Headed to the tree farm. updated, after season thoughts!

[Wild Bill]

As far as other hunters.. That place brings out the worst. Most are clueless, and the rest are very selfish.
WB

Painting with a pretty broad brush there dont you think?
 

Easy tiger....
I can see your side.... Let me rephrase... As far as the icon, I probably know you personally, or know of you. Either way...  I didnt attack you or anyone directly or with the intention of lumping "every single person" into one. Calling me stupid off the top ropes? Good on you ..

 I expect your defending as you likely hunt the area and felt lumped in.... Understandable... Been my backyard as well since i was in Junior High........

There is an inordinate amount of selfish people that will do anything to make sure they take care of "The Man" with little regard for others.  Those are your idiots.... Makes it no fun for anyone...

There is a ton of clueless hunters out there.... Same everywhere... Cant learn from the couch.... 

Bottom line, the point I was making is the place is a mad house. For both units it can get flat scary..... Dosent mean all are bad people (presume this is the way you took my post, by reading into it however deep). 

Lots of inconsiderate people...
Lots of roads,
Lots of access...
Lots of determined good people...
Add it all up....
Mad House...

That being said, there is a reason im in the middle of it all when I have a west side tag.... 
 
WB

[cem3434]

We have also noticed a huge draw back in elk...
I have hunted there for 12 years. I have shot a bull every year (minus this year, missed 2 bulls at 7 and 11 yrds ,lol long story).  We are seeing fewer and fewer yella bellied cattle...

During rifle I took a new hunter for one day, and only saw 6 cows and 2 spikes..... Should have seen twice that many...
There is a bunch more cougs, and reportedly (i know, i know) wolves roaming (i haven't seen any solid proof yet).

I think its a lot to do with the real generous cow tags, and extended season hunts....

As far as other hunters.. That place brings out the worst. Most are clueless, and the rest are very selfish.
WB

I couldnt agree more. I seen less elk in the entire season than I am usually seening in one day. We seen more deer than elk, but I did manage to get my wife a bull. I hunted with my cousin over the  last few days and we narrowly missed our opportunity on another legal bull. We pounded the timber a lot behind the few locked gates that remain, but the elk just didnt seem to be there.

[funkster]

We have also noticed a huge draw back in elk...
I have hunted there for 12 years. I have shot a bull every year (minus this year, missed 2 bulls at 7 and 11 yrds ,lol long story).  We are seeing fewer and fewer yella bellied cattle...

During rifle I took a new hunter for one day, and only saw 6 cows and 2 spikes..... Should have seen twice that many...
There is a bunch more cougs, and reportedly (i know, i know) wolves roaming (i haven't seen any solid proof yet).

I think its a lot to do with the real generous cow tags, and extended season hunts....

As far as other hunters.. That place brings out the worst. Most are clueless, and the rest are very selfish.
WB

I touched on this a little in the other winston thread. Here is my response-"I agree 100% about the extra tags. Last year 515 total elk where harvested. The year before 525 total elk where harvested. The extra tags have taken a toll on the heard population, no doubt about it. A unit cannot sustain that much harvest year after year and not show the effect of it.

Ripper, As far as other hunters, you gotta expect it.It's like fishing at blue creek,the fishermen are there because there are tons of fish and usually there are more boneheads than not.It's just something you have to deal with in these popular units. If you are trying to glass a cut in the winston,you gotta expect someone to drive up to that same cut, just like you did. If you want to get away from the crowds,you might try a unit that doesn't see 2,900 hunters during modern.With so many roads it that unit, you really can't get away from the crowd when the gates are open. It is like signing up to mud wrestle and complain when you get muddy.

[kenzmad]

I too am headed to the tree farm. late muzzy, 3pt min. I have been in the coweeman 4 days so far this year and I have only seen 1 fresh elk track. dont have high hopes for this hunt but whatever, its hunting. sure wish there was more interior gates in there. the elk sure get holed up in the reprod with all the rigs driving by. headed down on the 20th, anyone else gonna be there?

[funkster]

I will be down there. Splitting the time between coweeman(me hunting muzzy) and winston(dad with archery). If you see a lifted 4x4 ford van, that's us. Gonna be a tough late season, the elk are in there,you just have to be willing to go in after them.

