Metaline Falls / Ione Elk population

[tjsr61]

Went for a bike ride around Washington in July, talked with some locals in this area and they said that the elk where pretty heavy in the area. I am just curious to see what anyones input would be on this. As we didnt really see any on our ttrip

[go4itlab]

supprised the locals even talked to you about hunting, most are pretty tight lipped. Not a lot of elk up there. If your looking for numbers your better off staying on the west side of the state.

[CAMPMEAT]

I know a logger over in Metaline. He told exactly where the elk are......... I guess he must like me.

[JM]

Why would your first instinct be to put a spot that someone tells you about on the internet??? I like reading stories on this site, but a post like this is the bad part of Hunt Wa. and a great way to ruin a spot. I will admit that it's not as bad as the person who posted the picture of the big buck killed in the Thirty mile burn and then told where it was killed.

Let's say just for arguments sake that 5,000 people read this post and 2% decide to hunt this area, that means that 100 more people are going to be up there chasing small herds of elk around in a small area.

I'm not trying to offend you, but I just had to share my opinion on this.

Went for a bike ride around Washington in July, talked with some locals in this area and they said that the elk where pretty heavy in the area. I am just curious to see what anyones input would be on this. As we didnt really see any on our ttrip

[wlandrum]

 

Why would your first instinct be to put a spot that someone tells you about on the internet??? I like reading stories on this site, but a post like this is the bad part of Hunt Wa. and a great way to ruin a spot. I will admit that it's not as bad as the person who posted the picture of the big buck killed in the Thirty mile burn and then told where it was killed.

Let's say just for arguments sake that 5,000 people read this post and 2% decide to hunt this area, that means that 100 more people are going to be up there chasing small herds of elk around in a small area.

I'm not trying to offend you, but I just had to share my opinion on this.

Went for a bike ride around Washington in July, talked with some locals in this area and they said that the elk where pretty heavy in the area. I am just curious to see what anyones input would be on this. As we didnt really see any on our ttrip

[cryder]

or maybe he likes the idea of other peeps being successful,like I always say hunt wa. is a tuff and tight lipped crowd,dont ussally look here for help,most of the time they tell you to find your own honey hole and keep it to yourself,after im successful ill tell the whole world where I got it ,in fact I will drive you there if your up to it,i like being a part of other peeps success,i guess mom was right I,m just special !!!!

[10thmountainarcher]

Doesnt matter where he told you they are the elk move around a lot up there. One day here the next 15 miles away.. it's tough hunting,  if a local told you there were a lot of elk and where they are he was pulling your leg. Im from the area and out of towners are not looked upon there in a positive manner trust me. If u want to hunt the area be prepared to go without killing an animal for years at a time. Be prepared to hunt your butt off in steep thick country and never see an animal possibly.. The wolves have gotten bad up there also making it even worse.

[cryder]

I have some friends that let me hunt up there and I have to agree very tough area  to hunt let alone get something .I did have a great turkey season up there, and did see several deer but they are very timid,probably the wolves I'm guessing ,and don't bow hunt it without a side arm EVER !best of luck and if you have success up there let us know,I for one will not be offended just happy for you,its very tough up there, do more listening than anything they make plenty  of noise up there, I even heard turkey coming towards me,it can be done .

[Expedition Scout]

I agree with 10thmountain. I work and live in the area and the wolves have taken a good hold. Last report I heard is the pack is 12 to 14 strong. That is a lot of mouths to feed. Selkirk Elk Herd reports list 2000 head from Spokane to Canada and Idaho to Columbia River. Lot of land for a few elk to roam. This includes the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge that has been all over the papers lately boasting a quarter of that number!

[JLS]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

[buckfvr]

n.e. elk are here today, gone tomorrow small bands of elk that cover alot of ground..............even if they are there, you probably still wont see them, let alone kill one.

[oldleclercrd]

You know when people ask about the area I just tell em to go find out for yourself. Being so thick up there, you're heard by most of the animals before you ever have a chance to see one. They simply slip out of the area without you ever knowing their there. Like most have said, they make these 7-10 day loops. You may see lots of fresh sign, but they won't be back to that area for at least a week. One more tough thing for people to understand is the fact that these elk simply aren't as vocal as most elk. Why would they want to ring the dinner bell for the wolves? Come on up, but be prepared to hunt a new subspecies of elk.

[10thmountainarcher]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

Archery is still any elk in the NE sir.

[10thmountainarcher]

I agree with 10thmountain. I work and live in the area and the wolves have taken a good hold. Last report I heard is the pack is 12 to 14 strong. That is a lot of mouths to feed. Selkirk Elk Herd reports list 2000 head from Spokane to Canada and Idaho to Columbia River. Lot of land for a few elk to roam. This includes the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge that has been all over the papers lately boasting a quarter of that number!

