Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: gonehuntin68 on December 10, 2013, 06:06:36 PM

Title: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on December 10, 2013, 06:06:36 PM: Just wanna know the best road to take to get into the unit? Open gates to drive into so I can find some closed gates to walk behind.
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: RadSav on December 10, 2013, 06:14:49 PM: Good luck finding closed gates right now. Some on the south end, but north end I haven't seen a closed gate in the late season. Just expect some jack wagon to drive around your truck and drive in no matter how old and rotten the road. Part of the Toutle fun!
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on December 10, 2013, 06:19:35 PM: Quote from: RadSav on December 10, 2013, 06:14:49 PM
Good luck finding closed gates right now. Some on the south end, but north end I haven't seen a closed gate in the late season. Just expect some jack wagon to drive around your truck and drive in no matter how old and rotten the road. Part of the Toutle fun!

That sound like the west side. So what is the best way to just get in there?
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: bobcat on December 10, 2013, 06:20:08 PM: Kinda depends on if you're coming from the north or the south. From the north I'd either go in on the Weyerhaeuser 4100 line which is just outside of the town of Toutle, or a couple miles further south on I-5 you can go in on Headquarters Road. That road takes you past a Weyerhaeuser office and past the landfill, and then you have to drive all the way through the Coweeman unit to get to the Toutle boundary.

If you're coming from the south, take highway 503 from Woodland up to Cougar and there are a couple of access points. One would be Rock Creek which gets you into a block of DNR land or further east you can get on a Forest Service road that gets you into the southeast part of the Toutle unit. I'm not real familiar with that south end and don't recall the road numbers, and don't know if gates are open or not.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: Bullkllr on December 10, 2013, 06:27:50 PM: Assuming you have some kind of a late elk permit...

The thing I have found with the whole St. Helen's tree farm, is that when there're any gates open its ALL OPEN. There used to be a couple areas (not in Toutle) that were gated, but their not any more. Could be others that I'm not aware of, but typically most every main line, connecter, spur road, etc. is open and gets driven on. If you do find a gate, be hesistant to hike past it as there will soon be rigs turning around on the other side.

There are multiple access points. Call the hotline to see which gates are open. 4100 gets straight to the heart of the unit (Sfork toutle). 6000 up Kalama in the south end. Up Coweeman is not too bad for western/middle Toutle.

Hope this helps. No, I'm not trying to intentionally mislead you because of the whole 49ers thing, though I do find it tempting. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on December 10, 2013, 06:31:53 PM: Quote from: Bullkllr on December 10, 2013, 06:27:50 PM
Assuming you have some kind of a late elk permit...

The thing I have found with the whole St. Helen's tree farm, is that when there're any gates open its ALL OPEN. There used to be a couple areas (not in Toutle) that were gated, but their not any more. Could be others that I'm not aware of, but typically most every main line, connecter, spur road, etc. is open and gets driven on. If you do find a gate, be hesistant to hike past it as there will soon be rigs turning around on the other side.

There are multiple access points. Call the hotline to see which gates are open. 4100 gets straight to the heart of the unit (Sfork toutle). 6000 up Kalama in the south end. Up Coweeman is not too bad for western/middle Toutle.

Hope this helps. No, I'm not trying to intentionally mislead you because of the whole 49ers thing, though I do find it tempting. :chuckle:

hahahahaha thanks bro
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on December 10, 2013, 06:34:10 PM: No, just doing some archery deer
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: Slimdog350 on December 11, 2013, 12:24:21 PM: All the gates are usually open this time of year so it will be hard to find one closed. Unless there is active logging in the area. Then they will close the gates in the general area. It might be something to look for. The only people in there are loggers so you might have the area to yourself. Just be sure to stay away the activity. As for access it depends on where your coming from, but bobcat pretty much nailed it.
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: BABackcountryBwhntr on December 11, 2013, 02:37:39 PM: if you are after deer, that is not the unit I would spend my time in
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: Spuddieselwwu on December 11, 2013, 03:18:00 PM: 4100 is the way to go IMO.
Title: Re: Best way to get into the Toutle unit?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on December 12, 2013, 08:17:49 PM: Quote from: BABackcountryBwhntr on December 11, 2013, 02:37:39 PM
if you are after deer, that is not the unit I would spend my time in

Not a fan of it for deer?