Moving to Seattle

[ianpadron]

WA state sucks for endless reasons, and WDFW is absolutely useless when it comes to managing game and fish populations... you WILL drive yourself crazy if you put too much thought into figuring out why they do anything the way they do. One of the best days of my life was when we moved lol...

That said, despite the shortcomings, there are some truly world class hunting opportunities that rival anything in the lower 48 and AK...not joking.

Best bear hunting in the country bar none, especially if you like the highcountry. 2 bears a year, season starts August 1st, and the Cascades are loaded to the gills with 'em. 2 years ago my buddy and I glassed 16 bears in one day deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness on October 4th. That was not an atypical experience.

The mule deer hunting rivals anything I've experienced in ID and MT, which I'm sure a lot of guys will laugh at. But here's the thing...in 7 years of hunting WA state I can count on one hand how many other hunters I saw.

Get into the Wilderness areas East of the PCT during the October general season (NOT the high hunt) and you will have as much solitude as you could ever want. The pumpkin patches being referenced are in the Teanaway, Entiat, Methow etc....road hunters and easy trail access. Go higher and deeper!

Elk... don't bother.

Turkey in the NE corner...best in the country by a mile, same with waterfowl hunting throughout the state, but especially the West side and along the Columbia basin...7 bird limit, 107 day season...and legitimate winter ground for a big part of the migration.

And you can't truly comprehend the magnitude of the scenery...I mean it when I say I miss the natural beauty of that place every single day...and I can see Glacier National Park from our new house in MT for reference...

There's nothing like the WA state alpine...so lush and rugged, volcanoes all over, glaciers, the biggest trees you've ever seen, turquoise lakes...it really is an incredible landscape by every metric.

Good luck and feel free to shoot me a PM to chat in the future. It's easy to talk shit about the place but I pray it makes a comeback everyday for a reason!

 

[khart_6882]

WA state sucks for endless reasons, and WDFW is absolutely useless when it comes to managing game and fish populations... you WILL drive yourself crazy if you put too much thought into figuring out why they do anything the way they do. One of the best days of my life was when we moved lol...

That said, despite the shortcomings, there are some truly world class hunting opportunities that rival anything in the lower 48 and AK...not joking.

Best bear hunting in the country bar none, especially if you like the highcountry. 2 bears a year, season starts August 1st, and the Cascades are loaded to the gills with 'em. 2 years ago my buddy and I glassed 16 bears in one day deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness on October 4th. That was not an atypical experience.

The mule deer hunting rivals anything I've experienced in ID and MT, which I'm sure a lot of guys will laugh at. But here's the thing...in 7 years of hunting WA state I can count on one hand how many other hunters I saw.

Get into the Wilderness areas East of the PCT during the October general season (NOT the high hunt) and you will have as much solitude as you could ever want. The pumpkin patches being referenced are in the Teanaway, Entiat, Methow etc....road hunters and easy trail access. Go higher and deeper!

Elk... don't bother.

Turkey in the NE corner...best in the country by a mile, same with waterfowl hunting throughout the state, but especially the West side and along the Columbia basin...7 bird limit, 107 day season...and legitimate winter ground for a big part of the migration.

And you can't truly comprehend the magnitude of the scenery...I mean it when I say I miss the natural beauty of that place every single day...and I can see Glacier National Park from our new house in MT for reference...

There's nothing like the WA state alpine...so lush and rugged, volcanoes all over, glaciers, the biggest trees you've ever seen, turquoise lakes...it really is an incredible landscape by every metric.

Good luck and feel free to shoot me a PM to chat in the future. It's easy to talk shit about the place but I pray it makes a comeback everyday for a reason!

All of this is true…however, have you read the WDFW game commissions latest proposal? Their goal is written out in plain English. Hunting will be obsolete and unnecessary in the very very near future.


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[sterlryu]

My dad lives on Lopez and although at times they can be completely over populated out there he told me last year was a bad year they lost a lot due to disease. Not staying this as fact just what I heard also huntable land is not easy to find out there from my experience

WDFW gets access to some land every year on SJI and Orcas - my buddy has a story about honking to get some does out of the parking spot and shooting a 3 point buck coming in for the does 10 minutes later. 20 yards from the truck. All the other deer were shocked.

Sorry to hear about the disease, didn't know anyone who hunted the islands last season. But I guess it was good for the ecosystem.

 

[sterlryu]

Get into the Wilderness areas East of the PCT during the October general season (NOT the high hunt) and you will have as much solitude as you could ever want. The pumpkin patches being referenced are in the Teanaway, Entiat, Methow etc....road hunters and easy trail access. Go higher and deeper!

Some of my favorite hunting memories are scrambling around the east side of the glacier peak wilderness, spectacular scenery, and the only person I saw past the trailhead was a fighter jet that dipped below the ridgeline. Got skunked that trip and ended up taking a muley out of entiat though.

 

[Daman9091233]

WDFW gets access to some land every year on SJI and Orcas - my buddy has a story about honking to get some does out of the parking spot and shooting a 3 point buck coming in for the does 10 minutes later. 20 yards from the truck. All the other deer were shocked.

Sorry to hear about the disease, didn't know anyone who hunted the islands last season. But I guess it was good for the ecosystem.

My dad has 3 deer there that come eat out of their hands. The speed limit is 25 in most places and I would not be surprised if it was half related to the amount of deer that pop out when driving. There are tons but they are all conditioned to humans so I don't know I would call it hunting as a sport more like slaughter lol but only proves what your saying more

 

[dreamingbig]

I am going to say it again….. DON’T!

