Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: blood thirsty on August 23, 2015, 09:58:42 PM

Title: Closures?
Post by: blood thirsty on August 23, 2015, 09:58:42 PM: Anybody know if the forests in Williams creek unit and the willapa hills unit are closed due to fire danger?
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Rob Allen on August 23, 2015, 10:14:52 PM: yes all the private(hancock) forest land is closed.. all the roads are posted closed to all public access.. info on Hancocks website suggests it may be closed til mid October..
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: bobcat on August 23, 2015, 10:54:45 PM: Weyerhaeuser is not closed.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: clearwater on August 23, 2015, 11:08:45 PM: State land in those units are open. I think weyco and rayonier are open if you purchased a permit from them.

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Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Lnk on August 24, 2015, 08:02:43 AM: State land there is guna be super packed this year
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: cryder on August 24, 2015, 04:06:03 PM: Don't forget to tip your parking attendant !And get in early , you don't want to miss the pow wow at the coffee and doughnuts table. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Little Fish on August 26, 2015, 01:52:44 PM: Weather forecast calls for rain starting Friday and going into early next week down in the area you are asking about. Cross your fingers that is rains hard and non-stop for 4 or 5 days....then maybe they will open it for hunting access.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 26, 2015, 02:43:52 PM: All locked up They might even lock out the permit guys on WY and rayonier. The national forests will be packed this year. That's if they don't close them too. Not enough state land there for my group let alone all of sw wa to join. Glad I got an idaho tag on my desk. :tup: every gate on the west side being locked made me glad I did.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: BIGDOG253 on August 26, 2015, 02:51:51 PM: Quote from: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 26, 2015, 02:43:52 PM
every gate on the west side being locked made me glad I did.
Thats why they made Lock cutters :chuckle:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 26, 2015, 04:05:26 PM: That ticket would cost me a lot more than an Idaho elk tag...... Just weighing my options. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Buckmark on August 26, 2015, 04:34:05 PM: I remember back in the 90's when we had some bad fires east (spokane area if i remember correctly) and the private timber companies closed/locked up there lands...could happen this year.
Protect there resource and if a fire did break out there is no man power to come and fight it..
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: buglebrush on August 26, 2015, 04:40:10 PM: Thinking people should look somewhere other than the NE corner this year. Already quite a bit either closed or burned and it will only get worse. Going to be masses of hunters in the few open road systems this year. :twocents:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: bobcat on August 26, 2015, 04:56:45 PM: It's still a little early to say if areas will be closed in October or not. We could end up getting plenty of rain in the month of September.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: buglebrush on August 26, 2015, 05:36:00 PM: Quote from: bobcat on August 26, 2015, 04:56:45 PM
It's still a little early to say if areas will be closed in October or not. We could end up getting plenty of rain in the month of September.

I agree. I was speaking of archery. Would expect most to reopen for recreational use by October.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on August 26, 2015, 08:12:44 PM: No elk in Williams Creek, even if the roads are open.. :chuckle:
Sure wish it would rain...
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Buckmark on August 26, 2015, 08:40:36 PM: Quote from: bobcat on August 26, 2015, 04:56:45 PM
It's still a little early to say if areas will be closed in October or not. We could end up getting plenty of rain in the month of September.
And butterflies could fly out of my butt...

The areas hardest hit, the big burns that are active wont be out, wont just stop with a little rain, the areas that are currently the large fires, stickpin, tunk, northstar, chelan, okanogan complex are in areas that do not receive large amounts or rain this time of year (sept, oct, nov) heck snow does not fly in some of those areas in any quantity till dec or later....

Not saying stuff will be closed, but i think there are alot of people that do not understand the amount of fuel these fires have to consume for along time, the size of these fires etc...

a little piss cutter rain wont be the saving grace...
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: bobcat on August 26, 2015, 08:48:12 PM: Buckmark,

I wasn't really thinking of the burned areas, but everywhere else. This thread is actually about SW Washington, and I think there's a very good chance that all of it will be open for hunting by early October.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Buckmark on August 26, 2015, 08:56:45 PM: Far enough, yes it is about a different area...just getting testy as my retirement property is in the line of fire east and i have had people here (westside) say oh it will rain and put it out..... :bash:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: mkcj on August 26, 2015, 09:03:59 PM: I talked to the Bio for my sons Moose tag yesterday and she said ALL Stimson paper property is closed to everyone. She thought Inland empire land was also closed. :bash:
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: dreamingbig on August 26, 2015, 09:33:37 PM: And this is why it was a no brainer to bump the start of archery elk back. Odds of having access are a little better on the 12th than the 2nd. I hope it rains a full 2" this weekend but my gut says only 1/2" or so in most areas.

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Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Little Fish on August 27, 2015, 08:56:13 PM: I'll be camping down along the Columbia toward the coast this weekend. Forecast is for lots of wind and rain. Tubing and skiing behind the boat won't be much fun, but I will have first hand knowledge on the amount of rain that falls. Maybe put a bucket out to measure rainfall at camp.

Cross your fingers that it rains like crazy over the weekend and into next week.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: BAR C3 on August 27, 2015, 09:18:21 PM: Quote from: mkcj on August 26, 2015, 09:03:59 PM
I talked to the Bio for my sons Moose tag yesterday and she said ALL Stimson paper property is closed to everyone. She thought Inland empire land was also closed. :bash:
Inland is shut down as well. Go to there sites and its posted. Depending on which tag your son drew, those two companies cover most public land in North/South Mt. Spokane tag.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: mkcj on August 27, 2015, 09:21:07 PM: Quote from: BAR C3 on August 27, 2015, 09:18:21 PM
Quote from: mkcj on August 26, 2015, 09:03:59 PM
I talked to the Bio for my sons Moose tag yesterday and she said ALL Stimson paper property is closed to everyone. She thought Inland empire land was also closed. :bash:
Inland is shut down as well. Go to there sites and its posted. Depending on which tag your son drew, those two companies cover most public land in North/South Mt. Spokane tag.

His is Selkirk which has both Stimson and public
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on August 27, 2015, 09:21:20 PM: Quote from: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 26, 2015, 02:43:52 PM
All locked up They might even lock out the permit guys on WY and rayonier. The national forests will be packed this year. That's if they don't close them too. Not enough state land there for my group let alone all of sw wa to join. Glad I got an idaho tag on my desk. :tup: every gate on the west side being locked made me glad I did.

You might check your hunt area in Idaho to see if its open?
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: BAR C3 on August 27, 2015, 09:27:39 PM: It will be interesting, my prediction is they shut everything down in Washington right before labor day. Hope I'm wrong. They can't put these fires down and don't need anymore.
Are guys riding motorcycles in Little Naches ORV? I know that's a zoo on Labor Day.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 28, 2015, 04:40:42 AM: Quote from: HUNTINCOUPLE on August 27, 2015, 09:21:20 PM
Quote from: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 26, 2015, 02:43:52 PM
All locked up They might even lock out the permit guys on WY and rayonier. The national forests will be packed this year. That's if they don't close them too. Not enough state land there for my group let alone all of sw wa to join. Glad I got an idaho tag on my desk. :tup: every gate on the west side being locked made me glad I did.

You might check your hunt area in Idaho to see if its open?

I did. I can even burn a wood stove in the national forest.
Title: Re: Closures?
Post by: Little Fish on August 31, 2015, 08:39:39 PM: There was a torrential downpour Saturday night in SW Washington along with lots of wind. Sunday overcast. Raining Monday when I broke camp and headed home. I would be surprised if your area is not open for archery in a couple of weeks. On and off rain is forecasted through the end of this week.