Possibly new to the area

[Axeman149]

My name is Axel, and I am 95 percent sure I will be headed to the NW Washington area for work around June.  I hunt bow and rifle down here in the GA/AL area mainly for deer and hogs.  I am still pretty new to the hunting world (2nd season), but I am pretty good at it.  Once I know exactly where I will be going, I would like to catch up with a few hunting partners for some beers.  However, in the mean time I have a few general questions, and this seems to be the place to ask them. 
First off, if you hunt bow and rifle, do you normally hunt bow for deer, and rifle for bear and elk? I am pretty good with a bow, confident on shots out to 50 yds, but I don't know if that is an acceptable distance for hunting elk.
 Is stalking the majority of what people do out there? Down here I hunt from a climber tree stand, and have never had to stalk, so do I need to start practicing?
 Last for now, I see a lot of talk about public land/private land.  Is a lot of the private land "pay to hunt", if so, what is the usual going rate, or is it just a gentlemans agreement?
Thanks in advance for the info, I hope to be joining y'all in the coming months, and happy hunting.

[bobcat]

If you're good with a bow and the use of tree stands, your best bet would be hunting the early archery season for elk with your bow, out of a tree stand, at least some of the time. You should do well if you have the patience and know how to hunt out of tree stands. So that's what I would recommend. The rifle elk season is crazy. Too few areas that have public access that have good numbers of elk so it gets pretty crowded.

For deer you could go either way. Just mostly depends on when you want to hunt and how much time you have. Archery will give you more time in the field, which might be best at least for your first season here. The rifle season is a little better catching part of the rut.

[raydog]

In the NW part of Washington the is a lot of huntable land for deer. Lots of national forest land. I would bow elk and rifle deer hunt. For best chance of filling tags.

[Eli346]

 

[Axeman149]

I appreciate the quick responses! I hope I get where I want for work (Everett, marysville, or Bellingham) and I should know around March.  Till then I will continue to study Elk habits, and this forum for all info I can gather. Your two posts did say elk was better with archery. Is hunting elk From a stand comprable to hunting deer from a stand? Are you hunting food sources or paths to and from bed down locations?  I know down here I have a better time hunting trails to and from bed down locations, but that is more because the area I hunt the deer are pushed hard, so I have a better time finding them on the move than finding them eating at a food source.  Thanks for all the replies so far!
Axel

[bobcat]

You can also do well calling elk in during the early archery season, especially if you're physically capable of hiking in far enough to get away from most of the hunting pressure.

[Axeman149]

I plan on moving large distances, I have been in a very physically demanding job for the past 10 years, and the new position puts me behind a desk(not my style at all)!  I always hunt deep in the woods, so I guess that won't change when I move, the only thing I guess I worry about is predators when I go too deep.  I have not had to worry about bears or wolves down here, only snakes, coyotes, and the rare alligator.

[bobcat]

No need to worry about bears, wolves, or cougars. You can carry a sidearm if it makes you feel safer.