Skagit Valley

[davet]

Just wondering if anyone has been out to Skagit Valley this year. How is the hunting pressure, and are they still logging is some areas?

[keoke]

Its pretty bad. I went last weekend and all I saw was nothing. No tracks, crap, no grouse.

[Sofa King]

went up the skagit valley this summer.
what a terrible area.
that's gotta be some tough hunting up there.

[davet]

I think there are a lot of coyotes and wolves up there, saw lots of tracks when i was up in April and saw lots of grouse too. One set of moose tracks but no deer

[olympia]

just got back from ross lake and saw nothing at all, no tracks, no scat no animals

[davet]

Well I guess that area is a right off then

[sarg]

its a late season area for deer, you need the snow flying to push the buck out of the timber and off the tops of the hills,

[caddisguy]

I go flyfishing/camping there 5x on average between July and October. Over the last 15 years I have seen 3 bucks, though I was never actually looking for them until this year. So far this year, I have seen 1 doe, 1 bear and 1 grouse. Usually I see more bears. The times where I have seen bucks, they were walking around the campgrounds in the middle of the day in 30 degree heat. Also had a doe sneak up a few feet behind me and my brother while we were sighting in rifles and firing some 12 gauges in that gravel pit near Silver Lake. Go figure. Saw some good prints while bushwacking through some thick stuff a few km down from the 26 mile bridge in July. Lots of snowshoe hair, but no opening for them. I see the odd Coyote as well. Over the last couple years, I made some trips in the Spring and saw lots of black bear sign.

[davet]

I go flyfishing/camping there 5x on average between July and October. Over the last 15 years I have seen 3 bucks, though I was never actually looking for them until this year. So far this year, I have seen 1 doe, 1 bear and 1 grouse. Usually I see more bears. The times where I have seen bucks, they were walking around the campgrounds in the middle of the day in 30 degree heat. Also had a doe sneak up a few feet behind me and my brother while we were sighting in rifles and firing some 12 gauges in that gravel pit near Silver Lake. Go figure. Saw some good prints while bushwacking through some thick stuff a few km down from the 26 mile bridge in July. Lots of snowshoe hair, but no opening for them. I see the odd Coyote as well. Over the last couple years, I made some trips in the Spring and saw lots of black bear sign.
Where is the spring?

[betteroffishing]

the spring is a season that follows winter and preceeds summer. lol

[avadad]

Lot's of bears in the Skagit valley and great fly fishing. The deer are a mystery to me but I have heard of some big blacktails being taken from the area. Was less pressure when the road was lousy. Last time I was there (3 years ago) the road was in good condition and people were driving on it like it was the highway!

[caddisguy]

Lot's of bears in the Skagit valley and great fly fishing. The deer are a mystery to me but I have heard of some big blacktails being taken from the area. Was less pressure when the road was lousy. Last time I was there (3 years ago) the road was in good condition and people were driving on it like it was the highway!

Some parts are a little bumpy now. Lots of washboard and potholes take people by surprise. I've seen quite a few accidents along there where people lose it cornering on the loose stuff or getting taking by surprise after a few km of smooth stuff and then into a few hundred meters of cratorville. Last Spring the road was pretty good and I saw a cherokee go down off the side, lucky enough to roll into a couple trees which prevented it from going into the Silver rapids.

[Fella]

Saw a lynx dart across the road in springtime, but I don't think I'll go hunt there for a long time. Seems like a bit of a wasteland.

[Sofa King]

Saw a lynx dart across the road in springtime, but I don't think I'll go hunt there for a long time. Seems like a bit of a wasteland.
agree. and such an ugly drive too, just solid trees along the rad the whole way. there's nothing that would incline me to go up there again or recommend it to others.

[davet]

the spring is a season that follows winter and preceeds summer. lol
at first i was thinking what the f#@*k are you talking about. :)

[betteroffishing]

glad you took it with the good humor it was intended to be taken with.

[betteroffishing]

theres a couple of good spots in there to get out and take a walk. harvested a couple bears but only ever seen 2 shooter deer in their that were long gone into the thick before i could get a bead on em. hard country to hunt thats for certain , and if you are successfull for deer , odds are youve got one hell of a pack out in front of you as you do need to get well off the beaten path. i go back a couple times every year , but usually end up regretting not driving the extra 2 hrs and hitting the hills around merrit or princeton.

[davet]

theres a couple of good spots in there to get out and take a walk. harvested a couple bears but only ever seen 2 shooter deer in their that were long gone into the thick before i could get a bead on em. hard country to hunt thats for certain , and if you are successfull for deer , odds are youve got one hell of a pack out in front of you as you do need to get well off the beaten path. i go back a couple times every year , but usually end up regretting not driving the extra 2 hrs and hitting the hills around merrit or princeton. I think thats where im going to go instead.

[betteroffishing]

when are you planning to head up that way ? im off till mid december with a wcb injury im re habbing . shoot me a pm if your looking for company on your next day trip hunt , im driving my wife and teenage daughter crazy. not used to so much " daddys home " time . lol