Winston GMU or Swakane GMU

[muleyslayer#1]

So thanksgiving were going hunting and I want to go to swakane and my dad and my brother want to go to the Winston GMU but we never been down there but I do know there is a huge herd of elk runnin through there with a good couple of 6x6 maybe 7x7 not sure but can you guys tell where we should go for archery

[bowhunterty]

Only antlerless for elk in the Winston. way to many people in there for a cow hunt.

[shedcrazy]

Be ready for tons of other hunters in the Swakane(Its almost as bad as a rifle season) And some scary slippery roads if we get some weather!!Chains are a must.

[muleyslayer#1]

Yea that's the thing it is antlerless only and the most elk I've seen up there or close to was the ryderwood unit but that's not open for late season so it's either big muley or good size cow

[halflife65]

Lots of guys in the Swakane.  I already had a buck at this time last year but went along as a spotter for someone and it was kind of a madhouse.  We had a traffic jam on one of those steep, slippery snow covered roads trying to get 4 or 5 trucks by each other.  Scary as hell on those crappy roads.  Chains are definitely a requirement.

Anyway, point is that there are a lot of guys up there...

[Lowedog]

Be ready for tons of other hunters in the Swakane(Its almost as bad as a rifle season) And some scary slippery roads if we get some weather!!Chains are a must.

I think it is actually worse than general rifle season.  Kind of a joke really, especially now that the season has been shortened. 

[jstone]

Your odds on a elk in the winston are better than the swakane. Way to many people. Unless you can get away from them. Some *censored*s running around up there. If you do get to your deer fast before someone trys to take it.. Thats no joke

[Lowedog]

Your odds on a elk in the winston are better than the swakane. Way to many people. Unless you can get away from them. Some *censored*s running around up there. If you do get to your deer fast before someone trys to take it.. Thats no joke

I have had the thought of just taking a video camera out and recording some of the stupidity I have seen during the Swakane hunt. 

[bearhunter99]

Your odds on a elk in the winston are better than the swakane. Way to many people. Unless you can get away from them. Some *censored*s running around up there. If you do get to your deer fast before someone trys to take it.. Thats no joke

I have had the thought of just taking a video camera out and recording some of the stupidity I have seen during the Swakane hunt. 

Me too........*censored* 3: Swakane   

[muleyslayer#1]

also it is any deer in the winston unit and there is a lot of doe's down there and my uncle has land right on the cowlitz maybe just plug one off the river while fishing.

[jstone]

I grew up over there too many people. I have some out of the way places and people are starting to find them. Not many but they are there. Talk to guys chasing a deer they shot in the ass at 100 yards.. You see that all the time. the video thing could be entertaining.

[Angus]

Yea that's the thing it is antlerless only and the most elk I've seen up there or close to was the ryderwood unit but that's not open for late season so it's either big muley or good size cow

Ryderwood IS open for late archery, elk = cows only, deer = any buck. Probably start here then after the opening weekend road "hunters" leave Winston I'll hunt there. After the 28th, Winston will be no worse then anywhere else, crowd wise, IMO.

[muleyslayer#1]

yea my brother says he wants to get a deer and we've hunted in the entiat but thats not open and my uncle got the 25th biggest deer in the state in entiat but i want a big friggin muley.

[lilswab]

Decisions...It's really a toss up other than the fact that you could slide off the road and die in Swakane.  I am not exaggerating here.  Lots of people all over in both places.  Hope for weather at both and most guys will only hunt half the day and head for the truck or camp.

[joebear]

yea my brother says he wants to get a deer and we've hunted in the entiat but thats not open and my uncle got the 25th biggest deer in the state in entiat but i want a big friggin muley.

winston would be your best bet. they locked all the gate this year do to people not cleaning up there camps when they leave. Im sure you will have alot of it to yourself if you are willing to walk behind gates and really that is the only way to go.
   I think they need to gate off most of the swakane also it is getting really bad. I lost a chance at a great buck do to asswades last year. Also say traffic jams comeing out on the steep switch backs the guys that are hunting up there now have no reason being there and stay away its not built for a road hunter and they just screw it up for the guys that are willing to hunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ridge line]

Ive seen elk in that unit over the years but there sneaky

[muleyslayer#1]

Yea but in the ryderwood there's only the a and d and I don't know where that's at but my dad does and he's hunted up in ryderwood for years he says there is elk through out that place but that was years ago

[Buckrub]

Here is the link to the WDFW for game harvest reports which show success and hunters..

Hunting is more than a post here...research and scouting come in many forms

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/