Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: Rhino on June 19, 2009, 10:10:16 PM

Title: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 19, 2009, 10:10:16 PM: I"m muzzleloading this year and have a cow tag and it's any bull during regular season during october 3-11. Just trying to get any help I can.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: shoot-em-dead on June 19, 2009, 10:13:59 PM: I'd make tons of scouting trips up there. Elk are hard to find especially if you don't know the area.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: bowhunterforever on June 19, 2009, 10:33:17 PM: I have hunted 3 times there for elk once rifle and twice with a ML and didn't see any elk in the daylight, we saw a cow cross the road in front of us after shooting light.There's sign of elk its just a thick area. :twocents: Good luck and keep us posted.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 19, 2009, 10:58:05 PM: I've hunted there for whitetails. but haven't seen many elk, but I know they're there.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: tmike on June 19, 2009, 11:03:06 PM: Search the site! Look for the "Don't ask for info and leave post" that should help you.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: jackelope on June 19, 2009, 11:05:19 PM: the people that know the n.e. elk have not been very willing to spew info on the web...thats for sure.
good luck.

welcome to the site by the way. you might consider hitting the intro's thread and introduce yourself.
tough to get info on some of the hardest elk to find in this state on your first ever post.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: high country on June 20, 2009, 07:43:58 AM: there are a good number of elk, but if you look at the harvest reports you will see that next to none get killed. the elk that get killed are shot by the same groups of guys, once you know the areas to find NE elk you really don't want to share it with the world. I would suggest calling dana base and doing some recon missions.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 20, 2009, 11:56:18 AM: Thanks High Country! I understand not letting info out. I'm working on getting permission for some private land. Who is dana base?
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Caretaker on June 20, 2009, 12:35:38 PM: "Tmike-Search the site! Look for the "Don't ask for info and leave post" that should help you"

tisk tisk. That's no way to treat newbies. If we did that with everyone with 5 or less posts we'd never see an increase in members.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: tmike on June 20, 2009, 01:02:58 PM: Sorry but I PM'd a guy with some great info that only had a few posts. He never repied, I Pm'd him again, No reply. and he never came back to the site to contribute. I'll help anyone but there has to be some give and take. Rhino I'm still learning that part of the state sorry I can't help. yet.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 20, 2009, 01:11:48 PM: No problem tmike i realize i'm new. Im barely figuring this whole forum thing out. I don't even know what a PM is. I ran across this site on accident didn't even know there was such a site as this. Hope i can contribute somehow. I don't expect anyone to give out their honey hole but every bit of info and encouragement helps
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: tmike on June 20, 2009, 01:16:03 PM: Look at the top of your screen by My messages, there should be something there.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Ghost Hunter on June 20, 2009, 05:32:27 PM: Think it's tough to get info in 117. :dunno: Try it in 204 :chuckle:
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: high country on June 20, 2009, 07:34:08 PM: dana base and steve zender are the bios for that area. dana lives right there. you have to pry info out of them, but they will spill it......I better shut up now ;)
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 20, 2009, 07:39:03 PM: Thanks high country!
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: PA BEN on June 21, 2009, 07:25:32 AM: Quote from: high country on June 20, 2009, 07:34:08 PM
dana base and steve zender are the bios for that area. dana lives right there. you have to pry info out of them, but they will spill it......I better shut up now ;)
Steve is retired now. Ton of muzzleloaders for deer on quads up there.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: SHANE(WA) on June 23, 2009, 01:25:03 AM: Dana base is even more lost than a newbie hunting the unit, talked with him a few times over ther years. Best advice find some recent logging in the area, look for the thickest timber nearby and head in, trial and error, do this enough u will find elk, drive roads also and look for elk tracks, head in the vicinty, its worked for me alot
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on June 23, 2009, 05:28:39 AM: So your the one cutting down those rubbed trees!!
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: SHANE(WA) on June 23, 2009, 06:15:14 AM: oh yes :chuckle:
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: elkaholic on June 23, 2009, 08:03:05 AM: Miles is right, those are just Moose rubs...... :chuckle:
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Hornseeker on June 23, 2009, 11:49:33 AM: God darn... I never thought of that!! Good idea!
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 23, 2009, 12:15:50 PM: I plan on getting off the road anyway. I'm hoping I'll be able to locate some bulls by bugling. Season opens oct. 3.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: boneaddict on June 23, 2009, 12:19:40 PM: Sorry, thats one bit of info you only get if I know you real well. Goodluck on your quest. Lots of people try it because they think they have discovered the "secret hunt" in the state. There is a reason they don't do it again. :)
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Hornseeker on June 23, 2009, 02:30:43 PM: Yeah, bone doesn't even do it.

