Willapa Hills 506 (Forks Creek closure)

[grundy53]

Just to let everyone know Weyerhaeuser has gated all of Forks Creek. They a have a gate on the mainline and the Trap creek bridge heading east. It will all be red dotted. They were planning on doing this next year but they got a bunch of stuff stolen recently and decided to do it early. Just a heads up to anyone planning on hunting there.

[buckhorn2]

Our hunting areas are getting smaller and smaller To bad we don;t find out what the logging companys have planned before we go and buy licenses for certain areas. As far as stuff stolen it seems like an easy excuse to lock stuff up not that it does;nt happen but it always seems to happen most right before hunting season. Lot of people think if they close off public access then they should;nt get the tax breaks they get for saying they do give access to the public. Giving out keys to there employees so they have there own hunting rights because they work for them seems a lot like discrimination

[BowBender87]

yeah pisses me off...the people that are stealing the stuff are the local meth heads not hunters anyway.  Its all BS.

[grundy53]

yeah pisses me off...the people that are stealing the stuff are the local meth heads not hunters anyway.  Its all BS.

Yup. We had some cut the gate on our family tree farm and steal a bunch of stuff. I hate them.

[BowBender87]

Do you know if weyco plans on changing back to green dot soon?  Or is this something they are just going to keep red dotted all hunting season

[grundy53]

I'm not sure. The way it was explained to me  it sounds permanent. I would be a natural extention of what they already have closed (behind the PE Ell shop clear to Rock creek. The forks creek area butts up with Rock creek.) So now they have one huge chunk of land locked up. It's hard to believe. 2 years ago I would have bet a million dollars that they would never close down the forks creek mainline.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Does not this really pi$$ a guy off when they lock up land in your local hunting area ...we all have a honey hole next to home but they are locking up everything ....But hurry up and run down and buy your discovery pass 

[hunter_sean08]

Is there any activist group against these timber barons? If so, I'm signing up. There has to be something we can do as hunters, fishermen, hikers, and all-around enthusiasts of the outdoors to make access better in future years.

[6x6in6]

I'm just going to throw this out there for discussion simply as a thought to bring to the table.
First off, I do not hunt the westside so call me a bit ignorant to the dilemma you face with the timber companies closing off the access to their lands.
What if.........
A proposal was laid out to Weyco (for example):
Offer to subsidize a gatekeeper at a mainline gate via access fee's. 
Hunter's show up to hunt.  Pay $50 (it's just a number) a head to enter.  Show your valid tag to verify your intent to hunt.  Guests of hunters pay the same fee and must accompany the hunters upon initial entrance.  It's a season long fee, not just a per entrance fee.  Gatekeeper issues a pass to all hunters and their guests.
You declare where you intend to set-up camp and how long you intend to stay at said camp.  If you choose to move camp, you must return to the gatekeeper and re-declare your camp location.  Weyco keeps an active up to date map on where other are and has the right to say no camping there along with declaring areas that are off limits to all access.
Road hunting is not permitted.
Travel to and from your designated camp is the only form of motorized vehicle access.  You are free to come and go via the main gate as often as you wish.
Day hunters, similar, you declare where you are intending to park.  Weyco gatekeeper keeps an active map on where the day hunters are parking.
Violator's are removed from Weyco land and fined $100 (again, just a number).

Yeah, I know, it's another damn fee.  But would you pay a fee to hunt what is private property?

[BowBender87]

I'm just going to throw this out there for discussion simply as a thought to bring to the table.
First off, I do not hunt the westside so call me a bit ignorant to the dilemma you face with the timber companies closing off the access to their lands.
What if.........
A proposal was laid out to Weyco (for example):
Offer to subsidize a gatekeeper at a mainline gate via access fee's. 
Hunter's show up to hunt.  Pay $50 (it's just a number) a head to enter.  Show your valid tag to verify your intent to hunt.  Guests of hunters pay the same fee and must accompany the hunters upon initial entrance.  It's a season long fee, not just a per entrance fee.  Gatekeeper issues a pass to all hunters and their guests.
You declare where you intend to set-up camp and how long you intend to stay at said camp.  If you choose to move camp, you must return to the gatekeeper and re-declare your camp location.  Weyco keeps an active up to date map on where other are and has the right to say no camping there along with declaring areas that are off limits to all access.
Road hunting is not permitted.
Travel to and from your designated camp is the only form of motorized vehicle access.  You are free to come and go via the main gate as often as you wish.
Day hunters, similar, you declare where you are intending to park.  Weyco gatekeeper keeps an active map on where the day hunters are parking.
Violator's are removed from Weyco land and fined $100 (again, just a number).

Yeah, I know, it's another damn fee.  But would you pay a fee to hunt what is private property?

I would gladly pay a fee to that area if I knew no matter what I would be able to hunt it year after year.  But i think the bigger issue is is that pe ell weyco basicly wants their own private hunting reserve.  Now they have Bawfaw west to trap creek all to themselves.  And weyco gets tax breaks for allowing public access?  do they expect you to hike in and get passed by weyco employees?  And even if you did hike in...weyco doesnt allow camping early archery season.  Greedy crooks!   

[windygorge]

i love gates!!!!!!most everything here around st helens is gated and we seem to manage.  yea its hard work, but so what.  what i hate are access fees that the timber companies are doing on the coast.  the question i have is:  do they allow public access behind the gates?  if they do, go hunt it.  if they don't, then its something to be pissed off about. 
i went scouting over there (williams unit) and found few gates closed.  that made me not want to hunt over there.  i understand there are areas that are gated, but geez.  frustrating to say the least. 

