Mount Whittier Bull

[elkboy]

Thanks for sharing!!!  Awesome adventure in some challenging country.  Congratulations to you and your son. 

[Caseknife]

Great write-up and congrats to your son on a successful hunt.  Good luck to you this fall.

[jstone]

I have never hunted Roosevelt Elk. Every year I see these backcountry hunts on the west side puts me on the fence to burn my points on Roosevelts

[Falcon]

Congrats to you both.  Awesome writeup   

[Griff1981]

Definitely not a boring read. It gets me excited for my hunt this year. It was awesome bumping into you on the trail last weekend and taking in the information you had to share. Hopefully I will have a great story and good pictures to share. I have never been on a hunt like this, but just one trip up in to those mountains to do some scouting has got me hooked. I am looking forward to your pictures this year. Good luck.

[Seabeckian]

Did you draw the tag for Bull rifle? Curious because I supposedly have the one rifle tag for Quality, after it was turned back in. Very cool write up for your boy! Congrats!

[Nate p]

You are correct I have the October Rifle tag. Congrats on drawing the quality tag!! That will be a fun hunt for sure. hopefully you get a little cooler weather for your hunt. Wonder if the original tag holder turned it back in after taking a closer look at the unit and realizing how difficult it would be. Make sure to let us all know the hunt goes and good luck!!

[Seabeckian]

You are correct I have the October Rifle tag. Congrats on drawing the quality tag!! That will be a fun hunt for sure. hopefully you get a little cooler weather for your hunt. Wonder if the original tag holder turned it back in after taking a closer look at the unit and realizing how difficult it would be. Make sure to let us all know the hunt goes and good luck!!

Thanks Nate! I wasn’t given a reason why I got the second draw on it. I do suspect the same thing. For sure not a tag to put in for if you don’t know how challenging it is. I wish I had more than 6 weeks notice to pull it off, but still stoked to pull a quality tag. Good luck, looking forward to seeing your success.

[Elkfever]

I really enjoyed the write up and pics, thanks for sharing.  Can’t wait to hear how your hunt goes this fall. 

Question for you guys, with the wet weather on the mtn, were you guys able to get a campfire going or did you use a wood stove in the Sawtooth?  Would a shelter with a stove be the ticket on any of the St Helens hunts? 

[The G Spot]

I don’t believe you can have campfires in the mt marg back country.

[Nate p]

G spot is correct, no camp fires in the backcountry area and this includes wood stoves. We brought a titanium stove with us just in case of emergency but never needed to use it.

[The G Spot]

Good tent and sleeping bag! My pops always told me “mountain conditions can change rapidly, be prepared”. 👍

[Elkfever]

Thanks for the clarification on fires in the Margaret backcountry.  That would make for some potentially wet, miserable nights out.  Bomber 4 season tent and synthetic sleeping bag would be the ticket.

[pianoman9701]

Great pics, great story, great bull! Thank you for sharing what must've been forever cherished memories in the making.

[Nate p]

A good sleep system (bag/quilt and insulated pad) made all the difference on this hunt. My only regret is using a floorless tent. At some points of the night I was getting sandblasted by ash due to the high winds from the storm and the volcanic ash we were sleeping on. We have since upgraded to ultralight 2 man double wall tents. Not as much room as a sawtooth and not able to use a stove but the added security of knowing your body is holding the tent in place if all else fails is a good feeling.

Thanks for all the positive comments and feedback! Really shows what a great community hunt Washington is. My son is blown away how many of you fine folks took the time to read about his hunt.

This year we have my Whittier bull tag, my oldest son drew the blue mnt foothills west tag for white tail, and my youngest son will be hunting for the first time this season at 8 years old. He is holding a doe tag but he said he wants to hold out for a buck until late in the season.

I have done some research on the blue mountain tag and have located the land that is feel free too hunt but we will probably be going in blind for only 4 days. If anyone wants to share some info to help my now 15 year old boy shoot his first branch buck that would greatly appreciated.