BUST in 342 for GHOST CAMP Muzzy Elk

[ghosthunter]

Well for the 2nd year we came back without filling cow tags in 342.
We had 11 hunters spread out through the North end and saw 3 elk, two in the headlights on way back to camp.

We had blinds on watering holes and along trails. I scouted on the 12 th sept. and saw elk. But by the time the season started they were gone.

I plunged into creek bottoms and staked out cool clear pools of water and never saw anything I could call a fresh track.

We got there on the 30th and stayed till the 11 th. Nothing.

I heard of one elk being taken by a camp along Rock Prarie but did not see it myself.

I talked to two other camps NOTHING.

I would like to think it was the warm weather and full moons everynight, but I am not so sure. It could be too many cow tags in the area.

Not sure I can go back there next year.

[ghosthunter]

Some camp shots

[Seahawk12]

Sorry to hear you didn't get to fill any tags.
Looks like a great camp set-up. I hope you guys at least had a fun time and enjoyed each others company.
Better luck next hunt.

[ghosthunter]

ouch. that's rough. avoid the crowds and head south next year.

Well there were some camps but I never thought it was too crowded. I mean, I spent every day out and bumped into maybe 2 guys in the woods. A lot of hunters were finsished by noon. We would come back at noon rest a couple hours and back out till dark everyday.
I mean it is not so bad not getting a animal but when you cannot even flush one or spot one from two ridges away in that amount of time, wow thats bad in my book.

I did see a lot more deer in the area than the past five years, and three were four point or bigger.

I checked out a little of the Cowichee in September, went up that old Mill Road but I must be missing something there because I was not impressed with the area. Straight up and down. Ok for the young guys but the 60 + guys like most our group look at that and say no way.

My buddy in the Nile and his camp went home empty too. They saw bulls and cows but no spikes they could nail.

We camped on the 1712 this year because the loggers had tanked trapped the road connnection on our other roads. But when we got there on 30th they had tanked trapped the rest of the connectors in the two weeks since we were there. Which it is ok except we had to come and go only on the 1712 and that is a butt ugly rough road.

[ghosthunter]

Sorry to hear you didn't get to fill any tags.
Looks like a great camp set-up. I hope you guys at least had a fun time and enjoyed each others company.
Better luck next hunt.

oh yeah we all had a good time dont get me wrong. Just would of at least liked to hear a elk busting away in the bush.

[ghosthunter]

More

[washelkhunter]

In '13 250 EM cow tags were given. In '14 400 were awarded! I dont believe anyone should be surprised at a dismal outcome there. Drop the population of a small town in that small of an area and critters will blow right out. The weather sure didnt help this season either. We were in 352 and i believe its been shot out. 2 years of AR being able to now take cows with spikes has devasted the quality of opty. I knew it was going to be rough looking at the meat pole in our chosen campsite. It had 5 new cut ropes hanging from it. Whats the news from 356?

[lee]

Four from our group (we hunt Bumping and Nile) drew cow tags in the 342. One of them scored a Spike 10 minutes into opening day. That was the only elk they saw the whole season 

To hot, to dusty, to many hunters and to many quads running the roads. Not sure they will go back either.

[Ibcnurun]

Four from our group (we hunt Bumping and Nile) drew cow tags in the 342. One of them scored a Spike 10 minutes into opening day. That was the only elk they saw the whole season 

To hot, to dusty, to many hunters and to many quads running the roads. Not sure they will go back either.

Seriously, what is up with the illegal quad use in that unit. Apparently a scoff law in full effect. It seems like the state could make money in enforcement with little effort. Say like the first two hours in the AM opening day.

[deadwoodbuck]

ditto's for manastash...great times though...tag soup is getting really old.  all days in the woods...steep and deep, high and dry, wet and creek bottoms, sitting on feed stand that I had to stock everyday...I feel your pain.  lots of new hunters, hot weather, full moon, coyotes, cougars, quads, trucks...5 miles deep and steep and all I found was a nice piece of quartz rock for mom.  thought I was deaf...could not hear a thing moving.  cow tags for everyone...that will make it nice...oh well that's why they call it hunting not butchering...

[WALLEYEGUY]

342 also and tag soup for 3 of us.  Preseason lots of game got in on the 9th and the woods were quite.  Lots of thought of why 70+ elk can disappear (saw in Aug and early Sep) Will be going to Bethal next try.

[tjthebest]

We feel pretty lucky cause we saw 5 elk. I managed to connect with a big Cow opening morning but she was by herself. Actually all the elk we saw were loners.

[TriggerMike]

I would like to think it was the warm weather and full moons everynight, but I am not so sure. It could be too many cow tags in the area.

Not sure I can go back there next year.

I'm thinking the full moon every night was a big factor this year. I saw a spike the day before the opener and another on Day 2. I talked to several people that were hunting 342 for the first time because they drew a cow tag. The only elk I heard of was my brothers cow, a cow at the 1701, 1712, 1714 junction camps and another guy said they killed a spike on opening morning, not sure where he was camped though.

[PlateauNDN]

Those elk off 1701 were pretty quiet before the muzzy opener.

[Jburke]

My dad and I both had cow tags for 342 this year.  I got mine about mid week and dad didn't fill his.  We saw elk more days than not.  Most days didn't have a shot opportunity though.  Did hear of one area that there were a few camps that were all over the the elk though.  I heard of quite a few elk that were shot up there though.  Haven't heard from a buddy of mine that usually camps down the road from ghosthunter though. 

[kdj202]

Ghost camp, know where you are. We hunt that area also. We got one cow out of three cow tags, but was tough hunting. The loggers hit you area pretty hard, which probably changed some bedding areas and patterns for the elk. Best of luck next year.

[jaredwitman]

Sorry to hear about the slow season. We generally hunt the modern in 340 but have wandered to 342 a couple years here and there. Taken 2 big bulls a few years back but outside of that haven't seen much at all in the last 4 years. Our hunt location in 340 is growing up so bad that we have decided to head up 1701 road again this year for another stab at the unit. From what I have read it doesn't sound real promising over there. Thanks for the heads up and better luck in years to come I guess, at least we can still be out there doing this.

[Karl Blanchard]

Wenas and mudlake portions of 342 have never held very many resident elk.  After the first few hours of the opener they hit all the cracks and holes that are hard to find.  They are there but you gotta get creative to find them.  The deer in that unit are really starting to rebound and I believe that is part of the reason for the added tags, to keep elk numbers suppressed and save some feed for the deer.  Once the snow flies though, the elk come in swarms!

As for the comment about the archery guys killing all the elk in 352, not likely.  I was in there during muzzy season calling for a friend and we had to beat the elk off with a stick.

[Chukarhead]

Plenty of long faces in Manastash, for sure.  Tag soup was the norm.  Warm weather may have played a role, but I didn't see any meat hanging from poles in camps.

[Jburke]

Plenty of long faces in Manastash, for sure.  Tag soup was the norm.  Warm weather may have played a role, but I didn't see any meat hanging from poles in camps.

I think warm weather played a roll in not hanging the meat also though.  With highs in the high 70's+ most of the week I boned mine out and had it on ice that same night.