Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 01:43:54 PM

Title: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 01:43:54 PM: It has been a few years since i have been hunting in and around the willipa hills area. Was drawn for an antlerless tag for elk the second week of Oct. Just looking for someone familiar with the area who can assist me with the latest areas to head for. I have an RV for camping but am hunting solo. Any assistance would be appreciated. I will be scouting there myself before the season but a little extra direction is helpful. I have read all the posts about scouting before applying for special hunts. I only apply for areas I have hunted before however its been a few years and as we know areas change.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: ckr on June 26, 2013, 01:58:31 PM: Make sure you have a wayco permit otherwise its a wasted tag. Our group has hunted that area for 30 years until weyco turned it into their private hunt club. Tons of elk.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: Goldeneye on June 26, 2013, 02:09:12 PM: Depending on where your planning to go in, you may also need a permit to access Rayonier lands.

Weyerhauser is also buying Longview Timber. Not sure exactly where their lands are. That'll probably tie up more land to permit access.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: jeffro on June 26, 2013, 02:19:15 PM: :yeah:

Hunted Rayonier's Fossil creek tract last year. Tons of elk in there. Permit was about $250
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 02:19:51 PM: If you guys who are more familiar with this could pass on phone numbers or contact info to obtain these permits it would sure help. At least have that info before i drive down to visit. Thanks
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: sirmissalot on June 26, 2013, 02:22:05 PM: They say permits will be available starting tomorrow... we'll see. Then we'll see how long they last.

http://www.wyrecreationnw.com/Permits/PermitsHome.aspx (http://www.wyrecreationnw.com/Permits/PermitsHome.aspx)
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: Goldeneye on June 26, 2013, 02:28:41 PM: Here' s the Rayonier site: http://www.rayonierhunting.com/ (http://www.rayonierhunting.com/)
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 02:32:31 PM: thank you gentlemen. I will be applying for both permits. Its GMU 506 so will see who owns what areas there.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: bobcat on June 26, 2013, 02:38:25 PM: You're buying both permits? That will be $450. :yike:
For a cow elk? You could buy an elk tag from another state for that much!
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 02:56:23 PM: i am going to get info on both before i buy either one. Know which covers the area I am looking at hunting.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 04:56:29 PM: Looks like mostly Weyerhauser land from the map i saw on their website. http://www.wyrecreationnw.com/CreateDocument/PermitMapImages/PeEll_Map.pdf (http://www.wyrecreationnw.com/CreateDocument/PermitMapImages/PeEll_Map.pdf)
Will be grabbing that permit quick and start scouting. Thanks for all the assistance.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: floatinghat on June 26, 2013, 06:51:17 PM: Wow, buying both? hope you get them/one? I drew one of the muzzy tags. I haven't been in the area in 15 years and that was steelhead fishing but I believe there is enough land that doesn't require a permit. My thinking is next year permit numbers will increase and the price after 3 years.

I'll do my scouting and access plan after 8/1.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 07:06:29 PM: I will be trying to purchase at least one of them. Maybe we will meet up in those hills scouting. Good luck and keep in touch. Havent decided if i want to bring my RV down there and camp nearby as well. Any suggestions there?
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: Clearcut on June 26, 2013, 07:51:20 PM: It should be an easy hunt no doubt.. I wouldn't waste $ on either permit.. Weyerhauser only has the back of the unit and fossil creek will be 300$ or
More this year... It's gonna become the rich's man sport an only the ones who are willing to pay will play ... But in all honesty that tag in the 2nd week of October should be an easy hunt .. There's plenty of
Open land to find a cow to shoot .
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 08:16:03 PM: Thanks for the insight. Requested info from all the timber companies to see who charges what for where. Weyerhauser its $200 for a permit and thats mostly just south of PeEll. See what rayonier is charging. Then i will decide what permits to buy. But still cheaper than a $1000 trespassing fine if i decide to hunt their lands.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: floatinghat on June 26, 2013, 08:22:51 PM: Quote from: getreal711 on June 26, 2013, 07:06:29 PM
I will be trying to purchase at least one of them. Maybe we will meet up in those hills scouting. Good luck and keep in touch. Havent decided if i want to bring my RV down there and camp nearby as well. Any suggestions there?

