Tell me about Oak Creek...

[steeliedrew]

I'll be there for Sunday's madness. We have never been and figured it would be a cool family trip. I'll be there with my wife and 2 year old boy who loves hikes and will be on my back. I've heard plenty about how there's no more sheds in there because so and so has already taken two truck loads out during the night...

All I'm looking for is access. Does everyone start at the feed station and line up at the gate? I'll be staying at a cabin just down the road from there. I have onXmaps on my rino and on my phone and am fine figuring it out on my own as well. Just figured I'd ask if that's the best way in on Sunday.

Anyhow, Look for a guy with a toddler on his back, walking a Golden Retriever, with a wife wearing a Kifaru pack and say hello. 

Thanks,

Drew

[yotesnmore]

I watched a video just made with a warden talking about the shed hunting thats about to be done and they were showing sheds laying right in the main canyon above the feed lot so theres still some! 

[Dan-o]

I've never shed hunted there, but I do stop by too the elk.

The signage made me think that the road that heads in right from the feedlot opens to the hoards.    I assume that the Oak Creek Canyon road (1/8 mile upriver) also opens then.

Good luck

[cbond3318]

interested in this as well, was thinking about load the boy up on my back and taking a hike. From what I gather is what you asked, line up at the feed lot gate and head up

do you have to purchase any type of permit besides the WDFW access pass?

[Elkrunner]

Watch for snakes!

[steeliedrew]

Looking at the topo on my onXmaps app, showing the boundaries of the wildlife area, there seems to be a few FS roads that would get you in there from the north and west ends. I'll be heading out tomorrow. Probably will do some driving around and figure out a game plan.

[CP]

Some good info here:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/oak_creek/Oak%20Creek/

[cbond3318]

Steelie, I just called the Yakima WDFW office. They were very helpful with alternate access points and the general description of the event.

509-575-2740

[steeliedrew]

Awesome! Thank you!

[Maverick]

I watched a video just made with a warden talking about the shed hunting thats about to be done and they were showing sheds laying right in the main canyon above the feed lot so theres still some! 

Are you talking about the video they made a couple years ago?

[lewy]

Another quality comment by good ol nachessportswomen

[huntandjeep]

People will be lined up at the main gate @ Oak Creek feeding station  Saturday night ( if not earlier). Come 6 a.m all the horse people, ATV riders and long distance runners will take off in a mad dash for the bone.  7 a.m will see all the rest driving in . This same scenario will take place 1/8th mile up the road @ Oak Creek rd.  Not sure how the access will be over by the rattlesnake ( never went in that way on the 1st) but I imagen the same.
Good luck guys 

[mfswallace]

People will be lined up at the main gate @ Oak Creek feeding station  Saturday night ( if not earlier). Come 6 a.m all the horse people, ATV riders and long distance runners will take off in a mad dash for the bone.  7 a.m will see all the rest driving in . This same scenario will take place 1/8th mile up the road @ Oak Creek rd.  Not sure how the access will be over by the rattlesnake ( never went in that way on the 1st) but I imagen the same.
Good luck guys 

People already camping starting today 

[steeliedrew]

I heard there are sheds within eyesight of the gate. Someone please film everyone sprinting for those. I'll be somewhere way in the back of one of the lines. I'm not concerned with being up front. Just excited to get boots on the ground with my family. 

Have fun everyone! 

[jcef]

Can someone confirm the 0600 start is for people on foot, horses, ect and road vehicles are not allowed in until 0700 tomorrow? Coming from the west side and trying to see if the kids can get an extra our of sleep.

Also this is my first time shed hunting at the feeding area can you advise if we go in through the main gat of the feeding area can I bring my dog or would that be considered a no dog area?

[cbond3318]

Not sure about the dog but the WDFW office told me everyone starts at 6am, vehicle traffic included...

[steeliedrew]

Oak creek parking lot jam packed with camps around 5:00pm tonight. Should be fun!

[bowhunterwa87]

O i wish i could b there to witness the scramble

[Maverick]

Well how'd it go?

[wsucowboy]

Drove by a few hours ago and it looked like a zoo

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[steeliedrew]

We ended up having a pretty casual morning and leaving the cabin late in the morning. From there we drove in from the back side of oak creek and took a mainline for about 15 miles through the unit and popped out at the feed station. Lots of folks hiking around closer to the feed station. Saw a few guys with sheds strapped to their packs down there. We chose to explore the unit from the truck this time around and did lots of glassing from the high ridges. Now that we have a better lay of the land we'll be ready to hit it hard next time. All in all, a great trip with the family! 

[yakimarcher]

Drove by a few hours ago and it looked like a zoo

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it was a zoo!

[MarkTrail]

Apparently my truck looks like a local drives it. Lots of people were asking me how to get down yesterday that weren't even near the feeding station. I found about 4 gallons of morels between north fork and south fork and quite a few dead elk like I suspected earlier this year. Half of them were bulls.

Were the bulls already shed or still packing? Also what number is half? I would love to see pictures as well. Did they winter kill? Cougar? Wolves? Bigfoot? Or evil shed hunters?

[MarkTrail]

The reason I ask this, is because between me and some  buddies(who are hardcore)we haven't found nearly as many winter kills as you. Perhaps we are hiking to far away from the feed sites.....

[lewy]

Go figure, coward pulled his posts again.

[Pinetar]

Be careful Lewy or you will get reported to dad for stalking him lol

[snake]

He's a known loser...