Post by: grundy53 on August 30, 2011, 04:08:04 PM
Post by: buckhorn2 on August 30, 2011, 04:38:43 PM
Post by: BowBender87 on August 30, 2011, 06:54:40 PM
Post by: grundy53 on August 30, 2011, 07:47:55 PM
yeah pisses me off...the people that are stealing the stuff are the local meth heads not hunters anyway. Its all BS.
Yup. We had some cut the gate on our family tree farm and steal a bunch of stuff. I hate them.
Post by: BowBender87 on August 30, 2011, 09:34:24 PM
Post by: grundy53 on August 31, 2011, 05:18:10 AM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on August 31, 2011, 06:21:41 AM
Post by: hunter_sean08 on August 31, 2011, 10:30:05 AM
Post by: 6x6in6 on August 31, 2011, 11:44:24 AM
First off, I do not hunt the westside so call me a bit ignorant to the dilemma you face with the timber companies closing off the access to their lands.
What if.........
A proposal was laid out to Weyco (for example):
Offer to subsidize a gatekeeper at a mainline gate via access fee's.
Hunter's show up to hunt. Pay $50 (it's just a number) a head to enter. Show your valid tag to verify your intent to hunt. Guests of hunters pay the same fee and must accompany the hunters upon initial entrance. It's a season long fee, not just a per entrance fee. Gatekeeper issues a pass to all hunters and their guests.
You declare where you intend to set-up camp and how long you intend to stay at said camp. If you choose to move camp, you must return to the gatekeeper and re-declare your camp location. Weyco keeps an active up to date map on where other are and has the right to say no camping there along with declaring areas that are off limits to all access.
Road hunting is not permitted.
Travel to and from your designated camp is the only form of motorized vehicle access. You are free to come and go via the main gate as often as you wish.
Day hunters, similar, you declare where you are intending to park. Weyco gatekeeper keeps an active map on where the day hunters are parking.
Violator's are removed from Weyco land and fined $100 (again, just a number).
Yeah, I know, it's another damn fee. But would you pay a fee to hunt what is private property?
Post by: BowBender87 on August 31, 2011, 12:02:22 PM
I'm just going to throw this out there for discussion simply as a thought to bring to the table.
First off, I do not hunt the westside so call me a bit ignorant to the dilemma you face with the timber companies closing off the access to their lands.
What if.........
A proposal was laid out to Weyco (for example):
Offer to subsidize a gatekeeper at a mainline gate via access fee's.
Hunter's show up to hunt. Pay $50 (it's just a number) a head to enter. Show your valid tag to verify your intent to hunt. Guests of hunters pay the same fee and must accompany the hunters upon initial entrance. It's a season long fee, not just a per entrance fee. Gatekeeper issues a pass to all hunters and their guests.
You declare where you intend to set-up camp and how long you intend to stay at said camp. If you choose to move camp, you must return to the gatekeeper and re-declare your camp location. Weyco keeps an active up to date map on where other are and has the right to say no camping there along with declaring areas that are off limits to all access.
Road hunting is not permitted.
Travel to and from your designated camp is the only form of motorized vehicle access. You are free to come and go via the main gate as often as you wish.
Day hunters, similar, you declare where you are intending to park. Weyco gatekeeper keeps an active map on where the day hunters are parking.
Violator's are removed from Weyco land and fined $100 (again, just a number).
Yeah, I know, it's another damn fee. But would you pay a fee to hunt what is private property?
I would gladly pay a fee to that area if I knew no matter what I would be able to hunt it year after year. But i think the bigger issue is is that pe ell weyco basicly wants their own private hunting reserve. Now they have Bawfaw west to trap creek all to themselves. And weyco gets tax breaks for allowing public access? do they expect you to hike in and get passed by weyco employees? And even if you did hike in...weyco doesnt allow camping early archery season. Greedy crooks! :bash:
Post by: windygorge on September 01, 2011, 05:42:17 AM
i went scouting over there (williams unit) and found few gates closed. that made me not want to hunt over there. i understand there are areas that are gated, but geez. frustrating to say the least.
Post by: bobcat on September 01, 2011, 07:28:48 AM
Post by: grundy53 on September 01, 2011, 07:59:45 AM
The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.:yeah:
Post by: hunter_sean08 on September 01, 2011, 09:34:59 AM
The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.
Yeah, which is the case for many of the roads down in the Willapas and in Williams Creek, not to mention the fact that it's steep country. Only a couple years ago, we had one of the biggest elk camps down the Nemah. We also had a ton of old timers that really enjoy road hunting for the simple fact that they can't get around that country on foot anymore. Yeah I like to hike and do a little more work for my animals, but it was fun to spend the time with my grandpa and other relatives, especially since they have 50+ years of knowledge and experience down there on those roads. For many of them, it's the only way of hunting they have left...
