Post by: outdooraddict on October 30, 2017, 09:01:53 PM
Post by: SniperDanWA on October 31, 2017, 07:18:02 AM
Post by: Naches Sportsman on October 31, 2017, 07:46:48 AM
Post by: C-Money on October 31, 2017, 07:47:35 AM
Post by: bhawley76 on October 31, 2017, 07:58:37 AM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on October 31, 2017, 08:11:12 AM
During deer season I had some person sneak up on my 3d deer 30 yards from my back door with a flashlight right at dark. The wife asked him what the hell he was doing his response was its deer season. I'm glad I wasn't home would of been bracelets for me. :bash: :bash: :bash:
The nerve of the local crackheads.....
Post by: GlockGuy56 on October 31, 2017, 10:06:58 AM
Post by: slowhand on October 31, 2017, 01:23:16 PM
Well there was more than one time, ok I will be honest it happened 3 times, that on the way back to camp I might have jumped out of the truck and started to knock an arrow. I want to point out that I was a kid and hell bent on getting My first Deer or Elk.
The Messed up part was My Dad would let Me, LOL. I would say "Elk!!!!!" He would stop the truck let Me Fly out. I would turn around and He would say "that darn thing got me Too" laughing under his breath. Funny how often We took that way back to our camp. I think Dad was messing with Me. Not cool Dad! not Cool!
Post by: HoofsandWings on October 31, 2017, 01:42:36 PM
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
Post by: Moe the Sleaze on October 31, 2017, 01:58:17 PM
Post by: slowhand on October 31, 2017, 02:34:23 PM
:twocents:
Post by: Hilltop123 on October 31, 2017, 03:10:32 PM
Post by: slowhand on October 31, 2017, 03:23:10 PM
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on October 31, 2017, 03:35:27 PM
Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
I don't think I could pass on that. I'd probably have to take my chances with fish and game and hope they could see the wound was old and the one I put in his head was fresh. I am sure with my luck I would get some young punk who thinks he just received a gift wrapped poaching case, but Ill take my chances.
Ill pack it out and they can donate it where ever, but a suffering, wounded animal that is going to waste is something I wont walk away from. I guess I am just compassionate respect the animal to much. We shouldn't be afraid to do what is right by the animal.
Post by: SniperDanWA on October 31, 2017, 04:02:55 PM
I haven't bought a tag, but I had a spike on cam again during shooting light yesterday and there was 3 cows that I could see eating apples in the neighbors orchard early this morning. They are taking advantage of harvest being done and living the good life down low :chuckle:
I walked a lot yesterday. Got back to the truck and 200’ from the truck was a small herd of cows and possibly a couple spikes (could not tell in the trees). They ran into the trees too fast to tell. I hoofed it around them, they ran back towards the truck, I hoofed it around them again and back into the thick stuff. An hour and a half in a 20 acre or less patch of trees. Never could get enough of a view to know how many and of what gender.
Post by: face on October 31, 2017, 05:03:29 PM
Post by: runamuk on October 31, 2017, 05:22:37 PM
Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.Did you call wdfw? They often can put a tag holder on situations like this.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
Post by: acrocker on October 31, 2017, 05:27:06 PM
One note - did find a bunch of wolf tracks on and around the PCT at Blowout Mountain, could be part of the problem...
Post by: ghosthunter on October 31, 2017, 06:14:17 PM
Figurativly speaking, 340 and 342, are ghost towns. Was not sure why, until I checked the game regs, the state cut the cow tags for those two GMU's 90%. Last year 340 issued 350 cow tags and 342 issued 200. This year 340, 35 cow tags and 342, 20 cow tags. There is probably half if not less, camps this year than in the last 14 years.
Good
We use to hunt 342 back when it was 500 tags, than the state raised the amount of permits and success went in the dumpster. So we moved out.
Post by: Jpmiller on November 01, 2017, 06:50:48 AM
Just got back from 346 - been trying to fill a Peaches big bull tag and can't find any elk at all! I've been out in it for 9 straight days and it wasn't until today up at Mt. Clifty that I finally found 2 cows and 2 calves. Prior to that I had seen only 3 cows off the 1900 road while driving back to camp one night. I've hunted Clifty, Blowout, Gold Creek, and off the PCT south of the 1900 rd and just can't find any elk - heading back over tomorrow to go for my Hail Mary or it's tag soup for me.
One note - did find a bunch of wolf tracks on and around the PCT at Blowout Mountain, could be part of the problem...
I cut a wolf track in the snow a little ways north of there. We also had a stalk on elk blown when a couple guys parked at a landing about a mile across valley. Not their fault, elk were just really spooky. We ran into alot of sign to go along with the elk and a few mulies too. Good season for just a weekend for us, even with no notched tags.
