Can U Help With Willipa Hills

[MonkeyMan1]

Ive been reading the post on this site for a long time but just recently added myself to the site. Ive been hunting Westside elk for a while with no success. Im originally from AZ, and hunting is alot different down there. Does anyone have any good advice for hunting in the Willipa Hills GMU. I usually always hunt archery. I know everyone has there secret spots, but any help would be cool.           Thanks everyone   and Hunt On!!!!

[pianoman9701]

Welcome to the site. I've hunted a bit behind the gates off of SR 4 in the Elochoman and Mill Creek areas. There's some critters in there, but you can hike in all day and then have a timber company employee drive by in his truck. There's a lot of thick stuff and up and downs. They're hiding out in the really deep holes between the roads.

[AKBowman]

I've hunted Willapa for a few yrs with no success. I'm switching to The Winston this yr. Same amnt of people but more elk than Willapa. The gates near Pe Ell held some good country in the Willapa. What I'm finding out about hunting west side elk is it's more about how you hunt than where you hunt. Ryderwood is a great unit with lots of good gates just gotta put in your work starting now. I'm making my first trip into my spot next week, never really put the effort in to scout for elk and it shows in my results. Spent the time to scout BT's the last two yrs and was successful in archery harvest both yrs so...

[hunter360]

Willapa Hills has a lot of good area, and a lot of elk. If you go to the town of Naselle, follow highway 4 east for I believe about a mile? you will see a road to your left that is called salmon creek rd. Take that up a ways, and there is good area up there. If you follow salmon creek rd , there is a left that you can take right before the last farm house on that rd, that will take you up to upper naselle rd. Take a right on upper naselle rd and head out that way. You will see a bunch of clear cuts and river bottoms. The first little bridge you come to, cross it and there will be a dead end road to your right that parallels the river. Head upstream on foot and you will see elk there. There are tons of elk trails through the thick timber coming down to the river bottom. If it is crowded, head for the taller timber in the area, that's where I ran into them last modern season!

[youngbull]

hunted it for muzzle when it was open.  If i had an archery tag for elk i would definitely spend some time in there

[shadowless_nite]

Willapa Hills has a lot of good area, and a lot of elk. If you go to the town of Naselle, follow highway 4 east for I believe about a mile? you will see a road to your left that is called salmon creek rd. Take that up a ways, and there is good area up there. If you follow salmon creek rd , there is a left that you can take right before the last farm house on that rd, that will take you up to upper naselle rd. Take a right on upper naselle rd and head out that way. You will see a bunch of clear cuts and river bottoms. The first little bridge you come to, cross it and there will be a dead end road to your right that parallels the river. Head upstream on foot and you will see elk there. There are tons of elk trails through the thick timber coming down to the river bottom. If it is crowded, head for the taller timber in the area, that's where I ran into them last modern season!

fyi!!!!! salmon creek area now requires a permit from rayonier timber this is new this year!!

[MonkeyMan1]

Thanks for the help, Im going to have to get out there and do some scouting. I know its only July, but I'm getting that hunting fever.  I've hunted Willipa out by Labam, but saw nothing. I'll have to go and check it out a little more down south.     Thanks again everyone.

[wormfood]

Dont over look the under looked. I usually hunt GPNF in Sept. but every now and then I end up coming out of the hills early and head over to Ryderwood. I grew up hunting that unit and know a good chunk of it pretty well. The section I hunt when I do go there is all locked up and it amazes me how rigs at the gates hour before daylight. Everyone is always headed way back or to the top. I love it because the lower roads parallel the back of farmer fields and I usually am the only one down low. I have sat for up to 2 hours at the gate B.S.ing with folks as they were headed in just to see where everyone was going and then waited until daylight and started to walk only to run into elk everyone was passing by in the dark. Find a place you want to hunt and learn it well, from starting point to as far as you can go. Dont follow the others that are willing to pass good hunting just to be the one that goes the farthest.

[Battle Ready]

Ive hunted the Grays river unit fairly hard the last two years and have gone 2 for 2. I have no majical words, other than the elk seem to be low during the late season archery hunting down by the rivers. If you work hard at conditioning, you can get into the elk, but you put a lot of boot leather down. I have not hunted it during the early archery season, but I do see ALOT of sign that may lead me to hunting the early season this year. Its a good unit, just dont be in a hury, hunt fringes of clearcuts and just keep at it....its a very good unit. The other right buy it is bear river.

[willapawapiti]

   Big changes coming this year for part of the Willapas.  Nearly all former Weyco property from Naselle to Cosmopolis will be gated this year during archery seasons early and late, that includes the entire North Nemah valley.  I understand gates will be open only for early rifle deer, and rifle elk with no camping allowed on the now "Hancock" timberlands.  Might be a few surprised archery hunters this year. 

[frostman]

Is that a fire danger thing? Where do you get this information?

[slim9300]

   Big changes coming this year for part of the Willapas.  Nearly all former Weyco property from Naselle to Cosmopolis will be gated this year during archery seasons early and late, that includes the entire North Nemah valley.  I understand gates will be open only for early rifle deer, and rifle elk with no camping allowed on the now "Hancock" timberlands.  Might be a few surprised archery hunters this year.

Do you have any more info?

[blindpig]

Find a new area, hate that area 

[ckr]

I have been hunting there for the last 4 years with great success.  Spoke with weyco rentacops last season and they said there will be no camping at all and weyco was trying to decide if it would be open all week or just on weekends like some of their other properties.  They wont announce there decision until just before the season. They were even talking about closing the gate at hwy6 during the seasons.  That would be 10+ miles to walk or ride to where we hunted. Lots of elk and even more people driving the roads.  I have only been for mod firearm. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Willapa Hills has a lot of good area, and a lot of elk. If you go to the town of Naselle, follow highway 4 east for I believe about a mile? you will see a road to your left that is called salmon creek rd. Take that up a ways, and there is good area up there. If you follow salmon creek rd , there is a left that you can take right before the last farm house on that rd, that will take you up to upper naselle rd. Take a right on upper naselle rd and head out that way. You will see a bunch of clear cuts and river bottoms. The first little bridge you come to, cross it and there will be a dead end road to your right that parallels the river. Head upstream on foot and you will see elk there. There are tons of elk trails through the thick timber coming down to the river bottom. If it is crowded, head for the taller timber in the area, that's where I ran into them last modern season!

fyi!!!!! salmon creek area now requires a permit from rayonier timber this is new this year!!

I have been in the area for a couple years, and was sent the same direction by some locals.. 
As far as it being closed to access, Tunerville Campground is DNR, and should be open, at least according to DNR when I bought my pass.....