Experience with Toutle Bull hunt?

[HoofsandWings]

If it turns out I was drawn for Toutle Bull, which part of the unit do permit hunters usually go? How are the roads. Is there any place to camp inside the unit? Are there multiple entry points or just one? I used to hunt the old Marble unit.

[MuleDeerCrazy]

Which tag can make a big difference on access.

[HoofsandWings]

Modern Rifle. Toutle was my fourth choice. Matheny and Mt Adams were ahead of it. I guess we have to wait until Monday or later.

[Antlershed]

My dad drew it back in '98 and we never saw a legal bull. Hope you have better luck. I don't know much about the area now.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I could get you a spike opening day...

[archery288]

very limited access but a lot of small rag horn bulls if you get in the right spots....

[Bookworm]

I drew an archery tag for that unit a couple of years ago. The only area that we had access to was the 3000 area. That is the ridge between the north and south forks of the Toutle river. The main area to the south of the south fork was only open on the weekends. I saw tons of bulls with a few real nice ones.

[rackattack]

If it's a rifle tag you will have full access to the unit except for a few areas they may be logging in.  Should be a good tag, but depending on what you expect will determine if it's a great tag.  Lot's a raghorns with a few nice bulls in the not so popular areas.  If you need any help, I can give you some starting points, as I've scouted in and around this unit for years, as I wait to draw for muzzle season.  Still waiting!!!   Even got a  nice bull on the trail cam a few years back.    

[Bigshooter]

Dad and I drew in 04.  04 was the year that st. helens woke backup, so they weren't opening up very many roads.  My dad killed a small 4x4, I ate tag soup.  The biggest bull I saw was a really nice 5x5 that would of scored 250 - 260.  I could of killed a few different bulls but they were all small 4x4's and 5x5's.  If you see a 6x6 I would shoot him.  Usually there are a lot of roads open in the toutle during the rifle season.  You will see a ton of people over there on opening weekend but they clear out during the week.  Toutle isn't what it use to be or what most people think it still is, don't expect a monster.

[HoofsandWings]

That has been my understanding. That Toutle is not what it used to be. But it still averages 4000 applications for 130 permits. I am assuming that the reason it clears out so fast is there was a lot of preseason scouting going on and people spent their vacation time prior to the opener and had to get back to work come Monday. In talking to people who drew Margaret last year, that was the common thread. I did talk to two guys who partnered for Margaret and were going to stay until the end of the season. They were passing up 5x5's when I last saw them on day 4. I believe it was trophy or nothing for them.
One variable that was introduced last year is the large number of cow tags that were issued last year. Some of the traditional breeding grounds may have closed down this year due to too few cows. We won't know until the rut.

[archery288]

Both the Toutle or the Margret aren't known for big bulls.... There are just a ton of elk and small bulls, but the biggest bull you'll see is about 250 if your lucky.  It just doesn't have the genetics to produce big bulls... 

[HoofsandWings]

Both the Toutle or the Margret aren't known for big bulls.... There are just a ton of elk and small bulls, but the biggest bull you'll see is about 250 if your lucky.  It just doesn't have the genetics to produce big bulls... 

True, but every once a while some satellite bull comes over from some place the genetics are excellant. If you look at Toutle and Margaret on gohunt harvest stats, it is rare that a 6 pointer is taken. In 2006, only 1 6 pointer was taken in Toutle and 3 in Margaret. Also, every once in a while you come across a rag horn oddity. In sheep canyon, I found a dead elk someone had shot, but lost several days before. This bull had points all over the place. I counted 19 points 1 inch or longer, but his antlers were about the same size as 3 point bull. I can still remember how bad that animal smelled.

[HoofsandWings]

Also, there are some smart bulls out there. When I drew a goat permit, I was not that far off the main roads, and was walking along a ridge looking for goat, when I came across a canyon that was full of elk, but no hunters. This was during archery season. There were several 6 pointers just grazing away out in the open. Not a care in the world.

[HoofsandWings]

Well, it was my 4th choice, but I got Toutle Bull for modern rifle.
Looks like me and about 129 of my buddies will be trampling the unit come November.
Due to vacation time, I have to forego deer this year. 

[Opportunist]

All gates for the most part will be open.On Weyco lands call the hotline 1-360-636-6510 for access, some is weekends only and others are closed due to active logging. You can't camp on Weyco lands but you can on state DNR land, don't let Weyco try and run you out of camping on state land. They try to pull that kind of b/s. They patrol and will run you off of their land if camping on it.

 There is a ton of elk all over the unit just no big bulls, nice 5's and the occasional 6 point.noone area is better than the other. Toutle river ridge is state land, so you can camp up there.  You can hunt down by Lakeview peak and camp on state and Pacific power property. There's also campgrounds on the Kalama river but you would have to drive 1/2 to 1 hour to hunt the unit. All of the roads are typical logging roads, you don't need a four wheel drive. Quads are not allowed on the St. Helens tree farm. There's many ways to enter the unit, try and track down a Weyco map. The unit boundaries have changed since the last map was printed. You should get a DNR map and trace out the boundarie lines.

Good luck on the hunt!

