Winston help/hello I'm new here

[steeliedrew]

let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Drew and I'm an avid steelhead fisherman, hence the name "steeliedrew". This is my first year hunting in my 27 years of life. I didn't grow up around hunting. A buddy of mine got into bow hunting and I thought it sounded fun so I got outfitted the best I could afford and now after only a few times in the timber I'm hooked! I shoot a 70lb PSE brute daily and am deadly out to 50 yards and getting pretty dialed in at 60 yards now. I know I'm new and don't expect to gain any honey holes any time soon without finding my own but I figured I'd ask for some help since I don't have much time to fill my west side elk tag and I'm a weekend warrior. Anyway, I'm excited to be a part of this forum and hope to add some good content. I've been lurking for a while. Haha.  Below is my experience from Winston this weekend.


Well, I just got back from 2 1/2 days in Winston unit going after archery elk and deer. We stayed at a friends cabin on mayfield lake so it was easiest for us to go into the unit off of Winston creek road. We entered from the 2nd FS road you come to on the right off of Winston creek road. we didn't see any signs in there to tell us what FS road we were on. We do know that we were in the end of the unit closest to mayfield lake and the cowlitz river though.

On Friday we drove around for a bit til first light, found some good looking timber and dove in. We hunted a few spots we thought looked good throughout the day. Finally we found the hill side that was an elk highway! elk tracks, sh!t and beds everywhere. the main game trail going up the middle of the hill had clear elk tracks all the way up and elk sh!t every 10-20 feet. we got midway up the hillside and set up 20 yards off the trail in some ferns. no animals came.

Saturday morning we got to that hillside a little before first light and still hunted our way all the way to the top. we were on elk sign everywhere we went on that hill with deer sign mixed in here and there. half way up the hill there was a massive bench with trails galore and deer and elk sign everywhere. there's definitely a dominant buck up there too because we stumbled upon some really good rub lines on smaller saplings. After spending half the day on the hill without seeing an animal we walked back down to the rig. there was a fresh doe track in my boot print from the morning. She gave us the slip!

We got back out onto Winston creek road and took a left into the mossyrock unit. We never got out of the truck in there because it was like a damn freeway in there with muzzleloader and archery hunters combined. so we bailed out mossyrock and went back into another part of Winston via Salmon Creek road. We got pretty far in there and hunted on a bunch of good deer sign but never saw a deer or an elk and didn't find any elk sign in that area.

Sunday morning we went back in to our hill spot and hike pretty far in behind a closed gate. Nobody was back there but us. We ended up at a massive, flat clear cut that backs up to the other side of barrier dam. I've always wondered how to get over there to fish that side of the pool. Haha. Didn't see any elk or elk sign back there but there were trails and deer sign everywhere. saw a bunch of buck rubs back there too. I set up in a little pocket of ferns on the edge of some thick timber for a couple hours but nothing came through. My buddy went exploring in the clear cut and spotted a doe at 105 yards but he couldn't get to her. On his way back out there was a fresh pile of buck Sh!t right in one of his boot tracks near a fresh rub line. that buck gave him the slip big time.

So, long story short we hunted hard on foot away from traffic, behind closed gates, on good elk and deer travel routes and I personally never saw an animal. We didn't see a single gut pile or a single deer or elk in anybody's truck either. we also never spotted any animals from the truck while driving in and out of the unit. I know we barely scratched the surface of what the unit has to offer but I feel like we should have seen more than we did for the effort put in. guess that's what they call it hunting...

So, I have a couple more days ill be able to spend down there before the season ends. can somebody please send me a pm and tell me where abouts i can get on some cows? I know it's all about knowing where the animals go when they get pressured and that's what I need to know of course. Haha.

thanks for any help and thanks for listening to my sob story.

Drew

[steeliedrew]

wow. Sore subject eh? I guess I just need to answer my own question and dive into the thickest, nastiest timber I can find. I'm really not looking for honey holes but thought I'd ask for help.

Good luck and straight shooting to everyone.

Drew

[WSU]

Those elk aren't going to go far.  They are in the reprod around the clearcuts.  Your best bet is to try and spot some in the cuts at first and last light and hunt the timber in between.  Often, those elk only go a few hundred yards to bed down for the day.

