West Side Special Permit

[Bob33]

Good things can come to those who do their homework.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harvest/2009/reports/elk_hunt_name.php

[Houndhunter]

there is no good big bull archery tag for the west side imo, they may be a guaranteed bull but it wont be much bigger than a good rag horn. i have a better chance at getting a monster in the general season than any of the special permits, again im talking about west side archery

So would you say it is not worth putting in for a special permit on the west side? 

i would say put in, but once you get some decent points built up i would not apply for the west anymore. but thats if you go archery, modern still has some really good permits

[Bob33]

Without question the majority of large (300" and up) elk taken in Washington come from east of the Cascades.  However, you could get a trophy Roosevelt elk in Western Washington.

[jbeaumont21]

I notice the majority of people are voting "other."  What units are better??? 

[trophyhunt]

We don't want to mention the better one's, we like the focus being on what the options are. 

[Ddog73]

Why don't you put in for the Green River 485 unit?

[chester]

 

We don't want to mention the better one's, we like the focus being on what the options are. 

which of these areas have you been to and scouted?[

[Houndhunter]

We don't want to mention the better one's, we like the focus being on what the options are. 

, nothing personal though just alot of people on this site

[MLBowhunting]

I vote other 

[jbeaumont21]

I'm not familiar with the "Other Unit."  Where is it?  Is it any good??    I am not familiar with the Green River Unit either. There was only 3 antlered bulls that were reported from that GMU last year and only 1 was a 6x6+.  I have read the other thread where people purposely lie about where they got their elk so that other people don't hunt their unit, so I guess there could be more to the Green River then what the harvest report shows... I dont know?  As far as scouting I have not done much in any of those units.  Unfortunately family and work limit my time in the woods and what time I do have is spent hunting.  My plan is if I get drawn then I would spend the summer/early fall scouting it like a muther until I was comfortable with an area and had located some elk.

[chester]

You would honestly probably have a better chance at a 6x6 if you picked a general area and started scouting now til season opens. even drawing one of those tags and trying to pack it all in before season your more then likely gonna end up with a raggy or tag soup. just drawing the tag wont gaurantee a big bull.

[jbeaumont21]

I do a lot of scouting in the two units that I hunt during the general ML season, but it doesn't seem to help me shoot a big 6x6.  I have taken a few bulls over the years and I have only seen a couple that were 6x6 or better.

How much scouting do they get to do on the east side where they can't even get into a unit until they are hunting??

[Bob33]

 I am not familiar with the Green River Unit either. There was only 3 antlered bulls that were reported from that GMU last year and only 1 was a 6x6+.

In 2008 (2009 Harvest report) there were three bull permits issued for the Green River GMU, so I'd say a harvest of three isn't too bad.

[chester]

I do a lot of scouting in the two units that I hunt during the general ML season, but it doesn't seem to help me shoot a big 6x6.  I have taken a few bulls over the years and I have only seen a couple that were 6x6 or better.

How much scouting do they get to do on the east side where they can't even get into a unit until they are hunting??

probably not much. but they cant hunt those bulls anyway. on the westside anything bigger then a spike has been chased to death. Have you found any 6x6 or bigger when out scouting? they are hard to come by most bulls one this side dont live long enough to get that big. In my experience if you find one. stay on it till general season. DO NOT POST PICS, DO NOT BREATH A WORD TO ANYONE. Family included. there should only be two ways anyone knows about it. A. they found it themselves B. they see it in the back of your truck. they are around. Ive f'd up a couple chances in general season on them. i had a partner hit one in the leg. why i didnt take a shot i have no idea. biggest regret elk hunting i have. was just watching thru the binos after i heard the bullet hit.

[MooseStock]

Just so you know....your numbers aren't actually right and may be misleading. The White River unit (Modern) had 447 applicants in 2009 as you list but that was for 48 permits which were pretty good odds at that time. In 2010 they dropped the modern to 30 permits and there were actually 1010 putting in for those permits so you can see the odds are actually way worse then you list by about triple. It may be that way for all of the hunts you list but I am not sure of those. I would suspect next year there may be even more applicants because of all the "press" on here of the unit. I am surprised nobody has listed the Nooksack....you always hear of the supersize rack genepool for a trophy hunt although I have no knowledge of the area and I think the native americans pretty much have there way there as they do here in the White River unit. Hope that helps your perspective..............Les