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Author Topic: West side elk question  (Read 7785 times)

Offline BB11b

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West side elk question
« on: January 26, 2019, 07:00:08 PM »
Anyone know of a unit in the west that offers a backcountry experience? Did one in Idaho and now I’m hooked. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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Offline JimmyHoffa

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2019, 07:11:55 PM »
Backcountry...like horses and spike camps in the wilderness?  Or long walks behind gates to get away from most of the people?

Offline bobcat

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2019, 07:26:38 PM »
Lewis River might have some opportunity for that.

Offline elkchaser54

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2019, 12:51:52 AM »
516 with the goat rocks wilderness maybe.

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2019, 06:32:24 AM »
Backcountry...like horses and spike camps in the wilderness?  Or long walks behind gates to get away from most of the people?

Horses and spike camp except I’m the horse haha. Also away from people


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Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2019, 06:35:27 AM »
Lewis River might have some opportunity for that.

All I can find for Lewis river is by woodland and then It runs into a lake.


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Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2019, 06:36:01 AM »
516 with the goat rocks wilderness maybe.

You and one other person messaged me about this area. On the maps it looks very good, have you hunted it before?


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Offline bobcat

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2019, 07:46:45 PM »
Lewis River might have some opportunity for that.

All I can find for Lewis river is by woodland and then It runs into a lake.

Why don't you get a good map and then outline the GMU boundary with a highliter? You might try a Gifford Pinchot National Forest map.

Offline jackelope

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2019, 08:38:11 PM »
516 with the goat rocks wilderness maybe.

You and one other person messaged me about this area. On the maps it looks very good, have you hunted it before?


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I spent a bunch of time in the “backcountry” area of the goat rocks in 2017 and saw zero elk. I saw some sign a couple times closer to the trailheads in the trees.  Full disclosure is I wasn’t looking for elk and wasn’t concerned with finding them so take it with a grain of salt. All that said, there are a lot worse places you could spend some time in WA looking for elk. Did see 2 guys elk hunting the muzzleloader season up in goat country. Didn’t talk to them so no clue what they were seeing.
:fire.:

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Offline Tbob

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2019, 10:18:44 PM »
Ive hunted 516 as well.. beautiful country, and lots and lots of peeps! We hunted early archery though, so not sure of the season you’re looking into.

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2019, 07:31:06 AM »
Ive hunted 516 as well.. beautiful country, and lots and lots of peeps! We hunted early archery though, so not sure of the season you’re looking into.

I’d be doing the early archery as well. Best way to hunt elk.


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Offline HoytHunter24

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2019, 07:48:44 AM »
Nowadays there arent many places in Western Washington where you can get away from people. Even hiking in you will run in to others.

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2019, 08:13:10 AM »
Nowadays there arent many places in Western Washington where you can get away from people. Even hiking in you will run in to others.

Yeah unfortunately I’m thinking that’s the case. Another reason why I branched out to Idaho. I would do east WA but I refuse to spike only.


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Offline bornhunter

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2019, 08:46:49 AM »
I used to have my own packstring of horses and packed into the goats rocks for early archery elk for many years. The first year I went in I bumped into 2 other camps. The year I quit going there were 11 camps in the same drainage I hunted. There are a few elk around up there an occasionally someone gets a dandy but you better like people. About ten years ago I was hearing that guys were finding elk not to far south of the ski runs. That may be eastside though. Good luck in your pursuit.

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2019, 02:23:30 PM »
I used to have my own packstring of horses and packed into the goats rocks for early archery elk for many years. The first year I went in I bumped into 2 other camps. The year I quit going there were 11 camps in the same drainage I hunted. There are a few elk around up there an occasionally someone gets a dandy but you better like people. About ten years ago I was hearing that guys were finding elk not to far south of the ski runs. That may be eastside though. Good luck in your pursuit.

Oh ok pretty much sounds like a common thing about that area... thank you for your input. Might look else where or just keep the backcountry to Idaho lol.


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Offline ian_padron

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2019, 11:39:09 PM »
513 and 516 are packed in September. Hunters and hikers everywhere.

If you're a crazy mofo or have access to horses, there are plenty of bulls in the deep snow in November up high. Snowshoes mandatory.

If I wasn't so obsessed with chasing deer all season in ID and WA, that's how I'd hunt elk around here.

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Offline Bucks2Ducks

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2019, 05:16:44 AM »
To many people watching born and raised, and not enough backcountry in W WA to support it.

Did you ever fill your Nooksack tag?
When the buffalo are gone we will hunt mice, for we are hunters and we want our freedom-Sitting Bull

Offline Skyvalhunter

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2019, 05:18:29 AM »
 :chuckle:
The only man who never makes a mistake, is the man who never does anything!!
The further one goes into the wilderness, the greater the attraction of its lonely freedom.

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2019, 06:37:28 AM »
To many people watching born and raised, and not enough backcountry in W WA to support it.

Did you ever fill your Nooksack tag?

I’m not a fan of that series personally too much talking, get to hunting hahaha. Unfortunately I did not. It was a great hunt had some close calls but just couldn’t seal the deal.


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Offline RB

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2019, 08:32:15 AM »
Lewis River might have some opportunity for that.

All I can find for Lewis river is by woodland and then It runs into a lake.

Why don't you get a good map and then outline the GMU boundary with a highliter? You might try a Gifford Pinchot National Forest map.


 :yeah:
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Offline stlusn30-06

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #20 on: February 01, 2019, 04:34:36 PM »
If by backcountry you mean hauling 100's of pounds of meat straight up a wet hillside, in super thick brush, out of some deep hell hole, check out the 600s.
“There are people in my life who sometimes worry about me when I go off into the fields and streams, not realizing that the country is a calm, gracious, forgiving place and that the real dangers are found in the civilization you have to pass through to get there." - Gierach

Offline BB11b

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #21 on: February 01, 2019, 05:10:22 PM »
If by backcountry you mean hauling 100's of pounds of meat straight up a wet hillside, in super thick brush, out of some deep hell hole, check out the 600s.

100% pure 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸  hahaha


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Offline stlusn30-06

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #22 on: February 01, 2019, 05:41:16 PM »
If by backcountry you mean hauling 100's of pounds of meat straight up a wet hillside, in super thick brush, out of some deep hell hole, check out the 600s.

100% pure 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸  hahaha


To new to the forum you lost me with " 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 "
“There are people in my life who sometimes worry about me when I go off into the fields and streams, not realizing that the country is a calm, gracious, forgiving place and that the real dangers are found in the civilization you have to pass through to get there." - Gierach

Offline brew

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #23 on: February 01, 2019, 06:47:37 PM »
not trying to put words in anyone's mouth but i believe what he is saying is that unless you specify a drainage in a certain GMU that any other information you post is "useless" ?  :dunno:
beer---it's whats for dinner

Offline bkaech

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Re: West side elk question
« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2019, 08:05:42 PM »
It depends on your definition of "backcountry".  There are places and times where you can hunt with few other hunters around, in a small area. There is no vast area away from roads and trails that few hunters will be in with many elk. But you can find pockets that hold elk that other hunters don't go into, but it might not be that far off the road, just to thick for people to walk through. And it can be just as difficult to get a bull out of a hole in thick brush 1 mile from a road when there is no trail as it is packing meat 12 miles down a hiking trial. You just have to redefine "backcountry" and then there is plenty of it on the west side.

 


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