Winston Campers

[THINK_N_ELK]

Well just got home from a weekend in the Winston unit.  On Friday on of the guys from our group ran into Weyco security.  He found out that Weyco was in trying to get all of the unauthorized campers out of the treefarm, and if people continue to disregard the rules then they are going jump on the band wagon with Port Blakeley and close the gates permanently.

[dawei]

Well just got home from a weekend in the Winston unit.  On Friday on of the guys from our group ran into Weyco security.  He found out that Weyco was in trying to get all of the unauthorized campers out of the treefarm, and if people continue to disregard the rules then they are going jump on the band wagon with Port Blakeley and close the gates permanently.

Where the hell were they during Modern Firearm Season? Personally I hope they lock every gate in the unit and leave them locked, year round!

[gonehuntin68]

this may be a dumb question but r u not suppose to camp there, because its always full during archery some people all week

[THINK_N_ELK]

this may be a dumb question but r u not suppose to camp there, because its always full during archery some people all week

Camping is not allowed on any of the Weyco land in St Helens Tree farm.  There is some State land in between Weyco and Port Blakeley, and camping is kinda allowed there.

[GlennGTR]

It would stop a hell of a lot of the poaching and other abuses, and make for a quality hunt if your willing to work...just a little.

Well just got home from a weekend in the Winston unit.  On Friday on of the guys from our group ran into Weyco security.  He found out that Weyco was in trying to get all of the unauthorized campers out of the treefarm, and if people continue to disregard the rules then they are going jump on the band wagon with Port Blakeley and close the gates permanently.

Where the hell were they during Modern Firearm Season? Personally I hope they lock every gate in the unit and leave them locked, year round!

[dawei]

It would stop a hell of a lot of the poaching and other abuses, and make for a quality hunt if your willing to work...just a little.

For sure, get rid of the slobs and protect the resource!

[krout81]

I will buy some locks

[MADMAX]

I have always said that they should allow camping down below , gravel pit areas of 1900, WDFW could put a dumpster and porta potties up to keep man poo and trash down.
It would be a perfect place to camp, beats the corner.

[huntlakewood]

It is always the dumb A$%%$ that ruin it for the rest of us. I was up in Vail this weekend walking my dog and looking for my knife ( witch I found ) and ran into a pile of garbage. Then the niece was asking me why people would do that. But I found a piece of mail with the guys name and address on it so I will be contacting the tree farm and turning him in. ( I hope some thing gets done about it )

[THINK_N_ELK]

I will buy some locks

You are aware that if this happened; it will include all of the land that is managed by the Vancouver office.  Winston, Coweeman, Toutle, Maraget, and probably parts of the Ryderwood.

If they do this, then any of the contractors ( anything that has to do with Log removal) that work the Treeform should have their keys taken away and  not be allowed to hunt while in the middle of the areas.

[krout81]

if people dont follow the rules they will lock em up reguardless.  Weyerhaeuser threatens it all the time down on the coast where I hunt.  Now they just put red dots on everything with no gates and wait for people to go in and give them tickets.  Some of it might be for Fire Danger, but my father who lives in south bend hears it all the time how they say we will lock em up if we keep finding trash and on our lands. 

[h2ofowlr]

I have always said that they should allow camping down below , gravel pit areas of 1900, WDFW could put a dumpster and porta potties up to keep man poo and trash down.
It would be a perfect place to camp, beats the corner.

You could always stay at Kid Valley and have the old lady in the electric wheel chair tell you her lifes story.   

[MADMAX]

Been there, done that.
Reservations need to be made a year in advance

[dawei]

I stay each year at Ike Kinswa State Park. (I have to make my reservations 9 mos in advance.)

[Hunterman]

Are there signs with "No Camping" posted on all the roads before you dive in??

Hunterman(Tony)

[funkster]

Are there signs with "No Camping" posted on all the roads before you dive in??

Hunterman(Tony)

yes,big flo orange ones. Then they have the rules posted at the main gates!

I wish they would close the gates year round,the hunting is so much better and less people 5 + miles back

[dewandgin]

Instead of fixing the problem why does it have to be one extreme or the other (gates open or gates locked up year round)? Yea one bad egg ruins it for everyone but if we lock it all down what about people like my father and I? He is 68 and loves hunting. Has had a knee replaced and lost the use of his right arm in a mining accident a few years ago. I am 45 and have had both hips replaced and we still hike the dark timber and we harvest animals every year. At the same time there is no way we could hike or bike the 5+ miles in so we would quit hunting in this state and hunt in another. So if you lock everything down and 40% of the hunters quit hunting the price of your lic would quadruple in price to support the WDFW. There are places to go that you can hike or bike in 5 miles and if that is what you want go for it.(10 years ago I would have been right along side you). In the mean time lets try to figure out a way to fix this problem and have both.

