Toutle advice Please

[Hunter Dug]

Hey Guys, getting started early just got the back door results and was selected for the Toutle for the Archery hunt.  Sept 7-19 and Dec 1-15. Don't know nothing about this unit except for where its at and there are a lot of elk there, a lot of small to average bull with a few toads here and there.  Any advise would be great, access, best times to hunt, passed experience.  Plan on hitting it hard so any advise is greatly appreciated.

[Austrian Hunter]

lucky dog congrats..

[bobcat]

I would concentrate on the early season for sure, while the elk are rutting. Of course you may be shut out of Weyerhaeuser at that time (due to fire danger,) but there will still be state land open for hunting.

[fish-on37]

PM Sent

[highside74]

My advice kill anything bigger than a 4 point. Don't hold out for a monster in the Toutle anymore.

[Bigshooter]

Pray for rain so you will have good access.  And shoot the first 5pt you see.

[Bigshooter]

I would also do a toutle search here, there has been alot of good information given out in the past about that unit.

[Hunter Dug]

Thanks for the advise guys keep it coming.   

[beav1980]

I've been selected bull permit. Anyone know how to tell what one. I put in for observatory, goose prairie, peaches & white river I had 4 points. It just says bull permit selected so how do some know what unit??

[carpsniperg2]

it is an unoffical result until they finalize the draw and check for mistakes it means nothing yet. you won't know untill it posts under the offical area.

[bobcat]

You would only know which permit you got if you only applied for one. You will have to wait until the official results are posted. If I had to bet money on it I  would say you drew Goose Prairie. Be sure to let me know if I'm right when you find out.  

[flinger]

i would say if you have an eastside tag you can narrow it to 3 if you have a westside well isn't white river westside

[270Shooter]

i would say if you have an eastside tag you can narrow it to 3 if you have a westside well isn't white river westside

He could have a multi season tag

[bobcat]

Yeah, that's what I figured... he has to have the multi-season permit.

[kkirkma3]

I would concentrate on the early season for sure, while the elk are rutting. Of course you may be shut out of Weyerhaeuser at that time (due to fire danger,) but there will still be state land open for hunting.

You're going to have to bank on all the Weyerhauser gates being closed, so get familiar with you bike the next couple months. Also, I would suggest becoming quite efficient with your calls. Those bulls in st helens area are way easier to come within range that time of year than cows. So with a couple scouting missions and the right attitude you should have a successful hunt.

[SI Eagle]

Good Luck!!

[Hunter Dug]

I would concentrate on the early season for sure, while the elk are rutting. Of course you may be shut out of Weyerhaeuser at that time (due to fire danger,) but there will still be state land open for hunting.

You're going to have to bank on all the Weyerhauser gates being closed, so get familiar with you bike the next couple months. Also, I would suggest becoming quite efficient with your calls. Those bulls in st helens area are way easier to come within range that time of year than cows. So with a couple scouting missions and the right attitude you should have a successful hunt.

[huntingfool7]

pm sent

[elkman54]

good luck

[Hunter Dug]

Just in the last couple days you all have given me some great info.  Thank you all..  Ive got a lot of advise on the state land parts of the unit can anyone advise on the weyerhauser parts of the unit where I can put some miles on my boots and get away from the regular joe.

[bobcat]

Don't worry about Weyerhaeuser. It probably won't be open in September anyway. Should be plenty of opportunity on the state land.

[funkster]

can anyone advise on the weyerhauser parts of the unit where I can put some miles on my boots and get away from the regular joe.

Once the results are official send me a pm and I will give you a few areas to check out.

[Hunter Dug]

Thanks Funkster Ill be taken you up on that.
 

[BLKBEARKLR]

Hunter Dug,   I got drawn for the same time frame and the same unit. Going to get out and start scouting around. PM me and we can try and get some information going back and forth.

I am going to camp down there the entire time.

Joe

[Hunter Dug]

Absolutly Joe sounds good I should be getting up there in the next week or two.. With the info that I have been given by some good folks on the site already I am getting pretty pumped.  Talk with you soon.  Are you hunting solo.   

[BLKBEARKLR]

I may be hunting solo, or one other person with me. My older brother might fly out to video tape, but going to be a small party.

Joe

[WSU]

Don't worry about Weyerhaeuser. It probably won't be open in September anyway. Should be plenty of opportunity on the state land.

Is the toutle unit Weyerhauser property treated differently than the rest of the St. Helens tree farm?

[buckhorn2]

Blkbearklr sent you a pm.

[Hunter Dug]

Think n Elk you can call me anytime I am usually available.

[Hunter Dug]

Blackbearlr PM sent.

[ron9909]

My 11 y/o boy drew a cow tag in the toutle and a youth deer hunt in the same unit. Does anyone know where the best place to get some maps of the area? Sounds like this is a good area to hunt. Thanks Ron

[buckhorn2]

Last year they had good maps at the toutle store and gas station.

