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.