Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: BIGINNER on May 21, 2010, 08:57:42 AM
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i'm going to be camping around Trout Lake seceral times this summer, and i was wondering, how is the elk hunting there? general firearm season. i'm guessing there would be a $HITload of people out there... thanks for any info
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Yep, lots of people, cant kill cows less you draw, snow it the factor.
Just like the rest of the state.
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ya. i saw in the regs that its a 3 pointmin, unit. what time of year does trout lake usually get snow?
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I hunt north and west of Trout lake, keep an eye on the weather, if it starts snowing get out quickly. A couple years ago it started snowing on us so we headed back over the pass towards Randle. It did not stop snowing for a week and a family was trapped. The elk in that area are very skitterish (I like that word). Most of the hunters in the area are cruising the roads so if you get out into the trees you have a much better shot.
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Trout Lake use to be pretty good. But the under brush is very thick and it is hard to move around without making noises. As far as the snow goes most years we got snowed on during the season. Last year they got 6 inches of snow over the night. So you better have 4wd rig.
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i've never hunted elk before, but since i'm gonna be out there quite a bit before the season i want to give that place a shot for elk since i'll be pretty pamiliar with that area.
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Make sure you have a GPS and Maps of the area, you can get lost pretty easy. Remember the Pacific Crest Trail is the main trail along thru that area. I would foucs in the area of Steamboat Rock and Sleeping Beauty. That is the areas we used to hunt.
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Find out where the mushroom pickers are in the fall and hunt someplace they are not.
I see elk all the time during the summer in some of the higher elevations and close to water.
Deer hunters will be beating the bushes and scattering the elk.
Check out the harvest reports to get an idea of how many hunters are looking for deer and elk.
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There's no elk left in Trout Lake, just berry pickers, mushroom pickers, and bear grass pickers, oh yeah, an increased amount of cougars and bears with their tummy's full of fresh elk tenderloin and backstrap! ;)
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I agree with mossback,
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I've hunted the area a little over the last few years. Still have all my tags too. Last year after the snow hit the roads were more like freeways. We picked a spot and got out and hiked about a half mile in. Not ten minutes later there were hunters all around me so I went back to the truck and my partner met me just before the road. He was away from me but also encountered a few hunters. We got to the road and there were at least ten trucks all around ours. Then this kid comes over and asks us how many elk we seen. They all thought we were after a herd of elk because we were the only ones out hiking in - and I quote " the snow". needless to say we left that day discouraged.
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never hunted the rifle season,always muzzleloader, but I have to agree no snow no elk. at the town of troutlake you have 3 different units that come together anyway, so for rifle I would guess that hunting way up in the lewis river unit with most of tacoma would be the norm. :dunno:
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yeah the later the better have a few friends that muzzle over there and get a few
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I hunted there last year. It was a disaster. The amount of hunters was rediculous. We came across multiple camps that had more that 15 people. Every time we turned around we ran into someone. Even further south there were people all over the place. The ONLY place that I didnt see people hunting was inside the lava flow area and anyone we talked to said it was to dangerous to go into. So of course I went in. Spend a day getting snowed and rained on and didnt see a single bit of sign. After that trip, I will probably never hunt the west side again. People were everywhere.
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I've bowhunted around mt adams for several years and really haven't found a lot of elk. However, each year I did find elk to hunt, but I had to put in the miles to get them. As long as I stayed in the wilderness area boundary, I didn't run in to very few hunters.
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I think at one time this was the place to hunt. There was logging and road access was decent. Private timberland had few if any restictions. All of that most likely kept the hunting population more dispersed.That's all history now. There's less availble land period. Hence, crowding. You have to hunt harder and longer to find the yellow butts. It's now a timber hunt for the most part. Remember the heavy snows just a couple of years back ? Sadly, I too have moved on. I've left a lot of boot prints up there and to this day is still one of my favorite areas in the Gifford Pinchot. I just do not hunt there anymore. But I'm getting the itch for a reunion but I will keep my hidy holes to myself not that they're super productive, but because I can find solitude there. For me, that's as important as finding the elk.
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I am going to be in Trout Lake next weekend. If I find something to take a picture of that has 4 hooves, I will post.
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hey hoofs was out around fs21 and fs23 camping and 21 was too deep in snow for my jeep..(running 31's)... just past walput lake turn off about a mile past.. and 23 was deep in snow as well so might have to go the long way if your coming from puget sound area.. .. seen 2 does and a buck just past the bike trails at blue lake... but no elk..
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Goonies, that is one way to get to Trout Lake. If you are coming from I5, then Cougar, Curley Creek, Carson-Guler.
Snow is just below the 4000 foot level, except in the snowier places. Usually, when tire junction is totally clear and there is access to Mosquito Lake, you should be able to make it from the north. That said, those stretches of road are particularly vulnerable to slides and washouts.
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We went down rd 23 yesterday. Hit deep snow before the pass coming from Randle and decided not to push the luck. I am surprised it is still that deep up there?
