Late Archery- Winston

[Icdeadelk]

Was down in the Winston last 3 days and didn't see any animals. Put a lot of miles on the truck tryin to find something to chase. Got out quite a few times to find fresh track and found minimal. Very slow down there. Good luck to whoever is headed to 520.

Did you happen to go over off of Green Mountain Road?? Get behind the gates and walk about 5 miles you should run into Elk...

Not sure where that is. the 1000 rd was closed so we went all over from the 500 on up. Entered from kid valley area on the 1900. Sure wish we had more time but work will eat up the rest of the season for me. Have friends still tryin to get it done. I will have to live through their reports for the rest of the season. Need to win the lotto some day.

[bullcanyon]

It's slow in there this year for sure. Buddies moved to a different unit to get it done.

[USAFpj]

I was whining about the Winston this year on a different thread- normally always see 'em most times of daylight, but this year is tag soup for me.  I did have a stare down with a blacktail buck at 10yds, though...

[prophet]

yup, it's been slow. last year had a little bit of snow. made it easier to find tracks. i was up there from 11/28-11/30. the first day i was just trying to find my way around. trying to findout what gate where open or closed. day 2 found fresh sign and stayed on it. day 3 got on a vantage point "where the sign was". hoping to see something. but the fog rolled in. a change of plans. so we still hunted for that morning. didnt see anything. maybe next time.

[kglacken]

I wll be heading up there tomorrow! I always head up there for elk and We will be heading to our "secret" spot if you can call it that!  Hopefully I have a great report for you tomorrow!

[rebal69972]

  i should be in there around 6 am

[Yelm hunter]

I'll be in there January 1st for a special permit modern firearm----boy I can NOT wait!!

27 days and i'll be in the woods = 29 days i'll be hunting!

[Fullabull]

I spent Wednesday and Thursday in the Winston. I did not hunt anywhere near the clear cuts. I found timber and found lots of fresh sign. I have not hunted here before so I hunted the morning in the timber and then drove around to get a lay of the land between 11:30 and 1pm. I found most of the other hunters were all hunting around the clear cuts but no one had been seeing anything. On day one I only found sign but in some nice areas.

On day two I jumped a couple deer in the morning but no elk. After my drive around I found another spot that had so much fresh sign I had to stay there and see what came around as it looked like elk were spending a lot of time in there. About 2:30 I let out a few cow calls and a couple minutes later I heard a cow below me accross one of the many roads in there. We would talk back and forth for a while but they seemed hesitant to cross the road. They seemed to be whining about it. It started getting later and I noticed they had moved up to my left a bit so I decided it was time to go find them. I moved off and started sneeking their direction, then I heard one of them mew and knew where they were. The wind was perfect for me. I spotted the lead cow on the old unused road walking on a path that would put her in from of me. I moved down to about 35 yards from the road where I had a clear shot. Then they turned up into the timber but it was ok, they were still working right to me  . As the lead cow got closer I realized that she was going to turn on a path that would put her head on or quartering to me  . That is exactly what happened. She came out from behind the last tree 10 yards in front of me and quartering to me. She all of a suden looked up and looked right at me with that oh crap look on her face  . I'm standing there at full draw waiting for her to turn away from me so I can let one go. Then, like they had planned it out, she starts to turn and one of the other cows pulls in right behind her  . It looked like a well planned dance as they turned together still one behind the other and trotted back towards the road. I cow called to stop them but could not get a clean shot through the branches  . There were four cows all together and I thought I had one of them in the freezer. I already had it all figured out, she would drop right there by the road so I would not have to pack the quarters up or down any steep hills. I would just put them right in the back of my truck and head on home...

Oh well such is hunting. I had a great time and will just have to look forward to next year now.

Oh.....here is a couple pictures of something I found out in the woods. Now these were real hunting mountain men!

Hope these pics show well... These two gents were only 10 yards apart on a little ridge in the timber. You could see the ground indented in front of the stones. Pretty cool!

[Arteman]

I spent Wednesday and Thursday in the Winston. I did not hunt anywhere near the clear cuts. I found timber and found lots of fresh sign. I have not hunted here before so I hunted the morning in the timber and then drove around to get a lay of the land between 11:30 and 1pm. I found most of the other hunters were all hunting around the clear cuts but no one had been seeing anything. On day one I only found sign but in some nice areas.

