INFO ON TOUTLE AND SCOUTING PARTNERS

[grousetracker]

Drew toutle quality bull and seeking info where to start scouting. Thanks in advance, Also seeking other tag holders to scout hunt with.

[Mudman]

Loowit boundary.

[fowl smacker]

State land if you don't get a Weyerhaeuser permit.

[ThurstonCokid]

There are elk on state land. I’d buy a weyco pass for the tag and like someone else said, hunt the border..


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[Dark2Dark]

Drew toutle quality bull and seeking info where to start scouting. Thanks in advance, Also seeking other tag holders to scout hunt with.

I’ll probably try to do some scouting on my dads behalf. And bring him along some. Which of the tags did you draw?

[Angus]

I drew a Toutle archery quality bull tag, will be spending about every other weekend in there, gotta get some fishing in too. Going to pull some of my Coweeman trail cams tomorrow and reset them in the Toutle.
I'll probably spend this weekend checking out state land, just in case I don't get a Weyerhaeuser key Monday.

[Wizekrakr]

Start with finding the 3000 line. You have to cross Weyco land to get to the 3000 but I don't think a key is required to get up there. Up the 3000 line is state land once you get far enough in. There used to be a sign showing where state land starts. A weyco key will help you at the lower elevations in there. Once you get up high enough access to the border of the Loowit is good. I've seen herds both high and low in Sept. Good luck with your scouting and the hunt.

[Smitty1121]

There's some state land on the south end of the unit that can be pretty productive as well.

[grousetracker]

Thanks for the info, I know the area some but things have changed since I deer hunted it in the 90s

[Angus]

Grousetracker, I've spent 4 days up there, driving roads and learning the area, I've seen cows every time in but have yet to see a bull.
I've got 3 trail cams set in 556 and one in 550, will probably check them in early Aug and again in early Sept, anxious to see what they show.
I've come in from both the north (4100 rd) and the south, Kalama River rd and have seen elk at both ends and in the middle, good bino's and a spotting scope helped a lot. Good luck.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

I thought you said the "Weneha"?

[dagon]

directions from town of Toutle to 3000 rd.
                 miles
toutle road 10.4   
4100    2.5   
4200    2.4   
4250    5.2   
arrive at 3000
Everything north or east of 3000 rd is mudflow unit except the very end if you go to the right.
Was up there last weekend (grandson has the mudflow youth hunt) Still some snow on the 3000 in spots.
Good luck. 

[Angus]

Dagon, I was up there a couple weeks ago, at the 5 way intersection where 4250 meets the 3000 and as soon as I turned onto 3000 there was a sign saying active logging operation, authorized personal only beyond this point, so I turned around, can you get through there? it was a Sunday and I doubt anyone was up there, thought about just going for it but decided against it.

[HntnFsh]

Dagon, I was up there a couple weeks ago, at the 5 way intersection where 4250 meets the 3000 and as soon as I turned onto 3000 there was a sign saying active logging operation, authorized personal only beyond this point, so I turned around, can you get through there? it was a Sunday and I doubt anyone was up there, thought about just going for it but decided against it.

I think you will be fine on a weekend. I drove clear to the end Sunday before last. No signs. All equipment was off the road. Wasnt enough snow on the road to worry about. Couple small drifts. Took one of the roads down towards the bottom that is just a mile or 2 from the end of the 3000. Cant remember the number but it had some decent drifts on it. I didnt have any trouble cutting the first tracks though.

Got a late start and didnt see any deer or elk. But lots of goats up on the flanks of the mountain. So far away they just looked like small white spots wandering around. Then saw 1 goat on the closest ridge to the 3000 that comes up from Castle lake right at the end.

[dagon]

Dagon, I was up there a couple weeks ago, at the 5 way intersection where 4250 meets the 3000 and as soon as I turned onto 3000 there was a sign saying active logging operation, authorized personal only beyond this point, so I turned around, can you get through there? it was a Sunday and I doubt anyone was up there, thought about just going for it but decided against it.

I think you will be fine on a weekend. I drove clear to the end Sunday before last. No signs. All equipment was off the road. Wasnt enough snow on the road to worry about. Couple small drifts. Took one of the roads down towards the bottom that is just a mile or 2 from the end of the 3000. Cant remember the number but it had some decent drifts on it. I didnt have any trouble cutting the first tracks though.

Got a late start and didnt see any deer or elk. But lots of goats up on the flanks of the mountain. So far away they just looked like small white spots wandering around. Then saw 1 goat on the closest ridge to the 3000 that comes up from Castle lake right at the end.

