elk hunting around trout lake?

[BIGINNER]

i'm going to be camping around Trout Lake seceral times this summer,   and i was wondering,  how is the elk hunting there?  general firearm season.  i'm guessing there would be a $HITload of people out there... thanks for any info

[Chesapeake]

Yep, lots of people, cant kill cows less you draw, snow it the factor.

Just like the rest of the state.

[BIGINNER]

ya.  i saw in the regs that its a 3 pointmin, unit.    what time of year does trout lake usually get snow? 

[Alchase]

I hunt north and west of Trout lake, keep an eye on the weather, if it starts snowing get out quickly. A couple years ago it started snowing on us so we headed back over the pass towards Randle. It did not stop snowing for a week and a family was trapped. The elk in that area are very skitterish (I like that word). Most of the hunters in the area are cruising the roads so if you get out into the trees you have a much better shot.

[firefighter4607]

Trout Lake use to be pretty good. But the under brush is very thick and it is hard to move around without making noises. As far as the snow goes most years we got snowed on during the season. Last year they got 6 inches of snow over the night. So you better have 4wd rig.

[BIGINNER]

i've never hunted elk before,  but since i'm gonna be out there quite a bit before the season i want to give that place a shot for elk since i'll be pretty pamiliar with that area.

[firefighter4607]

Make sure you have a GPS and Maps of the area, you can get lost pretty easy. Remember the Pacific Crest Trail is the main trail along thru that area. I would foucs in the area of Steamboat Rock and Sleeping Beauty. That is the areas we used to hunt.

[HoofsandWings]

Find out where the mushroom pickers are in the fall and hunt someplace they are not.
I see elk all the time during the summer in some of the higher elevations and close to water.
Deer hunters will be beating the bushes and scattering the elk.
Check out the harvest reports to get an idea of how many hunters are looking for deer and elk.

[RUTNBULL1]

There's no elk left in Trout Lake, just berry pickers, mushroom pickers, and bear grass pickers, oh yeah, an increased amount of cougars and bears with their tummy's full of fresh elk tenderloin and backstrap! 

[logger]

I agree with mossback,

[shoot-em-dead]

I've hunted the area a little over the last few years. Still have all my tags too. Last year after the snow hit the roads were more like freeways. We picked a spot and got out and hiked about a half mile in. Not ten minutes later there were hunters all around me so I went back to the truck and my partner met me just before the road. He was away from me but also encountered a few hunters. We got to the road and there were at least ten trucks all around ours. Then this kid comes over and asks us how many elk we seen. They all thought we were after a herd of elk because we were the only ones out hiking in - and I quote " the snow". needless to say we left that day discouraged.

[logger]

never hunted the rifle season,always muzzleloader, but I have to agree no snow no elk. at the town of troutlake you have 3 different units that come together anyway, so for rifle I would guess that hunting way up in the lewis river unit with most of tacoma would be the norm.

[carpsniperg2]

yeah the later the better have a few friends that muzzle over there and get a few

[NataSS]

I hunted there last year.  It was a disaster.  The amount of hunters was rediculous.  We came across multiple camps that had more that 15 people.  Every time we turned around we ran into someone.  Even further south there were people all over the place.  The ONLY place that I didnt see people hunting was inside the lava flow area and anyone we talked to said it was to dangerous to go into.  So of course I went in.  Spend a day getting snowed and rained on and didnt see a single bit of sign.  After that trip, I will probably never hunt the west side again.  People were everywhere.

[bowhiker]

I've bowhunted around mt adams for several years and really haven't found a lot of elk. However, each year I did find elk to hunt, but I had to put in the miles to get them. As long as I stayed in the wilderness area boundary, I didn't run in to very few hunters.