Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:14:56 PM

Title: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:14:56 PM: I have hunted the Umtanum area (Wenas) for the last couple of years but have been unsuccessful at an elk. Do any of you hunt Wenes and how has your luck been. I think there is a lot more territory up there that I haven't been too. Wish I could go up there and scout but don't have much time for that. I heard that region has a farely large herd but they are spread out over a lot of land.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: rasbo on April 03, 2009, 01:20:50 PM: I tried it one time,to many hunters every ridge seemed like it had a fire on it..I didnt want to get caught in the cross fire..packed up and left
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:28:07 PM: I know there is tons of people there. Last year some dude got stuck in his Ford Bronco on the other hillside I was looking at. He kept trying to get it unstuck and anyways, it caught on fire and burned to a crisp. He had guns and ammo in there too and it sounded like a damn arsenal. I'm sure that bronco will be there forever. I don't even know how he got it down to where it was. I wasn't even a road :dunno:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: rasbo on April 03, 2009, 01:30:17 PM: Quote from: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:28:07 PM
I know there is tons of people there. Last year some dude got stuck in his Ford Bronco on the other hillside I was looking at. He kept trying to get it unstuck and anyways, it caught on fire and burned to a crisp. He had guns and ammo in there too and it sounded like a damn arsenal. I'm sure that bronco will be there forever. I don't even know how he got it down to where it was. I wasn't even a road :dunno:
I hunt rimrock now when I can,I can get in there and be alone somewhat...
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: fisheral87 on April 03, 2009, 01:30:24 PM: Natural selection, too bad he was smart enough to get out of the truck. :mor:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 01:33:52 PM: :yeah: :fire.: :mgun: :mgun2: :guns: :bdid:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: andrew_12gauge on April 03, 2009, 04:03:56 PM: my dads bronco burned up on top of umptanum ridge last year but he was on the road it just got way hot from trying to pull a trailer with 2 horses up the hill, he was able to get most everything out of it but he did leave a box of .22 mag shells in it this was in september though? sounds to me like if you have a bronco the umptanum is not the place to take it
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: gasman on April 03, 2009, 04:08:35 PM: Umtanum is a big area with lots of elk and hunters. I stoped hunting it years ago, but go back every now and then to remanis on old hunting trips.

The biggest key toit is get out of your vehicle, walk the opposite dirrrection of the road, sit on a ravine or canyon, and wait for the other idiots to push them by you.

We used to hunt Hog Ranch Rd. Sit for hours and wath the elk cross or run past us. Seen a few times where there hunters in tow behind the elk. To bad they were all cows, i could have taken any of them.

If I do not get the Peaches Ridge permit, I hope to get the Obserbatory permit, cause that is where i will be if i do, that or above Mud Lake.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: jackelope on April 03, 2009, 04:13:25 PM: Quote from: andrew_12gauge on April 03, 2009, 04:03:56 PM
my dads bronco burned up on top of umptanum ridge last year but he was on the road it just got way hot from trying to pull a trailer with 2 horses up the hill, he was able to get most everything out of it but he did leave a box of .22 mag shells in it this was in september though? sounds to me like if you have a bronco the umptanum is not the place to take it

i remember that story and was thinking that was the rig he was talking about.
bad mojo for broncos in there.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: gasman on April 03, 2009, 04:16:12 PM: [/quote]

bad mojo for broncos in there.

[/quote]

You got that right. I had my dads bronco and it was starting to over heat going up there.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: MAGhunter on April 03, 2009, 09:30:47 PM: Holy *censored*, this has turned into a f'd up bronco story......cool. How ironic that we're hearing about all these broncos in the same damn area. Thank god they don't make them anymore, but I guess they would make good ground blinds and you don't even have to pack it up when your done :lol4:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: alecvg on April 07, 2009, 10:33:41 AM: I hunted it a few years back, it was horrible! Hunters everywhere! And alot of road hunters... I will never hunt it again! :twocents:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: Dipsnort on April 07, 2009, 11:54:53 AM: I hunted the Umptanum unit several years ago with rifle and yes, lots of hunters. Too many. I'm bow hunting for elk these days and have been considering switching from the Westside to the Eastside and the Umptanum unit is where I'm thinking about. I guess I need to go scout it out again one of these days to see if I can figure out where the herd might be hanging out in the early season. Any tips via pm are welcomed. :hello:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: gasman on April 07, 2009, 12:29:02 PM: Quote from: Dipsnort on April 07, 2009, 11:54:53 AM
I hunted the Umptanum unit several years ago with rifle and yes, lots of hunters. Too many. I'm bow hunting for elk these days and have been considering switching from the Westside to the Eastside and the Umptanum unit is where I'm thinking about. I guess I need to go scout it out again one of these days to see if I can figure out where the herd might be hanging out in the early season. Any tips via pm are welcomed. :hello:

Umtanum is permit only for archery. My number 2 choice for permit area.

