Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bow Hunting => Topic started by: Little Fish on July 24, 2014, 01:43:38 PM

Title: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Little Fish on July 24, 2014, 01:43:38 PM: Does anyone have any reservations about the impact that opening the gates for drive-in access will have during archery season? I've been laying awake at night worrying about it.

Historically I've ridden my bike in to the St Helens Tree Farm and used calls to locate elk. The last 3 years have been terrible with the season change, but now that cars are allowed behind the gates I think its only going to get worse.

Does anyone have any thoughts or can you relay what your experience has been with say the Pe Ell area where the permit system has been in place for awhile.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grundy53 on July 24, 2014, 01:48:12 PM: Not much impact at all.

sent from my typewriter
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Little Fish on July 24, 2014, 10:28:08 PM: I hope that is the case. I hunted Toutle with my partner a few years ago and someone accidently left the gate open the week before the season. There were probably 5 bulls sounding off in many locations before the gates were unlocked (when scouting), but by the time the season opened all those bulls had gone silent.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Tacbeav on July 25, 2014, 08:35:15 AM: Interesting question. We have also been biking into the St Helens Tree Farm. My thoughts;

It remains to be seen if we will be driving in depending on the fire danger level.

Elk on a working tree farm are used to vehicle traffic, so no big deal there.

Driving in should spread out the hunters some. Based on the St Helens permit sales so far, doesn't seem like there will be much increase if any in hunter numbers, so I'm hopeful it will be a good thing.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grousetracker on July 26, 2014, 07:43:25 PM: there is no chance any vehicle access will be allowed during early archery, it could flood and it wouldnt be open early, keep biking in.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: TheHunt on July 26, 2014, 08:12:26 PM: We will all find out August 1st.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grundy53 on July 27, 2014, 10:50:13 AM: Quote from: grousetracker on July 26, 2014, 07:43:25 PM
there is no chance any vehicle access will be allowed during early archery, it could flood and it wouldnt be open early, keep biking in.

Pe Ell was open during archery last year.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: jay.sharkbait on July 27, 2014, 10:59:30 AM: Vail was open
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Slimdog350 on July 27, 2014, 11:50:39 AM: Quote from: grousetracker on July 26, 2014, 07:43:25 PM
there is no chance any vehicle access will be allowed during early archery, it could flood and it wouldnt be open early, keep biking in.
We shall see. It says in the paperwork that if access is allowed during fire danger that you must carry fire extinguisher, shovel and an ax and be prepared to call the proper authorities and fight the fire. Like others have said, Pe ell and vail were both open. It's anyone's guess. :dunno:I'm also curious about how the hunting will be with vehicle traffic. I've been biking into areas of the tree farm for years to spots where I don't see anyone. I just don't want to be working a bull and have someone else come down on top of me and ruin it, but that could happen any where. This will be my trial year. It could be closed to early season access and be like it has been or it could be open and be a zoo. It doesn't appear that there have been too many permits sold so........
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grousetracker on July 27, 2014, 05:54:36 PM: the question was the st. helens tree farm being open not vail or Pe Ell. i cannot remember the last time the early season was open early season.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grundy53 on July 27, 2014, 06:37:49 PM: Quote from: grousetracker on July 27, 2014, 05:54:36 PM
the question was the st. helens tree farm being open not vail or Pe Ell. i cannot remember the last time the early season was open early season.