[USAFpj]

Think-N-Elk, I just returned as well and have had a lot of time to think about the way people hunt there in the tree farm.  First, if WEYCO cared about the rules, they would be a little more aggressive in covering up signs that do not apply, or announce deviations from the rules for special holidays.  Did anyone see the @sshat riding his mt. bike from the Kid Valley entrance to the end of the 1100 road (around 15 miles) the day of the opener?  Yeah, that was me.  Because the friggin' sign said no motorized entry due to logging during the weekdays.  But I guess the Thanksgiving opener is a tradition to keep the gates open.  The opposite was that I met some awesome people along the way who couldn't believe I was riding in the snow and ice, and wished me a ride or a 'good luck'.  So that's one point where Weyco can kiss my butt.  Now, to venture away from that, and move on to party hunting.  Every guy I met within the past 7 days were some of the nicest dudes I've ever met; way quick to give information, tips, and advice.  However, a lone guy with a longbow, on foot or bicycle, and no buddies with radios, I CAN NOT COMPETE with these guys who drive around at mach speed and try to head the elk off 'at the pass'.  I have said it in the past like some here have said, but I was wrong.  Road hunters and these guys who drive around most of the time DO NOT stir up the elk in a positive way.  So many times this week would I be glassing a group on a cut and coming up with a plan of attack, then to see the elk bounding off of the cut due to a vehicle pulling up to the top of the cut.  I DON'T GET IT  This action keeps them in the thick stuff, and makes them nocturnal.  For the 'metal malitia' that was driving in and around on Saturday, most had left on Sunday because the elk had left the entire area, and were only coming out at dark.  Do you not see that an armada of 'bowhunters' being dropped off by their vehicular based buddies, then radioed and picked up after they pushed the herd into the next county, is not hunting at all?  Overseas, we call these raids.  I think Weyco, who leases your state's land BTW, has good land if it is closed off in some areas.  I sure do not want to keep the vehicle guys out in other areas, as that's a form of hunting as well; I may educate myself in the areas for true 'walk in only' for next year.  Good to see the families out this year, and only ran into one drunk driver; trash was down as well.  If I would had the ballz to say it, I should have briefed the dudes in the silver camper topped Ford Ranger, and white 'marine maintenance' lifted truck to slow down and let the elk walk a little before they resumed the blitzkrieg and baja 4000.  So no, I could care less about a few 'unauthorized campers' until they get other crap under control...

[WDFW-SUX]

 

[phishisgroovin]

we hunted down lower all weekend, camped on the main road because my buddy couldnt get his trailer up to where he usually get a camp set up.
we had the tent trailer and black jeep next to the white rig and trailer with the seahawks awning.

good times and was nice getting to know the area up there a little. Seen many deer but i wasnt hunting, just learning. my buddy Greag couldnt close the 90 yard gap between two Doe's but he tried hard lol!

I was looking for Coyote or cougar & bobcats. only thing i would have been able to shoot.
Saturday night on the way down to camp, seen three sets of eyes in the road, stopped and it was someones pet cat & two HUGE kittens that were a mix of bobcat i believe just wandering around off someones property up the road (i hope). I cought the kittens, but momma wouldnt come close so i put them back down. would have been cool having a pet that was 1/2 bobcat or manx lol! their paws were freakin huge. Momma was a cream color cat with a collar.
If i had a kennel with me i would have coaxed momma into it with the kittens and taken them to paws for adoption, just have a feeling someone dropped them off in the hills to their demise.

[Dblstks]

USAFpj: Love the picture. If I was in your situation being a solo hunter with two car loads of #ssjackets racing around I would have went with the silent approach as well. No tellin how they would have reacted to your suggestion 

[USAFpj]

You know, it's hard to hate 'em because they are the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  In my own mind, I felt like the biggest whiner out there so I just had to settle down.  Besides, my fault for trying to play adventurist solo hunter when it's been a tradition to have the gates open during that time.  You live and you learn .  BTW, I found a nice Kershaw knife out there on the road.  If you can describe it, I would like to get it back to its owner.

[croix]

we hunted down lower all weekend, camped on the main road because my buddy couldnt get his trailer up to where he usually get a camp set up.
we had the tent trailer and black jeep next to the white rig and trailer with the seahawks awning.

saw your camp - looked like a decent setup. i cut FRESH cougar tracks near the top of green mountain sunday morning. looked to be a pretty big kitty.