I guarantee you that there are more then 14 wolves in the area now.  I'm talking I saw wolf sign all over the place up here.  My parents neighbor has a collard black male on his trail camera... He lives 2 miles south of Ione.

[JLS]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

Archery is still any elk in the NE sir.

I was referring to rifle, guess I didn't specify that.

[10thmountainarcher]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

Archery is still any elk in the NE sir.

I was referring to rifle, guess I didn't specify that.

Gotcha makes sense...

[buckfvr]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

Archery is still any elk in the NE sir.

I was referring to rifle, guess I didn't specify that.

Better take a closer look before late archery elk........................

[oldleclercrd]

There's 3 confirmed wolf packs up there (international, salmo-priest, and diamond). Those are just the ones they admit. Then you have the individual wolfs kicked over the border from Idaho looking for a new territory of their own. Heck just the Diamond pack has 14 wolfs I believe.

[KFhunter]

These guys are exactly right, it's not hunting like you see on the hunting channel with open spaces and bulls screaming.

I've heard them called "jungle elk" and it seems to fit.


You get a bull over there you've earned it,  unless your a local sitting on a well maintained bait pile opening morning 

[10thmountainarcher]

An any elk season for many years sure didn't help the population grow by leaps and bounds.  Glad to see it by permit for cows now.

Archery is still any elk in the NE sir.

I was referring to rifle, guess I didn't specify that.

Better take a closer look before late archery elk........................

Yea I'm tracking that during the late archery elk it's any bull.  It's also only in GMU 117 for that area as 111 and 113 are not open. Guess they don't want you to get a 2 for 1 on a cow that is pregnant...  Agreed Oldlecler, there are a lot more wolves then they like to admit in the area..

[dibbs]

I work in the area.  It's steep, brushy, LOTS of wolves, and elk populations are low. I'm out in the woods frequently, and it's an extremely rare occasion when I see elk.  Wolf crap and tracks, different story altogether.

[Expedition Scout]

Even the WDFW admits that the aerial counts only reflect half of the population. It's easy to find a wolf with tracking equipment and count the number with the group. Its all the single's out there looking for a group that have filtered in they can't account for.

As for the Bull only in late season, I agree about the two for one with pregnant cows. I't will boost the numbers to leave them alone. Up there it is very difficult to make the choice to shoot a cow knowing you are reducing the population by one or two each year for the life of the cow. But if you have a bull in your sights, you better take the shot, you might not get another!

[10thmountainarcher]

Even the WDFW admits that the aerial counts only reflect half of the population. It's easy to find a wolf with tracking equipment and count the number with the group. Its all the single's out there looking for a group that have filtered in they can't account for.

As for the Bull only in late season, I agree about the two for one with pregnant cows. I't will boost the numbers to leave them alone. Up there it is very difficult to make the choice to shoot a cow knowing you are reducing the population by one or two each year for the life of the cow. But if you have a bull in your sights, you better take the shot, you might not get another!

Bingo, and I wouldnt shoot a cow in the early season.. that is just me though..

[cryder]

JEEEEEZE !I think I will bring the side arm for turkey up there too next year !I had a black bear bust out on me while turkey calling 5 years ago nothing like that since but thanks for the warning,probably don't go after us but kill something and its dinner served maybe !!!THANX!!

[Expedition Scout]

I make every choice at full draw, first question is (freezer empty or freezer not empty)? Still have a tag in my pocket from early season... think that says it all for this year!

Looking forward to some work late season, but still believe that keeping the cows will only improve the numbers. Especially with the extra mouths to feed!

[CoryTDF]

They can tell your from out of town if you have Bino's on! I got out of the truck and a local guy laughed at me and said what are those for? He then said matter of factly " Your not from around here are you?" He was right it is so thick you almost never really need your bino's. The only elk I saw was in pieces on the back of some alpacas. It's not the type of place you just drive to and expect to find elk. They are there but few and far between.

Also watch your GPS you might end up doing a spot of hunting in Canada and have to talk with the Border Patrol guys. Not that I know anything about that......

[bassquatch]

OP, you are obviously on to something! For future reference, the more dire the warnings or the more comical the replies the closer you are to the truth! "Super rough country", "be ready to hike 50 miles a day", "it's a pumpkin patch maybe biggest in the State?!", "watch out for the psycho locals they like to burn cars", "way more animals in your own backyard", "it was great years and years ago", "wolves everywhere", "my hunting partner got raped up there...never been back", these are just a few examples. The biggest thing I have learned researching on this site is when it comes to 'lying' and 'mis-information', most hunters make fishermen look like choir boys! Also go waaaay back in the pages of the topic! People were more open 200-300 pages ago when the site wasn't very old. The other thing I will tell you is that one of the contractors that comes in to my work told me he has taken an elk out of that area 9 out of the last 10 years for whatever that's worth?!