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We went up the 25 from Cougar on Sunday. Someone left the gate open :bdid: :dunno::chuckle: Made it to the 2556 just a couple miles short of Elk Pass before the snow pack stopped us. Stopped at the Ranger Station on the way back. They were going up to guard the gate and clear everyone out :chuckle:
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yea i only push my luck if im out about with another rig or group roll... what i need is a bigger lift and taller tires ... :chuckle: maybe next year.... ;) never tried getting to trout lake any other way ... im sure the snow will be gone come july time...
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I wish the gate would have been open on the 25 yesterday. It wasnt so i turned around and took the 90 to the 88 to trout lake. Just passed the P.C. trail i saw a small rag horn and off the 88 i saw a few cows, and even a cow and a calf! There aren't a lot of elk around there but a few.
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Stay away from trout lake unless there is snow.. Used to hunt south of troutlake in the lava beds, had not so good success, every couple years someone Kills a nice bull out there though( first year my pops shot a Six by Seven in the lava beds) antlers stood taller than his Highboy Ford.. Was a monster.. There in there you just gotta find em.. And about all the hunters.. always been that way and always will be.. I was sitting on a clearcut one time and World war three went off in the cut down the road.. One camp took out four cows and what looked to be a calf.. Anyways if you do find em there usually bunched up and dont move far....
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thanks for the info guys :)
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dont wory mark . the war is over now it will be permit only for cows. enjoy that country it sucks i have found better places to hunt . the lava bed scares away more people than you know. try hunting from goose to huckleberry. good luck J
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dont wory mark . the war is over now it will be permit only for cows. enjoy that country it sucks i have found better places to hunt . the lava bed scares away more people than you know. try hunting from goose to huckleberry. good luck J
Ssshhh, Benchleg
No don't hunt the lava it will cut up your boots! ;)
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Maybe a dumb question but, what is so bad about the lava beds?
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So far I have seen 1 black bear, 4 bucks, 3 does, 2 4+bulls (wide racks).
Raining here. Sightings have been around noon.
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Did you took any pics :dunno:
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Compared to other units such as the Winston or Coweeman the pressure isn't as bad, but the population density of elk is far lower than what you would find in those units, always has been, especially these days.. The terrains steep in many area's, some of the timber stands allow visibility out to 100yrds or so but for the most part its brushy and the reprod in the NF is too tall to see into most of the cuts. Herds are usually small, I'd guess an average of 5 elk.
Last year it snowed almost everyday, first day and a half I hound dogged elk, sneaky fookers, humbling to see what lengths they will go to in order to shake you off of their trail. Moved camp late on day two down to the snow park on the 88 due to the increasing snow level. Spent day three driving around till we found what elevation was holding the most elk. Picked a spot and stuck with it dawn to dusk for two days, on day three I took my first bull. Nice young n tasty 4x4. 6 guys and about 8 hours later after stumbling through the snow n brush in the pitch black we got it out of the hell hole I was hunting in.
Our groups been hunting in the fr88/fr23 area since 1999. Average 1 elk per our group of 6-8, dependent upon cow tag draws.
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Maybe a dumb question but, what is so bad about the lava beds?
If its clear the lava bed will eat your gear up, especially your footwear.
But if its covered in snow, its just dangerous. the snow will hide small cravases' that if you arent paying attention to every step you can end up with a broken leg or neck. Not to mention a couple of spots will put you in ice water.
When I went in last year people looked at me like I was stupid. But the way I saw it, I havent got an elk in 10 years and I didnt care if satan himself was going to draw down on me, I was going to go where no one else would for at least the hope of seeing something. Turned out to be a complete waste of alot of time and a metric *censored* ton of energy.
Had a couple of close calls with snow covered holes and slipped down the side of a lava wall and almost ended up soaking wet with the temps in the low 20's.
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no elk there, don't waste your time...they're all down in the blues.
;)
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no elk there, don't waste your time...they're all down in the blues.
;)
no no they are all between north bend and ellenburgs ;) check out the subdivisions thats where you will find elk
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Maybe a dumb question but, what is so bad about the lava beds?
If its clear the lava bed will eat your gear up, especially your footwear.
But if its covered in snow, its just dangerous. the snow will hide small cravases' that if you arent paying attention to every step you can end up with a broken leg or neck. Not to mention a couple of spots will put you in ice water.
When I went in last year people looked at me like I was stupid. But the way I saw it, I havent got an elk in 10 years and I didnt care if satan himself was going to draw down on me, I was going to go where no one else would for at least the hope of seeing something. Turned out to be a complete waste of alot of time and a metric *censored* ton of energy.
Had a couple of close calls with snow covered holes and slipped down the side of a lava wall and almost ended up soaking wet with the temps in the low 20's.
This is also were the elk like to winter out.
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I just took the 90 to the 88 over to trout lake again yesterday. Saw a few cows hiking around and a dozen other elk just driving, 2 calves, some cows, and a HUGE 5x5 (already!) on my way back in the headlights. Most of the elk were from the 90/88 junction to trout lake.
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I have a funny feeling that area is gonna be a pumpkin patch come modern firearm!! :rolleyes:
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lol ya, i got alot more info than i expected, lol too bad everyone esle can see this info too. lol :chuckle: :chuckle:
