WA elk help

[MissinCaliBlacktails]

I live in the Spokane area and want to archery elk hunt this year. But I did some digging and noticed that the west side has a significantly higher elk harvest than the east. Particularly in the 506 or 520 Zones. I also noticed that 520 has a lot of property open on the St. Helen's Tree farm. I assume that it is hike in only, which ok by me. So do you guys think its worth the 7 hour drive to go over that way and hunt elk for a week or so, or do you think that I would be better off staying east of the cascades and hunting closer to home. Im not sure if I want to do, or agree with, the whole spike only BS in the colockum (spelling?). From what I researched that is 328 and 329 right? Anyways thanks for you help. -MCB

[jackelope]

do you want to shoot a branch antlered bull or a spike/cow? because most of the east side is spike only, some areas you can shoot a cow with archery tackle.
that'd be the deal maker/breaker for me.

[MissinCaliBlacktails]

Id just like a good opportunity at any elk. Never killed one, so I don't really care if it has horns or not. I was thinking archery to avoid some of the crowds.

[jackelope]

if I just wanted to kill an elk I'd probably hunt an eastside unit with bow where I could shoot a cow, especially if I had a 7 hour drive to this side.

[Pathfinder101]

Missin,
You said you live in Spokane.  North/Northeast of you is the "Selkirk Herd".  Not a really big herd, but the advantages are that if you are bow hunting, you can shoot any elk.  Another advantage is that you live close enough to scout them all summer, locate them, and hopefully have your bull picked out when the season opens. 
Most of us that don't live up there don't bother with the Selkirk Herd because they are spread out over a large area, and the vegetation is fairly thick, making the elk hard to find if you don't know their regular haunts.  Local guys I know from the Colville and Newport areas get into them and have great hunting.
Most of the rest of the Eastside is going to be spike only for bulls, and if you go to the Westside, you will be looking at just as much vegetation (more in most cases), but less time to scout.
If I were in your shoes, I would stay and hunt north of town.  Start researching likely areas now (talk to locals, study maps, etc...), get things narrowed down to a few likely areas, adn then start your ground work about April, looking for sheds, tracks, old rubs, etc...  Spend the summer kicking around and figuring out where they live.  By September, you should be ready.
Good luck!   

[WDFW-SUX]

Im not even slightly interested in hunting on the eastside unless I have a bull permit.

Westside is where its at.

[carpsniperg2]

i hunt the east side but if i could draw a multi tag for elk i would bow hunt both sides in one year.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I think it is pretty funny you say you want to avoid crowds and mention the Winston (520) unit in the same conversation

[MissinCaliBlacktails]

I think it is pretty funny you say you want to avoid crowds and mention the Winston (520) unit in the same conversation

That's why Im askin. I've never been over there

[whacker1]

While there are a lot of elk in the winston (520) there are an equal or greater number of people.  Your questions will get you somewhere, but there will be a lot of opinion carried with it.

I too would suggest staying closer to home, while the success is lower, you will have less time invested in getting over to the other side of the state and back allowing you another day to hunt and not travel.

[Crunchy]

The Winston Unit isnt that bad crowd wise, yeah you'll see a lot of trucks on the road, but I've never ran into another hunter when I'm in the timber.  The tuff part about coming over to hunt the Winston is you likely wont have any scouting time in.  So you'll be starting from scratch. 

[NWBREW]

Missin,
You said you live in Spokane.  North/Northeast of you is the "Selkirk Herd".  Not a really big herd, but the advantages are that if you are bow hunting, you can shoot any elk.  Another advantage is that you live close enough to scout them all summer, locate them, and hopefully have your bull picked out when the season opens. 
Most of us that don't live up there don't bother with the Selkirk Herd because they are spread out over a large area, and the vegetation is fairly thick, making the elk hard to find if you don't know their regular haunts.  Local guys I know from the Colville and Newport areas get into them and have great hunting.
Most of the rest of the Eastside is going to be spike only for bulls, and if you go to the Westside, you will be looking at just as much vegetation (more in most cases), but less time to scout.
If I were in your shoes, I would stay and hunt north of town.  Start researching likely areas now (talk to locals, study maps, etc...), get things narrowed down to a few likely areas, adn then start your ground work about April, looking for sheds, tracks, old rubs, etc...  Spend the summer kicking around and figuring out where they live.  By September, you should be ready.
Good luck!   

  I hunt with a rifle and I go to The N.E. corner every year. If you want to stay away from the crowds that is the place to go. Plus with a bow you can kill any elk you want.....6x6, 4x4, cow...doesn't matter. They are more spread out but I find them every year and I live 350 miles away. Put some scouting time in up there and you can find them. A lot less people and pressure. I see more elk then people and thats hunting with a rifle. You won't find that anywhere else in this state.  Good Luck

[Curly]

Another idea is to hunt with a bow around the Mica Peak area.  When I was up there a few years ago scouting for moose when my dad had a cow moose tag, we saw elk tracks and talked to a bow hunter that had been chasing some elk around in there.

[AKBowman]

I would stay close to home where you can scout regularly like the guys have mentioned. I've hunted 506 about 4 weks in the past 3 years and am just now getting it figured out where I can find the elk regularly.

In fact I am looking at hunting even closer to home 454 which is much like the NE corner of the state where the critters are spread out over a big area thats real thick. The key to success is to narrow down the areas until you really figure out a small area within a large area. The elk are generally predicatable during the beginning of archery.