Bethel big bull tag

[dave24]

My young son drew a modern big bull tag in the Bethel unit this year. Not his first choice. Was wondering if anyone has any thoughts where to hunt. He is super excited. He loves to hunt. Was thinking of going into the Rattlesnake up high depending on the weather. We hunted the Peaches last year only saw 7 elk. Any info would help.

[vandeman17]

Pm sent

[hunterofelk]

I think the Rattlesnake drainage is in the Bumping unit.

[Dan-o]

Welcome to the site.

Your son drew a great tag.   Should be a great elk hunt.

[dave24]

Rattlesnake is the boundary line

[scoutdog346]

there is a few small rag horns in the feed station area right now that come out at night.  I bet if u were to follow them back to there beds that's where they will be for the 1st 2 or 3 days (in and arou d their bedding area) but other then that u won't have a problem filling that tag if u r willing to take 240"-270".it's a good hunt.  u will have to work very hard for a 300+ and still might not get it done. little natches is 1/2 the unit when it comes to Elk hunting just to pit it I  respective just my opinion though I could be completely wrong

[kevinlisa06]

Good luck to your boy on the hunt. I've never hunted the unit so I have no advice


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[adamR]

First off the little rattlesnake drainage and the left side of the rattlesnake drainage are in the bethel unit...  Hunting as high as you can get while staying on the east side of the 1500 road is a good bet.  You may want to drop down into the little rattlesnake and get up high in that road system too.  Just be willing to get into the nasty dark timber and you will find something.  Bethel is a great unit, you'll love it.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

What a great tag to draw! Can't wait for the story!

[PlateauNDN]

  nice bulls in there. I've taken and been apart of some nice bulls taken out of there.

[vandeman17]

First off the little rattlesnake drainage and the left side of the rattlesnake drainage are in the bethel unit...  Hunting as high as you can get while staying on the east side of the 1500 road is a good bet.  You may want to drop down into the little rattlesnake and get up high in that road system too.  Just be willing to get into the nasty dark timber and you will find something.  Bethel is a great unit, you'll love it.

Agreed

[Fish4Fun]

Nice tag to have, just remember these bulls will have had Quality Archery, Quality Muzzle loader, and Quality Rifle Bull hunters ahead of you. I don't think I would lay off any branched bull if your son has a good shot. There are a few 300"+  bulls in the Bethel Unit, but  the bulk of what you see will be rag horns and if lucky a nice 250" - 280" 6X6. The places already suggested would be a great place to find a bull, there are no shortage of roads to move around either.

Remember the old saying, don't pass on the first day what you would shoot on the last day.
I had the Bethel Quality Bull rifle tag last year, saw lots of bulls that would be shooters with your sons tag.

[dave24]

Thanks for the info will be a great hunt I hunted peaches last year let me know if I can help anyone with info

[baker5150]

LOTS of guys on the 1500  and within a few hundred yards on either side. Especially on the weekends.  Road hunters and guys hunting out of camp. Not too many venture out too far  Get in deep and thick in the rattlesnake drainage and you'll see some elk.  They're in there. Lots of country to be alone in down there.

[Jolten]

I'm up in this unit every deer and elk season for modern.

There are alot of good bulls in there.

Dawn and dusk watch the side hills with an open clearing close to thick timber.

[vandeman17]

LOTS of guys on the 1500  and within a few hundred yards on either side. Especially on the weekends.  Road hunters and guys hunting out of camp. Not too many venture out too far  Get in deep and thick in the rattlesnake drainage and you'll see some elk.  They're in there. Lots of country to be alone in down there.

Are you talking deer hunters? No general season for archery elk so I am hoping it won't be REAL busy.

[dfresh96]

My friend got drawn for this tag as well, Im gonna be camp cook & pack mule...

I'm planning to hunt area with my general tag during muzzy season to get a little more familiar with it...BTW I will be using a bow...

Good luck
   

[baker5150]

LOTS of guys on the 1500  and within a few hundred yards on either side. Especially on the weekends.  Road hunters and guys hunting out of camp. Not too many venture out too far  Get in deep and thick in the rattlesnake drainage and you'll see some elk.  They're in there. Lots of country to be alone in down there.

Are you talking deer hunters? No general season for archery elk so I am hoping it won't be REAL busy.

Modern Elk hunters.  OP stated they had the Modern bull tag. 

[yakimanoob]

LOTS of guys on the 1500  and within a few hundred yards on either side. Especially on the weekends.  Road hunters and guys hunting out of camp. Not too many venture out too far  Get in deep and thick in the rattlesnake drainage and you'll see some elk.  They're in there. Lots of country to be alone in down there.

[hunterofelk]

When the OP listed the Rattlesnake I didn't know he meant the Little Rattlesnake.  I have the Goose Prairie permit and have been studying some areas on the GoHunt site and getting to know the boundaries.  Like the Bethel Ridge Road separates the Nile and Bumping from Bethel.  But what are boundaries but lines on a map.

[gee_unit360]

Keep up the good info for the youngster! 

[dave24]

How has Bow hunters and muzzle hunters done that has gotten the Bethel Bull tag this year?

[vandeman17]

I filled mine. 

[summertime blues]

👆Adam is the only one I know of during archery.  Soup for me

[vandeman17]

👆Adam is the only one I know of during archery.  Soup for me

We talked to a handful of guys there while we were there and nobody I talked to had notched their tag

[LDennis24]

Buddy had archery tag, didn't get one

[gee_unit360]

Just got home from General Muzzle season. Saw two 6 points and a raghorn 4 point and over 60 cows. All advice given is good. Work the steep side hills, and drainages, there are people driving all over in there during Muzzle so rifle season should be an absolute zoo. Pray for snow and get as far away from the roads as you can. It's tough because it seems like there is roads everywhere. Study google earth.

[Naches Sportsman]

Just watched a 6×7 come out of the bowl I'm sitting over. Look where you think people drive right past and don't think there's elk .

[PlateauNDN]

Naches, tie him up to a sage brush for me, I'm on my way.

[Naches Sportsman]

Naches, tie him up to a sage brush for me, I'm on my way.

He's not anywhere close to sage brush.

[HoofsandWings]

My cameras took pictures of a half dozen 4-6 pt bulls with the majority being 6.  In over a thousand pictures, not one of a spike bull. Looks it will be tough to find a spike.

[PlateauNDN]

My cameras took pictures of a half dozen 4-6 pt bulls with the majority being 6.  In over a thousand pictures, not one of a spike bull. Looks it will be tough to find a spike.

Spikes are there. It sounds like you located a mature bachelor bull sanctuary. Spikes tend to stay near their familiar areas the 1st year they get the boot, then as they mature and join older bulls to get away from cows & crowds.

Naches, tie him up to a sage brush for me, I'm on my way.

He's not anywhere close to sage brush.

 

[Yakirack]

Any luck yet? I have a friend with the same tag and only saw 4 cows yesterday.

[Fish4Fun]

Things will get more interesting come Saturday morning, once the hunters get there and start kicking the animals out of their hiding spots.  There are plenty of good bulls in Bethel, right now they are laying low after Archery, Muzzle-loader and Quality bull tags.

[Naches Sportsman]

End up eating the tag? Here's a bull in an area I mentioned to look in.