Lewis River Unit

[Bunny Thumper]

Hunted it for years, less elk every year and more people. Sad situation I don't see getting any better.

[Sliverslinger]

I love the unit- Hunt it and Packwood every year. Below is a version of what I posted in 2011 on that unit. I recommend a search because we've really discussed that unit over and over again. I will say this, I've seen a big decrease in elk while driving around on roads, but not in the backcountry. I honestly think that if people are planning on road hunting or hunting near the road, they'd probably be better off not wasting their time.  Just my 

I grew up hunting that unit with my Grandfather and dad. Still my favorite area for a multitude of reasons. In that unit most people seem to drive around and admire the jaw-dropping steepness of it without ever creasing the leather on their boots. That country is loaded with elk, typically several smaller groups depending on the time of year, but it's not like Weyerhauser land where there's a road every mile and the elk have no choice but to be reasonably close to a road. The elk can sit two ridges over and stay miles from the roads and the people who won't get farther than a mile from the truck. While the thick stuff is great when the pressure is on, if you want some more open areas I recommend using Google earth and some terrain maps to find areas that are above 4000 ft. It starts to take on more of a subalpine character with open patches. When I hunted up there as a kid I absolutely loved it and hated it, but either my dad or grandpa (or both) got an elk almost every year. Their philosophy was "You need to look around and find the areas that are so steep, nasty, rugged, and ridiculous that no sane person would ever go there, and then go there and find the elk that no one else knows about." Then they would drag me out of bed to start walking an hour before daylight, up some Godforsaken mountain, only to go down the other side and up some other Godforsaken mountain. I'll never forget my Grandpa leaning down about every half mile and saying "50% of hunters would stop now..." After the next mile "the other 25% would turn back here..." Eventually, I'd hear "No other crazy a**hole would go up that, now we'll find the elk." Usually we did. Now I drag my hunting friends out there but they usually won't go with me a second time... can't be ruining that brand new pair of boots.  -I've got as buddy now who goes with me.-
 
Based on my experience there here's my best advice on that unit:

-Get far away from the roads
-Get far away from the quad trails if you can
-Get far away from the main hiking trails if you can
-Spend as much time scouting different areas as possible. There are some great holes to be found.
-Have a pack with everything you need for a night in the mountains, the weather and fog rolls in unnervingly fast at times and you won't be able to find the right saddle on the right ridge until it clears. It is damn cold spending the night up there. I've done it and my dad has done it unexpectedly.
-Hunt with a partner, that country is steep and rugged. I broke my arm and sprained my ankle in a rockslide one year. Wouldn’t have gotten out without help.
-Trust your compass and map, I get turned around on the same forking ridges every year and swear each time that my compass has broke. My back-up compass is always broken to. That country plays tricks on you.
-Once you find an area you like, enlarge an aerial map to about 18”x24”, laminate it, it makes it a lot easier to estimate where they are going after you jump them.
-Use google earth to find some dry lake beds at high elevation- they are often filled with grass.
- Have stuff in your pack to build a fire easily at a moment’s notice. If you fall off of a snow covered log into a large creek, you’re hands won’t be able to operate a lighter very well.
-Don’t cross large creeks on snow covered logs.
-Go where others won’t
-Don’t bother wasting gas driving around for hours- you’ll come to believe that no animals live there.


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If nothing else, it is some incredible country.

[timm]

thats a great article you wrote. I loved it I hope I see you up there.

[Angus]

Good write up Sliverslinger, as much as I would love to pack in 2 or 3 miles, I hunt solo and the idea of packing out an elk that far in 80+ degree temps seems like a great way to ruin an elk. If you see a blue Dodge Dakota I'm probably within a mile, mile and a half.

[Sliverslinger]

Good write up Sliverslinger, as much as I would love to pack in 2 or 3 miles, I hunt solo and the idea of packing out an elk that far in 80+ degree temps seems like a great way to ruin an elk. If you see a blue Dodge Dakota I'm probably within a mile, mile and a half.

That was my fear for a long time as well. However, there is a lot of good info out about how to keep meat from spoiling in those temps. Do a search on this forum. There are things that can be done to cool the meat down. I hunt by myself or with one buddy as well. It can be done. Good luck out there. If I see a blue Dakota I'll say hi.