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!

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Okay, I think I know where you're talkin about.

Where am I from? Hmm. Here's the chronology:
Spokane till 2, Pateros through 4, Issaquah to 35, Carnation to 40 :)

So I spose I'm from Carnation.
We've hunted mulies in Twisp every year since I was 10. This year we were drawn for doe permits in Mission B so that's why we've spent to much time scouting there and why I don't know what I'm doin there [8D]

How bout you?

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Good info there! Thanks much. And, I'll take it off the backstrap for ya :)

Comes complete with a beer.

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Looks as if I'll be knocking on that day, but will try some fishing tomorrow.

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

Snohomish/Monroe area most of my life.... been here in the Granite Falls/Arlington area for the last 10 years. I was curious because I thought you might be a Wenatchee area local to put in for that SP. There have been times long ago when we failed on a doe tag in the mission area too!! Good luck and go get 'em be cause it can be done.......or get Ya a nice buck!

RE: WA. - Colockum observations 10/02
 

ManiDK,
Sounds like you are close in your quest for a mule deer, but you are looking in all the wrong places.

If you are looking around Jumpoff you are on one of the most travelled roads in the Colockum. This area gets an insane amount of traffic all year. I've seen everything from hatchbacks to Cadillacs up there, not to mention all the motorcycle and 4 wheeler traffic.

The first thing you need to do is get away from the roads. Second thing you need to do is be at a good vantage point at daybreak and glass for deer. They really aren't that hard to find, if you are in a high traffic area they will be less visible.

The area you mentioned down by the game managers house is a wintering range. There isn't even any snow up top so there really is no need for the deer to move down low yet. Without any weather to move the deer around they are still rather spread around. The Mission Creek area you mentioned is chock full of Deer, however, you will need to go UP to get them, unless you can find an orchardist to let you hunt his place.

I live at the bottom of #2 Canyon and have deer in my front yard throughout the winter. There are a few bucks that hang out around the last few houses towards the top of Jumpoff. In the mornings and evenings you can see them feeding in the clearcuts under the power lines.

I know it may seem like there aren't any critters here, but you have to look at areas on a map with food, cover, water and minimal road traffic. If I had a doe tag, I would go up into the Mission Creek area, I filled one there opening day of the permit season a few years back.

As far as Elk go, they can be anyplace. You have to hunt them, not just good looking territory. I got lucky this year, and after 9 years of applying was drawn for an ANY BULL tag for the rifle season in the Quilomene. I shot a nice 6 point bull on the third day of the season this year. I saw deer in the breaks off the Brewton most every day I was up in camp.

Hope you did good on your hunt!