Anybody been in the Skagit thiS SEASON YET

[heatherdaddy]

Has anybody been in the Skagit yet this season? I was going to head towards Spuzzum but my partner bailed so I going solo and thought I would try the Skagit, just wondering if anyone has seen anything there?

[RayHill]

I saw a bunch of trucks parked at locked gates last week.

[keoke]

I kept driving right past. If you think about it you drive at least an hour down that dirt road. If you keep going up the canyon or up the coke for an hour you will be in much better hunting grounds.

[Sofa King]

I kept driving right past. If you think about it you drive at least an hour down that dirt road. If you keep going up the canyon or up the coke for an hour you will be in much better hunting grounds.

this.
I went all the way up the skagit to the end last year, to see what the area was like.
never, ever again.
couldn't pay me to go back up that road.
in the same time, you could be up the coq and into way nicer areas.

[coyotebc]

Up there last weekend
I don't think it is worth it

[Mulehahn]

it is too early. I love the skagit, but I won't hunt it until November or snow. Which ever comes first. It can be a difficult hunt on the best of days so I want all the odds in my favour.

[howa1500]

How was the road, still terrible?

[caddisguy]

I have cams out there but way out in the jungle. 5kms from any road or trail. There are deer. I actually see more bucks there in August and September than any other time, at least in my spots.

I'd say if you want to hunt closer than 2kms to a road don't bother. If you like hiking and climbing, go for it. Have someone watch your back though. Last year we had a cougar check us out rattling. This year we busted a large bobcat while still hunting on a log. 40lbs of cat can still put a hurt on you if it thinks your a bedded deer and you dont notice it first. We also have a big limping cougar in one spot. Oddly enough I messed up my knee on the way out. 5km limping through a jungle in the dark. Glad I was not alone.

As much as I like that valley... not because it's productive for deer because it isn't compared to most of the province... i like its mystery, diversity and those adreneline moments. Heck I love that valley and I've put boots all over most of those mountains. I love a good challenge... but that said, October is Any Buck season in Region 3.. You can get 5000x better odds at a buck in reg3 with less driving. I won't even be thinking of the Skagit. I'll get my mutant jungle blacktail-mule hybrid buck out of there in November.

[heatherdaddy]

Yep, went there early this morning and there was garbage and shot up campers everywhere in there now. I saw 3 grouse and some Cougar scat but nothing else. So I left there and went to American Creek Rd, got about 3kms up when some A$$hole parked his truck and trailer across the road and left it there so no one can by. I was some pissed and felt like leaving a nasty note but didnt. I think next time I am going to try up the Coq and try Tullameen or go to Spuzzum area and try there.

[mr eagle]

Went for a hike in there last weekend. Saw a couple does and some rubs.

Was a couple k in from the truck at least, saw the deer up a bit in elevation.

[Sasqman]

Yep, went there early this morning and there was garbage and shot up campers everywhere in there now. I saw 3 grouse and some Cougar scat but nothing else. So I left there and went to American Creek Rd, got about 3kms up when some A$$hole parked his truck and trailer across the road and left it there so no one can by. I was some pissed and felt like leaving a nasty note but didnt. I think next time I am going to try up the Coq and try Tullameen or go to Spuzzum area and try there.

Any pics of the truck and trailer to post?

[coyotebc]

How was the road, still terrible?The road was great

[heatherdaddy]

Any pics of the truck and trailer to post?

Nope no pics, never thought of it.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Lots of experience up in the Skagit, went to check the trail cams this Saturday. Did not see much for fresh sign off of the road. Cam however did have some decent pics on it but batteries died a few weeks back... guess we forgot to change them on my last trip up there with my hunting partner. Oh well... quiet area around these parts unless you hike well off any road. Seen a few road hunters cruzing back and forth.. not sure what they plan on doing in the 400m no shooting area looking for anything that moves off the side of the road, but i guess it is legal to spot, then stalk it in till your legal distance to shoot. Gives me a laugh everytime i see full camo, ready to rock guys driving back and forth on a logging road. I guess they figure the critters can't see them in camo and will think its just an empty truck driving itself down the road so they'll be safe. I know they may be getting out to hike but when i see the same truck drive by 4 times in an hour while i'm hiking a cut looking for signs makes me laugh.. one part that isn't funny though is the 2 guys in a red/burgandy 90's ish Ford F-250 looking at me through their rifle scope from 400 yards away while SITTING in their cab. If your on this site... please don't ever do that again... i have a clear vivid image of your truck with exact stickers on the window imprinted into my brain and will make sure you get an ear full if not more next time i run into you. Not funny.. i'f you cant tell i'm a human or anything else from 400 yards away pull out your bino's.. do NOT use your scope to see what i am or what anything else, Sorry for getting side tracked on this thread... still p****ed right off about this guy. Heard them come ripping down the road, slam on their brakes and right as i turn to look i see what i thought was a spotting scope in buddies hands but after pulling up my own BINO's i'm looking at the barrel of a rather large rifle. I waved my arms in the air and yelled WTF are you doing as they peeled off in the direction they came. Guess they didn't want me to catch up to them further down the road by being blocked into the valley with no way around me.

