Yakima North 340 & 342 Cow Elk Tag

[JoeyP]

Hey everyone!  My 82 year old grandpa drew a disability cow tag for Yakima North this year. Hoping to help him find something as it may be one of his last years hunting. I'm not familiar with this area since we usually hunt Clockum. The plan is to be somewhere in the Wenas area.  Let me know if you have any tips on finding cows here. putrusk@gmail.com. Thank you!

[doyourtime89]

Sounds really familiar, but it's my dad that drew that same tag that I will be helping and we are also more of colockum hunter too.  I am going to wait until after the general season is over before we head that way.  Not 100% sure where to start yet but I will pass along any info and Intel I get.  Good luck

[JoeyP]

Oh nice!  Are you planning for Wenas specifically as well?  It'll be a short trip for us, but we'll be out there 10/28-10/31.  So 2 days of scouting while spikes are still open and 2 days focusing on cows.

[doyourtime89]

I actually didn't plan on going over until the general is over.  I think it ends on Sun the 3rd.  So I was thinking from the Wedn on.  I was looking in the regs and there are 3 groups that got this tag.  Youth, 65 and over and disabled.  Youth and 64 and over it says last day is the Nov 10th but I just noticed disabled says Nov 9th.  So if needed we can't hunt that whole weekend.  I wonder why?

[Black Ram]

We got a group cow tag for 340

[JoeyP]

@doyourtime89 – Yeah, the general season is 10/26-11/3.  Regular antlerless in 340 and 342 is 10/30-11/3, during the general season.  But yeah, youth, 65 & older, and disabled can go after the general season (10/30-11/9 or 10).  Will definitely be less crowded after 11/3.

@Black Ram – That’s great!  Does that mean everyone in your group got a tag?  Have you hunted 340 before?

[Black Ram]

Yes all three of us have cow tags. Yes I have hunted unit 340 since 1987

[JoeyP]

Wow, congrats on getting 3 tags.  That's exciting!  I think it's been over a decade since anyone in our group has had one.

Do you typically stay West in the unit this time of year?  On a map the landscape of 340/342 seems to mimic 328/329 (where I usually hunt).  Before the snow, it seems like elk are west in the timber still.  Whereas the lowland and sagebrush areas are to the East toward the river.  Looks like 340 has more timber than 342.

[yakimanoob]

Pretty cool to have a cow tag in the Umtanum and Manastash; you shouldn't have any trouble finding animals. The spikes are ghosts during the general season, but even with all the traffic you could probably find a cow without too much trouble.

Before the snow, it seems like elk are west in the timber still.  Whereas the lowland and sagebrush areas are to the East toward the river.  Looks like 340 has more timber than 342.

You're on the right track here. I saw a few cow elk in the eastern sections opening weekend of deer, but they're very few and far between. Most of them will still be in the timber this week enjoying the last of the green grasses and relative shelter. Although it's always hard to tell what a little rain and wet snow will do.

Personally, I'd be focused on the transition zones after the general season ends. Good luck!

[JoeyP]

We ended up spending all of our time in 340.  Saw 6 cows on 10/29, but couldn't find them on 10/30 when the season actually opened.  May try to get back out there for one more day next week if we can make it.  Let me know if anyone has any recent cow sightings!  Thank you!

[jrebel]

We ended up spending all of our time in 340.  Saw 6 cows on 10/29, but couldn't find them on 10/30 when the season actually opened.  May try to get back out there for one more day next week if we can make it.  Let me know if anyone has any recent cow sightings!  Thank you!

After the snow we got the last two days......this week should be really good.  Hope you all make it back over and find your dad a cow....there are plenty o them running around.