Toutle Quality

[PBR]

We're headed out to the north side of the unit tomorrow,  hopefully the weather cooperates. Any good areas to stomp around? We are thinking of running around during the 4532rd thinking maybe the guys in the Margaret are pushing em into Toutle?

[billythekidrock]

If you look at the tags they give out 40 youth rifle cow tags in toutle and 35 regular rifle cow tags it's going to get whipped out pretty good

 

[gotcha]

There's plenty guys. Just not standing out in the clear cuts like everyones used to.  If your willing to hunt you will have no problem.

[7mmfan]

Got my 1st elk in Toutle...  Thanks for all the help guys.  It was a rush.

Great first bull! Well done! Do I notice what looks to be a little hoof rot on his back leg? The hoof looks a little elongated, hard to tell in the photo.

[duggyphresh]

Yeah.  Had it on one if the back legs. Sent the hooves into wdfw drop box as requested.

[fireweed]

Yeah.  Had it on one if the back legs. Sent the hooves into wdfw drop box as requested.

And another common feature of hoof rot elk that hunters are telling the wdfw about: deformed or uneven antlers.  Looks like that too, spike on one side forked horn on other.

[PBR]

Doug couldnt have shot him at a better place, processing went extremely easy. Talked to another hunter down south that bagged a 5x3 down in the creeks, they were still packing him out the following day. We learned alot of the area South and found a killer area in the North. Just a damn shame well prolly never hunt there again, atleast while its special permit.

You guys with cow tags, let me know if you need some areas PM me and ill help you out from what I know, they were all over the South end during deer season, so maybe they'll be back in couple of weeks.

We headed up North Wednesday hunted only on Thursday because of the weather coming in. Hit one spot in the morning not seeing much we went further in to state land, but you have to have a key to get to it. I went right my buddy went left. I was onto something down lower, I could hear it moving around but never laid eyes on it. My buddy however laid eyes on a spike and 3 cows, unfortunately the cow was blocking his shot. He setup to wait em out and have a clear shot but they spooked, prolly caught his scent. This was all within 30min of entering the 2nd spot. We met up and circled around wide hiking in deep, sign everywhere, following well worn trails, but never laid eyes on anything. By this time the wind was picking up, fog coming in.. time to head down the mountain.

We had 4 tags in our group, notched 1. Saw 4 bulls, heard about 3 others pulled out. South end is great, North end we didnt scout and got lucky finding that spot but there is alot of opportunity up there we dont know about, for a bunch of Elk newbs I think we did pretty good. Now on to plan for next year.

[GameHunter1959]

I had a cow permit a few years ago in the Toutle. If you contact Weyco they will issue you a map with highlighted areas, which hold elk. These areas have the most tree damage from the elk. It worked for me. I never set foot in the GMU prior and went right where Weyco claimed was the largest damage area within the tree farm. Filled my cow tag within the first 45 minutes of the opener.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Isn't the phrase "Toutle Quality" an oxymoron?

[lonedave]

It can be, depending on the eye of the permit holder.  When I had the permit in 2012, I hadn't ever taken a branched bull.  Being able to hunt in a much less crowded area, see a few elk, and be able to take a small 4x5 was quality enough for me.  "Quality" doesn't have to mean a 350+" bull around every corner.  There can be degrees of "quality" like everything else.  Just my $0.02 worth.   

Dave

[bobcat]

I think hoof rot has made the Toutle much less of a quality hunt in the last couple of years. Since Margaret is now a general season unit, Toutle really should be too.

[kentrek]

I think hoof rot has made the Toutle much less of a quality hunt in the last couple of years. Since Margaret is now a general season unit, Toutle really should be too.

I think the blame would be more on the state since they started giving out more and more tags....my opinion is they wanted to kill off the elk before the hoof rot did

It should have gone general a few years ago

[PBR]

Quality is meat in the freezer, you can't eat horns and you'll choke on ego.

[Bullkllr]

Having hunted the Toutle several times over the past 20 or so years I would agree the decline in numbers and overall quality happened remarkably fast over the past 2/3 years.
Hoof rot and huge numbers of cow permits; no secret.

Glad the OP had a chance to harvest a nice bull