You missed the point. The other two tree farms that were mentioned also used to be shutdown for fire danger all of the time. But since they went to access permits they haven't shutdown.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: septemberhunt on July 31, 2014, 02:27:47 PM: I sure hope they don't open the gates. They let people drive in the st helens tree farm about 5 years ago and people were driving all the roads all day. You would get a bull going and someone would hear you and drive over and try to work the bull. There is not that many areas to hike in and get away from a road. I never had a problem with riding my bike in from the gates. There is NO need to open the gates other than to retrieve a dead elk.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: grundy53 on July 31, 2014, 02:36:15 PM: Quote from: septemberhunt on July 31, 2014, 02:27:47 PM
I sure hope they don't open the gates. They let people drive in the st helens tree farm about 5 years ago and people were driving all the roads all day. You would get a bull going and someone would hear you and drive over and try to work the bull. There is not that many areas to hike in and get away from a road. I never had a problem with riding my bike in from the gates. There is NO need to open the gates other than to retrieve a dead elk.
Except for the fact that people PAID good money for motorized access. Remember, it's not all about you.

sent from my typewriter
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: bobcat on July 31, 2014, 02:56:21 PM: That tree farm is too big to keep the gates closed. With everyone having to walk or bicycle in, hunting pressure will be concentrated near the gates. It seems much better to allow drive in access and spread people out.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Little Fish on August 05, 2014, 12:35:41 PM: I'm with September on this. I prefer locked gates and non-motorized access. I am hoping since we did pay for the permits they won't close the farm to all access....just motor vehicles.

In the past I've noticed more people hunting close to the gates, but its nothing like muzzy or modern firearm seasons in terms of people. On my bike I can easily push in 5-10 miles every day.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: septemberhunt on August 21, 2014, 03:07:11 PM: Looks like they are going to let vehicle access to the farm. I hope and ask people to please not drive the roads all day. Get in and park the truck and hunt tell dark then drive out. With the season starting so early it will be hard hunting already. There is nothing worse than getting a elk coming in and than a truck goes by and the elk stopping responding to calls.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: bowhuntersd on August 27, 2014, 09:41:40 PM: I think odds are you won't seen near as many people as you think. I'm sure most will be hunting off of 19mile as in years past. But if you look at the number of permits sold (less than 2000). That is only a few hundred more than archery but less than mod. firearm people that hunted just the Winston unit last year. It is a huge tree farm that covers multiple GMU's and if you want to get away from people I think you can, you may have to go away from your traditional spots though. Good luck to all that bit the bullet and bought your permit. :tup:
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Little Fish on September 15, 2014, 01:38:59 PM: Bowhuntersd....you were correct. Some vehicles driving around, but not as many as I thought. There was enough traffic that we saw very few elk in clearcuts and none right next to the road. The fact that there were very few elk in clearcuts may also have to do with the herd size reduction which estimated 47% from its peak in 2011 with a disproportionate reduction in Coweeman where I was hunting. I'm not sure how many of the remaining animals in the herd have hoof rot, but I have heard it is substantial so who knows....the herd may even be smaller in size.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: septemberhunt on September 16, 2014, 02:48:14 PM: This year was very frustrating with all the trucks road hunting. After the first day of the season all the bulls shut up and stayed out of the clear cuts. It made it very hard hunting this year. I was hoping people would not be driving around all day. I don't understand why people would road hunt elk during bow season. It is hard enough trying to sneak up on elk when they don't know you are there. We still just hunted off our mt bikes and tried to stay away from all the traffic. Maybe next year they will have more walk in only areas. We did manage to get elk but it was a lot harder than past years. Thanks to all the hunters that stayed home the last four days of the season.
Title: Re: Vehicle Access to Weyerhaeuser Tree Farms
Post by: Little Fish on September 16, 2014, 04:07:10 PM: Nice job Septemberhunt!

We stayed on the mainlines with our vehicles and walked spur roads or timber the rest of the time. My partner and I had 1 bull talking the whole season and heard 1 other bull bugle (maybe). Kind of a bummer compared to the good old days when it was non-motorized access and the tree farm had more animals. Even if we couldn't get close to elk we felt like there was always the possibility of getting lucky.

Every year it gets a little worse. First WDFW changed our season because archery folks "might be taking to many mature bulls", then they started issuing a boat load of cow tags and finally Weyerhaeuser opened the farm to vehicle access. After hunting this year I have to wonder when the hunting is going to get better.