On day two I jumped a couple deer in the morning but no elk. After my drive around I found another spot that had so much fresh sign I had to stay there and see what came around as it looked like elk were spending a lot of time in there. About 2:30 I let out a few cow calls and a couple minutes later I heard a cow below me accross one of the many roads in there. We would talk back and forth for a while but they seemed hesitant to cross the road. They seemed to be whining about it. It started getting later and I noticed they had moved up to my left a bit so I decided it was time to go find them. I moved off and started sneeking their direction, then I heard one of them mew and knew where they were. The wind was perfect for me. I spotted the lead cow on the old unused road walking on a path that would put her in from of me. I moved down to about 35 yards from the road where I had a clear shot. Then they turned up into the timber but it was ok, they were still working right to me  . As the lead cow got closer I realized that she was going to turn on a path that would put her head on or quartering to me  . That is exactly what happened. She came out from behind the last tree 10 yards in front of me and quartering to me. She all of a suden looked up and looked right at me with that oh crap look on her face  . I'm standing there at full draw waiting for her to turn away from me so I can let one go. Then, like they had planned it out, she starts to turn and one of the other cows pulls in right behind her  . It looked like a well planned dance as they turned together still one behind the other and trotted back towards the road. I cow called to stop them but could not get a clean shot through the branches  . There were four cows all together and I thought I had one of them in the freezer. I already had it all figured out, she would drop right there by the road so I would not have to pack the quarters up or down any steep hills. I would just put them right in the back of my truck and head on home...

Oh well such is hunting. I had a great time and will just have to look forward to next year now.

Oh.....here is a couple pictures of something I found out in the woods. Now these were real hunting mountain men!

Hope these pics show well... These two gents were only 10 yards apart on a little ridge in the timber. You could see the ground indented in front of the stones. Pretty cool!

I know exactly where you were.  Not to far from where I hunt every year and where I got my bull this year, in fact maybe only 800 to a 1000 yards from that spot.  That ridge top sure is narrow between roads, but pretty long and always a good spot to check out.

[pianoman9701]

We started out stupid today in Winston. We saw the signs on the 1100 Rd that said "Walk In Only" and didn't see the small hand-writing that said "open weekends". So we went way around on the 500 Rd to the other end and see the same sign there. So we parked by the gate and started walking down this road and here comes a truck down the hill and then another from behind us. I'm incredulous. These guys are driving around on closed roads and here were are walking for nothing. They pulled up and I've got my arms up from my sides like I'm saying "what are you doing?". They politely pointed out our mistake and I felt like an idiot. We get back in the rig, go to the spot, now about 8 AM. There is track and elk crap everywhere, just about steaming, really fresh. I'm pushing uphill and following these fresh elk trails, and nothing. We worked this piece of woods for about 3 hours and the elk vanished, nary a hair. We're going back tomorrow and, since we know the fine print on the signs now, will be in there at day break. Elk on!

[SniperDanWA]

History, love to know the story of the two you found...

[TheHunt]

That is an interesting find on the grave markers.  I know one the Van Eatons that is a historian.  I am wondering if the James Eaton was some type of relative.  Never know....

[pianoman9701]

Saw a huge bull today, 5 point really round, beautiful animal. Also saw what I thought was a wolf, but couldn't get tracks in the leaves and it was quick. If it was a coyote, it's the largest I've ever seen. Short nose. This was a tough way to end a dry season.

[kglacken]

Made a huge mistake that probably cost me a shot. We had a close encounter with some cows on private property right at daylight but they were just on the other side of the property line and when they crossed over it was too brushy. We decided to drive up to winston around 10 am and We hunted until about an hour and a half before dark in a place we hunted early season. I didnt want to get home too late so we started driving out when we came to a road we like to hunt off of. I drove to the landing at the end of the road and decided to get out and look. I grabbed my binoculars and climbed the ledge to look over. (I dont have my bow with me because There is no way an elk or deer will be right on the other side of the knob after the truck pulled up right?) wrong! as soon as I look over the edge there are 6 cows at 65 yards away walking right too me. I hit the ground and motioned to my buddy to grab my bow. By the time he got to me They were heading the other direction!  I am usually so careful about not putting my self in situations like that!  It was cool though to see that one of the cows had a radio collar on her.

[Yelm hunter]

Made a huge mistake that probably cost me a shot. We had a close encounter with some cows on private property right at daylight but they were just on the other side of the property line and when they crossed over it was too brushy. We decided to drive up to winston around 10 am and We hunted until about an hour and a half before dark in a place we hunted early season. I didnt want to get home too late so we started driving out when we came to a road we like to hunt off of. I drove to the landing at the end of the road and decided to get out and look. I grabbed my binoculars and climbed the ledge to look over. (I dont have my bow with me because There is no way an elk or deer will be right on the other side of the knob after the truck pulled up right?) wrong! as soon as I look over the edge there are 6 cows at 65 yards away walking right too me. I hit the ground and motioned to my buddy to grab my bow. By the time he got to me They were heading the other direction!  I am usually so careful about not putting my self in situations like that!  It was cool though to see that one of the cows had a radio collar on her.

Sent you a PM