[THINK_N_ELK]

PJ,

I can understand your frstration.  I too have been back in the walk in only areas just to have someone go flying by.  Of course when I asked how they got in there and why they are in there; they just say that they work for Weyco, and they are up getting a Christmas tree with a bow sitting on the front seat.  However now that I have the number to security, I will be calling in their plate number.

Croix

There is a good size cat that hangs around up there.  Found its prints in some people tracks this year as well.

[DIGGER69R]

I have been hunting Greenmountain for 7 years now. At first I was bent that the gate was closed. BUT!
now I hope they leave it that way. It took me two hours walking to get to my area and it was worth the walk.

Bad part  its going to take me about 16 hours to pack my elk out.

Oh ya, called Port "can kiss my blakely" It's ok for employees to drive behind gates and hunt. Seen a truck on green MT sat morning.  but they wont let me drive in and get my elk out.

Locked gates are ok with me. but we need a place to camp and getting the elk out is a mother.

[sportsman002001]

I just have to throw my  in here. As for all of you that bitch about the winston unit you are all a bunch of cry babies. You have to into that unit with the attitude that you will run into all of those road hunters and some *censored*s from time to time. If you yourself just take the time to get off the beaten path you will find plenty of elk to hunt that have not all been that disturbed. We have a fairly large camp and we have hunted many years up there and we go into that unit understanding the rules and regulations and do understand that on weekends you are going to get all of the weekend warriors. We deal with it because come during the weekdays and is walk in only your odds go up greatly. So it is just part of that area learn to deal with it. We do quite well in our camps on getting elk.
 
Now for USAFpj I feel for you biking all the way in there and having people drive by you. But when you left the gate at the 1900 and 500 if you would observe there was a sign covered up with black plastic. As for where you took your picture that sign is at the bottom of the 1100 and is intended for weekdays, yes I know that Wednesday was a weekday but from hunting up there many years the gates are always open for thanksgiving weekend including the Wednesday. If you noted on the big sign as you enter the tree farm there is a 800 number that you can call and it will advise you what roads are open and closed for the up coming week. You should check that number weekly as they do change what the open and close some times.

So that is all I have to say about the Winston unit. Just learn to deal with the crap on the weekends and then come the weekdays it is all good.

Good luck to all and Happy Hunting

[funkster]

sportsman002001,like you I have hunted there for many years and know that the tree farm is usually open the Thanksgiving week,however the dates that the hotline stated was during that week and they also said the 1100 was closed to motorized access and they have not updated the hotline.

If you hunt any Weyco.treefarm we all know that people don't follow the rules and will drive in if the gates are not locked because most don't know or don't care to do it the right way. The dot system doesn't work but the gate system does,lock them up and the road hunting and dumb lazy people will disappear making the hunting much better

[USAFpj]

Well, I took full responsibility for my 'adventure' and what I read here were others trying to comprehend about the unauthorized campers, so no crybabies present as far as I can see.  Unlike others, I didn't have a large camp that had been there "many years", to hold my hand and show me the 500sq ft of Weyco land that doesn't contain a road.  This forum is for venting and learning, and that's exactly the details that will go into the decision making process for next year.  

yes I know that Wednesday was a weekday but from hunting up there many years the gates are always open for thanksgiving weekend including the Wednesday

This was already addressed.  Weyco expects people to follow their rules to a tee,  but gets their undies in a bunch with people driving back there when the sign is exposed.  So if you have only 3 years in the area like me, and aren't familiar with the sign charade game, you see that someone took the time to cover the other like signs, but not this one, what does that tell you?  Tells me mixed signals.  Guess what happens in that situation?  I do what I feel is right because the owner obviously doesn't care or is just as confused.  Now if I was a true crybaby, I would whine about the hunting parties decked out in head to toe camo, $600 electronic aided bows that shoot 1,000ft per sec, hand held radios with ear pieces, range finders, and that one @sshat that was walking through the cut bugling and mewing.  I can't whine about them, because I watched (4) of them pull elk out of the woods

[sportsman002001]

USAFpj, I need to apologize to you. I was not calling you a crybaby but there are alot of people on this website that wine and snivle about the winston unit and all the road hunters in there and that just buggs the the hell when that is all you hear on this website is the bitches about Winston creek.

I think this subject got a little off the subject and another new thread should have been started on how weyco does not cover all the signs.

I personally think it is a great unit to hunt in the way it set up. Drive in on the weekends which allows the guys that can't hike or bike in to get in and do some hunting way back in there. Then come during the weekdays it gives guys like you and myself to get way back in there and just have a hayday hunting.

