Willapa Hills Info

[AKBowman]

Been hunting the Willapa Hills for close to 40 years.  Thick and steep.  Takes some time to learn the country.  May not matter anyway, Weyco and the other timber companies are closing down more and more of the land to public access with vehicles.  Weyco does allow walk in hunting but why bother since Weyco employees and retirees can drive in behind the locked gates.  Be a real bummer to walk in several miles only to have someone drive past and shoot a bull.  I would guess that within a couple of years there will be no public access to the Willapa Hills. 

I would guess you are wrong. Probably wont be any non Weyco vehicle access but they would be giving up millions of tax dollars if they quit allowing walk in and non motorized vehicle access.

[bobcat]

Been hunting the Willapa Hills for close to 40 years.  Thick and steep.  Takes some time to learn the country.  May not matter anyway, Weyco and the other timber companies are closing down more and more of the land to public access with vehicles.  Weyco does allow walk in hunting but why bother since Weyco employees and retirees can drive in behind the locked gates.  Be a real bummer to walk in several miles only to have someone drive past and shoot a bull.  I would guess that within a couple of years there will be no public access to the Willapa Hills. 

I would guess you are wrong. Probably wont be any non Weyco vehicle access but they would be giving up millions of tax dollars if they quit allowing walk in and non motorized vehicle access.

Tax dollars? What tax dollars? It's taxed as timberland. Doesn't have anything to do with providing recreational lands for the public, as far as I know.   

[AKBowman]

Been hunting the Willapa Hills for close to 40 years.  Thick and steep.  Takes some time to learn the country.  May not matter anyway, Weyco and the other timber companies are closing down more and more of the land to public access with vehicles.  Weyco does allow walk in hunting but why bother since Weyco employees and retirees can drive in behind the locked gates.  Be a real bummer to walk in several miles only to have someone drive past and shoot a bull.  I would guess that within a couple of years there will be no public access to the Willapa Hills. 

I would guess you are wrong. Probably wont be any non Weyco vehicle access but they would be giving up millions of tax dollars if they quit allowing walk in and non motorized vehicle access.

Tax dollars? What tax dollars? It's taxed as timberland. Doesn't have anything to do with providing recreational lands for the public, as far as I know.   

Most, if not all timber co's get gigantic tax breaks or incentives (whatever you want to call it) for allowing full public access on the leased timber lands. There are lots of defferent incetives and requirements written into the leases. (cleanup, etc)If they dont allow any public access at all they would forfeit that tax money. You surely dont believe that they have been allowing public free access to lands they pay the govt for out of good faith do you? It's all about the $. Garbage dumping, fire season hazard and stolen property (wood cutting) caused them to lose a lot of $ so they did and continue to do the smart thing which is not to allow vehicle access for non employees. I dont see that changing any time soon.

[AKBowman]

I just re read that last post and it came out sounding snobby. Sorry about that Bobcat. It does look like more and more of the land is becoming avilable for private party hunting leases. Pretty sure I DO NOT LIKE that.

[bobcat]

Didn't sound snobby to me so that's not a problem. But I've just never heard of tax breaks for timber companies for providing public access. They already pay very, very low property tax just for it being classed as timberlands. And what is this "lease" you mention? Most, if not all, of the bigger timber companies in the state OWN the land from which they harvest their timber. They do not lease it. Is that what you are saying? 

I don't think private landowners in this state have ever provided access to the public for the reason of paying less property tax. If that was the case, some of them wouldn't be getting into the business of selling permits for hunters to access their lands. I don't know- I've heard this same thing from others before, but I've never seen any facts to back it up.  

[grundy53]

Didn't sound snobby to me so that's not a problem. But I've just never heard of tax breaks for timber companies for providing public access. They already pay very, very low property tax just for it being classed as timberlands. And what is this "lease" you mention? Most, if not all, of the bigger timber companies in the state OWN the land from which they harvest their timber. They do not lease it. Is that what you are saying? 

I don't think private landowners in this state have ever provided access to the public for the reason of paying less property tax. If that was the case, some of them wouldn't be getting into the business of selling permits for hunters to access their lands. I don't know- I've heard this same thing from others before, but I've never seen any facts to back it up.  