I'm hoping it will not be more that a full day. I don't want to take up too much of the next couple of weeks. Deer in EWA, Pheasant Opener and Steelhead in Canada.....
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: jimmyt on June 27, 2013, 01:37:49 PM: there is plenty of good hunting in this unit without the purchase of either permits Elocheman,Skamokawa,Grays River, all of these areas are not permit entry besides some of fossil creek
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: mazama on June 27, 2013, 08:52:04 PM: Hancock also has land that is gated that you can walk in,they do have maps during hunting season-they are located in Cathlament.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on June 29, 2013, 04:50:20 PM: Talked to guy from rayonier and he quoted me 175 permits at $375 each first come first serve. My reply to him was "Well that is too rich for my blood and most others. I will go find lands that are hunter friendly. I remember when the timber companies welcomed us hunters not just tried to find another way to bleed money from us." We should all do the same and see how they like it.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: Clearcut on July 01, 2013, 07:05:14 PM: Yea that's outrageous :.. I can understand in a way what like weyerhauser is doing.there opening up gates an land to people who our willing to pay a little for the access which is gonna assure them that its sportsmen out there an not people
Looking to dump garbage.. An from what I understand an correct
Me if I'm wrong but alot of the land they sold permits for wasn't always all open for driving... Rayonier on the other hand an there permit is getting out of hand.. If this trend continues no one will be able to afford to hunt. That fossil creek unit was an had always been open to certain points then there were walk in areas forever.. Then they decided to make an extra buck but what I don't get is our they so money hungry that they need the 65000$???? I mean 150-200$ a permit to me is within reason to show them I'm not there because I wanna trash the place but I'm there an willing to pay a little because I am sportmen an wanna be able to have access to the land.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: shadowless_nite on July 02, 2013, 10:25:01 AM: Quote from: jeffro on June 26, 2013, 02:19:15 PM

:yeah:

Hunted Rayonier's Fossil creek tract last year. Tons of elk in there. Permit was about $250

as did I and yes lots of elk.

Quote from: getreal711 on June 29, 2013, 04:50:20 PM
Talked to guy from rayonier and he quoted me 175 permits at $375 each first come first serve. My reply to him was "Well that is too rich for my blood and most others. I will go find lands that are hunter friendly. I remember when the timber companies welcomed us hunters not just tried to find another way to bleed money from us." We should all do the same and see how they like it.

WAAHHHH!!! I emailed them last week and they told me no details on it yet????? But if that is true I know Im definitely not putting in for that. Thats such a nice area and its a bummer they are doing the permits. Last year they went in just a few hours from being open for purchase. And the price goes up each year unfortunately. Getreal do you have a general idea as to where you want to hunt in the unit? South side? north side?? Do you have a bicycle? Lots of herds, lots of cuts and lots of movement. The farther you can shoot the easier this will be. Shoot me a pm and Ill help out as much as I can. Ive been helped with special permits in a area I was only learning about and plenty on here were willing to help so its time to pay it forward.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: MattySuto on July 02, 2013, 11:28:29 AM: i been hunting willipa hills last 3 years and had some great success off of West Valley road...there are a few good areas more towards Nessel but you have to stop and ask permission, the people are very friendly...
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: floatinghat on July 02, 2013, 04:00:42 PM: I was hoping to get a look next weekend for the a drive by of a scouting trip. Spend a couple hours driving some roads mark, some maps get a refresher on the lay of land.

Glad to hear you aren't getting a permit, if demand keeps increasing so will the price.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: TimberCutter on July 02, 2013, 06:59:45 PM: Getreal if you can't find a cow ,shoot me a pm i live in Raymond and have hunted and cut timber in 506 unit for 30 years i will give you a hand if i have time off.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on July 15, 2013, 01:44:27 PM: I did break down and get one of the weyco permits. I can understand the $200 permit proves we aren't in there to trash their lands and timber. But rayonier charging $375 for some permits and highest bidder on others is a joke. Even $200 was a bit more than i wanted but since its been a while since i have hunted elk and drawing a cow tag should give me better odds. Since i just spent $1250 on an 800 lb steer spending $200 for access to take a cow elk is pretty cheap. Hopefully in the future these timber companies can work with us and make it more reasonable. I PM'd a couple of you living and working in and near the area. Look forward to hearing from you. Lets see what herds we can find.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: TimberCutter on July 15, 2013, 07:58:11 PM: You have the weyco permit it should be just pick the one you want . If i am free that weekend i will show you around.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: lineman125 on July 15, 2013, 10:01:18 PM: that's nuts pay'n that much !! people keep paying they will keep charging... hit the state land up middle valley= free camping, free hunting, well with the dumb discovery pass of course :bash:
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: Harborhunter on July 15, 2013, 10:05:05 PM: You should have no problem at all finding a cow at all, especially since you bought the permit. Like TimberCutter said, you can take your pick.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on July 15, 2013, 10:39:36 PM: sounds good but trying to be as prepared as possible before i go out. Only bad hunt is one where you head out unprepared.
Title: Re: willipa hills antlerless tips
Post by: getreal711 on August 30, 2013, 06:35:53 PM: Headed to Skamokawa to start scouting for cows. Any suggestions on any particular roads to scout? Wont be hunting till Oct Muzzy special hunt.