[WASHBCBOOK]

HERE IS THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE ALL YOUR BITCHING ABOUT THE WINSTON UNIT FIND PRIVATE PROPERTY
AND HUNT IM A DISABLED HUNTER WHOM FIND LOTS OF FARMERS FIELD WHOM WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TOO KILL ANY AND ALL THE ELK JUST MY 2 CENTS
YOU DONT ALWAYS HAVE TO HUNT WERE THERE IS JACKA$$$ PEOPLE

[USAFpj]

I personally think it is a great unit to hunt in the way it set up. Drive in on the weekends which allows the guys that can't hike or bike in to get in and do some hunting way back in there. Then come during the weekdays it gives guys like you and myself to get way back in there and just have a hayday hunting.

I hear ya and agree 100%.  If I could at least entertain the idea with other hunters, a piece of land dedicated to primitive camping in the center of the property would be beneficial.  The reason some guys camp unauthorized?  Because they just got done riding their bike 15mi into the property and are too tired to go back each day

[THINK_N_ELK]

[quote  If I could at least entertain the idea with other hunters, a piece of land dedicated to primitive camping in the center of the property would be beneficial.  The reason some guys camp unauthorized?  Because they just got done riding their bike 15mi into the property and are too tired to go back each day   [/quote]

PJ
What I saw was not a primitive camp, it was a camp trailer at the end of the 2500 line.

I think that before the timber companies would even consider the possiblities of camping.  WE ALL (archery, muzzy, and modern hunters) need to show that we are not the problem, and that we are trying to adhear to the rules. Just my 

Sportsman
I was not whining, I was just trying to merley get the word out, about security visiting the unathourized camp sites.

[sportsman002001]

To my knowledge the end of the 2500 line there are portions of that that are on federal land and are permitted to camp up there. There are also portions off of the 2600 line that are the same and during riffle elk season there are a couple camps that set up early in there. The down fall to that once you are in there you have to stay till a weekend so you can get out. So those guys camping up there would be okay. You just have to get a map with the land boundries.

[USAFpj]

Sportsman, I was thinking even about continuing on down the East running 1000 line to where it meets up with the National Forest; are you familiar with that entrance?

[sportsman002001]

No, I am not familiar with that. And it has been years since I have been up the 2600 line but I do recall some of those roads over gets you aways back up in there. We spend all of our time down lower. And now my curiosity is up even more I am going to have to break out some maps and take a look.

[dad98684]

i know this is off topic but....
i was camped up in the winston from 10-30 thru 11-16 on blm land.  i found it amazing that there were so many PIGS up there. when i pulled into our camp spot it was full of trash.  i spent a day cleaning it up, preparing for the rest of our party. but that is not the worst of it. it seems that the hunters up there took their craps in the road or next to the road with piles of paper everywhere    as well as trash everywhere. i sure would keep my gates closed and never open them for hunters.

[Cedarcreekkid]

I guess what gets me about this thread is the fact that most of you live miles away from here and are recent new comers to our area. I lived and hunted the winston and rest of the st helens tree farm most of my life. The last 5yrs down here have been terrible due to the hundreds pouring in from up north, shooting into the fields, hunting private property w/o permission and so on. This area was one of the first areas to see locked gates year round and only recently has weyco been generous enough to leave them open for extended periods of time. As for riding your bike 15 miles, if weyco doesn't want you in there, believe me they close the gates. My property is surrounded by the tree farm and for 2 mnths a year, I'm affraid to let my kids go out on my own property. For years now weyco hasn't let anyone camp in the winston and the camps that stay, as previously said, are on state or federal managed land. My advice is know our area and how it has worked down here for years or find somewhere else to hunt. God knows we have enough people in our area already

[throttlejocky20]

Lock all the gates on the west side. Just my opinion that would keep out all the people that should not be there. The only people you would see are the people that are serious abut hunting. With that said they should do a drawing for disabled and hunters over 65 for limited entry.

[USAFpj]

With all due respect,

if weyco doesn't want you in there, believe me they close the gates

is not a true statement.  The gates remain open while active logging is going on, correct?  They don't want civilian vehicles in there, but the gates are open.  I'm ready to put this thread to bed until someone writes about "their area".  Apparently it hadn't worked for years, or the gates wouldn't have been closed in the first place due to tweekers, trash thrown by the locals, and vandalism. My problem is that I expected a wilderness experience in a non-wilderness area. 

[deerhunter_98520]

It is always the dumb A$%%$ that ruin it for the rest of us. I was up in Vail this weekend walking my dog and looking for my knife ( witch I found ) and ran into a pile of garbage. Then the niece was asking me why people would do that. But I found a piece of mail with the guys name and address on it so I will be contacting the tree farm and turning him in. ( I hope some thing gets done about it )

instead of contacting them becuase i doubt anything will happen...you should load  it up in your truck and go dump it on his front lawn one night.