Elk Hunting in Ferry, Stevens, or Pend Oreille Counties

[KFhunter]

Already found it

     

[CAMPMEAT]

We went to Metaline and hit the tavern there. We just started BSing with the local loggers and BINGO. We got all the info we needed. We became friends after that. We never shot an elk there. It's rough hunting.

[trophyhunt]

Already found it

     

[Woodchuck]

Already found it

     

I think I have seen the disclaimer on several of the small landing site's.

Make sure you fly the strip to relocate any animals on the runway.

So that's the secret... I have to send a text. 

[Machias]

In 1994 I moved to Washington.  I had never had the pleasure of elk hunting.  Had no idea where to go.  Looked at the map for the biggest area I could find with no roads and headed there.  It was in Stevens County.  Drove up a main road and turned down a side road.  Traveled about 2 miles to the end of the road and there standing in the middle of the FS road was a spike bull.  Sweet, that was easy.  Over the next week I was into elk almost every day, had an iffy shot on a cow with my bow and decided against it.  Did battle with a herd bull and called him into 40 yards but it was too think for a shot.  All in all I had a GREAT season.  There was a ton of sign!  Next year I went scouting in the same area.  All the sign was still there and very fresh!  Never heard or seen an elk the entire season.  Later learned all the fresh sign I had seen in 1994 and in 1995 was in fact moose sign!  That is when I found out the pockets of elk are scattered, here today and 15 miles away tomorrow.

[Tracker0721]

Here in Ferry I’ve been on the elk every year, this year- the wolves and lions. Not 1 elk or any fresh sign. Deer herds are way down too. It’ll be interesting when the grizzlies start showing up. Sherman gets hit hard but RMEF sponsored a burn to make elk habitat up there. 500 acres or something in 2016, one of the forest service guys went up there and tagged a very nice bull.

Bugling doesn’t work as far as I’ve seen, limited cow chirps does, most of them can sneak around the cedar groves like a cougar also.

 Um, talk to the locals and eventually someone will give up a good spot. Don’t hunt that spot because everyone else already knows it and hunts it hard. Use google maps and find good areas for them to be hiding in after everyone blows em out of the good spot. Could be 2-3 miles away but that’s as good of a bullseye as you’ll get

[Miles]

Finding elk up there isn’t hard, killing them is.   Good luck.

[mdbuck5x5]

This thread makes me 

[JL]

Me too. 

[AJ Howard]

Well I really do appreciate all of the information and willingness that everyone is contributing. If any of you are over there and would like to hunt at all, let me know! And where is the 500 acres on Sherman?

[Tracker0721]

Haha the lips are sealed on that. They mentioned it in an issue of RMEF and I’m not sure all who knew where it was. Smoke cloud was on the backside of the mountain you stare at when nearly flying off dead mans curve heading east. But there’s over 30 head that travel the kettle crest regularly. So I’m thinking it was done for that herd, not the local groups of 3-6 randomly all over. Believe there’s much more the closer to Idaho you get though.

[Lapua07]

I've hunted elk from Western Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Living in Stevens, Co, these local elk are by far the toughest public land animals to kill not only in this state but all the other states I've hunted. I've taken a few here over the year's. Combination of lots of homework, footwork and just plain dumb luck. Access to these elk is generally the hardest part. Catching them in the transition points from private to public land, remote area's (away from roads) good luck

[X-Force]

Maybe this should be its own thread but I just looked up some numbers District 1 only 101-121 general elk harvests every 2 years since 97. These are just the harvest numbers and number of hunters for the district.
Year - Harvests - Hunters
97 - 79 - 1946
99 - 70 - 4978
01 - 52 - 3296
03 - 119 - 3106
05 - 127 - 2439
07 - 167 - 1789
09 - 224 - 4833
11 - 234 - 4530
13 - 229 - 4377
15 - 229 - 4245* Multiseason harvests included but not hunters
17 - 222 - 3532

Looking at just one barometer it looks like elk in the Northeast are stable especially over the last 10 years.

[CAMPMEAT]

Lake Ellen, but watch out for the Rez line....

[bornhunter]

I had a local property/business owner giving me some good info on where I could find a bear to fill my spring tag. I asked about deer and he had some good info. I asked about elk and he said quote,"we dont talk about elk."