Noob questions

[Moose-head]

I am fairly new to elk hunting and am new to the area I live in. I am scouting/shed hunting and trying to learn the lay of the land. I will be hunting modern firearm the season is the end of October/early November. I will be hunting when the weather is cooling down and the rut is over the archery hunters and modern firearm deer hunters will have already been in the woods and stirred up the animals. I am trying to get a ways off of the road, and looking for north facing slopes and all of that. My concern is that the animals will be in different patterns when I am able to hunt. What might I want to consider in my scouting in order to be ready for the conditions I might face? I can provide additional info that might clarify my question.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Do you have an idea of how much hunting pressure you'll have in the area? Is the area open or fairly timbered?

[Moose-head]

It is 65,000 acres of timber company ground. It has one mountain in the middle and then other smaller peaks around it. It is timbered and has some good looking replanted areas, the climate is dry, but there seems to be several year round creeks (thick trees line them in the buffer area that they can’t harvest timber from), there is quite a bit of flat ground in part of the area. A couple of the main roads are open, but many are closed to motor vehicles. There is a large tract of ground that is closed to hunting that borders the northern edge of it that is similar topography but with more mountains.

I don’t know exactly how much pressure but Fish and game for 2011 (last available online) says 76 archery hunters 5.6% success, 479 days in field, 119 days per kill. Modern firearm; 94 hunters, 311 days in the field. 0 kills. For deer about 3k archery hunter days and 7k modern firearm days, but that is for the whole county and probably not as many in the timber company ground.

[Swede]

Moose-head it sounds like you are bucking a bad tide. Unless you have an exclusive invite onto the private timber land, I would assume it is all hunted and there are few elk around. To me it sounds like the NE corner of your State. For my money I would invest time where the statistics are more encouraging. It is just like fishing. If no one else is getting anything, chances are poor you will get anything either. Good luck and best wishes.

[Lefty]

Many timber companies have a biologist or some position that helps "manage" game or even a professinal killer. he will know where to send you.

Years backI had a buddy who was the "killr" he had a goal, deer, elk and bear all in one day with archery gear,.. He always killed an elk but hadnt gotten his third animal, Im sure he eventually pulled it off

[JohnFitzgerald]

Moose-head it sounds like you are bucking a bad tide. Unless you have an exclusive invite onto the private timber land, I would assume it is all hunted and there are few elk around. To me it sounds like the NE corner of your State. For my money I would invest time where the statistics are more encouraging. It is just like fishing. If no one else is getting anything, chances are poor you will get anything either. Good luck and best wishes.

+1

[Moose-head]

I am south of the Yakima Indian Reservation. My tag options are Eastern Washington and be pretty much limited to hunting where I am scouting or Western Washington with more critters and acreage (GP National Forest) that gives me less of an opportunity to burn boot leather beforehand which is something I enjoy. Here; I feel as though I have gotten a grip on some of what the area looks like and will be more familiar with it by the fall. I have seen some of my ‘plan B’ areas in case other groups are in the area, where there I may not have that luxury.

This is my first year here. I will spend some time hiking around before the season regardless, I will also deer hunt (modern) in this area. My understanding of Washington’s regs is that I have to choose before I apply for special permits in May, and I want to put in for a couple eastern hunts.

Would I be burning my Elk tag if I get an eastern modern tag and hunted here?

[Swede]

The Klickitat country is a tough hunt for elk. It is much better for deer, but you are within driving distance of better elk country to the north and west. I believe it is always a long shot for a modern firearms elk hunter on their first hunt. Only you can decide if that is a waste, or if it is an investment in learning and preparing for future hunts. You and your family are the ones to decide how much time and money you should invest in your hunts. Personally I would rather go every other year on a better quality hunt and have a better chance to get elk. I would hunt deer and maybe some turkeys near where you live. I think you would be better off in time, money and hunting success.
BTW, my son in law and his friend hunt Klickitat for deer, and my cousin and a couple friends hunt just north of the Yakima Reservation for elk. They are all doing better than what it looks like the elk hunters are doing where you are considering. Again best wishes. I hope this helps.