Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: HuntHigh on August 12, 2011, 04:44:12 PM

Title: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: HuntHigh on August 12, 2011, 04:44:12 PM: I am moving to the Spokane area and have a muzzy tag for eastern Elk. I am wondering if i can get pointed in the right direction to be away from huge crowds of people and in an area that has decent numbers of elk. im not worried about trophy potential right now just want to put meat in the freezer. also i am very willing to pack into an area to get away from people, units ive been looking into so far are, 111,113,108 any help is much appriciated
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 04:48:53 PM: 113 Selkirks. Grizzly there too.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Fullabull on August 12, 2011, 04:52:42 PM: HuntHigh,

Welcome to the forum. Do a search on the northeast corner as those elk are not easy to find and people are not very willing to give up their areas because it took a lot of footwork to find them.

You will want to do a lot of scouting and searching yourself to try and locate some elk to hunt. the more work you put in and are Findlay with them you will get more info in the area.

Good luck,

Fulla
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Austrian Hunter on August 12, 2011, 04:59:24 PM: There are no Elk in the units you mentioned!! All Elk went west!!! No ELK EAST!!! You have to go to the west side to hunt elk. ;)
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 05:02:16 PM: Quote from: Austrian Hunter on August 12, 2011, 04:59:24 PM
There are no Elk in the units you mentioned!! All Elk went west!!! No ELK EAST!!! You have to go to the west side to hunt elk. ;)

Oh crap, I forgot, just like no bears here either.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: hoytem on August 12, 2011, 05:17:59 PM: the 80 or so we saw last year over there turkey hunting weren't hard to find at all.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Austrian Hunter on August 12, 2011, 05:20:33 PM: Quote from: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 05:02:16 PM
Quote from: Austrian Hunter on August 12, 2011, 04:59:24 PM
There are no Elk in the units you mentioned!! All Elk went west!!! No ELK EAST!!! You have to go to the west side to hunt elk. ;)

Oh crap, I forgot, just like no bears here either.

:yeah:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Austrian Hunter on August 12, 2011, 05:23:59 PM: :rolleyes: Those were no elk, those were farm animals, if you shoot them you in big trouble Mr. just sayin.... Again, NO ELK NE WA.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 05:27:08 PM: The last time I saw an elk around here was after the pigs ate my brother.....So, anyhow, I'm taking up donations to fund my welfare hunt to Idaho for wolves in October.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: piledup on August 12, 2011, 07:40:37 PM: Have you taken a look at the harvest reports? Your chances of being successful is very very slim. :twocents:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: HuntHigh on August 12, 2011, 10:20:26 PM: haha well thanks for the help guys i guess i will just have to put in the leg work to find some of those rascally critters :chuckle:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 10:22:46 PM: Quote from: piledup on August 12, 2011, 07:40:37 PM
Have you taken a look at the harvest reports? Your chances of being successful is very very slim. :twocents:

Yes I have. They haven't been hunted since 09. I think that's why they lowered the tag prices. Too many now.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 10:24:11 PM: these areas are tight lipped...elk hunting can be great in spots. there isnt huge crowds really anywhere in NE corner for muzzy or archery. I have hunted the area for almost 20 years and have mu honey holes that only a select few know about
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 10:26:05 PM: Quote from: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 10:24:11 PM
these areas are tight lipped...elk hunting can be great in spots. there isnt huge crowds really anywhere in NE corner for muzzy or archery. I have hunted the area for almost 20 years and have mu honey holes that only a select few know about

I might know of 1 or 2 because I know a logger over there... :tup:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 10:55:52 PM: U have the right units tho :tup:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: high country on August 12, 2011, 11:06:25 PM: I can't share specifics but here is some good general advice;

If you saw it in a book or movie....it does not work here. Observation is your huckleberry. Pick a drainage on a map that holds everything elk need and is tough to get to.....there will be elk close. If you see elk, do not even tell your wife......trust me. Expect to work very hard and get nothing for it aside from terrain adjusted. Elk do not herd up as big as other areas, but we have a few......and they get hunted hard.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 11:09:56 PM: hunted hard? I can count on one hand how many archery and muzzy guys I have seen in the last 8 years..rifle may be different ..never stepped foot in those woods then
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: high country on August 12, 2011, 11:18:43 PM: And how many elk have you killed?

I tend to stick to the animal I want like velcro.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 11:23:17 PM: 7

And to be exact last year in the archery season I saw 1 rig where I hunted..didnt see the hunter and that was it in 11 days of hunting
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: high country on August 12, 2011, 11:36:37 PM: 7 elk in 8 years and not seen but a few other hunters.....you must be living right or hunting private ground.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2011, 11:42:03 PM: 7 elk in the corner isnt in 8 years...how many hunters i have seen in the last 8 years when I have gotten serious about chasing elk up there.

