Hunting the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

[hippieinthewoods]

Not sure if it's a faux pas to ask about spots, but...

Anyone care to share tips about hunting whitetail deer in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area? I focused on the edge habitats in the Six Mile Slough last visit and might like to go Leach Lake to check it out. Last time, we saw some deer and elk out in the grassy margins of the ponds. Any thoughts? I am a new hunter and any advice is appreciated. For those who don't know the area, these are both riparian areas- open fields and thick cottonwood forests in some proximity to agriculture. Not sure about how pressured deer are here, but waterfowl hunting is popular.



Six Mile Slough

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zRUt9GC3Hh80LwkHC2XqAZsJECa2moF1



Leach Lake

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zRUt9GC3Hh80LwkHC2XqAZsJECa2moF1

[RyoTHC]

My two favourite sayings for everyone asking for spots.

two feet and a heart beat and anywhere anytime.
think, if you were an experienced hunter in that area and someone who’s put in little effort simply asks you where to go to shoot a whitetail, how are you going to respond to that ? Put your self in other peoples shoes.

im sure some overly nice member will be along to give you the information you desire but just keep in mind how much more success you’ll have in the following years if you take the time to learn an area yourself, that first hand knowledge is invaluable to filling tags each year and not sporadically.

[hippieinthewoods]

I am a new hunter, working on my own. I ask questions here because I lack real-world mentors and not because I don't work for my learning.

[cameron0518]

Get out, look for sign. Either droppings or tracks will help you pinpoint a good area. Sometimes it takes a bit to learn an area but just keep working on it and you will figure it out.

[Islandeer]

Whitetails, find shines fresh shit, sit concealed near active trails, or lean on a tree, wait, watch, see them first. If you still hunt, you must spot squirrels etc, if not go slower, hunt into or across the wind. Rut is at early onset, peaking approximately 18th or so.
Find fresh rubs, flollow does from distance.
Sit near fresh shit, near active trails, buck rubs nearby.
Repeat as required.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^what he said....to the OP: I too started from scratch, had no one to teach me anything as I had no family or friends that hunted when I started...get those boots on and put on miles, you'll learn the most that way..

[MOOSE MILK]

ryoTHC The new hunter was asking for ADVICE not your honey hole, you would do good to learn to read!!!

[m5wilson]

I have nothing constructive to add, sorry. But RyoTHC didn't I see a thread recently that you started asking for some advice (and literally honey holes?). While you are not wrong with regards to getting out there you make it sound like you would never dare ask for advice yourself and no one else should either.

[RyoTHC]

I have nothing constructive to add, sorry. But RyoTHC didn't I see a thread recently that you started asking for some advice (and literally honey holes?). While you are not wrong with regards to getting out there you make it sound like you would never dare ask for advice yourself and no one else should either.


Hmm. 1K posts, contributed and helped other members fill tags vs brand new member.
anyways, there’s a reason the experienced hunters quit coming here, I feel like I’ll be joining them soon and I’m a noob.

If a member wants to show some effort then ask for help that’s fine, if you guys don’t like the fact that I’m not going to spoon feed every new member that just signs up TOO BAD.

I filled 9 tags myself in my first three seasons without ever asking for help, and then in the third year of helping people I ask for advice once, and I get compared to someone who’s contributed nothing?

You two old farts just made it so I’ll never help anyone again, and I certainly won’t be asking this forum anything.

[RyoTHC]

ryoTHC The new hunter was asking for ADVICE not your honey hole, you would do good to learn to read!!!

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 !?

[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