Cowless in the Margaret

[arrowflinger]

Wow, From everything I was told and all the scouting I did......it turned out harder then I thought.  From glassing clear cuts and busting brush. Saw one bull, the arse of another elk, one gut pile and a bear. I'll be hunting alone hopefully on Wed and again on Saturday.............Need more advice, if any of you might be willing to help a guy out.

[spin05]

My buddy and i hunted archery deer there one year just to  see what it was like.We drove the unit end to end long ways and came out at the corner of the loo-wit unit. We saw no elk...........thats no elk entill the last 1/2 mile before we got out.There was2 5x5 bulls with no cows.....How do you drive thru the premier elk unit in the state and not see an elk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I guess what im saying is good luck.That being said i will still be putting in for the big bull tag for that area

[arrowflinger]

I met a couple of hunters at Kidd Valley, they gave me a few places to check. But nothing. If you're on here, thanks for the advice and hopefully you found a bull in the Winston.

[Little Fish]

Arrowflinger,
I checked in on some friends who hunted this past weekend (SW Wa) and they didn't see many animals either....even those guys hunting the Toutle. Although the weather was cool I don't think it was the best conditions for seeing animals. I don't know who long your season is, but it seems like if you keep at it you are going to come across them.
LF

[Black Ghost]

I would suggest looking for a good trail and waiting.  There are so many elk in there it's crazy. 

[rackattack]

Have you tried the area around Schultz Creek?  It's up by Coldwater visitor center, lot's of elk in that drainage.  Might be able to enter through the 3540 gate.

[arrowflinger]

I camped right near there...........hiked all around the 3540. Not sure were Schultz creek is from the gate? They were cutting boughs and useing a Helicopter over by the 3545...............

[jae]

Have you tried the area around Schultz Creek?  It's up by Coldwater visitor center, lot's of elk in that drainage.  Might be able to enter through the 3540 gate.

I agree! Stay in that area and you will do fine!

[bucklucky]

Wow, never had a problem finding a cow on the uper side of the road to kill in margret. I cant believe you couldnt glass any up in the canyons. They are usually bedded on the grassy roads through out the day. Schultz creek is usually a good spot to find elk. I have never not been able to find an elk in there. Check out Ted gilbert lookout, Its a good place to glass from. You should be able to find something to go after from there depending on the fir bow cutters. I've hunted around them for years up there. Always seemed to mess up my hunting . Then it started getting to growed up to hold the big populations of deer that used to be up there. You may want to try the 3130 drainage too. Or just drive back and forth on the highway like everyone else :chuckle:Maybee your buddy was bad luck?

[TONTO]

Just got back from my bull hunt in there.Schultz creek turned out to be a bust for me,with the helocopters flying there wasn't much to be seen up high,atleast for me.Ended up spending most my time creeping around in the reprod down low.I did get a bit of meat for the freezer,but not exactly the big bull I was looking for.For a cow I'ld hunt around the 3140,3142, and 2520 areas.Check out the fresh thinned areas work your way up hill and listen for the cow/calf talk,they're pretty vocal.I had to do alot of belly crawlin to keep from getting busted,but spent alot of time in among the cows looking for horns.
I turned down two three points opening weekend and saw nothing but cows the next three days.Thursday afternoon I gave up :dunno:I shot a spike that almost stepped on me as I was laying there watching the cows feeding towards me.Not much of a trophy,but I got meat hanging and can get on with some duck killin now.
When I say he almost stepped on me I'm not kidding he was less then 8 feet away and closing,I guess you might say I shot him in self defense.

[Fesup]

hunted the winston margaret unit seen alot of cows but we don't hold a cow tag we went deeper into the winston  and it was funny every time I would spot a herd you would see a hunter headed straight for it . but the elk would just drop over the ridge and the hunter never knew the diff. we headed on over to the coweeman unit today (Saturday) didn't see any elk but had a nice buck jump out of the jacks and damm near into the passenger side of the door? heavy horned thick based buck. came out headquarter camp two game cops where sitting there. they stopped and talked to us said they haven't seen alot of elk taken . just as we were leaving  nine game cop rigs pulled up . looked to me like they were gonna set up robo bull . the weather just wasn't good for elk

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Not sure where they would set up robo bull up there. If they do he will end up with lots of holes in it...

[Fesup]

It was right about 4 pm they set robo up alot out there. guy I know came around the corner seen a nice buck but it just looked funny. he wasn't going to shoot it , but sat and watched it. but it just looked diff. he got out . he said the deer lifted its head turned and looked at him. it just looked funny he said. he tossed a rock at it. and all hell broke loose lights came on and game cops were all over , they said they could give him a ticket for harassment of game. Ha!  some may not agree with game dept doing this but I personally think it keeps honest people honest

[ICEMAN]

Personally, I think that the average hunter should not be the target of their labors. I would rather they focus on off season poachers. 9 guys at one spot? Give me a break.

[funkster]

Anybody have a picture of this robo bull? That is very funny and a clever idea from the game department to catch poacher's.

[Fesup]

ya wanna hear somthing funny. the guy who made it for the game dept lived in castle rock and got nailed shooting it last year it was all over the papers. like they said he did such a good job he fooled himself Ha!

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Like i said where wuld they put a bull up there that would be illegal to shoot. Unless they shoot at it in toutle with out a tag... Branched bulls are legal up there...

[rackattack]

Maybe they are after hour shooters, setting it that late in the day?

[HntnFsh]

ya wanna hear somthing funny. the guy who made it for the game dept lived in castle rock and got nailed shooting it last year it was all over the papers. like they said he did such a good job he fooled himself Ha!

It was actually his decoy deer that he shot,off Tower road..He was a taxidermist in Castle Rock.They got his wife for a couple violations also.

[funkster]

someone has to have a pic of this,this is cracking me up!

[bearhunter59]

probably gettin em for shooting from the road or their vehicles...

[smdave]

someone has to have a pic of this,this is cracking me up!

This company claims to make 200 to 300 a year.

http://www.wildlifedecoys.com/enforcement_decoys/index.php

Dave