Archery Manastash/Taneum/Rimrock/Cowiche

[jechicdr]

  spend a bunch of time writing a post and hit backspace and page navigates backwords...I'll try this again.
I'm from Spokane, been her coming up on 5 years now.  First year here, hunted NE corner during rifle season.  Big mistake, more hunters than you could shake a stick at and the only elk I saw were on the road near town.  Resolved to stick with the bow after that.  The next year I got drawn for the Malaga cow tag and had a blast.  Saw elk every day including a nice bull, but took me the whole week to get close to them, and then just couldn't connect before the season was over.  The next year I went slipped over the rim and explored Naneum (328) and saw lots of elk including a couple of nice bulls, but couldn't get close to a spike.  Two years ago, explored Bumping (356) wilderness and ran in to elk at every turn, more Bulls than anything else.  When I did see cows, the bulls usually were between me and the cows and so never connected that year.  Went back there last year, but it was spike only and the closest I could come to a spike was about 100 yards.

This year I'm looking for some backup spots where I might be able to put something in the freezer.  I worry about the ORV traffic in Manastash and Taneum.  Looking mostly at Manastash, near the ridge but away from the main roads.  Quartz and Frost mountain seem to be popular choices, but seems like main roads are pretty close for my taste.  I'm thinking more between Keenan/hereford meadows and lost and manastash lakes and manastash ridge.  If there are elk, I can find them...just don't want to find too many hunters, or worse ORV's tearing up the area.

Also looking at Rimrock.  Couple places to access the wilderness (North fork Tieton), and Conrad creek that sound promising.  Also might consider pinegrass ridge (though wish there were more large water sources) and possibly jumpoff (seems like that one has some potential for ambushing elk moving away from hunting pressure).

Mathews Z7 (Father's day present), with Beman MFX 300 and 125 grain Muzzy phantom.

[D-Rock425]

Sounds like you have everything already figured out.  There can be a lot of elk in the area and hunting can be good.  I would do a lot of scouting during the summer and find elk.

[hunterofelk]

You went over a couple of areas I like.

[Recurve-Elk]

Ya sounds like you got it covered.   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I spent 20+ years hunting those areas (Manastash), Back side of Frost is a really good area, a few riders, but single track (motorcycles only) once you get on top. The other ones ( Keenan/hereford meadows and lost and manastash lakes and manastash ridge) have quite a bit of 4X4 action, and a couple of permanent camps (structures) but a few Elk in area.
One of my favorites is Shoestring Lake (again I prefer the single tracks) the animals seem to not be as bothered by the motocycles as from slower moving quads and trucks.
If you have 2 rigs park one down at S.Fork Meadows (Taneum Creek), and you can hunt from Peaches ridge (Quartz Mountain) all the way down.
Or from Frost Mountain, even Hoyt Mining Trail (if you hook off to the NE you can even follow it down to Taneum Junction) all single tracks.
If you want to avoid trails and roads, park at Taneum Lake (short trail to lake) and drop down into that hole, it is between Peaches and Frost trails and a nasty pack, but you eventually come out on trail at bottom.