Umtanum Muzzleloader Cow Elk!!

[CedarPants]

My loving and ever so understanding wife finally came to terms with and accepted the fact that I'll be gone the first 11 days of September chasing moose in Alaska.  No sooner had this happened, and BAM - I draw a cow elk tag for the Umtanum, first week of October (I also drew a B tag for deer, December 9th - 31st.  I'll wait for better timing to talk to her about that one).

This will be my first time hunting the Umtanum and I'm pumped!  A hunting partner of mine also drew the Observatory Quality Elk tag, so I'm even more excited.  I'm legal in the Umtanum, and he's legal in the Umtanum and Manastash - so we're eyeing the Northwest corner of the Umtanum where it borders the Manastash and Naches.  Anyone have any success stories from this area? 

[C-Money]

Congrats on your tags! You guys will have a great hunt! I drew a mod cow tag in the Umtanum. Hope to do some scouting soon! Your plan sounds great! According to my map, that looks like great country!

[CedarPants]

Congrats on your tag as well C!  That will be a great hunt for you I'm sure.  I'll be out doing as much scouting as time/gas prices permit (bit of a drive from Spokane) over the next couple months - but ya I agree that upper NW corner looks like good country.  Keep me updated on your scouting trips if you'd like and I'll do the same on my end for you.  Good luck this fall!

[unluckyjohn]

I drew a manastash cow muzzy tag and my hunting partner got a umtanum cow tag. I know from years of chasing spikes in both areas that the 1701 border road gets hit very hard by 4x4ers and road hunters.

[CedarPants]

Thank you Unlucky, the feedback is much appreciated.  My plan is to set up camp on the 1701 road border but then burn some boot leather in those draws south and east of the north fork of Wenas Creek.  I've hunted the Blues several times and am hoping the Umtanum is the same in that if you get off your quad and walk a few miles away from the roads, you leave 99% of everyone else behind.  I'll absolutely take any feedback you have to heart though as this will be my first time in the Umtanum.  Thanks again, look forward to hearing from you and best of luck to you and your buddy!

[ghosthunter]

I have hunted Black powder Untanum the past 5 years. I took a spike bull last year and my buddy took a cow. Everyone in camp had a chance at a animal. We have taken 3 cows and 1 spike bull in the time we have hunted there. You will not get away from the roads. Roads are every where. The elk are not bothered by the roads . In fact after the shooting starts they hang out in the areas between roads because everyone is hunting up high on the ridges. I too have a cow tag for that area and will be there when you are there. Stop in our camp I will give some intel. Look for the Ghost Camp Sign around the 516 Rd.
Ask for Bobby.

[CedarPants]

Best info yet Ghost.  If you'd be kind enough to shoot me a PM tomorrow I'd love to chat more.

[JColony]

Can't wait man, this is gonna be an epic one!

[CedarPants]

Can't wait man, this is gonna be an epic one!

Amen to that.  I'm still trying to figure out how you pulled an Umtanum cow tag AND the Observatory bull permit??  Lucky dawg - however we'll be hunting together so I guess that makes me just as lucky for getting to be a part of it all!! 

[C-Money]

Wowza. If you go into the Umtanum on the east side in the sage, you better have a good set of off road tires and 4WD. I think I will stick to scouting on the ATV, as that was really nasty up there. The Tundra did fine, but I have passenger car tires on it right now and I was sweating. No flats thank goodness.

[youngbuckslayer]

c money did u see any elk

[C-Money]

Negative. No elk, saw a few deer. I need to figure out access closer to the timber line. There is more homes out around there than I anticipated.

[youngbuckslayer]

ya when will u be going in there again i could give u some directions to get into some timber that always hold elk

[HTN4LIFE]

Having hunted the Colockum for over twenty years, I took a chance on the Umtanum and what do you know, a cow tag the last five days of the modern season!  I too will scout extensively, speak with the regional fish and game department and garner as much preseason info as I can.   As in the same way I have always operated elk camp, all are welcome to what I can offer and am always grateful for what is shared my way as well.  Boy could I go for some diced elk heart mixed with onion, peppers, chopper potatoes, garlic.......

[C-Money]

  Sounds good! We are in the same boat, I have hunted the Quilomene for years and am now scouting Umtanum with a mod cow tag. I am very excited!

[HTN4LIFE]

C-Money  Although I live on the West side, I and family have been members of the Moses Lake chapter of the RMEF since the mid 1990's.   Are you a member

[C-Money]

Negative. I am not a member of RMEF. I need to fix that.

[CedarPants]

I was making plans to head out scouting this upcoming weekend then was reminded that its Hoopfest, and I'm playing.  Who the heck sets up a basketball tourney during prime scouting time???

I'll likely be over that a way 4th of July weekend though checking things out.  If anyone was will be in the area scouting let me know, we can compare notes.

[HTN4LIFE]

Good morning Cedarplant-
Just last night I was convincing my wife that she needed a break from me over the same weekend.  As my main hunting partner (son Zach) is still in Nairobi Kenya, I would be open to scouting with someone else.  As there are a lot of nuts out there, and should you be interested in such a trip, we can exchange info by email to better assure ourselves.  By the way....   Our family did hoopfest for nearly twenty years, what a blast!  Which division are you in?

[CedarPants]

Good morning Cedarplant-
Just last night I was convincing my wife that she needed a break from me over the same weekend.  As my main hunting partner (son Zach) is still in Nairobi Kenya, I would be open to scouting with someone else.  As there are a lot of nuts out there, and should you be interested in such a trip, we can exchange info by email to better assure ourselves.  By the way....   Our family did hoopfest for nearly twenty years, what a blast!  Which division are you in?

I feel like I was hit by a truck, but no injuries so Hoopfest was a success.  We were in the 6 foot and over division, 30 - 35 year olds.  The team that won the division beat us by 1 point in OT, so we fought hard.

It's looking less and less like I'll be able to make it over this weekend, but I'm still definitely going to try.  Will let you know for sure by week's end if I'll be able to or not.

[Rainier10]

Thank you Unlucky, the feedback is much appreciated.  My plan is to set up camp on the 1701 road border but then burn some boot leather in those draws south and east of the north fork of Wenas Creek.  I've hunted the Blues several times and am hoping the Umtanum is the same in that if you get off your quad and walk a few miles away from the roads, you leave 99% of everyone else behind.  I'll absolutely take any feedback you have to heart though as this will be my first time in the Umtanum.  Thanks again, look forward to hearing from you and best of luck to you and your buddy!

My wife hunted with that tag two years in a row and the third year we hunted together for spike only.  She got a cow one of the two years and I got a spike two years ago.  In camp we had 5 spikes and 2 cows that year.  It is a great hunt if you are willing to burn the boot leather, we did and it paid off.  The ridge road above the feeding station and all the way down is a freeway of 4 wheelers but if you get in the draws and hunt downhill away from the road and towards the feeding station you will see plenty.  With all of the hunting pressure the elk just jump from canyon to canyon and back again.  If you hunt one draw and it looks good but you don't see elk, hunt it again the next day because they may get pushed back from where they were hiding.  They also continually get pushed out of the other units and over the top into the Umtanum.  PM me if you need more information.