Bethel Quality Elk Draw - Buyer Beware!

[SuperX]

I just got home from a 10 day hunt and could not be more disappointed with the quality elk tag I drew for the Bethel unit. "Lower than average hunter numbers"... what a joke. There was a pickup around every corner and we were bumping into hunters in every place we had scouted. We had two people set up tree stands withing 50 feet of our stands that had been up before the season opened. There were bulls to be had but with all the pressure we could never get one to stand still. We also encountered some of the ultimate road hunters... lawn chairs strapped down to the truck bed with a guy riding with an arrow nocked. Quite a few folks treating the unit like their private 4X4 park....

If you want a quality hunt avoid this unit.

this post is not adding up.  The season in 360 isn't even open for early archery this year.  The season hasn't even been open 10 days yet.  Have you called the poaching hotline to report the mass of hunters in this closed area?  I'm on the 1500 and there were zero trucks and camps on the road where it is passing through the 360.  Maybe you we're in bumping instead... Read the boundary description to be sure.

[Fish4Fun]

SuperX, there is an early archery season in 360

Bethel  Sept. 2-14   Any bull   GMU 360   37 permits

I am guessing he was in the Bumping unit and not in Bethel

[Karl Blanchard]

SuperX, there is an early archery season in 360

Bethel  Sept. 2-14   Any bull   GMU 360   37 permits

I am guessing he was in the Bumping unit and not in Bethel

. I think what he meant was no general season, its permit only, meaning there are 37 hunters max in the whole unit.  I'm betting he was in Bethel as well or there are a bunch of guys in 360 who need to brush up on their game regs

[Goldy79]

SuperX, I agree this post isnt adding up. I counted only two camps actually on the 360 side up the 1500 between mjb trailhead and cash prarie and the other was on the whitepass side. . The rest were up the 1500190 (timberwolf) which is in the bumping unit. 

I did meet a guy up there last week who was complaining about how he hasnt been seeing elk .

I'm not referring to the camps and know the boundaries quite well. I saw maybe 2-3 trucks during the time I scouted but when we hunted it I could not get away from people. We also ran into folks that were cutting in their tree stands a day after the opener.... with a gas limber. My perception of this unit has really changed... I will hold out for a "quality" hunt with less tags available. Plenty of Elk moving around our normal spot... all of us got a shot and half of us filled tags.

[SuperX]

SuperX, there is an early archery season in 360

Bethel  Sept. 2-14   Any bull   GMU 360   37 permits

I am guessing he was in the Bumping unit and not in Bethel

. I think what he meant was no general season, its permit only, meaning there are 37 hunters max in the whole unit.  I'm betting he was in Bethel as well or there are a bunch of guys in 360 who need to brush up on their game regs

yes, I'm not sure how much space 37 hunters take up, but 360 is a big unit.  Bummer for the OP to not fill a prime tag, I'm sure it's frustrating not to have the place to themselves.  We try to get as far off the road as necessary to avoid the random campers and hunters scouting for rifle or muzzy.  There were a dozen scouts out last year in peaches driving in and out of every road.  That sucked as the kept bugling out the truck window at every road end or fresh rub on the shoulder.  We never saw any of them in the woods, thankfully

[liljozie495]

Congrats on filling the tag but I'll have to agree with these guys here if you really get off the rd n have a gps possibly you can go along ways in there and not did people, been there a few times and have hiked a bit in there, there's a lot of places to get lost but being ya filled your tag already I'll keep my peeper shut 

Pretty good tho to draw a prime elk tag with only 4 yrs hunting aswell.

[PlateauNDN]

I was in there 2 days last week and didn't cross any hunters while walking. I seen 5 vehicles the whole time and 2 were leaving. Seen  a 5x5, 5x6 and 6x6. Nobody around, nobody calling or pushing them around where I was. Was in another area scouting and came across 1 other hunter but seen about 7 or so camps. Not as much camps or pressure as I've seen in the past. And no I didn't harvest anything.

[Opportunist]

I don't buy it. I was just up there wednesday and drove the ridge road from the tower to Oak creek and saw three camps and one group was just camping. My wife and hunting partner had the muzzle tags in 09, with 10 other permit bull hunters and I think 20 cow hunters let alone the general season spike hunters it was a great hunt. We were into bulls every time we got out of the truck. Hell one of the best bulls we saw on the hunt was from the truck. My wife missed 3 bulls and buddy got a nice 6 point, can't wait to draw the tag archery. It's no Blue Mountain tag which are true 'quality' hunts but a good tag for the points to draw. 

[CP]

Currently looking at a bull through the binoculars. He is in the wide open and I do not see a single vehicle in sight. Sometimes you have to go to the driest part of the unit .

This post is useless without GPS Coordinates

[CaylenW]

Getting off the roads a mile isn't going to do you much good at all.

[ctwiggs1]

Currently looking at a bull through the binoculars. He is in the wide open and I do not see a single vehicle in sight. Sometimes you have to go to the driest part of the unit .

Wait a minute.... Can you clarify if you are looking at an elk?  Bull isn't very specific... For all I know you're a bovine enthusiast!

Curtis

[Goldy79]

This is the response I received from the WDFW, primarily in response to the use of firearms in a unit that is open for early archery.

"GMU 360 is a “front country” unit (i.e., is not a wilderness unit).  As such it receives a fair amount of public recreation, including hunting and non-hunting recreation, especially early in the fall when the weather is usually still very nice.  About ˝ of the unit is Forest Service land.  All of the public land in the unit is open to diverse public recreation."

I saw a handful of bulls and 2 shooters... but never going to put in for that draw again. Friend of mine from work drew the same tag and hired an outfitter... was able to get one on the ground but nothing I would consider even close to a trophy. For DIY this tag is crap shoot at best. But one tag is filled.. time to chase down some blacktail. Best of luck to you all.

[buddy01]

Had that tag last year. 7 different bulls on camara. put up tree stand there. and never saw a bull after that. GROUSE hunters in their everday. pretty hot last year, Motorcycle also everday saw 1 bull killed,little 4x4. Just got from rimrock NEVER going back ,Saw 3 bulls not 1 COW, people and hunters everwere  even got my truck BLOCK in by another hunter.Reported it to fish&game and forst service They put his licence plate on file,said if happens again they would respond. I never went back. BS

[jimkrueg]

Ive been hunting 20 miles in behind the feeding station for a week now and I havent seen a branched antler bull yet. Ive seen a few cows and 2 spikes.  Lots of vehicles on the roads and lots of wood cutting going on.  Ive walk behind a few closed gates and even seen a camping trailer way up a gated locked gate.  Havent even heard a bugle yet. Im heading back tonight for one last chance miracle.

[thomasmx]

There should be no issue hunting a bull in the bethel or goose prairie unit. I hunt right near cash prairie and have for the past 16 years straight during rifle season. I drew the Quality elk tag for goose prairie rifle in 2010 and shot my 6x6 on the 2nd day of hunting. If you get off the road away from the campers you will probably find yourself all alone. Not too many people get off that road and actually hunt. There is a ton of very good advice on this topic for you. If you need any help please get ahold of me. I have lots of info for that place and would really hate to see that quality tag go to waste since I know what the potential of it is. Good luck my man!