RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

The WDFW publishes the harvest data for each unit on their website. You can go back several years and see how a particular unit has done. My suggestion is that you look over that data and then pick a unit. Once you've done that, get up there and explore. Go up there at every opportunity year round and get to know the area like the back of your hand. Make sure you get off the roads and put in some qualityshoe leather time. The time to start looking for your 2007 deer is now. And if the data is good, don't give up on the area even if you don't get one next fall. Stick with it and it will all come together for you.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Actually, it's perfectly legal to bait for deer and elk. It's only illegal to bait for bear, turkey, and migratory birds. This has been discussed many times in the past, and they even brought it up before the legislature before to ban it. If it doesn't state it is illegal in the regs, it's not. It didn't have enough support to get much attention. I'd prefer itstay that way and let us make the decision, but that's another argument. Just wanted to clear up the misinformation.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Another option Hexorz is check out Bearpaw outfitters in Colville. For $400 you stay in their cabins ,They feed you, Plus they tell you where to hunt on public land. I had 2 friends do this and they recommend it.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

I've seen great bucks along the Idaho border south of Liberty Lake. There's a lot of private property out there but I've heard that folks are pretty good about letting hunters in. I have a friend that got a 130 whitetail down there last month.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Slee is correct, but I just wanted to remind everyone that the Reg book is not all encompassing. The regs are just a paraphrase of the actual rules/laws.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Why are you limiting yourself to public land?

There is plenty of private land to gain access to around the Spokane/Colville area. The majority of the farm folk I've talked to have been more than willing to allow us to hunt their land in exchange for a day or two's worth of work.

The public land around here is hit hard during modern firearm season. I'm not complaining, but I don't understand why folks limit themselves to only public land. Knock on a few doors, shake a few hands, you may be suprised at the results.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Wow!!! I always assumed it was illegal. Things to make you go hmmmmm :D

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

There is plenty of state land around the Spokane area that doesn't get a lot of hunting pressure. You just have to know where it is. My brothers and Uncles tag out every year. See if oyu can get topo maps from the DNR, they show you where all the state land is. My brother used to work for the DNR during the summer and he has several topos that show the state lands.

I didn't make it back to washington to deer hunt this year, but the deer season here in Maryland has been good. Been seeing tons of deer and the season doesn't close until the end of this month. The bad limits are huge, 10 does and 2 bucks for archery, 10 and 2 for muzzleloader, 10 and 2 for shotgun, this part of Maryland you can not use a rifle to hunt deer and you can bait deer on private land. But trying to hunt state land in this area is nuts, with all the weekend hunters I don't even hunt it, I hunt only private land, and you can't hunt on Sundays in this state.

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

Is there much elk hunting in Eastern Washington, or do you guys have to go across the border into Idaho for that?

RE: Eastern Washington Goers...
 

There are places in Eastern washingotn that have elk in them, down in the Blue Mountians, up above Spokane and in and aorund Spokane, my brother saw 20 cow elk in Bigalow Gulch on Friday, they are there just have to look for them.