Elbe Hills quality?

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

I went out into the Elbe Hills area this past weekend in hopes of stumbling across a quality bull  for modern firearm season opener but saw 0 elk and surprisingly saw 0 deer as well. I put in quite a bit of work traveling trails and ventured off the trails as well and did not even see any sign that could be considered recent (old old elk turds and a few stacks of fawn turds). I'm curious if the lack of animals is caused by the oddly warm weather the previous week (80 degrees in the foothills) thats pushing them into the higher elevations, or am i just loud and smelly? From what I've heard the mashel unit is as good as any for elk and or deer in western wa. Any personal experiences in that area in recent past that would help me better understand would be a great help. If anybody could shed some light on the subject it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[iceman91m]

I was down in that area today after bein out for a few hours i stopped in town to get some breakfast after i got done a guy and a girl walked in covered in blood. they had shot a 5x5 or 6x6. I think they were hunting someones property though.

[gottatree]

You are just not getting off the road far enuff, was in there Saturday with a friend of mine and we were in elk all day.

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

interesting... well very good to know and a real moral booster. i have NO problem getting off the beaten path and going where no man has but its my first elk hunt in wa and im just getting acquainted with the mashel unit. but was getting a lil discouraged. i appreciate the info. see any blacktail out there? thought i'd see some horny bucks but nada... was planning on also hunting same area for late mod. deer... good or bad idea?

[gottatree]

We drop off the top cross the busy wilde and hunt the other side of the swamp. We are in there and it is a bear of a trip. This area has always produced for us. We seen a few 4 point bucks that were rut dumb.

[huntnfmly]

We drop off the top cross the busy wilde and hunt the other side of the swamp. We are in there and it is a bear of a trip. This area has always produced for us. We seen a few 4 point bucks that were rut dumb.

isnt the busy wild side hancock?

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

i was on google earth constantly staring at the area and getting mental notes of where i would be if i was an elk in preparation of my hunt  and i went with an area off of busy wilde! i spent my whole sunday in that area. next time i will commit to a hunt plan a ways off the road in the same area. is the thick timber any easier to navigate than the downed timber clearcuts? i gotta believe the elk will hear me a mile away in those clear cuts hopping over logs and walking on sticks, but cant hardly see 10 yards in timber... im used to hunting the big horns of wyoming for mulies so the terrain here is a bit of a challenge and frankly has me stumped... i feel like my chances are better to find a high point where i can see far as i can shoot, stay put and glass...

[gottatree]

There is about 1.5 miles to the Hancock line from where we drop in. Unless the line has changed and that i am not aware of.

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

ya its a mile plus back to hancock from edge of busy wilde.

[deerslyr]

There is a decent amount of elk in the mashel but I rarely talk to people that see elk on public land, during hunting season, consistently, in this unit...and the people I know that do are fairly tight lipped about there spots

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

well ill cross my fingers put in the work and hope i get lucky.

[belkaholic]

find a gate and walk. i hunt the oppiset side as the jeep trails. saw a 5x5 and a 4x4 last sunday. cusin got a 7x7 2 years ago, i missed a6x6 last year. dosent realy matter what gate. on the bad side though, lots of punks up ther sometimes, i found 2 big bulls shot and then left in there 2 years ago. still in velvet. 

[OUTDOOR_BEAST-84]

thats too bad. people are idiots and poachers should be shot... and i spent some time walking the gated roads up towards the snow park but heavy rain in mid afternoon made me head to the jeep early. sounds like the area has potential to produce and all the info is been helpful in keeping confidence up. now lets hope the weather cooperates a bit. thanks guys!

[gonehuntin68]

Elbe hills looks like a garbage dump and firering rang

[belkaholic]

just got a text of a decent 6x6 taken up there. not up high and not behind a gate. same spot whare i missed one last year. plenty of elk despike the dump arearence.

[cougkilr]

We drop off the top cross the busy wilde and hunt the other side of the swamp. We are in there and it is a bear of a trip. This area has always produced for us. We seen a few 4 point bucks that were rut dumb.

isnt the busy wild side hancock?

Yep, the Busy Wild creek is the DNR and Hancock property line

[cougkilr]

Elbe hills looks like a garbage dump and firering rang

Its bad and constantly getting worse, hardly anyone in the Elbe Hills has respect for the land.  If any of you see people dumping trash or vandalizing the area try to get a license plate number and a description and send me a PM with the info.  Im a forester for the DNR in Elbe, the more eyes we have out there and the more information that the respectful public can give us can only help with the issues that we have in that area.

[logger]

Branden, i'm 99% sure it was fitzer's crew