Post by: treeclimber2852 on November 01, 2017, 07:04:27 AM
Post by: Duckhunter14 on November 01, 2017, 10:05:28 AM
Heading up to the Colockum tomorrow through Sunday. I have to say the reports I've been getting have been very poor. I'll give it a good try, but to be honest, I'm not very enthused. The "true spike" rule seems ridiculous. Anybody care to guess how many true spikes might be running around in the entire Colockum herd? My feeling is not very many. I'm hoping for 1 in the 25 square mile area I usually hunt, but frankly our advance party has seen no elk at all there this year. I'm thinking general season elk is pretty much a lost cause unless you have a cow tag. Good for beer drinking I suppose...
You'd be surprised.
Post by: Stein on November 01, 2017, 10:19:20 AM
Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
What unit?
Post by: HoofsandWings on November 01, 2017, 09:16:05 PM
I think I mentioned there were several tag holders, but they gave up the day before. We knew who they were, but they had left.Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.Did you call wdfw? They often can put a tag holder on situations like this.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
Post by: lilshootergirl on November 02, 2017, 02:20:59 PM
Post by: runamuk on November 02, 2017, 03:21:26 PM
I know but did you talk to any wdfw representative? They can make judgement calls. I also have another option to at least not see waste happen. There are legal means to put down something like that.I think I mentioned there were several tag holders, but they gave up the day before. We knew who they were, but they had left.Yesterday morning, my partner came across a 6x6 bull who was gut shot. He would turn his head, but did not move even though my friend was 10 yards away. He did get up once and move 50 feet.Did you call wdfw? They often can put a tag holder on situations like this.
There were quite a few hunters with big bull tags, but they had left.
A sad story.
Post by: huntandjeep on November 02, 2017, 05:02:36 PM
Heard ppl saying others were tagging spikes they claimed they shot! Pretty hard up! No pride in that, if I found one I would open it up let it cool, and maybe they would find it?better than it rotting?Happens alot.
Post by: steeleywhopper on November 05, 2017, 07:54:23 AM
Post by: elkchaser54 on November 07, 2017, 08:42:35 AM
Post by: BigBuckBandit on November 07, 2017, 07:02:34 PM
Post by: Rob Allen on November 07, 2017, 07:20:40 PM
5 lbs of the seasons last chantarells.
Lots of elk tracks on the state and private forest lands but there are soo many people that they are high tailing it to thr refuge..
Saw one kid fill a cow tag but that's it. Lots of people spending lots of gas money. Very few people walking.. as soon as you start walking behind s gate and feel you are in a good spot, there is another road.
This area needs lots more gates
Post by: Humptulips on November 07, 2017, 10:11:56 PM
Sorry no Pictures. It is not a very impressive set of horns anyway, a 6x2 but you would laugh if you saw them. Barely legal so no bragging but I thought you might enjoy the story.
I had hunted all day Saturday and saw nothing but brush on what I thought was pretty flat ground but at the end of the day my knees were killing me. I had planned to go up on the hill Sunday but the knees changed that. Saturday morning they were as stiff as stove pipes but I put on a couple ace bandages, popped a couple pills and away I went.
I went down to the Fish hatchery and crossed the creek on the dam. There is a small tributary runs in right there and I was going to hunt up the right side of it until I came to some leased ground, cross the creek and hunt back down to the car. Flat country and about 90 year old hemlock timber. Brushy in spots but open on the bench above the creek. It was raining so not much chance of seeing tracks. Tough to track in that country anyway.
I came in sight of the clearing that is the leased area. I was on Forest Service land. I crossed the creek and it was much brushier on that side. About 6 foot high salal brush with and assortment of huckleberry and vine maple. I had worked my way north of the creek quite a way trying to find some good going when up jumps this bull about 200 feet from me. That is a long shot in there.
After fiddling with my scope covers for what seemed an eternity I got my gun on him. I probably should not have done it but I took a head shot and normally when you do that the animal is either dead or gone. In this case he turned and took off when I shot.
Krap! I just missed more then likely the only bull I will see this year.
I ran up to where he had been as fast as I could go. Did I mention my knees were killing me? No tracks that I could see. I was hoping there were more elk so I might have a chance at tracking them but as it turned out he was all alone.
I walked down somewhat of a trail where he had gone for about a 100 feet and there he is, pointed straight away from me with his head down and about 30 feet away.
In retrospect he looked sick but it did not register at the time. He presented absolutely no shot. I watched him for what seemed like forever but in reality probably only 30 seconds or so. He would swing his head from side to side a little but never enough to take another shot at his head.
