New Anterless Winston Elk Hunt

[cem3434]

There is no way this hunt will be over 50% success.  This unit is my backyard.  I spent the whole month of January in the unit the last 2 years with a buddy that was trapping.  Only saw a hand full of elk.  It's a little late for it to be really good.  A lot of the elk will have moved out of the unit because of snow come January.

Also my buddies wife drew this tag.

You're joking right? They moved out? Ok, I guess since you're a local you see it all from the seat of your truck!

To everyone who was drawn, congrats because this is a great hunt and you should be successful if you are willing to do a little work.  With some snow on the ground, the elk shouldnt be that hard to find.

[lilswab]

For a 20 percent success rate 3/4ths of the people would have to either stay home or be too drunk to shoot straight when they fall out of their Honda Accord while out road hunting.

If any effort at all is put into that tag by the people that put in for it.There should be an easy 50 percent sucess rate.I would say 100percent.But I know some people wont even be their,and others wont try very hard.Thast a stupid easy tag to fill.

I am just guessing and hoping that it is 20% success rate.  However, it should be more like 50%.  If it were my tag I will expect to tag out no problem.  I bet the gates will be open and I actually am hoping so.  This would seem like a good thing for rifle hunters but it has never helped my success. I have killed and seen more elk when the gates are closed. 

Don't get me wrong...I wish the best to all hunters.  I just think 200 tags are a bit overkill.  What do I know  I am just a knuckle dragging hunter that doesn't want the area I hunt to be less productive for me.  Maybe I am selfish...so sue me!

My dad has had a many Green Mtn master hunter tags and they have always filled their tags! 

[Huntbear]

This unit has tons of elk, but also tons of idiots hunting it. 

If you can not fill a cow tag in the Winston, ummmmmmmmmm   

[Basket Rack]

Point is that there will not be "tons of elk" in a few years if this is a tag that will be issued year after year.  It might take a few years but it will take a toll on the herds.  I would bet that there will be some gates open at least on Weyco land because I would speculate that this is a season that they petitioned WDFW for due to browse issues.  Most of the January hunts (i.e. Wildwood, Boistfort) are done due to private property damage.  I could be wrong on this, WDFW may think there are just too many elk in the unit and want to bring the numbers down.  Either way I am not a big fan of the season but being a hunter I wish those with the tags good luck, should be a good one to fill the freezer.

[cem3434]

Point is that there will not be "tons of elk" in a few years if this is a tag that will be issued year after year.  It might take a few years but it will take a toll on the herds.  I would bet that there will be some gates open at least on Weyco land because I would speculate that this is a season that they petitioned WDFW for due to browse issues.  Most of the January hunts (i.e. Wildwood, Boistfort) are done due to private property damage.  I could be wrong on this, WDFW may think there are just too many elk in the unit and want to bring the numbers down.  Either way I am not a big fan of the season but being a hunter I wish those with the tags good luck, should be a good one to fill the freezer.

Agreed....I don't like how many permits they are giving out. I know its part of the management plan, but I think they are giving out 440 cow permits between MF and ML is to many. That's not to mention the number of cows that the archery hunters take in there seasons as well. This seems like a lot of cows to take out of the herd at one time.  I am guessing that about 100+ bulls will be taken out of the herd between all of the seasons as well, so there is a potential that over 550+ elk could be thinned out this season alone.

I realize that many people wont fill their permits, but the thought makes a guy sick. With that being said, our group has 7 cow permits during regular MF and I hope we can fill at least 3 or 4 of them.

[bobcat]

This is all part of the plan that's been in place for a while to bring the St. Helens elk herd numbers down, because of all the elk that starve every winter. I guess what they've been doing hasn't been enough, so this year they doubled or quadrupled all the antlerless permits, and even added some that never existed before, like this Winston January hunt. I think it's a bit excessive too, but hopefully the biologists have the data to back up the increase in permit numbers.

[SFD2015]

My group and I were selected for this tag. We are all meat hunters so this was an obvious choice. However, we are also hunting the regular season. Just because we have a pretty good tag (Let's face it, this is a PRETTY DAMN GOOD TAG), doesn't mean that we are going hunt any less during the regular season.

My question, because I have only been hunting for 4 years, is what is the taste difference between Cow and Bull? I have been successful with two 4 by's over the past 4 years (I am a VERY lucky hunter), but have never eaten Cow. Is there a taste difference? Is there a preferred preparation method. Hopefully this year we will be starting to fully butcher our own meat so just curious.

[PA BEN]

My group and I were selected for this tag. We are all meat hunters so this was an obvious choice. However, we are also hunting the regular season. Just because we have a pretty good tag (Let's face it, this is a PRETTY DAMN GOOD TAG), doesn't mean that we are going hunt any less during the regular season.

My question, because I have only been hunting for 4 years, is what is the taste difference between Cow and Bull? I have been successful with two 4 by's over the past 4 years (I am a VERY lucky hunter), but have never eaten Cow. Is there a taste difference? Is there a preferred preparation method. Hopefully this year we will be starting to fully butcher our own meat so just curious.

Cows are good eatting and calves are better.

[cem3434]

My group and I were selected for this tag. We are all meat hunters so this was an obvious choice. However, we are also hunting the regular season. Just because we have a pretty good tag (Let's face it, this is a PRETTY DAMN GOOD TAG), doesn't mean that we are going hunt any less during the regular season.

My question, because I have only been hunting for 4 years, is what is the taste difference between Cow and Bull? I have been successful with two 4 by's over the past 4 years (I am a VERY lucky hunter), but have never eaten Cow. Is there a taste difference? Is there a preferred preparation method. Hopefully this year we will be starting to fully butcher our own meat so just curious.

In my opinion, any cow, calf or yearly (including spikes) will taste better that a bull.

[Miles]

Well I was 1 of the 200 selected for this hunt... I'm a bigger guy but plan on doing alot of walking to get in shape for this hunt just in case some of the roads are closed...  I'm NOT a roadhunter at all but I hope there are some roads open for better access!! Good Luck to everyone else that was selected for this hunt!! 

Any updates on how the hunt went?

[JimmyHoffa]

Well I was 1 of the 200 selected for this hunt... I'm a bigger guy but plan on doing alot of walking to get in shape for this hunt just in case some of the roads are closed...  I'm NOT a roadhunter at all but I hope there are some roads open for better access!! Good Luck to everyone else that was selected for this hunt!! 

Any updates on how the hunt went?

I believe he had a post about it--got a cow and had a good time....then the thread devolved into something about using a certain meat cutter and leaving a gutpile in a road.

[wrongway]

sorry I feel this tag sucks, its to hard on the elk

[blackveltbowhunter]

sorry I feel this tag sucks, its to hard on the elk

I agree

[tigguy]

"This is all part of the plan that's been in place for a while to bring the St. Helens elk herd numbers down, because of all the elk that starve every winter."- bobcat

Yep. I agree. However, I don't recall anyone from the carcuss counters being up here and finding starving elk. I remember them counting several dead elk in the St. Helens area. These are Winston elk permits we're talking about, right? Not Mudflow, or St. Helens vicinity permits, where those dead, starved elk were and are found? IMO, those 200 permits would be better served in the unit where starving elk are at, before they're starving, and not in a unit where already established herds live year round and several hundred more tend to migrate to when it snows.
Just my