Weyerhauser St. Helens Tree Farm

[jbeaumont21]

I knew about the access fee but we are limited on muzzleloader choices that aren't hundreds of miles away so that is why I made it my 4th pick.  I had hoped I would still be able to access the DNR land but who knows.  I have no intentions of breaking any laws.  I guess if I get drawn I just wont hunt unless I can get to the DNR land. Besides its only cow points.  Just thought I would share the email with everyone.

Thanks!

[bobcat]

Well, the good news is it should be easy to draw this year. Did you put Toutle as one of your choices? That one at least has a large block of state land to hunt. The only state land in Coweeman that I know of is landlocked. Although there could be some further south that I don't know about. It's not too late to call and have your application changed.

[jbeaumont21]

My other choices were ryderwood, Willipa and Lewis river so I will be fine with those. There is quite a bit of land locked DNR land just north of Kalama River Rd in the Coweman.  I thought i read somewhere that Weyco was going to allow access to the public land within their land. Anyone else hear this?

[bobcat]

Yes but probably just the normal "public access corridors" I think is what they call them. Like the 4100 in the Toutle. Or the 1900 in the Winston that goes to the fish hatchery. There won't be free access to all landlocked state land.

[Fullabull]

560 is going to be loaded with hunters this year   That's where I hunt with my 75 year old dad. looks like all that tree farm land will be open.

[fireweed]

Anyone else notice that if you were planning to apply for a Margaret tag and hunt the east (non Weyerhauser) side of the unit, that the USFS took that option away from us this year. Hunt note "I" states that the USFS will not allow hunting on the portion of GMU 524 that is within the monument boundries. This was not in last years regs.

I think (hope?) this is a typo on the WDFW's part and I have a call into the Monument manager to find out.  I think it should say the portion of 524 the Monument within the administrative closure is closed to hunting--that would be a small slice above Coldwater Lake.  Will post what he says.

Here's what the Monument Manager, Tom Mulder said about this closure: that it is probably a typo in the regs but he will double check because he was on assignment in another state part of the year and he want's to make sure that it wasn't changed while he was gone.

[Bullkllr]

Anyone else notice that if you were planning to apply for a Margaret tag and hunt the east (non Weyerhauser) side of the unit, that the USFS took that option away from us this year. Hunt note "I" states that the USFS will not allow hunting on the portion of GMU 524 that is within the monument boundries. This was not in last years regs.

I think (hope?) this is a typo on the WDFW's part and I have a call into the Monument manager to find out.  I think it should say the portion of 524 the Monument within the administrative closure is closed to hunting--that would be a small slice above Coldwater Lake.  Will post what he says.

Here's what the Monument Manager, Tom Mulder said about this closure: that it is probably a typo in the regs but he will double check because he was on assignment in another state part of the year and he want's to make sure that it wasn't changed while he was gone.

Thanks for checking (just interested, not imagining I'll be hunting in there...). So even the Monument Manager is not sure...hmmmmm....
And yet it is interesting that at the same time the (hopefully) typo in the WDFW regs came out, the official NFS St. Helens' Monument  website page with hunting access information is completely blank, with no information at all. Coincidence 

[furbearer365]

This is not going to be good.  I put in for Margaret archery without even looking at that.  I guess if they shut the east part down it is my own fault, but drawing a Margaret archery tag and not having the state land to hunt when they shut Weyco down is basically a tag in the garbage.  Seems funny that the year they shut it down is the first year of the access permits.  They put out tags that are now 100% Weyco land, charge $150 to access it, then shut it down for fire? We are all just pawns that are being toyed with by timber companies and the state.  We area the only ones that don't benefit what so ever.  SUX

[RadSav]

This is not going to be good.  I put in for Margaret archery without even looking at that.  I guess if they shut the east part down it is my own fault, but drawing a Margaret archery tag and not having the state land to hunt when they shut Weyco down is basically a tag in the garbage.  Seems funny that the year they shut it down is the first year of the access permits.  They put out tags that are now 100% Weyco land, charge $150 to access it, then shut it down for fire? We are all just pawns that are being toyed with by timber companies and the state.  We area the only ones that don't benefit what so ever.  SUX

That December 1-15 hunt is probably the better of the two if you want to kill a nice bull.  You will still be out $150, but at least the tag doesn't need to hit the garbage Sept 22nd.

[furbearer365]

This is not going to be good.  I put in for Margaret archery without even looking at that.  I guess if they shut the east part down it is my own fault, but drawing a Margaret archery tag and not having the state land to hunt when they shut Weyco down is basically a tag in the garbage.  Seems funny that the year they shut it down is the first year of the access permits.  They put out tags that are now 100% Weyco land, charge $150 to access it, then shut it down for fire? We are all just pawns that are being toyed with by timber companies and the state.  We area the only ones that don't benefit what so ever.  SUX

That December 1-15 hunt is probably the better of the two if you want to kill a nice bull.  You will still be out $150, but at least the tag doesn't need to hit the garbage Sept 22nd.

For sure, i apologize to sound so extreme about it being a waste if early season is shut down.  I didn't mean to be that extreme.  What I was implying is the sole reason for putting in for the archery tag was to hunt the rut during bugling season.  If I knew that land would be shut down for sure and state land wouldn't be an option, I would of just put in for ML or Rifle and hunted those seasons. But like I said, my fault for not reading up on every tag I put in for.  I just never in a million years would of thought that the public land would be the one that would be a problem getting on.  I kind of assumed that area was the only guarantee, but NOPE...

[bobcat]

I don't think there's any state land in the Margaret unit anyway. 

[Bullkllr]

I think he meant federal (Nat'l forest/monument) rather than "state".

[furbearer365]

I think he meant federal (Nat'l forest/monument) rather than "state".

    I usually just refer to public land as state land.  I do know the difference between State, Federal, BLM ect... Just habit I guess.  Probably should of referred to it as public as opposed to state.  Either way, I still hope it was just a typo that it will be shut down..

[fireweed]

Anyone else notice that if you were planning to apply for a Margaret tag and hunt the east (non Weyerhauser) side of the unit, that the USFS took that option away from us this year. Hunt note "I" states that the USFS will not allow hunting on the portion of GMU 524 that is within the monument boundries. This was not in last years regs.

I think (hope?) this is a typo on the WDFW's part and I have a call into the Monument manager to find out.  I think it should say the portion of 524 the Monument within the administrative closure is closed to hunting--that would be a small slice above Coldwater Lake.  Will post what he says.

Here's what the Monument Manager, Tom Mulder said about this closure: that it is probably a typo in the regs but he will double check because he was on assignment in another state part of the year and he want's to make sure that it wasn't changed while he was gone.

CONFIRMED: Hunting pamphlet is INCORRECT.
The hunters’ pamphlet is incorrect.  The only area of the Margaret unit inside the Monument where hunting is not allowed is the south-facing slope along the north side of Coldwater Lake, where no off-trail hiking is permitted.  This is the same restriction that has been in place for years, so there is no change in hunting restrictions from previous years.

 


Mitch Wainwright

South Zone Wildlife Biologist

Mt. Adams R.D.

Mt. St. Helens R.D.

42218 NE Yale Bridge Rd.

Amboy, WA  98601

[Blacktail Sniper]

Are they going to notify WDFW so they can add it to the list of corrections for this years book?

If not, could be a potential headache for someone otherwise until or if it got straightened out.