 friends and 7 horses. After the first 5 days we were the only residents of Icicle Creek. You won't regret it. Z

 

[iusmc2002]

Make sure you get ahold of the local Ranger station if you're planning on using any of their trails or parking areas because you'll need a pass to stay out overnight. That was my experience when I tried hunting outside Leavenworth, and having to pay $5 a day to park at a trailhead on top of everything else, considering it's "supposed" to be OUR land, was a major turn-off. If you have the means to get WAY out (horses or great physical stamina) you'll be successful.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Yes I have done it in the past. You will need a horse or two. I went to Wenatchee and then turned east along the Columbia River like you're going to Chelan. At Entiat turn back north along the Entiat River. Go to the end of the paved road and keep going to the end of the road where you will come to an established campground called Cottonwood camp (even had showers there when I went). From cottonwood camp pack out north along the trail that parallels the Entiat river. Go about 12 miles straight in and you will hit some meadows at trails end at Icicle Creek. Camp there. There are also some trails you can branch off from on the way to get into this area and most have meadows for grazing horses. This area is in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, but there are others. Spent 10 days up there with 2 friends and 7 horses. After the first 5 days we were the only residents of Icicle Creek. You won't regret it. Z

Very good of you to help a fellow member out, thats why I love this site.:drink:

 

[mtnman]

Anyone hunted the sept high buck season for washington? and if so can i get some info on where to go and what it was like.

Pick one of the open Wilderness Areas. Get maps, Google earth, get up there and scout. Get in shape!!! Get in shape!!! Get in shape!!! And get in better shape!!! Enjoy the learning curve of the high country experience and upgrade gear as you learn what works for you. Know your rifle! Most find it a good hike in beautiful country and don't go back. Others its a passion and they busted their azz and found the pockets of deer that are there year after year. Good luck if you go!

 

[jbett98]

A lot of years ago, thirty to be exact, I was hiking up to Marion Lake in the Oregon Cascades near Mt Jefferson with a buddy of mine.
We noticed a couple of empty horse trailers that were hitched up to a couple of 1 ton diesel trucks.

The real odd thing that we noticed was the bales of alfalfa hay that was spread behind the trailers.
Being city boys we didn't know why anyone would bust up a couple of bales like that and not have any horses around to eat them.

We found out rather quickly why they were there, when we had hiked up the main trail a mile or so, when we heard a loud drumming of hooves coming down the trail.
It was right before the opening of the High Cascade Buck season, and a guide had moved his gear up to the high pass slopes of Mt. Jefferson, and then released the pack horses back down the trail all on their own.

The horses had walked down the 6 miles of trail by themselves, and when they got close to the trailers, they took off on a dead run to try and get there before the other guys in the herd did. We literally had to jump off of the trail to keep from being overrun.

We made camp below the summit of South Cinder peak near a lake named after a dead sheep header buried on the trail called John Swallow Lake.

Having no camping skills whatsoever, we left all of our food that we had packed in laying on the ground.

After walking around the lake the next morning trying to catch some fish for dinner, we observe a herd of deer across the lake trampling our food and eating everything that they could, and what they didn't eat, they pretty much destroyed.

Nothing lightens up your backpack more then losing all of your food eight miles from your car.

We were going to meet up with some friends further North up near Mt Jefferson, so we broke camp that day and headed higher up the mountain.
We found a North side snow bank up between two cinder cone peaks and stopped for a rest and to eat some of the clean ice.

My friend Glenn noticed a white rope sticking out of the snow near us and we thought it might be a mountain climber that got caught up in an avalanche or something.

After digging down a a foot or so, we find a white plastic bag filled with t bone steaks and other delicious looking groceries.
All were purchased from Salem stores two days before.

My friend has exceptional vision and after looking around to see if anybody was around, he spotted a campsite some distance from us.
He also noticed that a man was looking at us through a rifle scope and was waving his hand in a not so friendly manner.

We hiked over to the camp and talked to the head guide who very generously allowed us to camp that evening with him.
His clients were late coming from the airport and that's why he sent the pack horses down the trail so his wife could bring them up the next day.

I can honestly say that the dinner he cooked up for us was the best meal I have ever had. Being half starved probably helped, but those t-bones meant for his rich clients sure tasted really good up in the mountains.

The next morning he hitched up a couple of his horses for us and took us higher up the trail near were our friends were camped. Along the way we stopped and glassed the trophy bucks he was keeping an eye on.

I have always wanted to get back up there and hunt the High Cascades, especially if I could ride a trail horse to really get up were the big ones live.