Bowhunter That Just Moved to Washington!

[BurtonRider]

Hey guys! I just moved to Washington from Georgia and I have a passion for hunting, fishing and the outdoors in general. I have been looking around this forum for a little bit now and it looks like this is a great site. I am a bowhunter and shoot a Bowtech Tomkat.

I am looking for any advice y'all can provide on where to start with elk hunting. I did a lot of whitetail hunting in GA but really have no idea where to start with elk other than what I have seen watching VS or the Outdoor Channel! I live near JBLM so I am looking at hunting the Westside of the Cascades. I know and understand that people will not tell exactly where they hunt but is there a good general area for me to start to scout, set-up trail cams? Where is a good place to get maps for public land? What equipment have y'all seen has come in handy the most while hunting here? I know that the terrain, weather and style of hunting is much different from what I have seen in the south.

If there is anyone out there willing to "take me under their wing" I am in great shape and enjoy hiking around in the mountains. I am willing to watch and learn before I even get the chance to shoot. Like I said I am looking to hunt the Westside. I am willing to drive to get to areas to scout/hunt as well.

Any advice/info y'all can provide would be greatly appreciated and I look forward to learning as much as I can on this site and out in the woods!

[pianoman9701]

Welcome to WA. You're on your own! Just kidding. 

In which area of the Western Cascades do you reside? That might get you a few more people who'll help.

[BurtonRider]

I live in the Lacey/DuPont Area.

[wormfood]

See that you posted near JBLM. Does that mean you are stationed there? If you are lookin at early archery for elk there are alot of places that get shut down because of fire danger so if no one pulls you under their wing I would suggest lookin at National forest since they wont shut it down unless there is an active fire in the area. Have you been to TSC for any shootin? Everyone up there is pretty nice and you could make some pretty good friends and possible huntin buddies from that place. Good Luck.

[pianoman9701]

You and I are a couple hours apart, but there'll be more guys in your area, most likely some at the base, as well if you're in the service.

[BurtonRider]

Wormfood - I haven't been to TSC yet but I will go give that a shot. Thanks for the info!

[BurtonRider]

How do tags work here? Do I need to apply for a tag to even hunt or is that just for certain areas?

[Machias]

Last thing a new guy wants to hear is how much they are going to be disappointed....but being from the south you're about to be disappointed.  I grew up in the midwest and am an avid bowhunter.  This state is depressing for bowhunters compared to the midwest and down south.  You can still have some fun, but it will not even come close to back in GA.  One of the things you'll be exposed to that you are not used to is, since they make everyone choose their weapons up here prior to the start of the seasons, you have all three user groups pitted against each other.  Back home I'm sure you were able to bow hunt if you wanted to, then pick up a muzzy and then use your rifle.  So there was no infighting amongst hunters like there is here, all vieing for less and less game animals in less and less space.  The crowding you are about to experience is courtesy of the state cramming everyone into just a few GMUs instead of letting us all spread out.  Not nearly as much small game as back there.  Bow seasons are getting shorter and shorter here unlike back there where you were probably able to bowhunt for months and months and take multiple deer.  Cheered up yet?      My one suggestion is find a good elk hunter and forget about trying to turn elk into giant southern deer, your better off getting out of the mindset from the start.  Welcome to WA and good luck this fall.  I hope it all falls into place for you.

[pianoman9701]

A very complicated question. Here are the regs.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/

Browse the site. There are some fairly good mapping options and harvest information that may guide you toward your decisions as to where to hunt.

With archery, you can get a Western WA elk tag without a draw. There are a few GMUs you can't hunt without a draw permit, but most of the west side is open to archery without one. Deer is the same, except I think with archery you can hunt statewide without a draw for deer. You need to confirm that. I only hunt the western part.

[wormfood]

draws are over and they are just for certain areas. Tags are over the counter and when you check the game laws there are lots of places on the wet side that will be any deer and 3pt. or better or antlerless for elk. Almost everyone I know that shoots archery at TSC bowhunts and I have hunted with a few of them. They love newbie's to bs with and you might be able to get some good info from them.If you do hunt National forest green trail maps are really nice and they have forest trails marked on them, you can find those just about any sporting good store or map shop. SportCo in fife has GMU maps and I think Wholesale sports in Lacey does too. I GO HUNT link on the WDFW has a decent mapping program. Google Earth kick ass.

[jackmaster]

if you are in the military you are golden sir, no  nonresident crap for you, if you want to stay close to the base then the scookumchuck unit has a few elk in it, as for blacktail deer , fortlewis has some of the biggest blacktails in the state, if you need someone to show you around pm me and i would be happy to help ya out, were you stationed at benning, are you a grunt, welcome to washington, dont let the big green trees scare ya