Then his head comes up and I try a shot over his back to the back of his head. Boom and down he goes. No pat on the back for a good shot though. I just clipped the top of the hump at his shoulders. It turned out no spinal damage but the shock of getting a couple of those bones that stick up broke paralyzed him at least temporarily.
I walked up and he was flailing around more vigorously as time went by. I think he would have gotten up eventually but I gave him a finishing shot to the back of the head.
On inspection my first shot had hit him right on the bridge of the nose halfway between the eyes and nose. From the angle it should have went under his brain. Lot of bone there though. I still am blown away that I could hit the elk there and not at least knock him down. He never even seemed to flinch. I shoot a 300 WSM by the way.
The reason the elk was alone is likely because he was a cripple. It looked like he had broke his left front foreleg some time ago. It was healed but pulled up and the joints were stiff.. He could not use it and his shoulder muscles were atrophied from not being used. There was a little discharge from his foreleg but I whacked it off at the elbow and everything above seemed fine.
The pack out was a little disconcerting because I was only about 300 yards from a road but had to pack it about a mile because I could not access the road.
I hung it and skinned it Sunday and because I am not to smart ended up packing the front half out that day getting out about dark. I think I might have mentioned my knees are killing me. :( I started a little late Monday and had the last of it in the pickup at about 2:30.
Post by: E35alex on November 08, 2017, 05:39:21 AM
Post by: DavidM on November 12, 2017, 11:21:57 AM
Post by: lilshootergirl on November 13, 2017, 04:04:10 PM
Post by: runamuk on November 13, 2017, 04:17:55 PM
Its,about money people pay a lot of money into the draw game hoping to "buy" a chance at an east side bull.
Post by: SureThing on November 13, 2017, 09:21:34 PM
If you do hit the lottery, you get a chance at a true quality bull and a hunt worth remembering. I think it is one of the best things the WDFW has done. If you don’t like hunting for spikes only then hunt a unit that allows you to shoot any bull.
Post by: Naches Sportsman on November 13, 2017, 09:27:26 PM
He doesn't deserve to be hunting nor deserves to own a gun with a shoot anything that moves mindset.
Post by: Duckhunter14 on November 16, 2017, 09:46:48 AM
Before when it was any bull on the east side there were only a handful of bulls killed and most were rag horns at best. Since they went to the permit draw the herd has diversity and you at least get to see the big bulls if you don’t hit the lottery.
If you do hit the lottery, you get a chance at a true quality bull and a hunt worth remembering. I think it is one of the best things the WDFW has done. If you don’t like hunting for spikes only then hunt a unit that allows you to shoot any bull.
:tup: its called management. Talk to anyone who hunted the units managed for big bulls now, 20-30 years ago and they'll point to a couple dinky raghorn racks and say that was a huge success back then. The herds are healthy and as mentioned if you don't want quality or to wait out the draw system then go hunt an any bull unit or travel out of state.
Post by: Buzz2401 on November 16, 2017, 10:41:12 AM
Post by: Stein on November 16, 2017, 10:47:43 AM
Why is it we hunt spike elk in washington, unless you hit the lottery?, and other states allow branch bull? I would think the branch bulls would breed its off spring? Or maybe there's not enough bull for everyone? Just wondering!
In other states, they either have more bulls, less hunters or both. It's simply a numbers game, WA has a ton of hunters and a modest herd so there just won't be as many opportunities as some other states.
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 16, 2017, 11:10:34 AM
Post by: heavyhorned on November 17, 2017, 02:11:54 PM
Why is it we hunt spike elk in washington, unless you hit the lottery?, and other states allow branch bull? I would think the branch bulls would breed its off spring? Or maybe there's not enough bull for everyone? Just wondering!
In other states, they either have more bulls, less hunters or both. It's simply a numbers game, WA has a ton of hunters and a modest herd so there just won't be as many opportunities as some other states.
[/quote
so why don't they allow elk to disperse into other areas. i hear of elk going into areas and the next year they list the unit and say any elk. why not let them expand and maybe become larger herds. it seems Washington state only wants the herds to stay in just certain areas. we have two very small herds and ever since it was noticed by game dept they list it as any elk. funny to see 100 orange suits looking over a area for 5 elk.
Post by: Woodchuck on November 17, 2017, 02:19:42 PM
Saw very few elk, I squeezed the trigger 0 times.
Post by: ASienkiewich on November 17, 2017, 03:59:24 PM
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Post by: dupedc on November 17, 2017, 08:45:02 PM
Hunted all but 3 days of the season here on the west side. Couldn’t do it without my dad(right) and brother (left). Great time camping and getting after it day after day. Hard work pays off!Way to go guys! That’s what it’s all about! Three elk on top of that is a bonus!
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