[funkster]

I don't know where people are coming from when they say there are no big bulls in this unit,must not be in the areas we hunted. This is not the eastside bulls rarely get over 300. I agree that the average bull is a raggy but don't be fooled,there are some big bulls in this unit. Most will not score over 300 but if you do your home work you can get close to that score! I  have spent a lot of time in this unit scouting and spent two weeks during early archery season last year. Sept was awesome called in a nice 6x6 bull with crowns to 23 yards but my dad(tag holder) missed, we still don't know how. That was one of 20 or so close encounters with better than average bulls. November was a little slower and the bulls were on high alert but as soon as the snow started flying the bulls came out. Get a good map and look for elky spots,get away from other hunters and think like an elk! Have fun it's a great hunt.

[Houndhunter]

if you think that area dont have good genetics just look over the other side on the 3000 and then say that. the big bulls are smart and they know what side to stay on

[Opportunist]

It all depends on what a guy considers to be a big bull. I consider a bull to be a big bull at 300" or better.  The toutle unit does not produce 300" bulls. It all boils down to what hits the ground. The proof of what is in the unit is what is killed, not what is seen. Of the 20 or so Toutle permit holders that I personnally know archery/rifle/muzzle, the best bull was a 240" 5X6. Only a couple didn't kill bulls but the rest were 5's and rags. 
 
It is a fun hunt because there are so many bulls and a guy can pull out a nice bull. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket just being honest about the hunt.

Good luck to those that drew!

[huntnphool]

I have drawn twice and been in there several times with friends helping out. Perhaps the bulls move out of there come rifle season but during archery I never had a hard time finding a 300+ bull. In fact I have seen several decent 7 points in there, at least one a year. They may get pushed over the hill into Loo-wit once the guns start going off, maybe the muzzy guys push them out Anyone that draws an archery tag should have a blast.

[Opportunist]

How many taped 300" bulls hit the ground?

[huntnphool]

How many taped 300" bulls hit the ground?

Several

[Opportunist]

Any pics?

[huntnphool]

no digital all Kodak

[bucklucky]

Scan them, I wana see!

[HoofsandWings]

Well, my first order of business is to work up a 150 gr load for my 270. I will be happy with any 4 or 5 pointer.
They will be old enough to be only good for hamburger. I shot a 3 point a while back and it was tough!
I plan to post to find someone on this board who also drew Toutle. One hunting partner died recently and the other no longer hunts or camps.

[huntnphool]

Scan them, I wana see!

I know I know, Pope told me a while ago to rent one at Glazers, I just havn't gotten around to it.

[bucklucky]

Scan them, I wana see!

I know I know, Pope told me a while ago to rent one at Glazers, I just havn't gotten around to it.

Well dang it! I like to see pics of big bulls that were shot down in my old haunts!

[ICEMAN]

I will be happy with any 4 or 5 pointer. ....They will be old enough to be only good for hamburger. I shot a 3 point a while back and it was tough!

Burger!?  You are kidding aren't you?

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Lots of people are happy with the spike they shoot in toutle on the last day, hopeing for the big boy that they do not see.
As i remember there was a spike shot in Margaret last year by somebody on this board, so if you are holding out for a monster, don't feel bad about that spike you shoot on the last day, at least you will have meat in the freezer.
Like i posted earlier, 2 of the biggest bulls i have seen have come out of units adjacent to the toutle, and neither one of them scores 300, both 288", we spend alot of time in that unit so the day we draw we will be prepared, it is a big unit and if you pick the wrong area you might see a bull, then again you might not. So we scout it every year. Our party has 1 Toutle bull tag, smoke pole. And we will be in there every day trying to get him a nice bull, but we have been realistic with the expectations, that is why Toutle is our 4th choice.
Toutle is really about added opportunity, not world class bulls.

[funkster]

Both the Toutle or the Margret aren't known for big bulls.... There are just a ton of elk and small bulls, but the biggest bull you'll see is about 250 if your lucky.  It just doesn't have the genetics to produce big bulls... 

288? No way! 250 is the biggest bull to come out of here EVER

[HoofsandWings]

By big elk, are you scoring as you would Roosevelt Elk? I was looking at the B&C page and they have a scoring method for Rocky Mtn and another for Roosevelt. The antlers for Roosevelt are straighter and the spread is much less than Rocky Mtn elk. For the big spread, you need to go east of the Cascades.

[funkster]

This is were it get's tricky! From what I understand and please correct me if I am wrong,technically they would not be true roosevelts in the toutle even though they are. According to the book anything east of I-5 is not consider a true Roosevelt. I see the point you are making though,Roosevelt's only have to score 220 to get in the books.

[bowhunterty]

You are corect.

[HoofsandWings]

That is how I see it. Roosevelts may have moved east of I-5 when no one was looking.
I guess we look for any webbing in the antlers. One indication they are Roosevelts.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Yeah it sucks, but they had to draw the line somewhere. And I-5 was it.

By no means did i ever say there were no big bulls in toulte but it is by no means a trophy hunt. Congrats on the draw, and good luck on your hunt. Just don't rule out that spike on the last day...

[Bigshooter]

I have seen a few bulls come out of the Toutle that were over 300 b&c.  But they are very rare.  I have never personally seen a bull that was even close to 300 while hunting the toutle or scouting the toutle.  But I have seen a couple 280 bulls while scouting.  For a unit that gives out a lot of tags it does not produce a lot of big bulls.  Shoot the first 6x6 you see or you will be eating spike this winter.