I do ot evenknow if they have deer permits for Umtanum any more :dunno: I drew one years ago.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: colockumelk on April 07, 2009, 01:13:00 PM: Umptanum is over the counter for deer. It's too bad because that used to be a really good hunt to draw a special deer permit. Now it's OTC and good bucks are hard to find in that area.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: rougheye on April 07, 2009, 01:28:06 PM: to close to the REZ
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: Archery King on April 07, 2009, 02:34:07 PM: Fords suck is the problem ;)
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: jdb on April 07, 2009, 02:56:20 PM: Quote from: rougheye on April 07, 2009, 01:28:06 PM
to close to the REZ
not really :dunno:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: huntingnut on April 07, 2009, 03:53:53 PM: Umptanum has no early archery deer tags and is draw only with the Observatory tag. The Manastash is over the counter for deer and elk and the other unit in the Observatory unit. During modern both units can sound like WWII. There is a fairly good sized herd that migrates down from Bald mountain so it is hit and miss, during early season there is still cattle ranging in the manastash unit on Manastash ridge. My family has hunted the ridge for the last 35yrs during modern. It has gotten to where we would see more hunters than game. We made the switch to archery and now have to find a new area.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: M_ray on April 07, 2009, 07:45:01 PM: Hunted it for deer and seen some good bulls from time to time but it seems like they were hit and a miss and hard to pin point at least for me allthough I wasn't hunting it for Elk.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: Dipsnort on April 10, 2009, 11:10:37 AM: Quote from: gasman on April 07, 2009, 12:29:02 PM
Quote from: Dipsnort on April 07, 2009, 11:54:53 AM
I hunted the Umptanum unit several years ago with rifle and yes, lots of hunters. Too many. I'm bow hunting for elk these days and have been considering switching from the Westside to the Eastside and the Umptanum unit is where I'm thinking about. I guess I need to go scout it out again one of these days to see if I can figure out where the herd might be hanging out in the early season. Any tips via pm are welcomed. :hello:
Umtanum is permit only for archery. My number 2 choice for permit area.
Dang! And I was only considering Umptanum for early archery elk because my first choice (Little Naches) is also permit only! :'( Maybe I need to scout out the Manashtash Unit instead... :dunno:
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: ribka on April 11, 2009, 10:33:06 AM: I live in the Umtanum and I can say first hand way way too many hunters. Poaching has been a big problem in the area too. I find a lot of dead elk and deer in the off season that were shot and horns removed. Always report findings to F&G but don't seem to be too interested.

I probably see a 100 head of elk every morning now when I wake up. probably will not hang around the area as people in ATV's are driving around the locked gates, knocking down fences and are chasing them. Sick of non- enforcement of laws here in E WA.

LT Murray has great potential for big bucks if they made by draw only. 5 years ago when it draw only I saw some huge bucks by the house.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: boneaddict on April 11, 2009, 10:40:21 AM: Quote
I probably see a 100 head of elk every morning now when I wake up. probably will not hang around the area as people in ATV's are driving around the locked gates, knocking down fences and are chasing them. Sick of non- enforcement of laws here in E WA.

That really pissed me off the other day when I took my girls hiking there a couple days ago. I tell you, 4 wheelers are really beginning to irk me. Not only is it Road closed but posted with a sign...NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES. pparantly they don't count. :bash: >:(
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: ribka on April 12, 2009, 10:40:15 AM: I have given up calling F&G and the Yakima Sheriff.
Very disapointed in law enforcement in Yakima County.

Last Summer fly fishing with a friend on Upper Naches. Two F&G guys jump out of the woods and yell show us your lures. My friend, who was fishing an elk hair caddis sz 14, was fined $70 because his barb was not pinched down enough.

I know these guys are busy but where are the priorities?

Re ATV's:
I know people say not to blame ATV riders as there are only a "few bad eggs" however I always see more than a few atv riders breaking the law riding in restricted areas in WA, MT, ID, OR. During hunting season I would say 40% break the law and ride in off-limit areas.
Title: Re: Anyone hunt the Umtanum area
Post by: jmx369 on April 12, 2009, 09:33:36 PM: It's not worth hunting that area. Too many people and too many problems. If you shot an elk in that area, you will have 4 other hunters claiming that they shot it.