[Deer slayer]

I grew up playing in this unit. I have drawn it before and killed elk in it. I have taken other people in that drew it and I am 100 percent in there. That's rifle though. I am not a bow hunter. Look for maps online. There is a guy in Vancouver and Olympia that makes good road maps. State land is out there and there is a big chunk off of Lewis River Road which takes you up to Cougar. The road you look for is called Rock Creek Road which is a boundary so know where you are by using maps. As far as the other entry into it there is a gate hotline number. 866-636-6531. If access is open I recommend going up Kalama River road and hitting the 6600 6700 1400 areas. All have some fresh clear cuts. Like I said I know the area well but never bow hunted. I love the area but left it a few years ago for east draws. There was a large winter kill 3 years ago that thinned it out. Hunting here is hard. Check your maps the 5500 area use to be gated on the Kalama side which produced some good walk in areas. Remember early it could be closed. Keep checking the hotline and you might find that they open gates once in a while or allow walk in. Good luck. Ask if you need help. If you struggling during season ask I might be in the area and take someone out.

[SkookumHntr]

The State land is good, lot of elk in there, fun hunt!

[TheHunt]

You will have a blast calling elk in that unit.  There are tons of small bulls in that unit. 

[Elkpiss]

I drew that Archery tag about 5 years ago, fun hunt you will call lots of bulls in.. Shoot the first decent 5X you see cause there is some nice bulls but very few Magnums lots of rag 5's... I call that tag a good westside hunt cause of the action. I probably called in 15 to 20 bulls under 30 yrds.. Scout now cause the woods will be closed during the end of July and August for fire danger.. Just learn the land cause you wont see a ton of elk now only during the morning hours for the most part.. Just learn the lay of the land is all I can say.. If you need some advice where to hunt PM me and i will tell you where i went and was in mutiple bulls everyday!  Good luck dude!

[cld40]

i have also drawn this tag, i dont know the area but i have got the maps and live fairly close to the area, sounds like i better plan on getting in their before the fire danger keeps me out, any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated as well,
Hunter Dug
BLKBEARKLR

not trying to hijack your thread, if you guys need a scouting partner or would like to compare notes id be willing to help any and all be successful.
thanks in advance...

[letmhunt]

I dont know what part of the unit most of u guys are hunting seeing all the small bulls, my brother drew this tag two years ago and we seen plenty of 6points. He harvested a 6x6 that scored 322

[Elkpiss]

I dont know what part of the unit most of u guys are hunting seeing all the small bulls, my brother drew this tag two years ago and we seen plenty of 6points. He harvested a 6x6 that scored 322

 We are talking about the Tuccanon not the Toutle?!  

Plenty of 6x6 and 300 class bulls in the Toutle!    You must of hit the great valley!! I would like to see that pic of your bro 322 bull out of the Toutle!! there can be a big one's in there but its not like it was in the 80's and 90's where you would see monster bulls in the Margret and Toutle everytime out!! its like they all got kicked in the Balls and they just rag out.. There are some toads in there dont get me wrong, I just know when I was hunting it i probably seen 25-30 bulls and 250 was probably the biggest..

[fireweed]

The bulls were never that big in the area, the genetics are mixed.  The Toutle isn't a cake walk anymore, it's grown up, gated, but stilll got elk.  Weyco's rinky-dink fire closures (why they continue to log away) is the biggest challenge, and can reduce a huge unit to about 35,000 acres and some other state, then it's crowded. Sometimes the whole unit is basically closed since there is no legal public access to that state 35,000 acres. Go High and don't expect a monster...but do expect lots of action and to get one.

[Houndhunter]

I dont know what part of the unit most of u guys are hunting seeing all the small bulls, my brother drew this tag two years ago and we seen plenty of 6points. He harvested a 6x6 that scored 322

  We are talking about the Toutle not he Tuccanon! 

Plenty of 6x6 and 300 class bulls in the Toutle!    You must of hit the great valley!! I would like to see that pic of your bro 322 bull out of the Toutle!! there can be a big one's in there but its not like it was in the 80's and 90's where you would see monster bulls in the Margret and Toutle everytime out!! its like they all got kicked in the Balls and they just rag out.. There are some toads in there dont get me wrong, I just know when I was hunting it i probably seen 25-30 bulls and 250 was probably the biggest..

maybe he wandered on the wrong side of the road where the big bulls are

ive seen a few that would be in the 280-290 range on the toutle side, but ive seen some monsters on the loowit side

[Caliber]

I got drawn for the Toutle Muzzleloader Cow tag, what are the chances the gates are likely to be closed for this Oct 2-8th hunt??  I havent hunted this area for over twenty years, I am sure it is a different place then I remember, any pointers for the cow hunt?  I looked at last years success for this tag and was surprised it was only about 25% success, the year before that around 44%.

[bobcat]

My brother had that same permit last year. We had trouble finding any elk at all. All the gates were open. We both had that permit in '07 and did really well. We got both our elk in the first two days of the season. Last year we just couldn't find any elk. He could have shot two bulls but never got a shot at a cow. Probably only saw about 4 cows in all the time we hunted down there last year.

I think their plan to reduce the number of elk in that area is working.

Have you seen the number of rifle cow permits they've been giving out in the Toutle and Coweeman units?  

[Hunter Dug]

Thanks guys have been up scouting a couple times off the 4200 and the Rock Creek areas that were suggested.  Mostly to get a layout of the area on my dualsport.  Seen lots of elk only two bulls but one was a big 5X6    seeing lots of deer, and some really nice area plan on getting back up in the next couple weeks if your have any other advise shoot me a PM, and for those of your that have already sent me PM I will be getting ahold of your in the next couple days.  Thanks again.