best smokepole unit WESTSIDE?/

[HEADSHOT]

Where would you go for a good bull? Down here or somewhere else? lots of toads come from up north? were to go where to go? any advice on permits, or general hunt?

[Coastal_native]

Don't waste your time on the Olympic Penninsula...there are very few elk...with small antlers...and they taste bad.

[JimmyHoffa]

 
The units for early and late muzzy are different.  One might even say the units that traditionally have reputation for good bulls aren't even open to muzzy only season.  Are you thinking of muzzy hunting during the general season?

[HEADSHOT]

Well down here in longbeach its good hunting, but alway thinking about going up there towards forks, or sequim/PA area? just looking for some advice. I have a good friend who hunts forks area early season archery "big bulls are up there" but dont know anyone up therer who hunts muzzleloader, looking for a good place to start, even a GMU. I do know that Clallam County produces any one can pull the record books to see that.... advice is all not looking for anythng but advice. Mainly where I should put in for a special permit up there or do the general hunt? I will stay down here f it doesnt look good but PM me or reply if you have some thoughts on any of this?

[JimmyHoffa]

The muzzy only units are 602/603/607 (early) and 601/618 (late).  602 has lots of roads and clearcuts, lots of timber co land so might need a bicycle.  You can drive all over on mainlines and keep switching from state to timber leased.  The roads are pretty good and not too steep.  Quite a bit of small alder swamps and small streams.  603 is similar to 602 but has some national park and national forest, more of a pain to drive around in.  607 shares a lot of boundary with the national park.  Most of 607 is national forest and hasn't been logged for a while.  There are a few roads through here that are maintained, but also slides and washouts that don't get repaired.  These units are crowded during the early muzzy.  601 is small and is tough to find legal areas.  You can try to access from the highway between Neah Bay and Seiku or drive along a maze of logging roads, might be driving a while.  618 is surrounded by national park and reservation, the majority of it is national forest.  I'd say scout early or get a recent (real recent) map of that one.  Some of the roads that used to go for many miles have had lots of culverts removed and the roads blocked with boulders.  I don't think the FS is planning to reinstate those roads.  It can get real swampy in there too.
621 is permit only, and I think the area around Sequim is master hunter/youth only.  There are a few animals in 621, but the huntable ones are down by Brinnon, and seem to like to hang out on the private property.  If you are a good people person, you might find a willing landowner.
612 and 615 didn't have muzzy only season.  You could try the special permit though.  You could get the permit with a modern tag and then hunt with a muzzy.  Lots of places to explore in 615.  612 has a bunch of logging and roads.  Similar to 602.  615 borders the national park and has some major river drainages.  Some of the drainages are less steep than others.  The roads can be tight and windy in places and the terrain very rough.  607,615, and 618 have rainforests and can be really mossy and thick.

[Tman]

Anymore, its a pain to hunt elk on the westside with blackpowder any more, it seems like every year the amount of blackpowder units gets smaller and smaller.

[HEADSHOT]

dang guys keep em coming! really appreciate the time and effort in your replies! Also I have longbeach in my back yard but wanna branch out and see whats north of me. again thanks for the reply....op is a bg chunk of land!

[gotshot]

sounds like the yakima feeding stations are pretty good.

[Alan K]

In my opinion your chances at a good bull are about equal in any of the general season units.  Draw tags are where you'll get an increased chance.

[MLhunter1]

In my opinion your chances at a good bull are about equal in any of the general season units.

I have to disagree 0n that one.  Half of the general ML units are crap, either few elk or few areas to hunt or both.  I have never hunted Forks area but from all the time I have spent in the woods up there it seems as it would be a tough hunt, that is unless you got the tag to hunt on the airport runway or the national park tag.  Lots of elk on the peninsula but tough to find em in legal areas that are not a total jungle.  We need a few more good general season units to help thin the ML crowd.