Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: sportsman002001 on February 13, 2009, 08:55:11 AM

Title: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: sportsman002001 on February 13, 2009, 08:55:11 AM: As I told you in the Magret unit 1983. My dad and grandpa drew margret tags again in 1986 and here is a picture of my grandpa's bull that he got. My dad also filled his tag that year also. It is neat to look at the old pictures and see what the Margret unit looked like back then compared to now.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: WAPITIHUNTER on February 13, 2009, 09:01:08 AM: Another nice 5x5. Seems that the Saint Helens herd needs some of the 5x5 thinned out. Make room for some bigger bulls. Hopefully if I draw this year there will be some 6's running around or bigger.

Cpongrats on some nice bulls.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bowsandhose on February 13, 2009, 09:06:28 AM: sweet
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bowhuntin on February 13, 2009, 09:11:31 AM: Thanks for sharing your pictures. That country is wide open, reminds me of the eastside.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bucklucky on February 13, 2009, 11:28:25 AM: It WAS wide open, there were so many elk back then, wede see heards of 20- 50 and all no smaller than 5x5s. Trust me , those 5x5s werent the big bulls that were there ;) That place has gone WAY down hill since then. Its not even close to the same. Used to see 7x8, 8x8, even 9x9s up there. Now its mainly little rags eith a few descent bulls.

Nicec Pics! Love looking back on one of my most favorite places to hunt.......well used to be :bash:
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bowhuntin on February 13, 2009, 01:52:40 PM: Quote from: bucklucky on February 13, 2009, 11:28:25 AM
It WAS wide open, there were so many elk back then, wede see heards of 20- 50 and all no smaller than 5x5s. Trust me , those 5x5s werent the big bulls that were there ;) That place has gone WAY down hill since then. Its not even close to the same. Used to see 7x8, 8x8, even 9x9s up there. Now its mainly little rags eith a few descent bulls.

Nicec Pics! Love looking back on one of my most favorite places to hunt.......well used to be :bash:

I always think of the westside of being wet and brushy. Was that area so wide open because of Mt. St. Helens eruption in the early 80s and since then grown back up?
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bucklucky on February 13, 2009, 02:09:52 PM: Quote from: bowhuntin on February 13, 2009, 01:52:40 PM
Quote from: bucklucky on February 13, 2009, 11:28:25 AM
It WAS wide open, there were so many elk back then, wede see heards of 20- 50 and all no smaller than 5x5s. Trust me , those 5x5s werent the big bulls that were there ;) That place has gone WAY down hill since then. Its not even close to the same. Used to see 7x8, 8x8, even 9x9s up there. Now its mainly little rags eith a few descent bulls.

Nicec Pics! Love looking back on one of my most favorite places to hunt.......well used to be :bash:

I always think of the westside of being wet and brushy. Was that area so wide open because of Mt. St. Helens eruption in the early 80s and since then grown back up?

Ya the euruption flattened everything and then there was the ash and pumice that covered everything.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: sportsman002001 on February 13, 2009, 02:20:52 PM: Bucklucky nailed it the Margret unit has gone down hill since. Those were the hay days back then and now it has grown up quite a bit. There are still a few big bulls up there but you better put in the time and scout it all summer long and figure it out. I here guys talk like it is a walk in the park and is not anymore. But those that put in the time will get a decent bull.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: Curly on February 13, 2009, 02:28:43 PM: We need another eruption to flatten all the trees down and grass to grow in their place. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: bobcat on February 13, 2009, 02:31:22 PM: Maybe Mt Rainier will erupt and create some great elk habitat! :tup:

Some catastrophic forest fires would do just about as well at creating open elk habitat, but they keep putting the fires out too soon! :bash:
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: luvtohnt on February 13, 2009, 02:32:54 PM: Quote
We need another eruption to flatten all the trees down and grass to grow in their place.

Harvesting the trees would work as well if not better than an eruption.

Brandon
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: funkster on February 13, 2009, 03:41:32 PM: Bobcat, my Dad and I just had a conversation about how beneficial some controlled burns would be in that area. I don't think it would ever happen, tree's equal money in that neck of the wood's

I know the unit is not what it used to be but big bulls still live in the 524. I hope everybody feels the way that most on here do about the unit. That way my odds of drawing next year are better and maybe sticking that 6x7 I saw last year.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: Curly on February 13, 2009, 04:20:15 PM: Quote from: bobcat on February 13, 2009, 02:31:22 PM
Maybe Mt Rainier will erupt and create some great elk habitat! :tup:

Yeah. And then we can hunt right where Orting used to be. It will be one big prarie. :chuckle: ;)
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: Basket Rack on February 13, 2009, 08:17:57 PM: Thanks for posting the photo, it brings back alot of old memories of when they first opened the area up to the public again. I remember seeing one large herd that had over 40 bulls 5 point or better in early October bulls bugling all over. Another unique thing I remember was deer with their ears burned off from the eruption. The first year they allowed deer hunting in the Margaret a taxidermist here in Chehalis had a couple of bucks dropped off that had there ears burned off all the way down to the bases. The next year up Green river in the summer we were cutting firewood and my dad and I saw a doe that had no ears, just stubs on the side of her head. Years later in talking with that taxidermist, he said that he wished he had saved the capes off of those bucks as they were just in for horn mounts and he had not kept the capes cause they had no ears. What a unique and interesting mount to have now and look back on that event. Let alone what the deer must have gone through that morning of May 18th and the days after trying to survive.
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: fc2038 on February 14, 2009, 06:11:18 PM: thanks for posting. Wish i could pull a Margaret tag!!
Title: Re: Margret Unit 1986
Post by: Cascade_Sherpa on April 10, 2009, 04:22:04 PM: I'm only 31 years old, but I agree. The margret unit has changed drastically, and along with it so have the deer and elk populations. I grew up in L-town, and spent a lot of time riding motorcycles and camping up in the "blast zone", it was a very unique area. Now Weyerhauser has closed almost all of the gates, the high lakes have been sold to the highest bidder, and its the next generation that is going to suffer not having those experiences......