SW WASHINGTON ONLY!

[HEADSHOT]

WAS IN THE BEAR RVR AREA TODAY FOUND LOTS OF ELK LOWER AND ON THE CHINOOK SIDE! Between the hatchery and gun club! There still is a good flow of animals going to and from the pennisula "long beach". Anyone else been running round naselle, deep river, chinook area?

[BlackTail]

I live in Chinook and hunt all the areas you just talked about.  I mainly hunt around Naselle and Deep River.  Haven't been in the woods much since elk season, since they close so many gates this time of year.  Where do you live HEADSHOT?

[HEADSHOT]

right now I drive to work from hammond or. everyday, but I will be moving to bakerbay near the runway in august. I plan on bow hunting elk and rifle deer, I shot a nice 4x4 "bull" 5 yrs ago in chinook and the following year I shot a nice 6x6"bull" out bean creek but someone thought it would be cool to steal it while I was on my way back to my truck to get rope, and friends. I shoot a spike last year. I have not missed fill'n a deer tag yet, but have missed on my elk a time or two. I also shot the blacktail with my bow you see in my photos out of chinook area.

[SkookumHntr]

--I hunt all those areas to. Bricks Rd, Bean Cr, I spend most my time on the north side of the ridge. I worked in LB for the last 2 years but just transferred out a few months ago. I miss it down there though.

[HEADSHOT]

yeah the naselle rvr side aint bad, but seems like everyone hunts there or at least parks there, then ya got government rd! There is alot of elk but damn bow season feels like they put a highway detour sign up through there. Davis, Bean, Brix are great I dig the bear rvr ridge and coon canyon area as well. Either way pretty tough hunting, I am heading up to check out the nw corner of bear rvr tomorrow. I am thinking about going east for whitetail/mules this year? Anyone wanna go?

[BlackTail]

Most of my friends that hunt those areas have switched to bow hunting for elk and I'm seriously thinking about joining them.  Longer season, longer days and you get to hunt them in the rut.  Bear River, Bricks, Dell Creek, Bean Creek all of upper Naselle and Nemah are getting to be such a zoo during rifle season.  Even Coon Canyon and Cliff Point, which are pretty good hikes up some steep hills, get crowded during rifle season.  Last year I was scouting a clear cut about 4 miles back behind a gate and watched 2 branched bulls all during deer season.  Probably saw them 6 times out of the 10 or so times I was there and only saw 1 hunter.  Well come elk season there were no less than 5 guys in that clear cut every day.  Needless to say I never saw those bulls again.  Had almost the exact same scenario play out the year before too.

Frustrating to say the least 

[CJ-5]

switching to bow hunting that area would not be a bad idea.  that naselle area is such a damn zoo during rifle season it is not alot of fun. guys on every landing, clear cut and at every gate.  i switched to bow hunting last year and will never turn back.  far fewer people!

[SkookumHntr]

--Blacktail, same exact thing happend to me the last two years. You pretty much just have to find your Bull the evening before the opener, be in your spot way before daylight to guard your spot and hopefully the bull is still there because if hes in another clearcut somebody else will guaranteed be there.

[bowpredator]

I'v hunted naselle for 20years for elk, and bear with archery equipment.One thing I'v found out early on is that if you get a mile from the road you will almost never see another hunter.Rifle season is a different story, I took my 12 year old son down last year was hard pressed to find a spot for our selves. I have no problem hiking past the gates, it keeps most of the other hunter out. hike in and spend all day and have a lot of space to yourself. One thing I'v always wanted to do was go down to the pennisula and talk to the cranberry bog owners and see if they give permission to hunt bears with a bow around their berries?Have you guys ever done that? I know a guy that has and he shot a pig of a bear 400-450lb about 7-8 years ago.

[Tony 270WSM]

I did late archery elk west of Naselle this past fall. Didn't see anyone up the same road as me, but a few trucks parked here and there. Tons of fresh sign and tracks. Cow called and had some cows call back, but they were in the thick stuff.

[HEADSHOT]

Just got done driven "salmon creek area" saw 50 elk spread from upper naselle to the nemah hatchery. I came down and went out government rd and saw a good bit, When out south side radar area good sign with a couple cows, saw 10 spikes total. A few deer here n there. I woder with all the blow down and dead fall this is gonna change the woods on the coast. The animals are usen routes that are a bit diff. Entire units are blown over... Oh nothing good but saw sign ne corner of bear river. Long Island had critters on it. As for bear the penn. is full of the darn things... You dont have to hunt the bogs, there is a bit of non owned landed out there.

[funkster]

For everybody that is thinking of switching to archery, take it from one who knows,archery sucks Stick to the weapon you are using there are no animals out in Sept anyway. We've had enough "help" since Cabala's opened and are selling new bows for around $300.

[BlackTail]

bowpredator...the bears are thick out here.  I've never really hunted the peninsula because they don't allow hunting with rifles, but for an archery guy I would think it could be some great hunting. 

SkookumHntr....that's exactly right.  Pre-season scouting doesn't seem to count for much around here.  Put one to bed the night before the opener and hope he's still there in the morning.  Then, start over as most of the elk are scattered to hell.

[HEADSHOT]

Yeah the elk are scattered! I have hunted from jims spread on chinook valley golter, clear to bear rvr and nothin but scattered pockets of elf. They dont heard up like other places I have hunted.

[shanevg]

I've been wanting to try archery hunting elk down in the Naselle area for a while.  Any idea on where to start?  Particularly to get away from the roads and clear cuts?  I love hiking around in the woods.  Are there any good hiking trailers, or forested areas that don't come too close to the roads?  Any advice would be appreciated. 
Thanks.