Committing to Washington once again

[RadSav]

Mellonhead used to be only a mile hike almost straight up from the end of a road.  Could almost roll mellonhead to the road.  But last year they decided to give the road back to nature   So I'll need to get a trail permit and hike in on the trail like everyone else.  Going to add another couple miles of packing.  Wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't pushing closed to 500 pounds!  Might need to get a SAT phone and have both D-Rock and ML Bowhunting on speed dial

Mellon is going to be my toughest decision.  I love bear since they give me an opportunity to whack a critter each year with the boom stick.  But I've watched this guy for so long I almost feel as though I need to tag him with a bow or let him go breed more.  I expect the decision will be easy once he is in front of me while I have bow in hand and gun on my back.  Though if the berries are late and I want to tackle the big bench at the same time I'll be forced to leave the gun behind.  Hate that dang rule!!!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Anyone want to hunt elk bow with me in the North Sound unit? 

There are elk in the North Sound unit?


 

Oh they make the mistake on occasion to grace the unit. 

[Boss .300 winmag]

How did you get the deer multiseason it hasnt drawn yet?

I bought the special application for the draw, and I'm not RadSav! 

[trophyhunt]

So you do understand why I am not banking on eastside even with near max points, don't you?

Oh I feel your pain and understand!  With 19 points for quality and bull elk categories, I don't think I'll ever draw my quality tag for the east side!  With the possible changes this year with the archery and muzzy, I might just ghost point my quality tag if I don't get the multi elk.  Took me 6 years to get the multi elk the only time I drew it, that tag is the ticket!

[D-Rock425]

Radsav if i draw multi season elk can i come shoot a crippled westside bull with you?

[ridgefire]

You guys have alot more faith in wa hunting than i do. Can't wait till i draw my elk tag so i can quit buying that every year. I get way more excited when i pay my $590 for my Idaho elk tag than i do for my $100 washington tags and permits.

[RadSav]

Radsav if i draw multi season elk can i come shoot a crippled westside bull with you?

Like shooting fish in a barrel...if you can get the WDFW to allow bull hunting in the late season  

Early season they seem to be much more spunky.  I think the badly afflicted animals die off during the winter leaving a more healthy base going into the next fall.  But, with time and pressure those bulls with the bum leg start getting banged up quite good as the soil returns to a damp, moldy, and cold state.  The six sick large bulls we saw during late season in Winston that had hoof rot BAD nearly kept me from ever returning.  Shooting one of them would have been a mercy killing.  Never in my life have I seen complete pain and anguish on the face of a wild animal.  The two biggest I think I could have killed with a spear as they could not go anywhere!  I bet neither of them made it to the end of the week.  Why WDFW encourages bowhunters to kill healthy cows and yet will not allow us to put a suffering bull down just breaks my heart.  Just walking away knowing they are about to endure a horrible death when at 12-15 yards they almost seemed they wanted us to take their life quickly was one hard pill to swallow.  As long as the rules remain the same and their is still hoof rot in the region I will not go back.  I don't ever want to watch that, powerless, again.  It was terrible!!

The old stomping ground that I am thinking of targeting this year seems void of hoof rot.  It's steep, rough, nasty country.  Elk must be healthy just to get up there.  Unfortunately that means I too must be healthy to get up there.  Probably why so few bowhunters can be found during the season.  You aren't going to find any lazy slug of a bull hunts in that area.  To get a 330 or better bull in there you are going to need to hunt smart as well as hard.  And that will only get you to having him on the ground.  That's the easy part in this country    Not even sure my mile of mule tape, climbing spikes and tackle is going to make the pack out of there any easier.  But I'll be sure to call Tupac first before I call you

If you do get the multi tag and want to chase some cripples...buy the WEYCO pass.  Not many elk left in there, but it could be a good hunt if you don't mind watching animals suffer.  Still quite a few high 200 bulls to be had in there.  Even a couple over 300 that aren't moving too fast.  One of the healthy bulls I saw this last late season was comfortably over 320 and there was good evidence he was a resident bull.  If I thought I could pass on the sick to tag a nice rack I'd go back early this year after him.  I just don't think I can handle watching that horror show two years in a row   I'm just now getting over the nightmares and upset stomach from this past December.

[Bigshooter]

Join me in re-committing to Washington state.  Let's make this year 1985 all over again!

No thanks. I pass.

[RadSav]

1985.  Hmm, just getting ready to graduate from college so wasn't doing much hunting at the time.  Maybe 2015 is it!  First I get that turkey with a bow and then I get my first buck.

Sounds like a good plan to me!  First bow turkey is a hoot!  Just remember...center back, going away!!  That's always been my highest percentage shot!

You put as much effort into your fist buck as you do on turkeys and I have faith you'll be showing off that glory pic in 2015.  I'll be looking forward to seeing that

[RadSav]

Join me in re-committing to Washington state.  Let's make this year 1985 all over again!

No thanks. I pass.

Party Pooper

[Miles]

I'm holding out to see if I draw a moose tag in other states.  If not, I will only be rifle hunting in WA.  1,600 mile round trip and hunting for a solid week is about as committed as I can get at this point.   When I move back it will be a different story.

[Big6bull]

I'm still excited even with the changes to come to our permits. Upgraded bow is getting dialed in. Dedicating this year to arrow my first bull in sw wa!

[Ridgerunner]

I cant wait to see this thread at the end of hunting season, lol.  I might be recommitting to WA for muleys, of course that is dependent upon not drawing my Colorado deer tag. 

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

With the later start for elk I finally get to focus for mule deer in sept.  I have not hunted mule deer in wa for years now cause of that and when I was hunting them I felt I had finally figured the area out.  So hopefully the patterns haven't changed much and I get into a good group of bucks right at daylight.  It's gonna be an epic year in wa with the new seasons.  Almost as expensive as Idaho minus the gas but I don't have mule deer at the house so I'll burn fuel either way.  Getting excited.

[RadSav]

I cant wait to see this thread at the end of hunting season, lol. 

I hope it will be epic!  Although if we go into late season and have to fill the freezers with stupid cows don't expect many pictures

I had thought about saying, "Let's relive 1984" as that was the year I not only predicted size and quantity, but the exact dates I was going to fill my tags   (Oregon of course).  I hit the elk, bear and antelope right on schedule, but the family still gives me grief for missing the muledeer date by 20 days and about 40 inches.  You would think they would give me some credit for taking my one and only 7X7 bull almost to the hour I predicted   But NOooo...all they remember is my average 3X4 muley almost three weeks late     Family...