Special Draw - Meat Hunt

[HereDuckyDucky]

For the first time, my wife and I are able to put in for special permits in WA. I'd like to put in for hunts that gear more towards filling the freezer than filling the wall. Are there any permits that are generally easier to fill? Thinking cow tags, most likely.

Appreciate any info or adviace ya'll have to spare.

Doesn't matter if it's West or East.

RW

[Mike450r]

I am going to presume modern,  so pretty much any of the good elk units that offer antlerless draws will do. 

Winston (520) and Williams Creek (673) are hard to beat for filling an antlerless modern tag tag with little problem.

[WSU]

Any of the SW wa units will be good, as will the Yakima units.  There really are a lot of options.  I would look at the draw odds and go from there.  Maybe narrow it down and then follow up?

[trophyhunt]

I would go east and just look at the hunts that have lots of tags, just make sure they don't have lot's of private property like in the blues. I would not recommend the margaret area for cows, just too much hoof rot going on in those units. I've had a couple friends that took a few cows that looked very unheathly after they hit the ground. Little Naches or any cow tags in that area should be good.

[skywalker253]

I am going to presume modern,  so pretty much any of the good elk units that offer antlerless draws will do. 

Winston (520) and Williams Creek (673) are hard to beat for filling an antlerless modern tag tag with little problem.

I would stay away from Williams Creek (673). It takes too long to draw a tag, because they only give out 50. Being that you are new to the GMU; you will also have to deal with the gate issue. And from what I am hearing; this next year they are going to start charging hunters to hunt. Not worth the hassle for a cow. I would look at any of the hunts around Mt. St. Helens. Any of the Raymond A, B, C, D, and E hunts. This is a private land hunt, but it won't take you much effort to figure out how to fill your permit.

[dewandgin]

We have had group permits for cows for the Toutle unit and the Margaret unit and had no problem filling the freezer. Hoof rot is out there just watch and check out you animals before shooting and you shouldn't have much problem. We had one that had hoof rot and it filled a freezer and ate good.

[bobcat]

If you don't have any points you could be in for a very long wait. It used to be that you could count on drawing a cow permit every other year, or worst case every three years.

Then a few years ago they decided to put antlerless elk permits in their own separate category. Now there's no disadvantage to applying for cow permits like there used to be, so EVERYBODY does.

Not only that, but those who had been holding out for the hardest-to-draw bull elk permits for many years, got their points placed into all the new categories. So now you're competing with many people who have up to 17 or 18 points.

The best you can do is apply for the hunts that have the most permits and hope for the best.

[206]

It used to be that you could count on drawing a cow permit every other year, or worst case every three years.

I drew 17 consecutive doe tags back in the day.  Those were the good old days that are long gone.

[skywalker253]

It used to be that you could count on drawing a cow permit every other year, or worst case every three years.

I drew 17 consecutive doe tags back in the day.  Those were the good old days that are long gone.

Wow! And I thought I had the Doe tag record. I have drawn one just about every year since 1989. I had a 9 year streak going. Then had an off year, and picked it back up again with another 7 years in a row. Elk I could never get drawn, until they went to the new point system. I have drawn 3 in the last 3 years after getting off to a slow start.

[Alan K]

The key to drawing tags with few bonus points is putting in for hunts with lots of permits.  Look at the east side units with triple digit permits, or if you prefer west side, the units with triple digit permits as well, which is pretty much the St. Helens area.  Can't imagine you'd have trouble finding a cow in any of them.

[HoofsandWings]

Ryan, I sent you a pm. With all the people you know, you should not have a problem finding a permit hunt that would benefit you. Also, since you have zero points, go in partners with your wife. If I recall some of the pictures from the past, she is the lucky one in the family.