[Ripper]

Sounds like my season was similar to a lot of others. I don't expect to have clearcuts all to myself, what I was saying is you should already have you evening hunt planned before an hour left in legal shooting light. Thats not the time to be driving around lookin :twocents:g. Just my 

[Bullets_n_Octane]

We were ALL OVER Winston the last couple days. Mostly because there were so many people, we had a hard time funding a good spot. Once we did, hunting began. Only saw 3 cows and 4 deer (does). I walked for miles and miles in game trails and through timber. This talk about cats would be great, havin a cat tag and all, but no sign at all. No bear sign for that matter, I assume the bears are all high denning in this unit this late in the season, or at least gettin ready. I disagree with the wolf theory in those parts, and doubt there are many cougar in the "pumpkin patch" area of Winston. The low elk numbers everyone speaks of, I believe, is due to MAJOR pressure. I didn't see one person Huntin timber stands this weekend. Just guys glassin clear cuts like its deer season. This many people pushes them into the timber. As long as they have cover and water, clear cuts are become secondary. Get out of you're vehicle and go hunting....

[Wild Bill]

We were ALL OVER Winston the last couple days. Mostly because there were so many people, we had a hard time funding a good spot. Once we did, hunting began. Only saw 3 cows and 4 deer (does). I walked for miles and miles in game trails and through timber. This talk about cats would be great, havin a cat tag and all, but no sign at all. No bear sign for that matter, I assume the bears are all high denning in this unit this late in the season, or at least gettin ready. I disagree with the wolf theory in those parts, and doubt there are many cougar in the "pumpkin patch" area of Winston. The low elk numbers everyone speaks of, I believe, is due to MAJOR pressure. I didn't see one person Huntin timber stands this weekend. Just guys glassin clear cuts like its deer season. This many people pushes them into the timber. As long as they have cover and water, clear cuts are become secondary. Get out of you're vehicle and go hunting....

The cats are very much so there.... I Shot at one this year personally. My dads hunting partner shot at one last year. I know of 2 others shot between coweeman and winston. Between this year and last year... If i know of 4 personally...... Theres probably twice  as many incidents running around...

Wolves... Dunno if I agree if they're there or not... I haven't seen it, but some decent sources believe they are there... I dunno... I can see it higher and on the eastern areas...

Bears... Saw two this year... Don't think they really affect elk as much as other stuff...

The pressure is no joke. I couldn't agree more. Anyone that doubts it, needs to go take a look in the summer then now... Pretty obvious.

The best way as you mentioned is to beat brush... All the elk I saw when I took a friend out were in the thick nasty...
WB

[funkster]

Yep, cougars are in there. I have seen them more than a few times. We saw a nice sized cat early bow this year.

[Bullets_n_Octane]

First I've ever heard, good to hear also!

[Wild Bill]

Yep, cougars are in there. I have seen them more than a few times. We saw a nice sized cat early bow this year.

Might I ask a general location?
The one I shot at was on the back side of Rife Lake...
Sorry to thread jack.
WB

[Ripper]

Don't worry about thread jacking wild bill, I think this thread has pretty much run it's course. I agree about beating the timber, anytime I got more than 100 yards off the roads, I never saw another person! the problem is when I went more than 200 or 300 yards I hit another road!  Way to many roads! I think they should only open main roads and gate all the spur roads! I know it won't happen just for financial reasons, but it's ok to dream! 

[Thefisherman83]

the winston area looks like I-5 on friday  

Thats strange, I was down around the 4500/4530 lines and only saw one other rig.  Felt like I was doing something wrong lol. 

[Wild Bill]

Don't worry about thread jacking wild bill, I think this thread has pretty much run it's course. I agree about beating the timber, anytime I got more than 100 yards off the roads, I never saw another person! the problem is when I went more than 200 or 300 yards I hit another road!  Way to many roads! I think they should only open main roads and gate all the spur roads! I know it won't happen just for financial reasons, but it's ok to dream! 

I always thought that....    If I were rich
Always thought it would be cool to have the easy access units with 50/50 access..... Then give disabled, youth, and veterans a chance at a fur tag draw for their critters.... Always thought it would benefit everyone.....

Either way, your 100% correct.... way to many roads....  Was shocking when I grew up and started hunting other states and areas.... Became apparent real quick I had to pay attention or run the chance of getting lost.....
WB

[Bullets_n_Octane]

This is why I...

A) Am done with Modern season and am going to Archery
because
B) When I go to Central/Eastern Wa, I can pass all the road hunters and find a great spot to walk in, and not see anyone ALL DAY. Plus the odds of rain are less and it isn't 21 degrees, like it was Saturday morning in the Winston....

Excited to bid farewell to Modern Firearm... Too many, much too many people, alot of whom are complete idiots/disrepectful people...

also, did anyone else in the Winston see the guys running around in a pickup, standing in the bed? Probably 4-5 guys, all bearing what looked like AR's, driving 40-50 mph around the entire unit, hootin and hollerin.... I woulda personally paid a Gamie's salary for the day to actually work the unit and get all the morons out of there... probably woulda seperated the good from the bad!