Anways... off topic... report:

Spotted a few bunnies, one grouse, and 3 does that my buddy bumped from a lower elavation spot. My experience in here is to get up as high as possible this time of year. I have seen some does down low but majority of signs have been real high. Seen one fresh tree rub and some turds here and there. 7 hours hiking on various trails and nothing for myself or buddy.

[caddisguy]

Lots of experience up in the Skagit, went to check the trail cams this Saturday. Did not see much for fresh sign off of the road. Cam however did have some decent pics on it but batteries died a few weeks back... guess we forgot to change them on my last trip up there with my hunting partner. Oh well... quiet area around these parts unless you hike well off any road. Seen a few road hunters cruzing back and forth.. not sure what they plan on doing in the 400m no shooting area looking for anything that moves off the side of the road, but i guess it is legal to spot, then stalk it in till your legal distance to shoot. Gives me a laugh everytime i see full camo, ready to rock guys driving back and forth on a logging road. I guess they figure the critters can't see them in camo and will think its just an empty truck driving itself down the road so they'll be safe. I know they may be getting out to hike but when i see the same truck drive by 4 times in an hour while i'm hiking a cut looking for signs makes me laugh.. one part that isn't funny though is the 2 guys in a red/burgandy 90's ish Ford F-250 looking at me through their rifle scope from 400 yards away while SITTING in their cab. If your on this site... please don't ever do that again... i have a clear vivid image of your truck with exact stickers on the window imprinted into my brain and will make sure you get an ear full if not more next time i run into you. Not funny.. i'f you cant tell i'm a human or anything else from 400 yards away pull out your bino's.. do NOT use your scope to see what i am or what anything else, Sorry for getting side tracked on this thread... still p****ed right off about this guy. Heard them come ripping down the road, slam on their brakes and right as i turn to look i see what i thought was a spotting scope in buddies hands but after pulling up my own BINO's i'm looking at the barrel of a rather large rifle. I waved my arms in the air and yelled WTF are you doing as they peeled off in the direction they came. Guess they didn't want me to catch up to them further down the road by being blocked into the valley with no way around me.

Anways... off topic... report:

Spotted a few bunnies, one grouse, and 3 does that my buddy bumped from a lower elavation spot. My experience in here is to get up as high as possible this time of year. I have seen some does down low but majority of signs have been real high. Seen one fresh tree rub and some turds here and there. 7 hours hiking on various trails and nothing for myself or buddy.

Good work. I think that's the best way to get it done in the Skagit. Hike, learn, be scientific. Worst case scenario you've had an awesome nature hike and learned more. Those trailcams help for sure. I have 3 out there. I'll probably take them out late November and put them up again in the Spring.

Most of the road hunters I see in 2-2 just hunt up until the park boundary where they can shoot off the road. Either that or just drive back and forth, making their rounds up and down the main road, Upper Silver, Maselpanik, Hicks, Yola/Cantelon, the slashes in between, etc. The 400M thing within the park deters a lot of people. Actually half the people I run into try to tell me that there's no hunting allowed in the park. They don't read signs lot alone regs. Others think 2-2 is 4-point only. Even had one guy--who also tried to tell me it was 4-point only--say that he was looking for snowshoe hare which aren't even open in 2-2. That MU certainly attracts a lot of "special" individuals.

Also a lot of the people who do hunt within the park tend to hit the Chittenden meadows. There's also some meadows a few km after the park sign, just south of the road. There's usually a car or two pulled off there.

The valley has a lot of pressure but its condensed to the roads and a couple of spots where there isn't a heck of a lot of animals anyway--deer cross the road once in a while but don't hang around within sight of the road like these guys think--so the pressure doesn't bother me at all. I've never had a human on any of my trailcams. I've never seen garbage, cigarette butts, flagging tape, toilet paper, etc... not even within 2km's of the areas I focus on. Doesn't surprise me about getting scoped though... most hunters in that area can't comprehend the idea of a human not attached to a truck of ATV, let alone read laws or hunting regs. Watched some guys almost run each other off the road trying to cut in and road hunt ahead of one another a few weeks ago. No wonder there's different truck of canopy in the ditch every time I head through there.