Anyone know about Port Blakley installing gate at Winston Creek?

[THINK_N_ELK]

One of my hunting partners was down this past weekend, to do some deer hunting. To find that there are new gates on the 100 and 200 mainlines at Winston Creek, of of Longbell Rd.  Plus the gates are closed on the 400 and 300 mainlines out of Taidnapam. According to Port Blakely's website, the area is only open for walk-in, bike-in, or horseback-in. If that is the case there is a lot of Elk country that just got locked up.      

Is the DNR 2000 line open, up to camp nine and Weyco 500 gate?

[Ihuntelk2]

Thats great!!! I ride bikes when i hunt any way .. Actually I mostly always hunt locked gates instead of driving see way more animals i think.

[Angus]

Might be worth going back in there now

[ppodpearson]

Just got back from camping on the end of Riffe lake for deer (got that critter Sunday). The gate you're refering to was closed. It's a new gate at the Goat Creek road, which remains open. Thought maybe they would sneek it open on the weekend, but it remained locked. That makes for a real long bike ride up to the area I liked hunting. I guess if it stays closed that it will be a younger hunters area. I like hunting behind closed gates but I can't pedal 12 - 15 miles uphill anymore, and for the most part no camping, so it's in and out the same day. I wouldn't be surprised if within the next few years it becomes a pay-to-hunt area, no proof, just speculation. I will be checking the gate opening weekend of elk, just in case. Maybe those hanggliders and parasailers jumping off of Dog Mountain have an idea. I wonder how crowded my alternate areas are going to get. The gate will probably be jambed with vehicles.

I can't blame the property owner from closing the gate. I don't like it, but understand. I dislike it when people trash my property. I know of one group of hunters that's trying to get with the powers to be at Port Blakely to find out if there is anything, including volunteer sevices on their land, that they can do to gain access to the land in the future.
 
I've hunted this state since about 1960 and have seen a lot of changes, and I'm sure a lot more are coming. I don't have that may hunting years left in these old bones, but am saddened  for the younger generation of true hunters. But again they don't know what it was, so the changes maybe don't appear as drastic. My partner and I are the last of a group of 17 that gathered around the campfire at night. 4 are still living, and we're the only 2 still hunting. All meat still gets divided among the survivors.

Good luck to all, and if you have a good camp, charish it. Dave

[morgan]

my dad lives in glenoma, and I asked him to check to see if all the gates are locked on the tadninpaum side. yep there gated. my dad is 69 yrs old and cant do the long haul anymore either. pretty sad that the older folks are getting locked out. believe me if you were to ride a bike up there you will most certainly not be alone. the port blakely boys will just unlock the gate and wave as they blow by you. had that happen more than once.

[Jellymon]

Maybe certain "hunters" will think twice about leaving ALL their garbage laying around their campsites, beer cans laying all over the place, and much more that went on up there. Only takes a few to ruin it for everyone else.

[scoyoc5]

I think a few more locked gates are just what this state needs in alot of places   

[Ihuntelk2]

I agree!! This state needs to lock some gates and only allow access to senior citizens and let us serious ,,,younger hunters ride in.. Way less pressure on the animals this way and a lot more animals too.

[runamuk]

If this is true then i just might try and hunt that unit and i just might hunt elk again......I just am not comfortable amongst the rolling pumpkin patch it rather freaks me out....

[Alan K]

If employees do get access like a lot of other timber company lands, awesome! It's a kick ass perk to the job.

And unfortunately it's generally not hunters that trash timber company lands, it's the tweakers and other scum that think the land is their own personal land fill. 

Oh, and I'd be fine if all timber companies locked up their land for good. Less trouble for the timber companies, and better hunting for us. By the time I get old and decrepit and can't walk or ride my bike into an area I'll buy a horse and ride in. 

[bobcat]

By the time I get old and decrepit and can't walk or ride my bike into an area I'll buy a horse and ride in. 

By that time, horses may not be allowed in there either. 

[Alan K]

By that time, horses may not be allowed in there either. 

Doubtful, but I'd imagine a horse would be allowed over a pedal bike, so as to fall in line with wilderness area rules if anything. 

[bobcat]

Or even more likely is they will charge an access fee that you're not willing or able to pay.

[280ackley]

I can't blame the property owner from closing the gate. I don't like it, but understand. I dislike it when people trash my property. I know of one group of hunters that's trying to get with the powers to be at Port Blakely to find out if there is anything, including volunteer sevices on their land, that they can do to gain access to the land in the future.
 

Trash and vandalism are both reasons land gets locked up but not the only reason.  Right now there is a law suit in Oregon about sedimentation leaving a road and entering a ditch as "delivery".  This delivery has been successively argued in Cort as a violation of the Clean Water Act by enviro groups.  It is currently under appeal.  If this decision stands Timber company's could be held responsible for all sedimentation entering ditches from trucks and people during recreation.

