Willapa Hills/Swakane 08' here we come!

[roadhuntking]

Like a little kid the night before christmas waiting for santa.  We leave at 4pm and its killing me sitting here waiting for my cousin to get off work.  Motorhome is packed, trailer is hooked up, yota is strapped on the trailer, and the bicycles are strapped between the truck and trailer and its a show ready to rock....and here I sit....The plan is to get me my elk asap and with whatever time left before the 30th to head over to the Swakane to get my cousin on a mulie.  This is my first trip to either of these units and its also my first year archery for elk.  Im going with 3 other guys that have hunted both units A LOT, so Im pretty excited to be going with some boys that now they're way around.  Though I am a riffle deer hunter I will be in the Swakane for moral support, packing, spotting, and an occasional whiskey in the evening.  I will do my best for pics, I know how we all like pics and a story. So until then good luck to everyone else that will be out enjoying they're late hunts.

Corey


I see theres a post about gates in the Willapa, if someone has some concrete news about this I would much appreciate some info before I leave in the next hour or so. thanks

[Tim]

Timber Co. maps are usually available at the Texico station in PeEll.They will show where the gates are and the locals(at the hardware store) should have some insite into open or closed gates  Good Luck  Tim

[roadhuntking]

Thanks Tim.  I am just hoping that gates that are generally locked are still locked.  Need to put some miles in on the ol' peddal bike.

[Tim]

roadhuntking,did you do any good in the Willapa Hills this weekend?I was down there last year before there big floods and I was just wandering about the conditions   Tim

[roadhuntking]

Well Im back and Im back empty handed.  We arrived late wednesday night got the motorhome parked and the yota and bikes unloaded.  After a few minutes to relax from the 5 hour drive we decided to take a little night time cruise up the road to see how many other camps were there and check on the gate.  Well no other camps and a WIDE open gate.  My cousin was in complete amazement, he has been hunting this particular area for 10 years, and has never been able to access the area via an automobile.  Our other two partners wouldn't be to camp until late the next evening, and even though it was kinda our plan to get me an elk asap, which in itself is a funny thing to say when going hunting, it almost happend.  The next morning we got all packed up, camelbacks full and through the gate at daylight.  The plan was to take a quick spur road where my cousing had seen elk before and get to a vantage point to glass the surrounding hills.  So 5 minutes onto this road (still in the truck) I look to my left give out the Oh *censored* Elk alert to my cuz and keep driving out of site, stop the truck grab my pack and my bow and off I went down the hill after them, I had only initially seen 4 and when I got about 100 yards down the hill I seen plenty more heading into the timber and at a very fast pace.  So I marched my out of shape ass straight down to where they went (yes I said down, little on the weak side this year), after following they're track for 40 minutes or so my cuz calls me on the radio and said he has them at 40 yards above the road at the bottom of the hillside on a flat feeding where you can only see them from the timber along the drainage that he is hidden in.  He pulls out gets in the truck drives up to pick me up and head back down to where he left them.  We proceed to make my favorite and funnest stalk of all time.  We had 3 elk left on the flat by the time we get back to them, my cuz points out one and says to me thats the elk your gonna shoot.  She had her back to us the whole time, all we worried about was the other two cows.  So after creeping through the reprod, straight downhill to a creek, using 2 different downed trees to cross the creek, walking on our hands and knees hiding behind little 2-4 ft. trees another cow had appeared above us that we didn't detect, she busted us and off she and one of the other cows went, the cow we were after didn't see or hear a thing and she just kept feeding, my cuz stayed back as I snuck up behind a little replant and ranged her at 57 yards, came to full draw kneeled down and very comfy and calm and just waited for her to turn broadside, she turned to walk up hill perfectly broadside with her front leg forward, and I let it fly, watched my arrow fly like I was riding it and wap it drilled her........a little high and 4 inches left, she turned took about 5 steps did a little "Im gonna fall down quiver" then took about 15 more steps stopped did the same little quiver and then just stood there out of shooting range for about 15-20 minutes not moving an inch, and then over the ridge she walked down towrds the road.  We gave her a while longer hoping she walk off and laid to die.  We got to where I shot her and followed the trail she walked to where she stood no arrow, no blood except two tiny little drops in the same spot.  We looked every possible scenario for over a day and a half and could find nothing and accepted the fact that I put an arrow in no mans land. So our idea of getting an elk asap was almost done in the first couple of hours of the trip.  The next 5 days was a lot of hiking, bike riding, glassing hillsides, and a little bit of road hunting.  Seen a few more elk and then packed up and came home for Thanksgiving.  Left the truck packed and headed to the eastside at 5 a.m. friday, our other two partners went to swakane, let the air out of a little 3x2, we hunted south of them and tagged nothing.   And as far as any pics go, I lost my motivation and just flat forgot after being sick about not harvesting that cow.

[ICEMAN]

Ok, here are a few questions from a non-bow hunter.

Why dont guys send a second arrow into the animal if it is still standing?

The cow left with your arrow? Do you notch this as your elk for the year? 

[Alan K]

I fling arrows until I see blood running out of 'em like a firehose, they go out of sight, or they go down.

The way the cow acted certainly pointed to her going down, or at least not going far.  It's too bad you lost her, sounds like it was just a tough situation.  Live and learn.

