WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Mission B unit, 251 was the focus for 2 scouting trips in the last 3 weeks for me and my brother. We spent a total of 4 days scouting everywhere between Tarpiscan Crk and Camas Crk for Mule Deer to prepare for our Oct. 16th - 29th Special Permit Hunts this year.

Overall, I've never been so unimpressed with an area in Washington State, as far as wildlife populations go. Throughout the 4 days we saw a total of 1 deer. This was a doe, eating from an orchard about 1 mile from downtown Wenatchee.

We have hunted Mule Deer all our lives (30 yrs for me) near twisp and Pateros. This was our first time in the Colockum.

To summarize the places we drove to and hiked, looking for fresh scat and tracks (finding none):

Tarpiscan Road, Near the Colockum Unit Manager Headquarters: A large amount of deer sign here, all in excess of several weeks old. The scat was a dried grey to white color, no longer dark brown. All of the browse and shoots of green plants and forbs were eaten down to the shafts. There was also a large amount of Elk sign here, as old or older than the deer sign. This area had been eaten bare and the animals had moved on.

Kingsbury Road at the junction of Moses Coulee Rd.:
The terrain here was nice but ravaged from recent tree thinning operations. There were a lot of cattle grazing in this area but no sign whatsoever of deer presence, old or new. There was a great deal of Elk sign here but all of it at least a few months old. It was bone dry here with no green forage (no food to eat) and little to no escape cover in most of the area. I hiked up to the power lines on Jumpoff ridge in the early morning and carefully looked for deer sign throughout my 600-800' hike. Not 1 (one) single deer turd or track within a 1/2 mile area of the bowl was in evidence. Deer don't live there.

Upper Jumpoff Ridge, overlooking resevoirs above Stemilt Rd.:
Dry as a bone. Some old deer tracks (2 or 3 sets) over a 1/2 mile stretch of woods and old trails. This area, like Kingsbury, had recently been ransacked for tree thinning. Nothing lives there now.

#2 Canyon Rd. Near Stiss Rd and surrounding resevoirs/lakes above Wenatchee:
There was plenty of food here in the creek beds and greenery in the thick woods. Amazingly, even though water was abundant here, there were no signs of Deer or Elk in this area. We hiked throughout the creekbed and around the resevoir.

I could go on, but suffice to say this scene repeated itself hiking at these other locations:
Camas Creek and Little Camas Creek
Various spots along Mission Creek Rd from Cashmere up to and near Beehive
Sandy Creek junction with Mission Creek Rd.
Old Blewett Pass Hwy on the West side of Hwy 97

I'm not confident we will find anything October 16th. Thoughts?

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

We have always run into the critters in that area when least expected, like during elk season. Quilomene unit is good deer hunting by SP only. We have also noticed as the years have passed that there should be more elk inthe areas on the Wenatchee side of the area than there seem to be.
It would seem to me that poaching could be a major problem in this area- with so many "guest workers" around. Years ago this area was loaded with both elk and deer. Also, is there an orchard WITH a fence in the basin yet- probably not- since they get[>:] big $$$$[:'(] from our licence fees for depredation (sp?) which is BULL*%#T if they don't even TRY to keep them out, and how many do thier employees kill?
My first year on Colockum was 1966.

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

ManiDK, I was in that area looking to fill a cow tag last month. Although I was unsuccessful with elk, I did see a lot of deer between the Colockum Pass RD and Kingsbury, mostly off the Ingersol RD up above the WSU research facility. One morning I saw probably 20 just by sitting across a canyon and glassing.

I've also seen quite a few up above the Alcoa HWY in the canyons above the unit managers house at the end of the Tarpiscan where it turns to dirt. Before you get that far out look up on your right and there are several breaks. It's definitely leg busting but there are deer in there. If you know the upper part of the area it's a good idea to leave a rig on top and one down on the highway.

Hope this helps. I definitely know how you feel. I've burned two years and 5 points trying to find ONE COW in this unit.

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Me, 8 Pts. for an any bull.............Zilch. kramer has good advice. Make sure you all avoid the a$$ who owns property off of the first fork down from the Tarpiscan-Colockum Rd. intersection just before the bottom of the canyon- he is a real sweetheart! Be carefull in the areas above that point, or you could find yourself on his land.
ALSO, is the gate open on the access through Tarpiscan from the river this year?????

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

If anyone has ;)been up there recently could you please post your observations?
Thanks......S DaWg.....Go Hawks!!

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Thanks for your help Kramer! I'm sorry to hear of your Cow tag being unfilled. I've had the same thing happen to 2 separate cow tags for the Umtaneum unit in the past 6 years. It's extremely frustrating.

I'll take your advice and check out those breaks near Alcoa and the Unit Mgr. Did you ever get over to the Blewett side or Camas Creek area? How about the Beehive area SW to Liberty? Thanks again. If I get a doe I'll save you a steak!

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

The Game manager said the gate was closed still but that you could get at it brom going around above. We didn't go past that area about 1 mi. south of his house where people were camping in the open along that dustbowl tarpiscan rd.

Is that guys property on the West or East side of Tarpiscan Rd? How is he nasty? Did he threaten you? Sounds like a real piece of work.

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

I'm heading up there Thursday the 14th and will be hunting the deer opener and returning Monday night. I'll post my accounts Tuesday to let everyone know what we saw and where. Can't wait!

If you see a Dark Blue Chevy Silverado 4x4 2500 HD Short Bed Crew cab w/Duramax Diesel up that way, it's probably me :)

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

ManDK, he is east (downhill) of Tarpiscan road on Colockum Pass Rd- just before the road crosses the ravine on the way to the cattle guard. If you turn west or uphill, when you break out on the ridge where you can see to the north(and south) , if you look back and down to the next ridge(north much lower), you can see his place. We were told that no one had better kill an animal on his place or........ I suppose that could be a threat. But his land is not marked well, and SURROUNDED by state land, so you really don't know when your on it!!![:'(]
Where are you from??

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

I've also seen deer when I've hiked out past the gate on the Tarpiscan but it's a bit of a haul getting one out of there now. Saw some great bucks in there last year. Hike all the way to where you are above the creek/canyon. It's an awesome view and if you have good binocs and patience you will see deer.

A couple other places, if you take the Stemilt basin loop which stays farly low there are deer in that area coming down into the orchards. I've seen most deer over more towards Misson in that area. Also seen some recently off Kingsbury just after it separates from Moses Carr but they've been doing a lot of logging in there.

I think your best odds are still near/just above the WSU facility towards the Colockum Pass Rd and also about a mile before you get to the Colockum unit managers house on the Tarpiscan, up in Walling and Whitson canyons. In fact you will probably jump deer before you even get halfway up. Look for the rows of tall wood fenceposts and you will know you are in the right area. There is also a quail feeder with a metal roof that I think you can see from the road.

Here is the location of the WSU facility: http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepag...latlontype=DMS

I'm looking forward to that steak!