I hunt 0 amount of acres of private unless u call timber company land private.. I hunt natl forest, dnr,timber land and state.
Hell another member on here millertime and I went up to Mica for a quick evening hunt during archery elk and parked at the GATE and there wasnt 1 rig there! and we had elk bugling and cow calling the whole evening...and blew it with not hearing the elk come up next to us.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: True Sportsman on August 13, 2011, 12:02:49 AM: Those numbers aren't that crazy. You have to put in the work and do some scouting. Even then, you will have to get lucky to get into elk. If you are rifle hunting, like I do, pick some nasty, steep, ridiculous area and go look for elk.

I laugh every year when people want advice about hunting the NE. It is funny to me. In my opinion, youd be better off spending time in other places in this state.

A funny story about last elk season. I sent a buddy and his dad to the NE to rifle hunt elk. I sent them to the same spot I shot a bull in 2008. He's a great guy and I more than trust him with the knowledge (He's given me countless spots over the years). Him and his dad can hunt elk in the timber and have several bulls to their credit. They hunted up here for 8 days straight. They saw a few bull moose, found a moose shed, and seen zero elk. The NE can be very unforgiving. The guys are hard core elk hunters and they vowed to never go back. They said it wasn't worth their time!

Go someplace else, you will have a better hunt. Oh, and the wolves ate them all.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Elkslayer on August 13, 2011, 12:25:13 AM: I have killed 5 in the last 5 years in units 121 and 117, they are in there but like everyone says they are hard to find and they do move around alot! Your best bet is to put in some time getting to know an area and wear off some boot leather. Then again you could always luck out like I did one year and have one stand 30yds off the road and let you get out and shoot him. Poor guy was so interested in showing off to the ladies tearing up a 8ft fir that he never heard me coming up the road! And when you do find some DONT TELL ANYONE, if ya do that area will have 50 people next year!
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 13, 2011, 12:28:13 AM: I havent killed one the couple years..but I have been at full draw several times each year with brush being in the way..last year forgot range finder the only time and ran into 3 elk..1 bull and it was just to questionable to tak shot guessing,so I tried to sneak in closer and cow call softly..nothing got dark and sesaon ended on that note
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Jburke on August 13, 2011, 12:31:02 AM: Its pretty much been covered so far. You mpore than likely wont find decent numbers of elk. You may find them, but the herds are small and hard to find. If you find them stick with them. You may very well go for days without seeing any at all, possibly the entire season. Iv'e seen elk every season but have yet to connect for various reasons. This year I have a little better idea and am hopeful. Find out if I'm right in Oct.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: HuntHigh on August 13, 2011, 01:28:24 AM: thanks for all of the info guys. yeah i would rather spend some time in areas with large numbers of elk with a chance at some major trophy class bulls but i don't have the cash like agnew has or the time and there for i will be sticking close to home. well i will try out some areas i think look promising and if i get into them and maybe even get a shot off, i will make sure to tell everyone that i got it in a completely different area all together :chuckle: best luck hunting to everyone. i will post pics if i find some critters. 8)
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: Bean Counter on August 13, 2011, 03:48:24 AM: Quote from: True Sportsman on August 13, 2011, 12:02:49 AM
....
I laugh every year when people want advice about hunting the NE. It is funny to me. In my opinion, youd be better off spending time in other places in this state.
....

+1

:beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse: :beatdeadhorse:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: huntnnw on August 13, 2011, 06:03:37 AM: I personally would never hunt anywhere else in this state unless I draw a LE tag.. u couldnt pay me to hunt spike only units..not my cup of tea. :twocents:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: high country on August 13, 2011, 06:34:32 AM: Quote from: huntnnw on August 13, 2011, 06:03:37 AM
I personally would never hunt anywhere else in this state unless I draw a LE tag.. u couldnt pay me to hunt spike only units..not my cup of tea. :twocents:

I did that exactly once.....never again.
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: piledup on August 13, 2011, 09:52:13 AM: Quote from: CAMPMEAT on August 12, 2011, 10:22:46 PM
Quote from: piledup on August 12, 2011, 07:40:37 PM
Have you taken a look at the harvest reports? Your chances of being successful is very very slim. :twocents:

Yes I have. They haven't been hunted since 09. I think that's why they lowered the tag prices. Too many now.

Campmeat: I wasn't directing my question towards you but towards the one who posted this thread. Muzzle loader success in the units he mentioned are very low.

Hunthigh: Everything seems to have been said about the elk in the NE so you should know what to expect. Good luck finding them :hello:
Title: Re: Filling a tag in the Northeast corner
Post by: videoman on August 13, 2011, 09:52:50 AM: here is my NE corner elk. Hard to hunt and I had from sept 1 - Dec 31.