I have been here 40 years and watched our outdoor lifestyle relentlessly attacked. They have a social narrative to follow where all we do is hug nature. It is really criminal what the governor and commission has done.


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[jlh42581]

You couldnt pay me enough money to move to Seattle and I could command an extremely high salary. Talk about a political and social nightmare.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I am going to say it again….. DON’T!

I have been here 40 years and watched our outdoor lifestyle relentlessly attacked. They have a social narrative to follow where all we do is hug nature. It is really criminal what the governor and commission has done.


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This is sad beyond words.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

But so true. Been here 25 years now. I don't live in Seattle but used to love the city. It is an absolute $hithole now.

 

[DenimChicken]

All of this is true…however, have you read the WDFW game commissions latest proposal? Their goal is written out in plain English. Hunting will be obsolete and unnecessary in the very very near future.


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Can you link?

 

[khart_6882]

Can you link?

Inslee, 5 Fish and Wildlife Commissioners Sued -

An Evergreen State sportsmen's organization has filed a lawsuit against Governor Inslee and five of his appointees to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and seeks to replace them with vetted and more hunter- and angler-friendly members.

nwsportsmanmag.com

Thorburn, Others Comment On WDFW Comm Draft Conservation Policy -

"This should be called a draft preservation policy not a conservation policy." "Thanks to the commission for moving in the direction of conservation of wildlife and the environment rather than giving in to those whose main interest in wildlife is consumption." Those are just two of at least...

nwsportsmanmag.com

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[Daman9091233]

Inslee, 5 Fish and Wildlife Commissioners Sued -

An Evergreen State sportsmen's organization has filed a lawsuit against Governor Inslee and five of his appointees to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and seeks to replace them with vetted and more hunter- and angler-friendly members.

nwsportsmanmag.com

Thorburn, Others Comment On WDFW Comm Draft Conservation Policy -

"This should be called a draft preservation policy not a conservation policy." "Thanks to the commission for moving in the direction of conservation of wildlife and the environment rather than giving in to those whose main interest in wildlife is consumption." Those are just two of at least...

nwsportsmanmag.com

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Great info here. I found it a bit crazy I just heard about this. I get mail and emails to submit my harvest reports but didn't get anything about this.... Wtf

 

[Duckhunter14]

First off I’m very sorry you have to move to Seattle. That city has gone to hell in a hand basket. I grew up loving Western WA, attending Mariners and Seahawks games and hitting Pike Place Market with my family. Nowadays I wouldn’t ever risk taking my family downtown. It got so bad that I picked up my family and moved out of state. The combination of the traffic, the weather, the crime and homelessness, the awful game management, and the insane indoctrination in the schools pushed us out. Which is sad, because it’s a beautiful area.

It’s not all doom and gloom and there are a ton of opportunities in the greater northwest to recreate outdoors. As others have mentioned get a copy of the regs and pour over them. Don’t be afraid to head to a Fish and Game office with a list of questions.

Some of my favorites were salmon fishing the salt and the rivers when the salmon were running, shrimping and crabbing in the sound, digging for clams, tons of inland lakes and rivers to fish (unlimited amounts of info online as to what is in each lake for species). Lots of good hiking trails (although they are super popular and expect lots of crowding).

My favorite was getting away from Seattle and heading east over the Cascade mountains to the east side of the state. Mushroom picking, shed hunting, fishing, hiking, deer/elk hunting, bear hunting. The opportunities are endless. Start exploring, use your onX and you’ll be ready for fall hunting season in no time. You’re in for a giant culture shock depending on where you’re coming from Texas. Good luck, I hope you fall in love with the PNW and I hope WDFW pulls their head out of their rear while the state still has the resources.

 

[ianpadron]

Some of my favorite hunting memories are scrambling around the east side of the glacier peak wilderness, spectacular scenery, and the only person I saw past the trailhead was a fighter jet that dipped below the ridgeline. Got skunked that trip and ended up taking a muley out of entiat though.

Dude! I had 2 fighter jets (assuming a mock dogfight) go screaming through the canyon I was glassing up the GPW too, one of the coolest things I've ever seen

 

[ianpadron]

All of this is true…however, have you read the WDFW game commissions latest proposal? Their goal is written out in plain English. Hunting will be obsolete and unnecessary in the very very near future.


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Sure have.

We live in Montana now for a reason.

 

[The Ri Guy]

The mule deer hunting rivals anything I've experienced in ID and MT, which I'm sure a lot of guys will laugh at. But here's the thing...in 7 years of hunting WA state I can count on one hand how many other hunters I saw.

Get into the Wilderness areas East of the PCT during the October general season (NOT the high hunt) and you will have as much solitude as you could ever want. The pumpkin patches being referenced are in the Teanaway, Entiat, Methow etc....road hunters and easy trail access. Go higher and deeper!

I agree, go to the High Country exclusively -- absolutely nothing to be seen Mule Deer wise in any units East of the Cascades!

 

[khart_6882]

I agree, go to the High Country exclusively -- absolutely nothing to be seen Mule Deer wise in any units East of the Cascades!

That’s for damn sure!


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[dboone3]

I'm in Issaquah - been in WA for a little over a year and want to get out and do some hunting. I grew up in the midwest and hunting out here is way different. If you're ever in need of someone to hunt with - let me know and we can figure this out together. This goes for any other users who come across this post.