ryderwood 530

[morgan]

hunted the sierra pacific walk in access areas on opening day for deer and  some scouting for elk. boy am I disappointed. they opened up weyerhauser to an employee allotment that allows 120 employees plus 3 of there friends to hunt. why do I know this I talked to an employee 8 miles in. there were trucks on dang near every landing up there. bullets  flying everywere. very frustrating to ride a mtn bike 8 miles just to see a bunch of road hunters. the security guard for sierra pacific said the muzzle loader hunters took 40 elk mostly bulls. need to find another area.

[Alan K]

Yep, Weyco employees get access.  Many of them have been getting laid off, overtime cut, etc. . . . Nice perk to the job when they've been cutting their employees time! (And it pays to be friends with them!)

I'll be up with a friend that works there for late buck, can't wait.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

There was a post a little while ago about that area.  I tried warning people but everyone thinks its a lie.  It sux you have to find out like that.  I grew up out there.  My cousin is a Wey co employee I knew about this months ago.

[morgan]

I must have missed it. just a little frustrated I guess. those ryderwood raghorns will never get big with the amount of pressure they are about to receive. next year will be huntin another state. good luck to all.

[Backstrap]

I hunt the same area, and have for the last 15 years or so. I would be very surprised if there were 40 elk taken off the SPI land. If so, that would undoubtedly be a record season. I'm hoping that all the pressure on Weyerhauser will push the animal towards the SPI land. That said, I didn't see much elk sign this weekend. No elk gutpiles either.

[racksandtails]

Hunted SPI land in Ryderwood on Saturday and only saw two other peeps.  Didn't see any vehicles, for that matter didn't see many animals either only a cow and a calf and not a single deer.  It's a train wreck up there for elk, it's like combat fishing with guns.

[morgan]

don't want to misinform anyone out there but the spi  security guard said 18 elk out of the walk in areas and 20 for the weyr guys. the weyr guys are coming from the back end  where it abuts spi land. as far as seeing anything on opening day. I saw a spike and 2 cows and jumped a nice buck in the timber. along with a few deer that were too far away.

[Alan K]

The guy I know that works there estimated that about 75% of the people who hunted up there during archery season got elk, most of which were bulls including a big 6 point and big 5 point. The rest that he'd heard about were rag horn 4's and 5's.  Also heard a bunch of people knocked 'em dead with the muzzleloaders so who knows how many will be left for the rifle hunters.

[morgan]

75% huh? the more you answer the more I tend to think to b.s. been huntin up there for about 5 yrs now and have gotten  2 raghorns. I have done extensive scouting in the off season and have never seen anything bigger than a small 4x5. even the security guard for spi who drives the roads everyday says there all inbred. I think the spikes are doing the majority of the breeding because the bulls dont live long enough to create good genes.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

75% isnt true and believe it or not 18 coming out of the walkin is not as many as normal.  Last year they pulled out 34.  I know the security.  The weyerhauser guys got a few but not 20.  I know of 3 in archery season.  Things havent changed out there if you get a bull thats not a raggy your lucky.  Ive hunted it since I was 10 im now 30 and I dont hunt out there much anymore too many people not enough quality animals.

[morgan]

I guess Dennis was pullin my leg

[JPhelps]

Morgan,

Up until the storms in DEC '07 everyone used to be able to drive in the weyerhauser land you are talking about.  It was shut down for two years and now only employees are allowed in there.

There is actually less pressure in that area than there used to be.

It is my understanding that it is Dennis' first year.  It used to be a Wilson from the valley that had his job.

[morgan]

Dennis yanked my bull out 3 years ago. beyond that no clue

[rackattack]

Weyerhaeuser made the decision this year to open it up for employees due to the increased tree damage from deer/elk.  It is a shame that the public does not have access anymore, but they deemed the risk of someone driving off an unfixed road slide to great.  I've hunted up there for years and after the '07 floods have hunted it since.  I was actually thinking of muzzy hunting it this year until I heard they gave employees access.  Something about being 9 miles back on a bike and having a trucks drive by that seemed unfair.  There are some really nice bulls in there, you just have to know where to look (steep and deep).  Most of the bulls you are going to see in 530 are raghorns and do get shot, but just be glad they produce a lot of bull calves to replenish the population. 

[morgan]

actually Dennis helped me in 2007/2008

[morgan]

I dont mind riding the Iron horse for 10 miles,  but when you see pickups.

[Basket Rack]

Not near the elk there used to be in that walk in area.  Too much pressure, those late cow tags (wildwood unit) in January have really been thinning them out.  Plus those guys that draw that tag get to drive in.

[Alan K]

I don't know the numbers, I've been in Idaho over here at school.  The guy I know that hunted archery is the one that estimated 75% of the employees hunting up there harvested.  And I'm sure he is just basing that off the people saw while hunting up there and talking to people.  

And I really doubt that the security guy saw every vehicle in there. . .

EDIT: And I'm talking about Weyco's security guy. . . The tubby guy that looks like a mall cop.

[rackattack]

. . . The tubby guy that looks like a mall cop.

 

[spottedhand]

We killed a decent 5x2 looked like he screwed up his rack early in velvet.  We have hunted the 530 from the #### Elocoman lake area and over to Germany creek ever since the muzzleloaders were closed out of the willapa.  Alot of pressure has been the norm for the PeEll side and we have only hunted that side one opener.  One thing is for sure we have done real good when the gates are closed.  We have taken or missed several 6x's and 5x's and missed chances at quite a few more.  This year was the first bull we killed in a clearcut and that was only because it broke out of the thick stuff when we got too close.  There are some whoppers in the deepest darkest places but you have to get out of your rig and away from the roads.  The more switch over from the rifle hunter to muzzles the more we have seen that people don't lose the habit of driving into every possible place and spooking the elk out of their patterns.  We do our homework and leg work where ever we hunt and while maybe not kill one every time we are always in elk.  We know of one 5x bull killed  during archery but not found over off of the ####.  There were still 4 other 4x's and 5's in a 3 mile square area.  But glassing the clearcut and hoping for a 300yd shot with a muzzleloader just ain't gonna get it.