general season stories

[outdooraddict]

I know most elk camps are still camping (I mean hunting),  my dads in the umtanum, seen a couple cows and he said minimal shooting.  no spikes have been posted yet.  lets hear some stories of the pumpkin patches

[SniperDanWA]

I was up in the umptanum yesterday for a visit.  I heard two spikes were taken and a 7x6 on opening and nothing since.  Not my info to share on 7x6.  Only stories I heard is, it is bleak up there.  I did a couple of my old runs and ran into multiple guys doing the same.  Fewer camps, but bigger ones as far as I could tell.  More banner signs marking their camps.

[Naches Sportsman]

I haven't bought a tag, but I had a spike on cam again during shooting light yesterday and there was 3 cows that I could see eating apples in the neighbors orchard early this morning. They are taking advantage of harvest being done and living the good life down low 

[C-Money]

Saw very few elk in the Colockum. My traditional elk areas have been off for about 4 years now. Very few animals where I hunt lately.

[bhawley76]

During deer season I had some person  sneak up on my 3d deer 30 yards from my back door with a flashlight right at dark. The wife asked him what the hell he was doing his response was its deer season. I'm glad I wasn't home would of been bracelets for me.

[CAMPMEAT]

During deer season I had some person sneak up on my 3d deer 30 yards from my back door with a flashlight right at dark. The wife asked him what the hell he was doing his response was its deer season. I'm glad I wasn't home would of been bracelets for me.

The nerve of the local crackheads.....

[GlockGuy56]

Hiked around on opening day in Ahtanum. Didn't see any elk and heard one shot ring out all day.

[slowhand]

Up in the Nile there was a big camp that had a large Elk/Deer 3d target that they would take the occasional shot at just to make sure they were ready for the opportunity should it arise.
Well there was more than one time, ok I will be honest it happened 3 times, that on the way back to camp I might have jumped out of the truck and started to knock an arrow. I want to point out that I was a kid and hell bent on getting My first Deer or Elk.
The Messed up part was My Dad would let Me, LOL. I would say "Elk!!!!!" He would stop the truck let Me Fly out. I would turn around and He would say "that darn thing got me Too" laughing under his breath. Funny how often We took that way back to our camp. I think Dad was messing with Me. Not cool Dad! not Cool!

[HoofsandWings]

Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.

[Moe the Sleaze]

Heading up to the Colockum tomorrow through Sunday.  I have to say the reports I've been getting have been very poor.  I'll give it a good try, but to be honest, I'm not very enthused. The "true spike" rule seems ridiculous.  Anybody care to guess how many true spikes might be running around in the entire Colockum herd?  My feeling is not very many.  I'm hoping for 1 in the 25 square mile area I usually hunt, but frankly our advance party has seen no elk at all there this year.  I'm thinking general season elk is pretty much a lost cause unless you have a cow tag.  Good for beer drinking I suppose...

[slowhand]

Anywhere that has true spike bull only is a joke. Go hunt someplace else. 
 

[Hilltop123]

Figurativly speaking, 340 and 342, are ghost towns. Was not sure why, until I checked the game regs, the state cut the cow tags for those two GMU's 90%. Last year 340 issued 350 cow tags and 342 issued 200. This year 340, 35 cow tags and 342, 20 cow tags. There is probably half if not less, camps this year than in the last 14 years.

[slowhand]

It gets harder and harder each and every year. You just got to adapt. learn a new weapon or a new area. There are still options.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.

I don't think I could pass on that.  I'd probably have to take my chances with fish and game and hope they could see the wound was old and the one I put in his head was fresh.  I am sure with my luck I would get some young punk who thinks he just received a gift wrapped poaching case, but Ill take my chances. 

Ill pack it out and they can donate it where ever, but a suffering, wounded animal that is going to waste is something I wont walk away from.  I guess I am just compassionate respect the animal to much.  We shouldn't be afraid to do what is right by the animal.

[SniperDanWA]

I haven't bought a tag, but I had a spike on cam again during shooting light yesterday and there was 3 cows that I could see eating apples in the neighbors orchard early this morning. They are taking advantage of harvest being done and living the good life down low 

I walked a lot yesterday.  Got back to the truck and 200’ from the truck was a small herd of cows and possibly a couple spikes (could not tell in the trees).  They ran into the trees too fast to tell.  I hoofed it around them, they ran back towards the truck, I hoofed it around them again and back into the thick stuff.  An hour and a half in a 20 acre or less patch of trees.  Never could get enough of a view to know how many and of what gender.