West side elk hunting

Big Game Hunting > Elk Hunting

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BlackTail:
WDFW-sux, Care to share what the "dark side" is?? If the people all "disappear" there, I'm pretty sure that Williams Creek doesn't have one!

BlackTail:
model70man, I don't mean to be a buzzkill for you season, just letting you know what it's like here. I don't have a lot of experience with any other areas for elk, but I have hunted hard here for the last 18 years. I've seen it get more and more crowded every year. Western Washington is one of the few places that a resident OR non-resident can purchase an OTC branch bull tag and that is not a secret. It is a maze of roads here that cover the country. In fact if you have to hike farther than 6-8 miles from your truck, then you could have found a shorter route. I promise there is a road or a gate somwhere else that gets you closer. This makes it extremely difficult to find the "dark side" where the people disappear.

Logging is a big employer around here so there are guys in the woods year round and they know where the deer and elk are. If you know anything about small towns; what one person knows, everybody knows. I watched 3 branch bulls all during deer season last year and probably only saw 2 other hunters, but come opening day of elk season there are 11 trucks and probably 20 hunters there. Because of situations like this, of the 10 or so buddies I grew up elk hunting with, all but 2 have switched to hunting the archery season. My dad and all his friends have quit elk hunting here all together.

All that being said, there are elk here! A lot of bulls get shot every year. You don't see many trophy bulls come rifle season, but you will see elk and if you get after it you have a good chance to see a legal bull.

model70man:
Ok. Should I hunt the east side ? less people ?

Curly:
East side may have more people in some areas (even though it is spike only). Although, there are more places to get away from roads and people IMO in some Eastern Washington areas.

If you want to go backpacking in and get away from people, I think some of the wilderness areas might be worth looking at. Maybe off of White Pass (Bumping unit) or other areas like that.

workstohunt:
Blacktail is telling the gosple.
I've been hunting elk here for 34 yrs. I have to work harder than I ever have to get my bull and have seen more and more hunters. I walked in 5 miles opening morning last year, talked to 73 hunters by days end and not one was a local. If your willing to put up with a lot of people and put in some time, you will get one.
Good luck!!!!!

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