Cowiche ?

[Webfoot]

Would someone be willing to give me some information on the Cowiche unit? Such as terrain type, timbered or open country, steep or semi steep or fairly flat, how about road densities. I am thinking about applying for the bull tag there and at my age I am through crawling into the watershed and wenaha type areas. I hunt mostly alone and need to hunt someplace where I can get an elk to a road in a reasonable amount of time. I have 20 some points for the bull tag so this will likely be my last draw hunt if I am successful in pulling the tag. Maybe there is another unit I should be looking at I am not to familiar with the east side only having hunted it one time in the east wenaha in 2012
Thanks
John

[OutHouse]

The eastern side of the unit is sage brush steps (high desert) that slowly build up to the edge of the Cascades. Once into the mountains the forests are mostly pine with some fur and others mixed in. The more open parts of the unit are in the transition between sage and pine forest. There is access via Cowiche Mill Rd. though there is a lot of private land out there. A more popular way to get into the mountains is by way of Ahtanum rd that splits (at the edge of the mountains) into North and South Fork rd.  Both of those are great for access and equally popular with hunters. I know a guy who has drawn that tag twice and he said it was easy to tag out and pack out. Road densities could be on the high end. I'm usually only out in Cowiche for late archery elk and the density then is fairly high. If you want more open areas I'd take N. Fork Road then go up what is locally known as the "switch backs" which is/was a green dot road leading up into the mountains. I'll try to look up that road and get back to you with specifics. Once higher up on that road, there is a lot of more open country that could be great for rifle season. Pretty sure my buddy got both his bulls up that road.

[buglebuster]

The eastern side of the unit is sage brush steps (high desert) that slowly build up to the edge of the Cascades. Once into the mountains the forests are mostly pine with some fur and others mixed in. The more open parts of the unit are in the transition between sage and pine forest. There is access via Cowiche Mill Rd. though there is a lot of private land out there. A more popular way to get into the mountains is by way of Ahtanum rd that splits (at the edge of the mountains) into North and South Fork rd.  Both of those are great for access and equally popular with hunters. I know a guy who has drawn that tag twice and he said it was easy to tag out and pack out. Road densities could be on the high end. I'm usually only out in Cowiche for late archery elk and the density then is fairly high. If you want more open areas I'd take N. Fork Road then go up what is locally known as the "switch backs" which is/was a green dot road leading up into the mountains. I'll try to look up that road and get back to you with specifics. Once higher up on that road, there is a lot of more open country that could be great for rifle season. Pretty sure my buddy got both his bulls up that road.

There is no access on cowiche Mill road as of now. Landowner gated it off to public access. I called wdfw and they said he CAN legally do that. as far as the switchbacks, I'm assuming you mean *censored*, which will lead into some great land. As well as the road before it, nasty creek.

[OutHouse]

The eastern side of the unit is sage brush steps (high desert) that slowly build up to the edge of the Cascades. Once into the mountains the forests are mostly pine with some fur and others mixed in. The more open parts of the unit are in the transition between sage and pine forest. There is access via Cowiche Mill Rd. though there is a lot of private land out there. A more popular way to get into the mountains is by way of Ahtanum rd that splits (at the edge of the mountains) into North and South Fork rd.  Both of those are great for access and equally popular with hunters. I know a guy who has drawn that tag twice and he said it was easy to tag out and pack out. Road densities could be on the high end. I'm usually only out in Cowiche for late archery elk and the density then is fairly high. If you want more open areas I'd take N. Fork Road then go up what is locally known as the "switch backs" which is/was a green dot road leading up into the mountains. I'll try to look up that road and get back to you with specifics. Once higher up on that road, there is a lot of more open country that could be great for rifle season. Pretty sure my buddy got both his bulls up that road.

There is no access on cowiche Mill road as of now. Landowner gated it off to public access. I called wdfw and they said he CAN legally do that. as far as the switchbacks, I'm assuming you mean *censored*, which will lead into some great land. As well as the road before it, nasty creek.

Whoa! That sucks. I went up a ways back but had to turn around because I thought I'd get stuck. Never got to the gate. Are you talking about the gate a few miles past the cattle guard? I thought there was a public easement on that road. If there was an easement we could enforce it in court if we had to. Damn.

[buglebuster]

The eastern side of the unit is sage brush steps (high desert) that slowly build up to the edge of the Cascades. Once into the mountains the forests are mostly pine with some fur and others mixed in. The more open parts of the unit are in the transition between sage and pine forest. There is access via Cowiche Mill Rd. though there is a lot of private land out there. A more popular way to get into the mountains is by way of Ahtanum rd that splits (at the edge of the mountains) into North and South Fork rd.  Both of those are great for access and equally popular with hunters. I know a guy who has drawn that tag twice and he said it was easy to tag out and pack out. Road densities could be on the high end. I'm usually only out in Cowiche for late archery elk and the density then is fairly high. If you want more open areas I'd take N. Fork Road then go up what is locally known as the "switch backs" which is/was a green dot road leading up into the mountains. I'll try to look up that road and get back to you with specifics. Once higher up on that road, there is a lot of more open country that could be great for rifle season. Pretty sure my buddy got both his bulls up that road.

There is no access on cowiche Mill road as of now. Landowner gated it off to public access. I called wdfw and they said he CAN legally do that. as far as the switchbacks, I'm assuming you mean *censored*, which will lead into some great land. As well as the road before it, nasty creek.

Whoa! That sucks. I went up a ways back but had to turn around because I thought I'd get stuck. Never got to the gate. Are you talking about the gate a few miles past the cattle guard? I thought there was a public easement on that road. If there was an easement we could enforce it in court if we had to. Damn.

the cattle guard right at the power line past cowiche ranches. wdfw said the green dot road doesn't start until the state land past the vanwycks land.

[Oh Mah]

here i will try to sum up the Cowiche unit that produces game.

EVER WATCH THE MOVIE DELIVERANCE?There it is.

[millerwheeler]

here i will try to sum up the Cowiche unit that produces game.

EVER WATCH THE MOVIE DELIVERANCE?There it is.

Hahahaj

[sagerat]

here i will try to sum up the Cowiche unit that produces game.

EVER WATCH THE MOVIE DELIVERANCE?There it is.

Too many stories like this have kept me from applying. I've got a ton of points too, not that points really matter. Search cowiche unit on here and you'll find some good reading on @$&hole land owners who think they own the entire unit.

[OutHouse]

here i will try to sum up the Cowiche unit that produces game.

EVER WATCH THE MOVIE DELIVERANCE?There it is.

 

There are no doubt a few families out that way that live a particular kind of lifestyle!