I hunted it the whole season back in 94...every day... and whitetail before and after the season... Saw two bulls... one was a spike and the other was a 300 bull with thick black horns.... course... he was at a dead run by the time I realized he was there (and that was after I nearly stepped on him).... :chuckle:

Yeah...its thick...its nasty... its spotty.....
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 23, 2009, 10:48:23 PM: I"m gonna hunt hard and have lots of fun with my son and pray the good Lord blesses us with an elk, if not well i'll have some good memories. I just love being in the great outdoors.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: colockumelk on June 23, 2009, 11:40:44 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on June 23, 2009, 12:19:40 PM
Sorry, thats one bit of info you only get if I know you real well. Goodluck on your quest. Lots of people try it because they think they have discovered the "secret hunt" in the state. There is a reason they don't do it again. :)

That sounds like alot like GMU 249 :chuckle:
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: kopfjaeger on June 25, 2009, 09:17:49 PM: Good luck on that meat tag, Rhino. Hopefully I was some help. Keep me posted on how you do with that tag and feel free to contact me again if you have any more questions.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: blindpig on June 27, 2009, 07:23:19 AM: I've done some hunting there, although not for elk. I've hunted mulies, whitetail and bear. Great unit for all, but I've only seen elk once. Oh yeah, moose will be seen as well.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: TeacherMan on June 28, 2009, 09:08:41 AM: Quote from: Ghost Hunter on June 20, 2009, 05:32:27 PM
Think it's tough to get info in 117. :dunno: Try it in 204 :chuckle:

I know where you can find elk in 204 :chuckle:
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Ghost Hunter on June 28, 2009, 09:51:55 PM: Quote from: TeacherMan on June 28, 2009, 09:08:41 AM
Quote from: Ghost Hunter on June 20, 2009, 05:32:27 PM
Think it's tough to get info in 117. :dunno: Try it in 204 :chuckle:

I know where you can find elk in 204 :chuckle:

I know your close ;) I know where they been in the winter. I'd be tempted to try with my smokepole, since I can hunt both sides.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Austrian Hunter on June 30, 2009, 04:51:43 PM: Quote from: Rhino on June 23, 2009, 12:15:50 PM
I plan on getting off the road anyway. I'm hoping I'll be able to locate some bulls by bugling. Season opens oct. 3.

In NE WA? I thought they done by then?
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Rhino on June 30, 2009, 09:54:17 PM: I don't have alot of experience bugling, but I hunted rimrock unit the first week of october and had a blast cow calling and bugling alot of bulls. Had one run in. So I figured they'ed be bugling up in 117. Every year is different.
Title: Re: Has anyone hunted GMU 117 for elk?
Post by: Ridgeratt on June 30, 2009, 10:08:02 PM: hunting the NE part of this state for elk is a tuff choice if you look at the harvest reports its a slim amount of animals taken compared to the SE or Central part. ranges from 3 for all weapons to 55 in 117 in 07. Most of the elk I believe are taken by the local boys who keep track of them. In 07 there were 2 individuals that had driven over from Oak Harbor to hunt. Perhaps even members of this site (Green and Black Jeep). Got over here had no idea where to go made a pot of coffee and when it got light walked down a skid road and BANG tipped over a cow. Spent the rest of the time with no more success. The next year they came back with what looked like a small city. Not sure what the outcome was. But when you hunt very small bands of animals that are maybe no more than 10 it's a great adventure.

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