[bobcat]

The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.

[grundy53]

The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.

[hunter_sean08]

The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.

Yeah, which is the case for many of the roads down in the Willapas and in Williams Creek, not to mention the fact that it's steep country. Only a couple years ago, we had one of the biggest elk camps down the Nemah. We also had a ton of old timers that really enjoy road hunting for the simple fact that they can't get around that country on foot anymore. Yeah I like to hike and do a little more work for my animals, but it was fun to spend the time with my grandpa and other relatives, especially since they have 50+ years of knowledge and experience down there on those roads. For many of them, it's the only way of hunting they have left...

[BowBender87]

The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.

exactly...not to mention even if a guy were to pack in that far...in early archery season its hot.  Its an all day process getting an elk out when your that far in.  An elk spoils to quick. Plain and simple... Pe ell bowhunters are getting screwed.  Unless ofcourse your an employee of Weyerhaeuser!

[MonkeyMan1]

Doesn't Weyerhaeuser get a tax cut from the state to keep some of there gates open for hunting? If so the state needs to take it away.

[windygorge]

The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.

Yeah, which is the case for many of the roads down in the Willapas and in Williams Creek, not to mention the fact that it's steep country. Only a couple years ago, we had one of the biggest elk camps down the Nemah. We also had a ton of old timers that really enjoy road hunting for the simple fact that they can't get around that country on foot anymore. Yeah I like to hike and do a little more work for my animals, but it was fun to spend the time with my grandpa and other relatives, especially since they have 50+ years of knowledge and experience down there on those roads. For many of them, it's the only way of hunting they have left...

[bobcat]

I was wrong about Weyerhaeuser not allowing camping. I never knew this, but I just listened to the message on the access hotline for the Pe Ell area, and it said camping is allowed from October 15 to December 31st, with a permit, and it costs $3 a day. Still doesn't help the archery hunters who want to camp during the early archery season.
 
Surprisingly, they did not say anything about Weyerhaeuser lands (in Pe Ell area) being closed for fire danger.
 
Of course it does talk about Forks Creek and Trap Creek being closed. Those areas are closed even to walk in hunting, except on weekends. The gates will be opened to allow for motorized access during modern firear deer and elk seasons.
 
That's about all I recall from the message I listened to. I wish they'd get into the 21st century and put all the info on the internet. It would be much easier reading it instead of trying to listen to it all one the phone. It's pretty confusing because all of the different areas have different rules.
 
 

[Alan K]

What I heard was that it was actually a contract logger who was stolen from while working on Weyerhaeuser ground.  Had something like 25k of rigging stolen. 

Gates = Better hunting. . . Period.  Even when the employees drive in, they generally hunt a LONG way back in there from what I can tell.  They want to get away from people just like everyone else, and almost always drive further back than walk in hunters are willing to go.  I'd put money on the land from the gate to 4-5 miles in is or will be much better hunting than it was when everyone was able to just drive in, even with the employees driving in.

Unfortunately, the old timers and physically unable people won't be able to access like they once had, but there is still plenty of DNR and FS ground that remains open in general year around. 


Also, this employee access stuff has been going on for a LONG time in the Vail Tree Farm (granted they open the gates for a whopping 8 days out the year).  I used to bike in there during archery season and get my buck every year while in high school.  I can't tell you how many times I had guys drive past in camo and dust me out, or unlock the gate, drive in, and shut it in my face while I was parked at the gate waiting for a bit more light to start biking in.  Sure it sucked, but the hunting was much better than having the gates open all the time, I know that for a FACT.

[Alan K]

And I'll add that employees driving in at the Vail Tree Farm are good people even if they do get to drive in while we don't.  The last year I hunted in there I had arrowed a 2 point and had it loaded on my bike riding out.  A guy passed on his way out and offered me a ride, which I didn't take since I had everything loaded up nicely, but it was a nice gesture and would have been happily taken up on had I just gotten the animal down.

I can't say that I've biked into the Pe Ell Weyerhaeuser ground, I'm usually on the state land outside Doty so I can't say they are the same way, but I'd bet if they had the chance to they would help a fellow hunter get his animal out. 

[grundy53]

What I heard was that it was actually a contract logger who was stolen from while working on Weyerhaeuser ground.  Had something like 25k of rigging stolen. 

Gates = Better hunting. . . Period.  Even when the employees drive in, they generally hunt a LONG way back in there from what I can tell.  They want to get away from people just like everyone else, and almost always drive further back than walk in hunters are willing to go.  I'd put money on the land from the gate to 4-5 miles in is or will be much better hunting than it was when everyone was able to just drive in, even with the employees driving in.

Unfortunately, the old timers and physically unable people won't be able to access like they once had, but there is still plenty of DNR and FS ground that remains open in general year around. 


Also, this employee access stuff has been going on for a LONG time in the Vail Tree Farm (granted they open the gates for a whopping 8 days out the year).  I used to bike in there during archery season and get my buck every year while in high school.  I can't tell you how many times I had guys drive past in camo and dust me out, or unlock the gate, drive in, and shut it in my face while I was parked at the gate waiting for a bit more light to start biking in.  Sure it sucked, but the hunting was much better than having the gates open all the time, I know that for a FACT.

That happened too but the final straw was when a Weyerhaeuser crew got ripped off. I have a couple buddies that are on that crew and they said they stole everything they could. Including the skyline and all the chokers and what not.