[roadhuntking]

ICEMAN after reading your post I realized two things, one I failed to mention when she stood there for that long she was at 87 yards, too far for another, and second yes I did knock another arrow after I hit her and by the time she had stopped to give me another shot I did fling another that was short, later we ranged everything and the second shot was at 78 yards and my arrow hit 10 yards short. And I do not know if she left with my arrow, it is something we discussed, as  she stood for that lengthy of time we could see no arrow or blood, and there was brush and a little tree in the way to get a clean and perfect visual. Amongst searching for an elk we looked everywhere for my arrows and only found the one that landed short stuck in a dead log. And as for the notch in my tag, thats a good and tricky question that I think could arouse an huge discussion among many hunters.  Alan K it is a tough situation and if oppurtunity was there, more arrows would have flown.  And exactly what you said, the way she acted, in my mind I felt that I had just arrowed and was going to harvest my first archery kill with lots of meat in the freezer.  So like you said, "live and learn" and that I did. But I will say this, after hunting anything with bow and arrow for the first time I am beyond hooked and addicted, I might need rehab!

[aceseal]

Hey road huntking this is the aceseal.  Why don't you spend more time shooting your bow instead of running your fingers all over the state?  This is what I would like to see-- the hunting was horrible the people were lousy and it rained every day and did I mention the fog the horrible food at the Hunters Inn and how bad the whiskey tasted over a wet wood fire in a wall tent w/ silver dollar size holes in it. Copy that over.  Just kidding anyway.  To the guy that does not spend enough time in the woods that wrote shouldn't you put another arrow in it?  Did you tag the elk for the season?  Did you read that it said the elk was out of bow range where it stood?  This is over a 115 yard shot at an animal that appears wounded on the verge of going over a hill that you will not see him again possibly.  You have to take each hunting situation differently.  In this case the animal was hit a little far back and there was a possibility that it hit the liver and or on the exit the opposite side single lung.  I don't know how many single lung animal you have chased (I am guessing none because all of your shots are perfect w/ what I presume to be a smoke pole) It has been my experience that a single lunged animal and or a liver shot animal will lay down within a 100 yards or so and this animal had went in a round a bout way close to 100 yards.  You do not chase an animal in this situation nor shoot at it a distance you will not hit it clean and chances of spooking it are high. To the second part of your ignorant question did I tag this animal for it left w/ the arrow?  Did I harvest the animal?  No.  Did the animal leave w/ my arrow? Maybe   Am I eating elk right now?  No  My question to you are you an animal rights activist?  Are you really a hunter that's that good?  Have you ever hunted?  Yes-No-No?  Thanks to all who understand fair chase and the ups and downs of any type of hunting wether it be bow muzzleloader rifle sling shot bb gun We have enough groups out there with lots of money that would just as soon not see hunting take place so as hunters we need to stick together and not act like the only clean and ethical way to harvest an animal is w/ a high power rifle.  We are all hunters most of us do our best to take good clean ethical shots and sometimes it does not work out that way.  Its called hunting not gimme killing.

[Little Fish]

...a little over the top aceseal. I think Iceman's questions are reasonable.

[ICEMAN]

Hey road huntking this is the aceseal.  Why don't you spend more time shooting your bow instead of running your fingers all over the state?  This is what I would like to see-- the hunting was horrible the people were lousy and it rained every day and did I mention the fog the horrible food at the Hunters Inn and how bad the whiskey tasted over a wet wood fire in a wall tent w/ silver dollar size holes in it. Copy that over.  Just kidding anyway.  To the guy that does not spend enough time in the woods that wrote shouldn't you put another arrow in it?  Did you tag the elk for the season?  Did you read that it said the elk was out of bow range where it stood?  This is over a 115 yard shot at an animal that appears wounded on the verge of going over a hill that you will not see him again possibly.  You have to take each hunting situation differently.  In this case the animal was hit a little far back and there was a possibility that it hit the liver and or on the exit the opposite side single lung.  I don't know how many single lung animal you have chased (I am guessing none because all of your shots are perfect w/ what I presume to be a smoke pole) It has been my experience that a single lunged animal and or a liver shot animal will lay down within a 100 yards or so and this animal had went in a round a bout way close to 100 yards.  You do not chase an animal in this situation nor shoot at it a distance you will not hit it clean and chances of spooking it are high. To the second part of your ignorant question did I tag this animal for it left w/ the arrow?  Did I harvest the animal?  No.  Did the animal leave w/ my arrow? Maybe   Am I eating elk right now?  No  My question to you are you an animal rights activist?  Are you really a hunter that's that good?  Have you ever hunted?  Yes-No-No?  Thanks to all who understand fair chase and the ups and downs of any type of hunting wether it be bow muzzleloader rifle sling shot bb gun We have enough groups out there with lots of money that would just as soon not see hunting take place so as hunters we need to stick together and not act like the only clean and ethical way to harvest an animal is w/ a high power rifle.  We are all hunters most of us do our best to take good clean ethical shots and sometimes it does not work out that way.  Its called hunting not gimme killing.

Holy*censored* Aceseal, you are a total freaking idiot.  I bet you make one hell of a hunting partner.

Look dufus, a respectful, honest, straightforward question to a bowhunter, from an admitted non-bowhunter is a good thing. By sharing information and experiences, rifle hunters and bowhunters will learn to respect each other, and hopefully support each other. Most every bowhunter on this board has been very willing to explain their sport to us.

As far as your miserable attack on me, good luck. *censored* don't stick to me.

Bye the way, great first post on here boy.... Lets hope your next is a bit more thought thru. Grow up.

[ICEMAN]

Roadhuntking, thanks for explaining. I didn't quite get it , that she was out that far....

Sorry about your buddy... 

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[billythekidrock]

Ok, I am sure Aceseal gets the point. Let's not go dogpiling.

[ICEMAN]

Party pooper.