Gmu560 looking where not too go

[bowtechian]

Gonna be my first early archery elk so I also don't have any points built up yet. So I'm really asking where are the high pressure areas to avoid? I plan on camping close to cougar,wa & still have some scouting and planning to do but any tips fr locals & other hunters is appreciated! Just hope the  area I'm looking into isn't a mad house     

[RadSav]

Well, 560 is a huge unit.  So you should eventually find a spot where there aren't too many hunters.  Problem is those areas usually don't have any elk   Only sure fire way I know to find few people AND elk in 560 is to put some miles on the boots.  One mile is usually enough to leave 75% of the other hunters behind.

560 tends to be worst in years when Weyco closes all land for fire danger.  Good chance that will be the case this year.  It can get really frustrating.  When the wife and I moved to Vancouver I spent all my time scouting 560.  Found lots of elk, some great bulls, beautiful country and a lot of promise.  Took me two days into the season before I swore I'd never go back.  Even my most remote "Nobody would ever find this place" spots were crawling with misplaced Weyco hunters and bugle toting bow commandos.  Usually a person has to hunt Winston in the late season to find such a concentration of complete tools!

I finally did go back and found some spots away from roads and into some thick and nasty's where intrusion was limited and enjoyment was reasonable.  Though in the end I found it much easier and convenient to hunt other units.  Now if I were 20 again and an elk fanatic that might be a completely different story.  But since I am not I've chosen other areas with high success and more old man and grouchy woman compliant.

[bowtechian]

You should go up too 407 that's a strait up goat f#$% ppl camping right where the elk travel to the ag land guys hiding in the brush next to the ag land like it's a firing line and I could go on

[RadSav]

You should go up too 407 that's a strait up goat f#$% ppl camping right where the elk travel to the ag land guys hiding in the brush next to the ag land like it's a firing line and I could go on

Oh you will find plenty of people camping in the elk feeding areas there too.  That first year I found a great little meadow.  Found it through Google, but could not see it from the road.  No road access.  Saw a jeep trail that looked like someone had gone in there and swamp buggied it at one time.  That was about it.  One, sometimes two herd of elk in there every evening.  Got up there opening morning and there were 10 full size camp trailers in there and enough beer to supply all our overseas Marines.  Every gated road had at least five rigs blocking it.  A few you couldn't even see the gate through the tents and campers.  I thought it was rifle season or something.  On my way out there was an ambulance coming in.  Hope they weren't needing through any gates!

It was as if all the people in Winston late hunt had shown up to hunt the same five mile stretch of woods.  Craziness!!   I used to hunt Buck Meadows in the Manastash in the mid-eighties.  We thought that was bad!  That was childs play compared to 560 that year.  A few years later there was rain and Weyco was open.  Was still bad but not nearly as bad as that year was.

You really should speak with one of the FS cruisers from south end and north end.  They can help steer you clear of the opening day hoards.  Might save you a bunch of scouting in an area that becomes worthless due to pressure and trouble makers.  I sure wish I had before I wasted all that time and money.  Took me a good three years to figure it out.

Funny thing is I can hunt close to town, be in elk every day and see very few guys after the second day.  And I can sleep in my own bed at night.  But, then again, if you like to party more than kill elk you might love it up there!

[RadSav]

There is some truly great high hunt areas in 560.  Some not all that far in either!  Good deer numbers, bear numbers and some big bulls.  If I had youth and endurance on my side that's where I'd be headed!

[grundy53]

Might not have to worry about weyco shutting down their land. I don't know about the Longview camp but Pe Ell hasn't shut down since it went permit only and they even had an active fire burning last year and still didn't shut down the woods. They told us the reason was that they wanted all of the eyes they could get up there and they felt the permit holders were responsible enough to trust up there.

[bowtechian]

There is some truly great high hunt areas in 560.  Some not all that far in either!  Good deer numbers, bear numbers and some big bulls.  If I had youth and endurance on my side that's where I'd be headed!
Good to hear I had my doubts but 1st yr down there I'll be taking a good week of of work to hunt

[RadSav]

At one point in time 560 was the place to be if you wanted to kill a BIG westside bull.  There are still some in there.  They just don't come as easy as they used to.  After you have done some scouting give me a call and we can compare notes.  Sounds like maybe a good reason to go to Hometown Burger or something of the sort.

You did say you moved down this way, didn't you?

[bowtechian]

Right on will do also pm sent

[bowtechian]

I live up on Whidbey island

[RadSav]

Ooops, sorry.  I must have read something that wasn't there.  It happens once in a while

Then I have to ask the question, "What made you decide to chose the southwest end of 560 as a place to start?" 

Was it total bull harvest numbers?  Because that can be deceiving. It's a big unit, but it was the most hunted elk unit in the state last year.  Hunter numbers in that one single unit exceeded many complete districts that are popular with elk hunters.  I'm sure Weyco permits had a lot to do with that last year. 

Be interesting to see how opening Margaret changes those numbers in 2015.  Hopefully that balances out the numbers a little.  If Toutle goes general next year that could change everything!!

[bowtechian]

I have a friends property to camp on above cougar on dog creek has a hot shower & covered area to eat & cook. The draw is more the area I don't dwell on stats & numbers that much 

[RadSav]

I have a friends property to camp on above cougar on dog creek has a hot shower & covered area to eat & cook. The draw is more the area I don't dwell on stats & numbers that much

Well, that sounds like a good deal.  Hopefully Margaret will send a few more folks north as will a few more people accepting the fees to hunt Weyco.  Good elk hunters are going to get their elk no matter the pressures.  A smart hunter in good shape can even make that work in their favor!  Should be a good time with a possibility of a real outstanding bull.  Let me know when you are coming down to scout so we can hook up for some chow.

[bowtechian]

Roger my first trip is around July 11th to get the lay of the land a little better

[jeffitz]

What's wrong with havin some beers at elk camp?