Hunting in Colville

[SpokaneOne]

I am a recent arrival in WA - moved to Spokane last summer for work. I am a meat hunter from Colorado. I found some elk sign in Colville National Forest last summer while camping with my son, but I have not heard anyone talking about hunting in there. The parts we visited were very thick. Maybe it is too hard to find them during season?? We went back to hunt one last time as Colorado residents last fall, but I am starting to look for a public land hunt in WA. Does anyone take elk out of Colville? Or, does anyone have another suggestion as to where I should start looking to fill my freezer this fall?

[andrew_12gauge]

The colville national forest is thick and the elk are scarce but some of the locals have them figured out and seem to score consistently. if youre looking for meat only apply for cow tags in any of the yakima area units such as bethel, bumping, nile, or cowiche should draw every coupla years and have a good shot at killing an elk

[Slenk]

The colville national forest is thick and the elk are scarce but some of the locals have them figured out and seem to score consistently. if youre looking for meat only apply for cow tags in any of the yakima area units such as bethel, bumping, nile, or cowiche should draw every coupla years and have a good shot at killing an elk

Like every where else the yakima area is way over crowded and just because you have a tag does not mean you will be guaranteed a elk of any kind . When we lived in Colfax we hunted the Blue mountain for elk.
Lot closer to Spokane too.
Slenk

[ICEMAN]

Welcome spokane1, and you may have encountered moose sign in the colville, more moose there than elk...

[jdb]

there are no elk in the cowiche unit dont even bother JB

[runningboard]

I live, worked in and hunt in GMU 113 on the east side of the Pend Oreille river but still in WA. It is technically Kaniksu forest but administered by newport ranger district colville national forest, while on the fire crew we burned quite a few acres using elk foundation dollars and the elk are coming on strong where they haven't been for decades. during rifle season when many are running the ridges looking for 'em they're hiding out in the lower foothills and hayfields. GMU 117 too.

[andrew_12gauge]

Like every where else the yakima area is way over crowded and just because you have a tag does not mean you will be guaranteed a elk of any kind . When we lived in Colfax we hunted the Blue mountain for elk.
Lot closer to Spokane too.
Slenk

I would say that with a cow tag one usually should have about a 50-75 percent chance at getting an elk in almost any of the yakima units ive hunted up there for years and ive only killed one spike but i only put in for bull tags so i dont get the opportunity to kill cows. i agree there are a lot of hunters but a lot of them dont ever stray far from there trucks if one is willing to put in the footwork up there and has a cow tag the odds are in there favor. the blues has its sahre of elk hunters too and unless youre lucky enough to draw a bull tag it really isnt worth hunting down there in my opinion, but thats just my opinion and we all have the right to state our minds.

[bowhuntin]

What weapon will you be hunting with, bow, rifle or muzzleloader. That will make a big difference in how crowded the season is. I hunt the yakima units during the archery season and I rarely ever see anyone once you get off the road. The yakima areas have a lot of good areas to hunt and if you are an archery hunter can shoot a cow or spike and get a lot more time to hunt. The blues are closer to you but I don't know anything about them never hunted them. I have hunted around colville and never seen any elk sign, but they are there and probably would take a lot of work to find. Your best bet in the northeast is bagging a deer. Everytime I am up there I see hundreds of them.

[SpokaneOne]

Thanks for all your helpful posts. This is very helpful information for a Washington newbie. I noticed the same thing as andrew_12gage in Colorado. It really does not matter much how many hunters are on the road or in camps. 90% of them never venture more than a half mile from their trucks. Once you get more than 1.5 miles from the road you almost never see another hunter. I will scout Colville more once the snow melts and maybe take a look at the Blues and Yakama. I prefer Colville because I like the idea of a quick drive up either 2 or 395. I live on the north side of Spokane. Bowhuntin, I am a rifle shooter. I do not have enough time to shoot enough practice arrows before season to confidently hunt with a bow and I don't have any experience with a muzzleloader. By the way, I drove through Colville Forest yesterday and stopped and snowshoed off the road. The area I was in was full of moose. They were post-holeing in two to three feet of crusty snow.

[sasquatch]

I don't really know anything about the elk in the CNF but a buddy ran into a pretty good size herd south of hwy 20, west of Tiger, a few years back during late deer.

[SHANE(WA)]

there is elk scattered from spokane to canada over into ferry and down to springdale, scouting is a must, there are honey holes to be found.The elk really have taken off in 113 and 117 in the last few years.Mt spokane is another option.

[jimkirk]

if ya could afford it, i'd buy an idaho tag and head into the panhandle units. you are close enough to scout those areas quite well. its thick, but there are animals there.

[boneaddict]

or do both

[SHANE(WA)]

Another option is to go and ask permission around Turnbull refuge out by cheney, this unit produces the most elk in E WA for general hunts combined. mostly all private,but there are people willing to let you hunt.

[runningboard]

if ya could afford it, i'd buy an idaho tag and head into the panhandle units. you are close enough to scout those areas quite well. its thick, but there are animals there.

I did that last year, went up the ST. Joe river east of St. Marys. didn't score but I only had one day. would be closer for you since you live in Spokane.

I prefer Colville because I like the idea of a quick drive up either 2 or 395. I live on the north side of Spokane.

it's been getting hit hard past few years but the Mill creek area on the east side of the river usually produces a few bulls every year. six on opening day a few years back.

[alecvg]

I had a cow tag in Yakima area a few years back and we didnt see one single elk!   Though we did see 150 hunters!   I thught it was missri