Drove 180 miles to the toutle unit which was closed due to fire danger

[funkster]

It sucks yes, but we all know that this is a concern each year at this time of year. It is private land and can be closed at the discretion of the timber companies at any time. Everyone that hunts early bow on private timber land is in the same boat, lots of blood,sweet,tears and money goes into elk hunting and we dont need 2,500 threads crying about it. Their property is their property and it is more than that, it is their business and livelihood. If a fire did break out it would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. I thank the timber companies for atleast giving me an opportunity to have access to their land. They keep the hotline updated so if you didn't check it before you left, than dislike yourself. Remember it is a privilege to hunt their land

[BOWHUNTER45]

It sucks yes, but we all know that this is a concern each year at this time of year. It is private land and can be closed at the discretion of the timber companies at any time. Everyone that hunts early bow on private timber land is in the same boat, lots of blood,sweet,tears and money goes into elk hunting and we dont need 2,500 threads crying about it. Their property is their property and it is more than that, it is their business and livelihood. If a fire did break out it would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. I thank the timber companies for atleast giving me an opportunity to have access to their land. They keep the hotline updated so if you didn't check it before you left, than dislike yourself. Remember it is a privilege to hunt their land

Yep guess that clears it up ......

[bloodhound]

i was informed a few years  back when my dad got drawn for there that they let in the permit hunters still even if its closed. you just have to go through a special gate. and you cant camp.

[HntnFsh]

i was informed a few years  back when my dad got drawn for there that they let in the permit hunters still even if its closed. you just have to go through a special gate. and you cant camp.

Not when its closed due to fire danger.  But otherwise they do,do that.

[Trailstrider]

  Yeh it sucks that access can be resticted or closed! We have had red flag warnings all week, the woods are tinder dry and would light up like forth of july with just a spark.....what would happen if we had a wild land fire even in state land? Then where would we hunt?
We all have to live with the hot weather, just pray for early rain....

Note of thought;
Grass takes one hour of full rain to be fire resistant

Small sticks and twigs 10 hours

Bigger branches and small trees 100 hours

Logs and trees 1000 hours.....

We dont need a fire with resorces in the state streached thin fighting the fires we curently have!

[FSTaxidermy]

It sucks yes, but we all know that this is a concern each year at this time of year. It is private land and can be closed at the discretion of the timber companies at any time. Everyone that hunts early bow on private timber land is in the same boat, lots of blood,sweet,tears and money goes into elk hunting and we dont need 2,500 threads crying about it. Their property is their property and it is more than that, it is their business and livelihood. If a fire did break out it would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. I thank the timber companies for atleast giving me an opportunity to have access to their land. They keep the hotline updated so if you didn't check it before you left, than dislike yourself. Remember it is a privilege to hunt their land

Yep guess that clears it up ......

Ditto

[Hunter Dug]

There is a ton of state land in the Toutle unit that is open right now with plenty of access.  3000 road, 4200 road, 4250 road, 2700 road, rock creek road .  You guys just need to do your homework.  Hurts my head to hear guys throw there whole hunt away because you have no idea what is going on in the unit you apply for.

[trophyhunt]

Call me what you want but if I drew the tag and lost all my points, I'm going hunting. Even if I have to have someone drop me off, just my 2cents.

[bigtex]

Hurts my head to hear guys throw there whole hunt away because you have no idea what is going on in the unit you apply for.

 
One of my biggest pet peeves.

[PolarBear]

 
Mine as well!

[bobcat]

There is a ton of state land in the Toutle unit that is open right now with plenty of access.  3000 road, 4200 road, 4250 road, 2700 road, rock creek road .  You guys just need to do your homework.

Do you know that for a fact? If people do their "homework" by calling the access hotline, it says the "public access corridors are closed due to extreme fire danger." Which means you can't get on any of the roads you mentioned, except Rock Creek, since you don't have to go through Weyerhaeuser to get on that road.
 
If these roads are open like you say, it is contrary to what the Weyerhaeuser access hotline is saying. I just called and it says the public access corridors are generally open, EXCEPT during "extreme fire danger". And in another part of the message, it says the St Helens tree farm is closed to ALL recreational access, due to "extreme fire danger".

[Hunter Dug]

I was just up there.  All of these locations are open on state land.  There are no gates to these locations.  Turn right at the Toutle store, proceed about a mile and a half, turn right on the first gravel road this is the 4100 road follow it for a couple miles it will come to an intersection the left road is gated, the middle is open this is the 4200 road, the far right road is gates where it crosses the toutle.  Take the 4200 road up for several miles, it leads to miles and miles of state land that is open for hunting in the Toutle unit.

[bobcat]

That is good to know. It would be nice if Weyerhaeuser would indicate this in their message on the access hotline. How are people supposed to know they can get into the state land without driving down there? You said people need to do their homework. Well, that won't cut it, because if you do the homework by calling the hotline, you will be told that there is no access. And you will stay home.
 
In 2001, I had an archery bull permit for Toutle. The gate on the 4100 road was closed and Weyerhaeuser security was guarding the gate, to be sure nobody parked there and walked in. That's right, I couldn't even walk in to hunt the state land.
 
However, I complained about this to the WDFW, and did get my 9 points back.
 
 

[Hunter Dug]

The gate on the lower end does not block your access to the state land, the access is closer to town well before the bridge that crosses the toutle.  The way I figured it out is by utilizing a saint helens tree farm map which outlines the Weyerhauser boundarys.  Then you have to find main roads that get you to the state land that are not gated such as the 4200 road.  All this was accomplished while scouting. This is what I mean by homework.  If the hotline is your homework you are sure to fail.  The 4200 road is located before the gate on the 4100 road that I believe you are refering to.  And yes during fire danger closers they do guard the gates. 

[bobcat]

Believe me, in 2001 there was no way to get to the state land. I had scouted many weekends all summer long, and they shut it down just before hunting season. The gate I'm referring to is the first gate as your driving in along the South Fork Toutle River. If that gate is open now, then yes, you can drive into the large block of state land. But in 2001, that gate was closed, locked, and being guarded by Weyerhaeuser security. The guy actually told me that I should go hunt the Ryderwood unit.