[Curly]

It's just one of those stories (the tax issue) that gets told and believed and repeated again and again.  But it isn't true.

[Alan K]

Yeah, I can't remember what thread it was but that whole thing was covered.

I figure they must get some kickback if they still let people drive in when they steal Christmas trees, off road, put wear and tear on road, dump garbage, damage equipment, etc. 

[bucklucky]

I was told that a certain timber company had put cameras out around there equipement last year in vail during deer season and found out it was employees stealing diesel, dumping garbage, and what not. Might have been a few years back, dont know if that rumor was true or not?

[Alan K]

They'd have to be some real genius' to do something like that and risk losing their job in this day and age!

[grundy53]

Been hunting the Willapa Hills for close to 40 years.  Thick and steep.  Takes some time to learn the country.  May not matter anyway, Weyco and the other timber companies are closing down more and more of the land to public access with vehicles.  Weyco does allow walk in hunting but why bother since Weyco employees and retirees can drive in behind the locked gates.  Be a real bummer to walk in several miles only to have someone drive past and shoot a bull.  I would guess that within a couple of years there will be no public access to the Willapa Hills. 

The whole area behind the Pe Ell shop to stillman creek is already locked up except to Weyerhouser folks and they just a couple of days ago added all of the area from rock creek east to the Pe Ell shop/stillman creek lock up.  The rock creek area is part of the willapa hills unit.

[Alan K]

Been hunting the Willapa Hills for close to 40 years.  Thick and steep.  Takes some time to learn the country.  May not matter anyway, Weyco and the other timber companies are closing down more and more of the land to public access with vehicles.  Weyco does allow walk in hunting but why bother since Weyco employees and retirees can drive in behind the locked gates.  Be a real bummer to walk in several miles only to have someone drive past and shoot a bull.  I would guess that within a couple of years there will be no public access to the Willapa Hills. 

The whole area behind the Pe Ell shop to stillman creek is already locked up except to Weyerhouser folks and they just a couple of days ago added all of the area from rock creek east to the Pe Ell shop/stillman creek lock up.  The rock creek area is part of the willapa hills unit.

Great news if you are or know a Weyco employee, horrible news if you don't or aren't. 

[Alan K]

I heard a rumor that the walk in behind Dryad east of the state land was going to be open for employees to drive in as well, or at least it's in the discussions stage. 

[Nimbus3000]

I am sure that the employees and retirees will be driving personal vehicles in.  Rest of us have to walk in.  What good is it to walk for 4 hours and then have a truck load of guys drive past.  Not a lot of incentive.  At my age (early 70's) I can still pack an animal out of a canyon (1/4 at a time on packboards) but just do not see any real incentive to hike in when others can drive in.  As far as the tax breaks go, just a myth.  I have never found any agreement that does this.  By allowing walk in the timber companies still can claim they allow public access.  Just limited to how far a person can walk in and out in a day (no camping).  Been trying to find where the WDFW is aquiring all this public access they keep talking about, not a lot of luck.  Might be time for the four of us that hunt together to just call it quits.

[Ziptie]

You are right on about what is happening.  I walked in 6 miles only to realize that there were rigs around.  I fallowed the rigs tire tracks out to figure out how they got their rigs in, yep they had keys to locked gates.  It frustrates me because the public is being pushed out and the employs (current and retired) are getting keys issued to them.  Last year (modern rifle) they got keys issued and could have 3 additional hunters with them….  This is not bs, it is a fact.  It is one thing to shut an area down but this is crap.  The more that is shut to down to the public the more private hunting they get….This motivates them to shut more and more down.
 
Also the tax thing is just a rumor it is not true, we really looked into it.  We were thinking it might be an angle to keep things open.
 
“I was told that a certain timber company had put cameras out around there equipement last year in vail during deer season and found out it was employees stealing diesel, dumping garbage, and what not. Might have been a few years back, dont know if that rumor was true or not?”
This is true and they filed charges and fired employees over it.  They also used it as a excuse to lock more gates last year.  The employees get more private hunting….

My hunting group has been hunting there for 33 years, this is just not right.