Hunting the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

[dru88]

Why do I see so much negative feed back in every thread I read on here. The whole world would rather put each other down then help each other out. What's the old saying "IF YOU DON"T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL". Why do so many people on every platform find the need to be bullies or combative instead of helpful or just don;'t say anything.ryoTHC you could of said nothing or something a little more helpful than get out of your truck, how do you know this guy doesn't hike 10km a day but knows nothing about hunting what to look for or how to move through the bush quietly. OP Islandeer has some good advice you should follow.

[rogerb]

overall, there is decent whitetail hunting throughout the management unit but access is becoming ever more difficult due to ever more road closures. a boat of some sort for the northern parts is very useful if not mandatory. doesn't have to be fancy, a canoe/kayak etc. will do. for six mile & leach as well as much of the rest of the unit a treestand setup is the best so you can see down into the grass. was told this twenty years ago by an oldtimer hunting ducks there. his advice was shimmy up a tree and shoot your buck! of course, we prefer treestands now. ideally if you can pick up a set of lightweight climbing sticks like helium or wolf sticks and a safety harness you can setup on pretty much any tree you like and get a good look out over the flats of grass. don't forget the cattails - deer do hang out in those too but are much harder to spot than in the grass. at dawn & dusk, the deer travel the edge between grass & treelines so just find the trails they use (easy to spot there) and set up nearby. you can of course just hunt on foot and there are lots of places you can see enough to get a shot off. especially so on the management land south of their interpretive center. a final word of caution - realize that the entire management area now from the northern tip to the far south is active grizzly habitat. sometimes I think its now being managed for them alone. certainly closing off vehicle access everywhere has increased their use of the area. anyways, numerous bears are in there & some agressive sows in particular so if at all possible, hunt with a buddy & be prepared for a bear encounter whatever that may mean to you personally....have fun, it is an incredibly beautiful area with a geography unlike anything else in the area.

[m5wilson]

I didn't really mean to start anything. I even started by saying you were correct. I also don't think a post count is the tell all for a person's effort or experience level, I am sure there are some hunters the would put even some of the most experienced here to shame and they have never even seen the site.

I think people should feel free to ask whatever they want and those who want to answer can.

Anyway I hope you return and continue to post, I also hope new hunters can feel encouraged and eventually contribute here just as you have.

[hippieinthewoods]

overall, there is decent whitetail hunting throughout the management unit but access is becoming ever more difficult due to ever more road closures. a boat of some sort for the northern parts is very useful if not mandatory. doesn't have to be fancy, a canoe/kayak etc. will do. for six mile & leach as well as much of the rest of the unit a treestand setup is the best so you can see down into the grass. was told this twenty years ago by an oldtimer hunting ducks there. his advice was shimmy up a tree and shoot your buck! of course, we prefer treestands now. ideally if you can pick up a set of lightweight climbing sticks like helium or wolf sticks and a safety harness you can setup on pretty much any tree you like and get a good look out over the flats of grass. don't forget the cattails - deer do hang out in those too but are much harder to spot than in the grass. at dawn & dusk, the deer travel the edge between grass & treelines so just find the trails they use (easy to spot there) and set up nearby. you can of course just hunt on foot and there are lots of places you can see enough to get a shot off. especially so on the management land south of their interpretive center. a final word of caution - realize that the entire management area now from the northern tip to the far south is active grizzly habitat. sometimes I think its now being managed for them alone. certainly closing off vehicle access everywhere has increased their use of the area. anyways, numerous bears are in there & some agressive sows in particular so if at all possible, hunt with a buddy & be prepared for a bear encounter whatever that may mean to you personally....have fun, it is an incredibly beautiful area with a geography unlike anything else in the area.

Thanks for the thoughts! We just returned from 2 days outbthere. My second time this season. Even though we didn't bag any deer, we had a freat time.

It certainly is a beautiful spot. You're right about Whitetail hanging close to the timberline- lots of fresh sign. Bumped a deer on trail as well as got within ten feet of a doe by canoe (she was flabberghasted at me in the boat). Getting to know the place more and more. Can't wait to get back...

[RackStar]

my statement stands.

new hunters will do better to get o of their truck and put in the hard work THEMSELVES.
it’s not a coincidence that I’m a new hunter and outhunt a lot of the loud mouth veterans on here.. because I learned myself. Because I put the hard work in.

but thanks for the concern, I know how to read.
anyone else want some handouts !?

handouts? I’ll take one