[Yelm hunter]

Winston Creek is Port Blakley Tree Farm... If you look in the back of the Hunting Pamphlet you will see about Port Blakely locking up all the gates this year. I have tried calling them and asking question and they either don't know whats going on or have no information about it... Well yes there is going to be alot of pissed off hunters but they should (hunters) know not to BLOCK the road and not allow the logging trucks to pass through to do there job.

I think this is a good idea but we are hunters and thats a very good area to hunt elk. But too many poachers and also

YES THE LOCALS are the ones that dump there trash in there.

[turkeydancer]

Talked with Port Blakely over a month ago after scouting from Taidnipaum towards FSR 23, etc ... all gates locked due to trashers, vandals, forest product thefts, etc (scum buckets  ).

No problem with walk-ins, but no-one driving in or out (not even disabled or seniors) ... thought about boating down and biking once I got close, but boating in and out in the dark not a good idea ... blocking gates and getting towed (or worse), also not a good idea either ...

Bye Port Blakely ... hello Weyco, Rayonier, IP, Simpson, Boise Cascade, etc ...

[bobcat]

Can't a vehicle be parked in a way that doesn't block the gate?   

[sticky]

For most of my life I have lived about three miles from that gate and it makes me sick to think about all those years I spent camping, hunting, riding motorcycles, and shooting in the area, now not possible to do.  The gate has been there for quite a few years, but only in the last few has it been locked more than open.  It is tweakers and people that dump their garbage that force timber companies to shut down the area to everything but non-motorized traffic.  There are a few ok places to hunt within a couple miles of the gate, but in my opinion, the best locations are way too far to make hiking in a reasonable proposition.  For the first time in my life I actually have had to ask permission to hunt because all of the timber company land is closed.  As far as I know, the entrance to the 2000 and 3000 lines at Salmon Creek are the only local places open...and they might be closed too.  I haven't ventured that way just because I am sure it is flooded with people wanting a decent place to hunt.

You can bet Pork Flakey will want to sell hunting access to their property.  It won't be cheap either.

[SemperFidelis97]

I can understand the frustration about the locked gates, but to be honest I cannot blame them it is private land.  If we are not stewards of the land we are allowed to access we will see this more, and more.  We as outdoorsman need to make it a point to police ourselves, and unfortunately others as well since they can ruin it for us as well.  It really doesnt take that long to pick some trash on your way out of the woods nor is it that hard to remind the guy you see getting out of his truck blocking a gate that he needs to park to the side.  It is sad that some of the more elderly people will be locked out, but I do have to say personally I wont hunt an area that is easily accessed.  I believe if I can get in there without breaking a sweat so can the rest of the masses, and come opening day my secret honey hole wont be such a big secret anymore.

[Bigfoot]

YES THE LOCALS are the ones that dump there trash in there.

I think this should be revised slightly to, YES THE LOCAL SH!*BAGS are the ones that dump trash. Also as well as a lot of the NON-LOCAL hunters that come down.  I have seen way too many elk camps left absolutely filthy over the years. 

[THINK_N_ELK]

Is the DNR 2000 line open, up to camp nine and Weyco 500 gate? 

[bwhntr2819]

It's the 3000 line that goes to camp nine and it was open during early archery. Kind of a grey area to me though - the 3000 starts out on DNR land but then you see PBTF signs along the left side of the road when you're close to the camp nine intersection. There weren't any new gates. You could get all the way to the Weyco 550 gate. Maybe that'as why they haven't blocked access somewhere along the 3000/camp nine rd. I'm curious as to the theories that PBTF will start charging an access fee. Where does this thought come from? 

[Tony 270]

If that is the case there is a lot of Elk country that just got locked up.      

I see nothing wrong with that 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I can understand the frustration about the locked gates, but to be honest I cannot blame them it is private land.  If we are not stewards of the land we are allowed to access we will see this more, and more.  We as outdoorsman need to make it a point to police ourselves, and unfortunately others as well since they can ruin it for us as well.  It really doesnt take that long to pick some trash on your way out of the woods nor is it that hard to remind the guy you see getting out of his truck blocking a gate that he needs to park to the side.  It is sad that some of the more elderly people will be locked out, but I do have to say personally I wont hunt an area that is easily accessed.  I believe if I can get in there without breaking a sweat so can the rest of the masses, and come opening day my secret honey hole wont be such a big secret anymore.

WELL SAID !

[THINK_N_ELK]

The group that I hunt with, always hauls out more trash then we take in. 

If that is the case there is a lot of Elk country that just got locked up.     

I see nothing wrong with that 

What I ment about a lot of area is from the 100-200 mainlines at Longbell rd. over Winters Mountain down to Taidnapam.

I prefer to hunt behind the gates as well.

[Cylvertip]

I just heard that there were no trespassing signs up on some of the gates too:dunno: