Winston Cow Permit Sucess?

[duramax]

Just curious if anyone had any luck hunting the Winston cow special permit? I drew this tag this year and was unable to fill it. I hunted my butt off all 7 days with no luck. I was into the elk on 2 occasions but could not get within range both times. I drew this tag 2 years ago and was able to fill it the first morning. It seemed that there were not many elk in there this year. I spoke with the wdfw volunteer and he didn't see to many taken out either. I hunted high and low I even rode my bike in for miles in the port blakely side off longbell road and did not see much fresh sign in there. So with that said was anyone able to fill their tag or see anything?

[wapiti hunter2]

I drew the tag for the first time (5 points).  Didn't even go down there.  Tag soup.    Timing just didn't work this year. Priorities changed. I would love to hear some success stories though.

[Huntbear]

wow, if you hunted the Winston with a cow tag and did not fill it... I am totally shocked.. When we hunted it, we would see up to 30 elk a day from 10 ft. to 800 yds..

[Tman]

Drew the tag in 08 and there was elk everywhere.  Took a few days to find the right cow within range though..

[kglacken]

Its all about timing. as much as people would like to say they have the skill to kill a cow in the Winston, you have to have a little bit of luck as wel. right place at the right time you know? I hunt it every year and we usually see elk but somedays its one lone cow and other days we will see four bulls and tons of cows. It all depends on timing IMO. you need some knowledge and skill as well but I believe luck plays a huge role

[kramman]

I drew this tag with my hunting partner and we were able to hunt sat. and sun. got into elk both days.Saturday jumped a herd in reprod had probably 20 elk running in all different directions neither of us able to get off a shot,tried to work our way in front of them but never saw them again.Back to the same clearing on Sun. and we saw nothing but bulls.Thats hunting.I personally felt this was successful as it was both of are first time really making an effort elk hunting and we were in the elk both days. definetely will put in for this tag again.I was also wondering how other's did.Never heard another shot and only saw a handful of vehicles.   

[duramax]

I did not hear any shots either. There was one guy I spoke with that took a cow first day on the 550 road. The volunteer said that he had only counted 3 elk and that 2 of them were from the margret unit. He was stationed at the kid valley side, he said the previous year he had 20 elk counted by that time. Just didn't seem to be as many elk in there possibly due to weather. I was down there a few times scouting during archery and spoke with a few guys who did not have any success either. I also felt it was a successful hunt also since I was into the elk a couple times. Just a little to far to take a responsible shot. The rest of my hunting party was hunting the 513 unit, they had seen a couple cows and 1 spike but also did not fill their tags.

[Chukarhead]

Sorry to hear about the early hunt--at least you have a couple weeks of late season before cooking up a batch of tag soup!

My party (four, but only three of us really hunted) hunted the Toutle/Winston boundary on the Toutle side.  We did our share of scouting before the season, had a cow down on opening morning (almost two), and another down on Sunday morning.  The third guy hunted HARD for six days, but came up short.  He was in elk all but one day--plenty of shots on bulls (spikes, raghorns, and a BIG herd bull), but couldn't connect on a cow.  We did some incidental scouting of the Winston unit on our way to/from our hunting location, and saw some elky looking territory.  We also found elk down south along the Coweeman boundary in steeper terrain.

The thing that really struck me over the course of the week was the number of rigs with 2-4 guys just driving around all day.  I'm not saying you're in that camp, but I've found that boot leather=elk meat.

[Caliber]

My son (11) had the cow tag for toutle.  We hunted for five of the seven days, and ran into elk ten times; he had a couple shot opportunities that he missed, but we still had a great hunting trip.  This was his first elk hunting trip.  Interesting that all but one of our elk encounters came from the truck, and believe me, it was not for lack of hunting the timber.  I had the tag last year and was in elk frequently; hunted those same areas and we just couldnt walk up on them.  I think the weather had them a little goofy; also the gates opening just before the weekend probably didnt help. 

[funkster]

I am sipping tag soup. I had a doe tag as well and spent to many days with that, thinking that the antlerless elk tag would be cake. We got into deer and elk every day before the elk season. Called the hotline on friday around 2 and they updated that the gates would be open. Guys started driving all over "scouting" friday evening .  Someone was even "sighting in" friday night up the 500. Being an archer, I have hunted this unit for many years and even hunted it with my dad this Sept. I have never went a day where I have not seen a hand full of elk, until Saturday.  Guys where driving up every spur road, even dead end spurs. Old spurs that your rig was park at and then have the nerve to ask you "seen anything". We finally got into elk sunday evening and had an oppurtunity at 130 yards. I knew I could get in closer so I passed. Started up the hill through the reprod and chest high stickers and closed into 60 yards but it was so thick I didn't have a clean shot and opted not to shoot.
 
If weyco/wdfw really wants the elk reduce in this area, my    would be to keep the gates shut and make it walk in only.

[DUCKDUDE]

WE found the same thing. No elk saturday bacholor heard on sunday elk everywhere on monday, but had to come home early because my brother who was with me lost his insuline monday mourning just as we started really getting into elk.  Missed a good bear at 80 yards and I belive we where the only guys we saw hitting the woods.  My other hunting partner shoot a nice cow not an hour after we had to leave, right where I was going to hunt.  Thats just my luck i guess but our camp was 1for 2 thats not to bad i guess just wish i could of stayed the week like i planed.

[FSTaxidermy]

I hunted for four days and took a cow on the fourth morning.  Was a fun hunt, passed on one deep down in a hole.  From my experience hunting Winston, appears there are lower numbers.  Should be even lower numbers next year, with the many tags being given out for Jan 2012.

[WSU]

There are definitely a ton of elk in the unit.  However, like nearly all hunts, it is not a hunt where you can simply drive around and expect to shoot an elk in a day.  Those elk receive quite a bit of pressure and usually are not standing on the side of the road waiting to get shot.