New West Side Hunter

[pat riotic]

Hey guys, im 17 years old and i could really use some guidance here, we moved to Ridgefield Washington from Spokane last august and i havent gone scouting or hunting in the west side area yet, ive been doing all of my hunting in Spokane and i love going there but it would be GREAT to have some areas that arent 6 hours from home...

I've done a little reasearch on areas id like to hunt...but not much, i think i want to hunt the coweeman unit but i heard you cant get in there to do any scouting because the gate at Rose Valley rd. is closed until late september early october...is that true? if so is there another way into that unit? Ive also heard this is a crowded unit! but i heard "if you go 100 yds off the road you wont see anthing but wildlife" i have no intentions of road hunting whatsoever!

Could you guys give me some tips with this unit or another nearby unit, 556, 560 etc

just lookin for some basic info thanks!

[h20hunter]

Nice looking bear in your avatar. Wish I knew more about your areas to help you out. Good luck this season and be safe.

[pat riotic]

thanks! that was last years bear, my first one!

[Three_Oh_Eight]

Welcome to the wet-side of the state!  Its going to be a little different hunting over here and I think you can tell.  Unfortunately, the Battleground unit near Ridgefield is Shotgun-only.  That would be your closest drive and there are deer in the unit.  A lot of the Coweeman unit is covered by the St. Helens Tree Farm.  I've seen A LOT of deer in there.  One thing that can be disheartening about the unit is that you'll scout all summer in areas you can reach by hiking or biking.  Then, on opening day, all the gates open and you have to adjust as the 40 or 50 rigs running behind you are honking to get by.

But, if you're willing to do some walking and be sneaky, you can probably still get into an animal.  Go to the library and check out a good book on blacktail deer behavior.  I want to say Scott Haugen has written about blacktails and there is some good info out there.  Be prepared to hunt with your rifle like someone would hunt with a bow.  Bucks won't just stand out in the open for you.  They'll be in the timberline.  Overgrown skid roads and such will be your friend as you sneak into the timber to look for them.  Check for rubs that indicate there is a buck nearby and then poke along slowly while using your binos to glass through holes in the bushes. 

I suggest you make sure you have these things if you can afford them:

1: Lightweight rain gear.  Cabelas dry-plus light rain shell and pants are easy to pack along and even come in camo if you must.  Staying dry to your core will keep you hunting when others are shivering back at camp.  Remember, cotton kills.  It will trap moisture against your skin and lower your body temp.

2: Rain-Repellant coatings on your optics.  I have nice binos that I use for the east side, and then I have Bushnell Legends for hunting on this side of the mountains.  They have RainGuard coatings and just don't fog up.  A low-power set is just fine, I use 8x32s and 10x42s.  If the rain starts to really pour, these will be the only binos I can see through and I have Swarovski ELs and Leupold Gold Ring HDs.

3: Good Boots AND gaiters.  Good waterproof boots are a must and I prefer at least an 8 inch boot.  Shorter boots just don't cut it when crossing creeks.  Gaiters will keep water from wicking down through the top of your boots.

[pat riotic]

Welcome to the wet-side of the state!  Its going to be a little different hunting over here and I think you can tell.  Unfortunately, the Battleground unit near Ridgefield is Shotgun-only.  That would be your closest drive and there are deer in the unit.  A lot of the Coweeman unit is covered by the St. Helens Tree Farm.  I've seen A LOT of deer in there.  One thing that can be disheartening about the unit is that you'll scout all summer in areas you can reach by hiking or biking.  Then, on opening day, all the gates open and you have to adjust as the 40 or 50 rigs running behind you are honking to get by.

But, if you're willing to do some walking and be sneaky, you can probably still get into an animal.  Go to the library and check out a good book on blacktail deer behavior.  I want to say Scott Haugen has written about blacktails and there is some good info out there.  Be prepared to hunt with your rifle like someone would hunt with a bow.  Bucks won't just stand out in the open for you.  They'll be in the timberline.  Overgrown skid roads and such will be your friend as you sneak into the timber to look for them.  Check for rubs that indicate there is a buck nearby and then poke along slowly while using your binos to glass through holes in the bushes. 

I suggest you make sure you have these things if you can afford them:

1: Lightweight rain gear.  Cabelas dry-plus light rain shell and pants are easy to pack along and even come in camo if you must.  Staying dry to your core will keep you hunting when others are shivering back at camp.  Remember, cotton kills.  It will trap moisture against your skin and lower your body temp.

2: Rain-Repellant coatings on your optics.  I have nice binos that I use for the east side, and then I have Bushnell Legends for hunting on this side of the mountains.  They have RainGuard coatings and just don't fog up.  A low-power set is just fine, I use 8x32s and 10x42s.  If the rain starts to really pour, these will be the only binos I can see through and I have Swarovski ELs and Leupold Gold Ring HDs.

3: Good Boots AND gaiters.  Good waterproof boots are a must and I prefer at least an 8 inch boot.  Shorter boots just don't cut it when crossing creeks.  Gaiters will keep water from wicking down through the top of your boots.

THAT IS A TON OF HELP!! I really apreciate that thanks!

[Three_Oh_Eight]

There is also some land you can hunt on the west side of the freeway up towards willapa hills.  Lots of elk out there too.  Don't get too discouraged if you don't see lots of animals day in and day out.  They are there, they just have a lot more to hide behind.

[pat riotic]

ya theres alot more brush, trees, all that on the west side but im gonna do what i can i got maps of a few gmu's from a friend and im borrowing a cam from him see as i only got one and 15 different areas i wanna check out, its gonna be a busy year especially since i got a late start