[steeliedrew]

we weren't able to spot any elk or deer in the clear cuts in first or last light. There is tons of reprod that looks good but putting the sneak on in that could be very tough.

[WSU]

we weren't able to spot any elk or deer in the clear cuts in first or last light. There is tons of reprod that looks good but putting the sneak on in that could be very tough.

Very true and the reality of hunting elk on the westside.  A lot if it is simply being the right place at the right time.

[steeliedrew]

well, the right place at the right time is bound to happen some time.

[Eli346]

 Your effort, patience, and persistence will likely pay. From the sounds of it you're into a lot more sign and animals than most of the hunters out here will see in a long time. Just keep it up. I got my bull on the last day of the season.

[Mudman]

Its a pain in the rear in the winston now.  I spent the weekend up there.  First hunt a 4x4 bull walks 20y in front of me broadside.  He was sneaking thru timber from one reprod to the next.  Later I jumped up two cows bedded in reprod/thick!  Next day I caught a large calf sneaking around reprod by himself.  No shots.  Theme is they are in the thick reprod plain and simple. I didnt see any kills.  Rifle season really spooks em up!

[billythekidrock]

Reprod, reprod, reprod!

[addicted2hunting]

well you aint gonna get one from your house! better get back out there! haha, welcome to the forum finally...

[steeliedrew]

thanks for the replies everybody. looks like I'll be diving head first into the nastiest timber, reprod, or creek bottoms I can find. I did stumble upon a creek bottom far from roads that sucked to get to. Might have to check that out again.

[RB]

 

[shorthair15]

persistence will pay off sooner or later. the winston unit gets alot of pressure! use it to your advantage. a little luck plays a part in it to. i dont usually hunt the winston unit. its usually like I-5 in there.  hunt the timber the elk have been pushed around so much there in the timber or reprod. i know the winston unit well i live about 25 minutes from most of the westside elk units. usually the only time you will see them in a clear cut or open area is when there transitioning from one area to another. there are other units i would concentrate on besides the winston that are a little bit less pressured. look at the regs. to see the areas im talking about. good luck.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I've been hunting the westside since i was 15 years old... Its been 21 years since i first stepped foot into a reprod patch. I bet we spend more time in them than not... And we see more animals in them than out of them also. Find the areas with track around the reprod and you will see where you have to go.

[steeliedrew]

so just follow the game trails through the reprod? should I be quietly cow calling as I'm sneaking through?

[_TONY_]

No...

[Mudman]

I tried that once and it didnt work out well.  If you have others you can try to push em towards partner.  Thats what the rifle guys do!

[steeliedrew]

I'll be either with one buddy or will be solo. So I should just still hunt through reprod? Also, how do I tell how old the reprod is?

[Mudman]

Ya doesnt matter how old trees are.  elk are there or they aint.  Its tuff by yourself.  I Dunno?  Sounds like you have a good spot, stick with it.  Always a small chance you can catch em after you jump em out of reprod.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Try to keep the wind in your favor. I have been face to face with elk in the reprod my keeping the wind in my favor. and move slow, and then move slower.

[swwaoutdoorsman]

Just keep at it. Whats worked for me late season is staying quiet moving very slow. I'll cow call if I jump a heard. Real short high pitch call mimicing lost calf.... I've had calves and cows come in after the heard has split up.    good luck

[rfhd69]

Move slow and keep the wind in your favor. It sounds like you are putting in the work and hunting in a good area!

[steeliedrew]

even though we found that hillside has elk sign galore I think the timber is too thin for them to use it during the day during the season. however, it doesn't take long to loose sight of the FS road once you're in a couple hundred yards especially since there's a few benches on the hillside. once you get to the top though there's a large isolated clearcut with thick reprod off to one side and moderately thick timber off to the other side. maybe I need to go deeper up there. I just had this feeling that I was close when I got to the top.

[billythekidrock]

I think you are talking about the 2000 line that runs into some state land. There is a lot of thinned timber up there are elk in there. Find the edges of thicker cover and you should find some elk.

[FullDraw]

It sounds like you are on the right track steelie.  If the sign is there the elk arent far. All things going just right still makes archery hunting for big game very difficult but just as rewarding when it pays off. Keep after them and you will more than likely see some elk. Good luck and keep us posted.

[steeliedrew]

Thanks for the help everyone. I may be in there on Sunday and will let you guys know what I see.