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!