Mountain View Elk??

[RC3]

My uncle drew the mountain view muzzle tag, and not knowing much about the unit we went over and looked over the unit a couple days ago.  Plan on going over and getting to know the area better but I was just curious if anyone has any info on the unit I don't need to know a lot just curious if there are many elk that hang out in the public land that is there?

Thanks

[buglin4bulls]

Yes! Tons of ELK!!!! get to know the area by the Fire watch tower (If you can find it). Lotta elk below it, in the draws.  ALso beware of the "Moo" cows haha lots of those too

[andersonjk4]

Well as you probably saw from your recent visit the portion of Mountain View that lies within the National Forest is very deep and steep.  I've been hunting Lick Creek for the last 10 years or so, but the last few years my buddies and I have been starting to spend more and more time every year glassing into the Mtn. View unit from the top.  We haven't seen any huge numbers of elk in the national forest, but mostly have seen lone bulls and small bachelor groups of smaller bulls.  Last year we spent a couple days glassing down into the "Hell Hole" as we've come to refer to it in camp, and spotted a group of 4 small bulls in a group and two lone bulls.  Access into the unit (except by foot) is extremely limited.  And from what we've seen the elk tend to stick to the more remote areas of the unit.  Although I'm always up there during modern season, so they could have a little different pattern during early Oct. before the modern deer hunters have stirred everything up.  And we are only looking into the eastern portion of the unit (from the Wenatchee Guard Station East). You should be able to spot some bulls from up on top, but getting into muzzy range of them might be pretty challenging.  And if you do then the real tough part starts... getting it out.  We ended up getting a spike down in the bottom last year and luckily there was six of us, but it still was no easy chore getting it out.  My Dad has an early cow tag for the Couse unit that runs from Oct. 4th to the 14th and I'm planning on being up there to help him out and to scout for my Mountain View cow tag and do some bear hunting, and I am also planning on several more scouting trips for my cow tag during the summer and fall, so maybe I will run into you up there.

[RC3]

Thanks for the info.........I am pretty sure I know the hell hole you are talking about.  We will be over there more before season so we may run into you.  I have an idea on where i figure the elk will be that time of year but won't really know until the time comes should be fun though. 

[huntnnw]

I have never personally hunted it..I have a friends and there family elk hunts it every year for 30 years..they have gotten lucky over the years and pulled a few rifle tags. I apply for this unit every year. They see a ton of elk and some toads. They have talked me into applying for this tag and helping me out when I do draw. 

[The100Road]

Yes! Tons of ELK!!!! get to know the area by the Fire watch tower (If you can find it). Lotta elk below it, in the draws.  ALso beware of the "Moo" cows haha lots of those too

I'm pretty sure the fire watch tower isnt Mtn. View.

[buglin4bulls]

Yes! Tons of ELK!!!! get to know the area by the Fire watch tower (If you can find it). Lotta elk below it, in the draws.  ALso beware of the "Moo" cows haha lots of those too

I'm pretty sure the fire watch tower isnt Mtn. View.

Ohhhh yes it is! If you can find it. There is one there!

[gonehuntin68]

If your talkin about the Clearwater Tower its 166 Tucannon

[PNWsportsman]

Grouse Flats would be worth considering...There is only about a section of wildlife area land there but I wouldnt rule out knocking on doors, especially with a cow tag.

[buglin4bulls]

Its called Big Butte lookout tower.

[Swannytheswan]

[huntnnw]

This a great tag to have..I would have loved to been able to draw this tag

[andersonjk4]

The Big Butte watch tower isn't in the Mountain View unit.  The watch tower itself is just barely over the boundary into the Couse Unit 181.  And the draws below Big Butte to the West are in Lick Creek.  You have to cross the main mountain road (4304 I believe) to the South to get into Mountain View.  But you're right the draws around Big Butte do hold some elk.     

[n_mathews13]

I'm heading that way to look for a place to muzzle elk this Oct.  Any suggestions on where to start looking. Heading there in a few days to look around

[MtnMuley]

I'm heading that way to look for a place to muzzle elk this Oct.  Any suggestions on where to start looking. Heading there in a few days to look around

I see plenty of suggestions above

[andersonjk4]

Unless you have a big bull tag or have access to private land, this unit is pretty rough to hunt for spikes.  Don't get me wrong we have taken spikes in this unit and will probably do it again, but that's with a rifle and getting within muzzy range of a spike in this country will be really tough.  But as stated before.  The early responses to this thread do share some good areas to check out.  I don't mean to discourage you from hunting there I'm just trying to give you an honest assessment. 

[MarkyMark]

I've been there scouting 3 times. Hard to find spikes. I saw one. Most the elk I saw were on private land on the way up to the national forest. Wear good shoes and lots of fluids.  Beautiful country!

[ELKBURGER]

Seems like pretty tough hunting to only be limited to spikes only.

[zike]

You might want to check out the west side of the unit. I knew people who used to hunt around Saddle Butte and did pretty well. Of course that was years ago and the hunters seemed to be tougher. I knew camps that started at Hoggback dropped down to the bottom and climbed back out at Park Ridge. I don't think anybody is doing that anymore.

[MarkyMark]

There were signs posted last summer about a 4500 acre controlled burn for last season SW of Big Butte but not sure if they did that or not.

[n_mathews13]

I have heard it's a tough place, don't mind that so much. I'm just trying to find a place to elk hunt and not deal with to many people, I'm fine with workn for my elk. Just not to sure where to start lookn

[zike]

I don't think you'll have to worry much about other hunters in MV. Except for a horse camp or two,  not many people hunt it. You might check out area west of Cougar CK rd. There's a narrow ridge with finger draws running into the main canyon.

[MarkyMark]

Oh sure you just gave up my honey hole.... Just kidding.

[n_mathews13]

Thanks for the tip, I plan in going this weekend I hope.
On a side note , just got my bear rug back from taxidermist ! Can't wait till hunting season

[MarkyMark]

I saw some nice elk down there three weeks ago when I was visiting a buddy.

[andersonjk4]

There were signs posted last summer about a 4500 acre controlled burn for last season SW of Big Butte but not sure if they did that or not.

They did the Little Butte/Big Butte controlled burn last year during modern rifle elk season.  Didn't amount to much.  There was a big cloud of smoke for one day from the north side of little butte and some sporadic clumps of burnt patches around the south side of little butte, but if they were going for a ground clearing burn of the whole area then they failed miserably.  However this was in the Lick Creek unit.  There have been signs up for the last 3 years about a controlled burn in the M.V. unit but they haven't done it yet.  The burn area map shows them burning a pretty significant chunk of the public ground in this unit.  If they ended up doing this controlled burn during a hunting season it could really mess things up for people.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTUwMTAwgAykeaxRtBeY4WBv4eHmF-YT4GMHkidBvgAI6EdIeDXIvfdrAJuM3388jPTdUvyA2NMMgyUQQAyrgQmg!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfS000MjZOMDcxT1RVODBJN0o2MTJQRDMwODQ!/?project=34241 

[n_mathews13]

Headn up this weekend to check the cam's. Thinkn I may head over to mt view if I can

[huntnnw]

saw no signs up about a controlled burn in Mt view 2 weeks ago