Hang in there, don't take it personally and watch for PM's, even though the masses may flame you there are always some upstanding folks that will PM you with the straight scoop 

[10thmountainarcher]

OP, you are obviously on to something! For future reference, the more dire the warnings or the more comical the replies the closer you are to the truth! "Super rough country", "be ready to hike 50 miles a day", "it's a pumpkin patch maybe biggest in the State?!", "watch out for the psycho locals they like to burn cars", "way more animals in your own backyard", "it was great years and years ago", "wolves everywhere", "my hunting partner got raped up there...never been back", these are just a few examples. The biggest thing I have learned researching on this site is when it comes to 'lying' and 'mis-information', most hunters make fishermen look like choir boys! Also go waaaay back in the pages of the topic! People were more open 200-300 pages ago when the site wasn't very old. The other thing I will tell you is that one of the contractors that comes in to my work told me he has taken an elk out of that area 9 out of the last 10 years for whatever that's worth?!

Hang in there, don't take it personally and watch for PM's, even though the masses may flame you there are always some upstanding folks that will PM you with the straight scoop 

Have you yourself ever hunted the area? Basically you get on here calling me a liar? There are members on this sight that can vouch that I have given them plenty of information about the area and general vicinities of where they could get into animals.  Are there elk there... yes, but you will work your butt off trying to get one.   As stated if you yourself has never hunted the area then Do Not get on here and attack the integrity and honesty of the others who have posted..

[huntnnw]

Entertaining theory's and a read 

[mdbuck5x5]

OP, you are obviously on to something! For future reference, the more dire the warnings or the more comical the replies the closer you are to the truth! "Super rough country", "be ready to hike 50 miles a day", "it's a pumpkin patch maybe biggest in the State?!", "watch out for the psycho locals they like to burn cars", "way more animals in your own backyard", "it was great years and years ago", "wolves everywhere", "my hunting partner got raped up there...never been back", these are just a few examples. The biggest thing I have learned researching on this site is when it comes to 'lying' and 'mis-information', most hunters make fishermen look like choir boys! Also go waaaay back in the pages of the topic! People were more open 200-300 pages ago when the site wasn't very old. The other thing I will tell you is that one of the contractors that comes in to my work told me he has taken an elk out of that area 9 out of the last 10 years for whatever that's worth?!

Hang in there, don't take it personally and watch for PM's, even though the masses may flame you there are always some upstanding folks that will PM you with the straight scoop 

  While I would tend to agree with you on certain occasions I saw nothing in this thread that suggests what you're claiming! I guess you're just looking for an argument! 

[huntnnw]

All my elk spots up there the elk do not move in loops, your either hunting pressured animals or not their core area. I can go to these spots every year and find elk

[10thmountainarcher]

There are definitely a few herds that stay in the same general area.. Not too many areas up there that do not receive the pressure.....

[10thmountainarcher]

Also what season are you hunting?

[huntnnw]

dunno where you guys hunt, but I can count on 1 hand how many hunters I have seen in 10 years bow or muzzy hunting

[jagermiester]

Why would your first instinct be to put a spot that someone tells you about on the internet??? I like reading stories on this site, but a post like this is the bad part of Hunt Wa. and a great way to ruin a spot. I will admit that it's not as bad as the person who posted the picture of the big buck killed in the Thirty mile burn and then told where it was killed.

Let's say just for arguments sake that 5,000 people read this post and 2% decide to hunt this area, that means that 100 more people are going to be up there chasing small herds of elk around in a small area.

I'm not trying to offend you, but I just had to share my opinion on this.

Have you ever been to Ione?

[10thmountainarcher]

dunno where you guys hunt, but I can count on 1 hand how many hunters I have seen in 10 years bow or muzzy hunting

im all over chasing elk after a 4 year hiatus and not having the time to scout hard I literally went everywhere.. I ran into one group of hunters this year ans hunted with em sorta.. other than that when I was in the woods I saw no one... its just too thick to see very far haha .. I did hear a couple though it was bad bad... the funny part was there was a bull within ear shot that just ignored em.

[oldleclercrd]

The elk DO in fact make "loops" or whatever you want to call it. They show up on the camera for 2 days in a row and then gone for a week pretty consistently during the summer. Now in the winter, well that's a different story. They keep to a somewhat small area. I guarantee most of these guys hunt elk dictated by ag of some sort, not just natural timber like the true NE.

[Ridgeratt]

I know a logger over in Metaline. He told exactly where the elk are......... I guess he must like me.