Post by: BowBender87 on September 01, 2011, 01:48:13 PM
The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.
exactly...not to mention even if a guy were to pack in that far...in early archery season its hot. Its an all day process getting an elk out when your that far in. An elk spoils to quick. Plain and simple... Pe ell bowhunters are getting screwed. Unless ofcourse your an employee of Weyerhaeuser!
Post by: MonkeyMan1 on September 01, 2011, 02:07:16 PM
Post by: windygorge on September 01, 2011, 04:40:18 PM
The bad thing with everything being gated is Weyerhaeuser doesn't allow camping- EVER. So if you were to hike in10 miles to where you want to hunt, you'd have to do that hike in and out every day. You can't pack a camp in there and stay for a few days.
Yeah, which is the case for many of the roads down in the Willapas and in Williams Creek, not to mention the fact that it's steep country. Only a couple years ago, we had one of the biggest elk camps down the Nemah. We also had a ton of old timers that really enjoy road hunting for the simple fact that they can't get around that country on foot anymore. Yeah I like to hike and do a little more work for my animals, but it was fun to spend the time with my grandpa and other relatives, especially since they have 50+ years of knowledge and experience down there on those roads. For many of them, it's the only way of hunting they have left...
Post by: bobcat on September 14, 2011, 03:34:42 PM
Surprisingly, they did not say anything about Weyerhaeuser lands (in Pe Ell area) being closed for fire danger.
Of course it does talk about Forks Creek and Trap Creek being closed. Those areas are closed even to walk in hunting, except on weekends. The gates will be opened to allow for motorized access during modern firear deer and elk seasons.
That's about all I recall from the message I listened to. I wish they'd get into the 21st century and put all the info on the internet. It would be much easier reading it instead of trying to listen to it all one the phone. It's pretty confusing because all of the different areas have different rules.
Post by: Alan K on September 14, 2011, 03:54:11 PM
Gates = Better hunting. . . Period. Even when the employees drive in, they generally hunt a LONG way back in there from what I can tell. They want to get away from people just like everyone else, and almost always drive further back than walk in hunters are willing to go. I'd put money on the land from the gate to 4-5 miles in is or will be much better hunting than it was when everyone was able to just drive in, even with the employees driving in.
Unfortunately, the old timers and physically unable people won't be able to access like they once had, but there is still plenty of DNR and FS ground that remains open in general year around.
Also, this employee access stuff has been going on for a LONG time in the Vail Tree Farm (granted they open the gates for a whopping 8 days out the year). I used to bike in there during archery season and get my buck every year while in high school. I can't tell you how many times I had guys drive past in camo and dust me out, or unlock the gate, drive in, and shut it in my face while I was parked at the gate waiting for a bit more light to start biking in. Sure it sucked, but the hunting was much better than having the gates open all the time, I know that for a FACT.
Post by: Alan K on September 14, 2011, 04:04:11 PM
I can't say that I've biked into the Pe Ell Weyerhaeuser ground, I'm usually on the state land outside Doty so I can't say they are the same way, but I'd bet if they had the chance to they would help a fellow hunter get his animal out. :dunno:
Post by: grundy53 on September 14, 2011, 04:29:06 PM
What I heard was that it was actually a contract logger who was stolen from while working on Weyerhaeuser ground. Had something like 25k of rigging stolen.
Gates = Better hunting. . . Period. Even when the employees drive in, they generally hunt a LONG way back in there from what I can tell. They want to get away from people just like everyone else, and almost always drive further back than walk in hunters are willing to go. I'd put money on the land from the gate to 4-5 miles in is or will be much better hunting than it was when everyone was able to just drive in, even with the employees driving in.
Unfortunately, the old timers and physically unable people won't be able to access like they once had, but there is still plenty of DNR and FS ground that remains open in general year around.
Also, this employee access stuff has been going on for a LONG time in the Vail Tree Farm (granted they open the gates for a whopping 8 days out the year). I used to bike in there during archery season and get my buck every year while in high school. I can't tell you how many times I had guys drive past in camo and dust me out, or unlock the gate, drive in, and shut it in my face while I was parked at the gate waiting for a bit more light to start biking in. Sure it sucked, but the hunting was much better than having the gates open all the time, I know that for a FACT.
That happened too but the final straw was when a Weyerhaeuser crew got ripped off. I have a couple buddies that are on that crew and they said they stole everything they could. Including the skyline and all the chokers and what not.