Like hutnfsh says. Right now I would go up on the weekend only like we did. Nobody was working. That said I punched a hole thru a tire near the logging zone soooo! Beware. LOL

[Lumpy Taters]

Without the weyco permit it will be a little tougher.   There's elk on the state land but they are on the edges.  Seen 23 head on the border with the Winston and Loowit units

[HntnFsh]

Have any of you been up the 3000 line lately. Wondering if there still logging up by Castle lake and if a person can get through on a weekday?
Thanks
HntnFsh

[Angus]

I was headed up there a few days ago but aborted a few miles up 4250 after having to pull over for 1 log truck headed up and 2 more coming down. Took a left and headed over toward the 522 boundary, saw a few deer, no elk but I didn't really expect to on a 90 degree day.

[HntnFsh]

Thank you for the info!

[Elkpiss]

drop down the 5600 right after 5 corners drop down all the way to the river, there is a skid road that follows the river for miles, all the elk will be coming off the river at day light, you can spend your entire hunt of that skid road and give  your self multiple opportunity, you can even cross the river in that general area and put yourself in untouched land.  good luck..  Ive hunted that tag twice and never left that skid road and smoked um every time..

[grousetracker]

been in there now 8 times and this is definately a tougher area to figure out, havent seen much but took off all the early season so should have a chance.

[Dark2Dark]

I poked around yesterday in the south side of the unit from a vantage point where I could glass quite a few clear cuts. Or course it was socked in with fog for most of the prime morning time. Didn’t see anything once it cleared. I saw a grouse and a couple deer.

Timing is everything, I expect a lot more encouraging results when the weather cools and rut activity picks up!

[Ryan P]

Shoot me a text and I will send you some waypoints that I have if you want. I have had a toutle tag 3 times now. Two in the past 6 years( cow tags). But obviously we saw bulls.

360 620 9520

[Angus]

My scouting season for my upcoming Toutle quality bull hunt ended yesterday and I've gotta say, I'm still excited for the hunt but I'm not overly encouraged by what I saw in 6 scouting trips and approx 25 miles of hiking. Final count of elk seen was 28 cows/calves and 2 spikes, and I did hear my first bugle yesterday evening but didn't see the bull. By comparison, I drive through (but don't hike) the Coweeman and have seen about the same amount of cows/calves, 2 spikes, a 4x4 and 2-5x5's.
Sure hope it was just a lot of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the tag lives up to expectation.

[grousetracker]

toutle is tough, no real rut activity yet, wish we had mudflow tags would be tagged out.

[Backstrap]

As others have said, Loowit border. Hunt the thinned timber, don’t spend much if ay time watching clear cuts. Good luck.

[Lumpy Taters]

After the first mudflow hunters get their shot the mudflow hunt gets really interesting.   Without the weyco permit the toutle isn't an easy tag.  With the weyco land ypu should at least get a shot.  There is the numbers in there anymore.   Hoof rot and over harvesting the cows really cut the numbers down

[grousetracker]

just got back, 10 days in touttle 31 elk total, never saw any on the loowit side 3 days in there, if you had a rifle tag it would be filled, never saw a big bull, just a tough hunt maybe late season.

[Dark2Dark]

just got back, 10 days in touttle 31 elk total, never saw any on the loowit side 3 days in there, if you had a rifle tag it would be filled, never saw a big bull, just a tough hunt maybe late season.

You have the late season chance?

Any bulls in ML range?

[Dark2Dark]

My dad tagged out on the second day.

We were around bugling elk Friday evening (scouting hike), Saturday morning, Saturday evening and then this guy Sunday morning.

The other times the bull did not seem keen to fight (although the herd also didn’t take off on us).

He came to a combination of Ez Sukr, Amp, Wayne Carlton, panting, tree racking and bugles. He seemed to like everything he heard and he came down the hill rapidly. Dad shot him inside of 15 yards and dropped him in his tracks.

I had a few glimpses of him on the way in but lost side of him before the shot. I was pretty surprised when I ran up to dad and the bull was dead on the ground close enough to throw the muzzleloader at him.

[hunterednate]

Heck yes! That is awesome. Congrats to your dad. What a cool experience for both of you guys. Beautiful bull.

[MADMAX]

Very nice

[Backstrap]

Very nice! That thinned timber is nice to hunt.

[grousetracker]

The whole toutle was shut down the first 2 days we were escorted from our camp by the sheriff on friday night we camped on the state land up the 4200, we spoke with 2 hunters that were issued citations for being in there on saturday. congrats on a great bull.