This sounds a little "Creepy"       

[bassquatch]

OP, you are obviously on to something! For future reference, the more dire the warnings or the more comical the replies the closer you are to the truth! "Super rough country", "be ready to hike 50 miles a day", "it's a pumpkin patch maybe biggest in the State?!", "watch out for the psycho locals they like to burn cars", "way more animals in your own backyard", "it was great years and years ago", "wolves everywhere", "my hunting partner got raped up there...never been back", these are just a few examples. The biggest thing I have learned researching on this site is when it comes to 'lying' and 'mis-information', most hunters make fishermen look like choir boys! Also go waaaay back in the pages of the topic! People were more open 200-300 pages ago when the site wasn't very old. The other thing I will tell you is that one of the contractors that comes in to my work told me he has taken an elk out of that area 9 out of the last 10 years for whatever that's worth?!

Hang in there, don't take it personally and watch for PM's, even though the masses may flame you there are always some upstanding folks that will PM you with the straight scoop 

Have you yourself ever hunted the area? Basically you get on here calling me a liar? There are members on this sight that can vouch that I have given them plenty of information about the area and general vicinities of where they could get into animals.  Are there elk there... yes, but you will work your butt off trying to get one.   As stated if you yourself has never hunted the area then Do Not get on here and attack the integrity and honesty of the others who have posted..

Sorry for the misunderstanding, definitely was not intending to call anyone specifically a "liar", I was speaking in general about the advice/mis-information I have seen on this and other hunting sites that's all, hence the 'fisherman' reference... It can and does get pretty comical at times and I was being sarcastic, perhaps I should have made that more obvious?!

I have not hunted that specific area but the gentleman I spoke with on the area was very detailed in his experience with the area and as I said has taken an elk 9 out of 10 years for whatever that's worth! I'm not one to completely discourage anyone from hunting anywhere they choose, if it sucks let them find out for themselves, if they have the ability and skill to figure out an area quickly and have success then let them do that as well, it's all part of the adventure of hunting!

Again, sorry for the misunderstanding, next time I'll use more of these ---> 

[bassquatch]

OP, you are obviously on to something! For future reference, the more dire the warnings or the more comical the replies the closer you are to the truth! "Super rough country", "be ready to hike 50 miles a day", "it's a pumpkin patch maybe biggest in the State?!", "watch out for the psycho locals they like to burn cars", "way more animals in your own backyard", "it was great years and years ago", "wolves everywhere", "my hunting partner got raped up there...never been back", these are just a few examples. The biggest thing I have learned researching on this site is when it comes to 'lying' and 'mis-information', most hunters make fishermen look like choir boys! Also go waaaay back in the pages of the topic! People were more open 200-300 pages ago when the site wasn't very old. The other thing I will tell you is that one of the contractors that comes in to my work told me he has taken an elk out of that area 9 out of the last 10 years for whatever that's worth?!

Hang in there, don't take it personally and watch for PM's, even though the masses may flame you there are always some upstanding folks that will PM you with the straight scoop 

  While I would tend to agree with you on certain occasions I saw nothing in this thread that suggests what you're claiming! I guess you're just looking for an argument! 

I have much better things to do with my spare time than look for internet drama? I was merely expressing my opinion and trying to do so in a comical way....no offense intended to anyone.

[Expedition Scout]

I think everyone is talking about the same NE area, however if you have not been up there, this explanation might help.

You have flat river bottoms that are full of Ag field on private land surrounded by steep mountains with thick forests under the Colville National Forest. I know plenty of guys that get an elk every year, that is not the point, the point is where and how they hunt. To go up there and expect a local farmer to open his field so you can pile corn and hang a stand or ground blind for the hunt is probably not going to happen. That leaves the steep mountains and thick forest. I have even seen guys doing that on National Forest Land, not sure how I feel about it, to each their own. I like to explore, so I can't sit still.

There are elk up there! I say good luck to anyone who chooses to do it.

[Ridgeratt]

My uncle who was a PUD lineman described it as 95% brush and 5% open. The 5% open was the river!!!

[bassquatch]

My uncle who was a PUD lineman described it as 95% brush and 5% open. The 5% open was the river!!!

Sounds a lot like the West side?? 

[Ridgeratt]

Man tipped over alot of elk up there!!

But he spent every day wandering around in the county also.

[KFhunter]

My uncle who was a PUD lineman described it as 95% brush and 5% open. The 5% open was the river!!!

Sounds a lot like the West side?? 

yup - but dry everything out so it's good and noisy

[tjsr61]

Thanks for everyones input. I will know later this week on how much land we will acquire in our purchase agreement with some private people and land swap rights in NFS areas . It will be a great opportunity to branch out in our private hunt permitting.