A little help

[Z_rock01]

Any one hunt in units 681, 506, 673 ?? I was told that there was a lot of roads that get gated and that you would have to hike/Bike, But then I was told that there were hardly any gates. 

What I'm looking for is an area that i can get in pretty far 5-8 miles or so, camp and hunt..?? (back country style..no fire just me, tent and nature) I'm only looking at the SW side of state.

Thank you

[Tbob]

Hey dude,
    I hunted those areas last year, and  the gates I saw were mostly hancock Timber and all of them said "NO CAMPING". Oh and it was insanely crowded out there for the archery season ( early and late). Just a heads up :-)

[flcracker]

Those units are mostly privately owned timber company lands so there will be lots of gates that will be locked and there are also large areas that required an access permit depending on who owns the land. Some companies lock gates but still allow access (hike/bike). I wouldn't call any of those areas a backcountry experience just because there are so many roads/activity going on, but I'm sure you could get away somewhere. There are also large chunks of state land that allows driving with no access permit required. The main thing I would tell you is to know whose land you're on so you know whether or not you need a permit. Hope this helps

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Those units are mostly privately owned timber company lands so there will be lots of gates that will be locked and there are also large areas that required an access permit depending on who owns the land. Some companies lock gates but still allow access (hike/bike). I wouldn't call any of those areas a backcountry experience just because there are so many roads/activity going on, but I'm sure you could get away somewhere. There are also large chunks of state land that allows driving with no access permit required. The main thing I would tell you is to know whose land you're on so you know whether or not you need a permit. Hope this helps

It really all depends on where you plan on hunting or what unit.
681 is all gated, no overnight camping or parking, 673 has a large portion of State land, open roads until you get to Hancock land, gated, no overnight camping or parking.
506 is mostly permit entry, but there is a small portion accessible, if you do your research.
If you are after the "Wilderness" experience you are better off crossing over to Long Island, or hunting the units further north towards the park.

A "Discover Pass" is required for State land, and the areas near Bruceport, the gates along 101, and near Naselle get a lot of pressure due to the high visibility of elk during the summer months, but you can find areas of solitude if you try.
Tunerville Campground has a gate that you could walk back and camp w/o any issues (I think) If you park at the campground and walk in....

I found my best area because there were several vehicles parked at a gate I wanted to hunt, so I drove until I found one that nobody had parked at (yet). 
I find a herd of elk back there every year, and only meet a few hunters on the road or at the gate
It seems that they will walk in behind a gate a mile or two, then turn around and walk out.
Rarely do they leave the road, or hunt all day.

 If you are hunting elk, you might think about bringing a friend, those buggers can be a real pain in the (Uknowhat) 5-6+ miles away from a vehicle.

[Z_rock01]

Thanks guys.. Looks like i am going to have to put boot rubber to the ground....

[willapawapiti]

My backyard and the guys above pretty much summed it up.  Lots of Hancock walk-in down south 673 & 681 during archery, many gates are opened during rifle deer/elk.  North end of 673 does have alot of state & Rayonier. The largest Rayonier block turned into a limited "premium" permit this year, price to be announced Junish according to a letter Bobcat sent me.  So as long as Hancock keeps land open & you have a Discover Pass you should have land to hunt.  STIKNSTRINGBOW  is right, if you want a true adventure try Long Island, use to hunt it almost exclusively for many years, lots of bugling bulls, lots of bears, lots of thick over-your-head salal, 2007 storm messed it up a bit,  lots of adventure for sure.   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

as long as we are all acting like adults (I was even called names when I asked about unit several years ago)
I was wondering what gates in the 681 they actually open during modern...
The only gate I have seen open in my scouting has been Dell Creek.
But then I only hunt Archery...
I really don't think it matters though, most of the areas I find elk you have to be in the thick stuff, or see them out in private farmland near town.
just curious how far in the modern guys get to go...
I did see a fire up on the ridge (Bear River) last archery season as I drove down off the hill from Radar Ridge, and wondered if it was workers or hunters.
I meet several power and Nature Conservancy employees while hunting back there (more so than other hunters)

[flcracker]

I think you're right that the dell creek gate stays open but a chunk of that ground was leased out by Rayonier last I heard. I think its a Hancock gate so their ground must be open, there's Campbell Group land in there as well. Besides that gate I don't know of any others. There were fires all over down there last fall I don't know what the causes were but the east winds didn't help any.

[bobcat]

There's also a chunk of Weyerhaeuser in 681 that is now accessible with the purchase of a $200 permit. The permits went on sale two weeks ago, and very few have sold. So I'd imagine with that new permit, there will be more people driving in than there has in the past, at least during early archery and early muzzleloader.

[Bullkllr]

Something else to think about: it is easy to think that the farther you get in from a gate the less the pressure will be.

This is true to an extent. But most of the road systems run together, opening the very real possibility of hunters coming in from other (sometimes easier) routes than the one you took. Ran into that situation several times in that area.

You can scout out an area, find a some good spots, then come opening day find hunters joining you from 2 or 3 other entry points. Only specific local knowledge and time in the woods really help.

[Tbob]

 
Had that happen a bunch last year. Nobody parked at my scouted gate when I got there. Got to "my spot" at O-dark thirty and low and behold there's 3 dudes sitting right where I was about to get into the thick stuff. Dude said they came in from the other gate down the hwy.. Well damn!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

That's why you burn up the boot leather during the off season.
Scouting (in my opinion) is more about learning the land than it is about seeing animals.
Those Elk you see all year long that suddenly disappear come season have been doing it for years.
I have this one saddle that if I get to it (3+miles in) and there are no fresh droppings on trail, I wait.
But if there is already crap there, I got to go all the way back and hit the next gate in an attempt to get ahead of them.
Knowing where they go when pressured is half the battle, anyone can find them in August, but they can go MILES in a very short time.
I use my GPS and mapping software to figure out those shortcuts, or predict where the animals are going to go to escape pressure.
Realize that in September it is all about the cows, and that lead cow has survived several years by having a sanctuary that it heads to at approximately the same time every year.
These little hidden areas are like fishing spots, even if you harvest an animal in the area, another will often be there to take its place.
It is amazing how year after year the same spot can produce.
It is just finding your own "special spot" and then, keeping others from finding it!