Olympic Bull Rifle

[Backstrap]

I drew one of 14 modern bull tags for 621 Olympic. Anyone on here hunted that tag lately? Looks like 14 hunters took 8 bulls last year. That's better than 50% success rate. Not too shabby...

[raghorn69]

Hello  I also drew a tag for that unit. It looks like there are not a large amount of Elk but some good ones can be found, from what I hear. Its to bad WDFW excludes the Elk Area in the North part of our GMU. That takes some prime land from us on this hunt. I am looking into using a Outfitter on this hunt, I do not have many draw years left, so would like to make the best out of it. I wish you luck on your hunt. 

[MADMAX]

Theres some private land near the Hamma Hamma that a guy lets gun hunters in but does not like archers
Also try MT Jupiter

[Seabeckian]

Sure doesn't seem like they should be allowing 14 modern hunters in there given the heard size. The elk pattern easily once you get into them. My dad got a beautiful 5x6 last year for archery (although that was in the rut). A buddy at work got a descent 5 pt the year before with modern. Make friends with the locals, they will be your best assets for this hunt. Good luck! 

[bradslam]

You will have some decisions to make depending on what kind of experience you want.  If you hunt the private land elk at Hamma Hamma, it probably won't be much different than shooting a beef cow in the back pasture.  The Dosewallips herd may also not be very challenging depending on where they are hanging out.  The Duckabush and Lilliwaup herds are more fun to hunt in my opinion...much more like actual elk hunting.  When I had the tag, I ended up hunting Lilliwaup Swamp and sticking with it until I got my bull.  That was after passing up a couple of huge 6-points in Sequim because I didn't feel good about it.

[GlennGTR]

I live in the unit, and hunt deer and bear up here all the time. Is it just you in the party? I know of a few good bulls and their hideouts. If you would like some solid info, drop me a pm.

[Backstrap]

Here's the wrap-up...

I hunted hard for 8 days and never saw an elk (other than the ones in a lowland residential area). Most of my hunting was in the Liliwaup swamp area. There were a few elk in there, but not much based on the sign I was seeing.

I scouted all of general deer season weekends, and also saw no elk. Lot of bear sign though. Talking to various people I met in the 2 months I spent scouting, etc, it seems like the tribe pounds the area hard, starting in late summer. The animals seemed to have been pushed into either 1) residential / semi-residential areas, or 2) very thick brush which was essentially unhuntable. I saw almost no fresh sign in any clearcuts.

That said, there is a picture of a decent bull on the wall at Yardbirds, that it labeled as an Olympic ML bull. So it seems like there was at least one lucky hunter in the GMU.

I doubt I'll apply for the tag again, but if I did, I'd focus on the north end of the unit, not the south.

[Alan K]

Sorry to hear about the hunt, obviously not what you were hoping for.  I'd been thinking about this hunt, though not for the modern season.  I know there aren't as many elk in there as one would think, but I'd hoped with the limited hunting (at least by us licensed hunters) it would still be a solid hunt.  Now you've got me wondering.

[sirmissalot]

That area gets hammered by the skoke indians. Sorry to hear about your hunt, that area holds some giants but they are far a few between.

[Elkpiss]

I got some  pictures of 5 bulls together in the unit and couple would be pushin the 300 mark, but i wouldnt have clue as to access that unit, but the bulls i seen up there last week were big.. I cant post pics, someone send me a cell # and  I will txt you them so u can post, i can careless about those elk so I dont care if there posted..

[Backstrap]

Elkpiss, where did you see those bulls. Just curious.

[Cylvertip]

That said, there is a picture of a decent bull on the wall at Yardbirds, that it labeled as an Olympic ML bull. So it seems like there was at least one lucky hunter in the GMU.

My guess is that this is just slang for Roosevelt, or that it came from the peninsula, not that it specifically came from the Olympic GMU.

[Backstrap]

My guess is that this is just slang for Roosevelt, or that it came from the peninsula, not that it specifically came from the Olympic GMU.
[/quote]

You could be right. I covered a lot of ground, and did not even see any fresh rubs. I'm curious to know where elkpiss saw the 5 bulls together.

[JimmyHoffa]

Did you try Mint meadows at all--scouting or hunting?
I don't try for that tag but know a few that have and it seems like they chase and wait for the elk to get off of private ground or off of state park.  There was one guy that had the sequim tag and and could see all the bulls together but they were on the wrong side of the fence for the season.

[True Sportsman]

That area gets hammered by the skoke indians. Sorry to hear about your hunt, that area holds some giants but they are far a few between.

You are correct. Several years ago, on Mt. Jupiter, the Native Americans took a really good bull out. The forester that works for the timber company up there called the cops because 2 guys had a bull in the back of a pickup and it was out of season. Found out later it was Native Americans and cops couldn't do anything. Its a shame. I have heard of several good bulls killed by the tribe in there...

And this is a fact, because I was working for the same timber company during this time.

[Backstrap]

Did you try Mint meadows at all--scouting or hunting?
I don't try for that tag but know a few that have and it seems like they chase and wait for the elk to get off of private ground or off of state park.  There was one guy that had the sequim tag and and could see all the bulls together but they were on the wrong side of the fence for the season.

I looked at the mint meadows scouting, but didn't spend any hunting time there.  During the season I was working from Jorstad creek over to the powerlines, melbourne lake, prices lake, saddle mountain, miller pond, and liliwaup swamp from all directions. Also spent one day up on the Hamma Hamma area. It's all very elky looking country, but just wasn't much if anything there when I was in hunting. It's posted as a winter elk feeding area, so maybe they show up in numbers later.