Boy, that was a depressing hunt!!! (long post)

[TheRogue]

Got my trailer set up by noon on Thursday, and had the rest of the day to scout. Well, there's not much scouting to be done, because the road only looks into the Watershed in three places....and you can't walk down one of the ridges (get off the road) until 4am on opening morning.

So, anyway, we're glassing through the fog patches, and my buddy spots an elk...obvious bull, almost white in color. About a mile away, across a nasty canyon. Got the spotting scope out, nice 5x5, just beds down right out on this open slope where everyone can see him. Another elk feeds out, a MONSTER 6x6, a 340 class bull. He lays down next to the 5'er!! We find another elk in the timber, also white with a black mane, definite bull, but can't see him well enough to count tines. All three are almost right on the line bet. Oregon and Washington. The fog socks in about an hour later, and we headed back to the trailer.

Pulled out on another point to orient the map, here comes some cows out into a meadow, about 600yds below us. Next, the largest spike I've ever seen, probably 32-36" antlers, they're just feeding along. Then, they look back, and out comes a beautiful branch bull, chasing a cow. 6x6, with a 10" cheater coming off his left side...Not as large as the first one we saw, probably a 310-320 inch bull, but WOW!! Pretty soon there's 5-6 rigs parked around us, and we're all watching, they feed right around below us, and disappear.

On to the next spot, immediately spot elk in the bottom of the canyon, about 1/2 mile below the first bunch. Bunch of cows, a spike, a couple of rags, and one nice large 5 or 6 point. What a first afternoon of looking into the unit!!!!

It blew 50-60 mph across the ridgetops on Thursday nite, lots of blowdown, many limbs in the road. We did not see a single elk on Friday.

Went in Saturday morning (opening morning for both OR and WA in the Watershed), after the group of three bulls we saw on thurs., not a single fresh track, maybe something from thurs. nite (it rained a little, all the tracks had been rained on). Lots of shooting from the Washington side. A couple of shots on the Oregon side. Never saw an elk on Saturday.

Hunted the north, timbered side of a long ridge on Sunday, found fresh tracks, but no animals to go with. More shooting on the Wa side.

Glassed hard on Monday morning, then hunted the same timbered ridge. Actually got to see a ghost of tan through the brush, and a leg here and there, but there was no wind or rain to mask my noise, and I couldn't out-guess them as to where they were going. Crawled out the bottom of the canyon, met two Wa hunters going back in for a bull they'd killed on Saturday.

Glassed again on Tuesday morning, saw 7 different bulls out FEEDING on the Wa side, like nothing was going on...hunted one more timbered ridge, cut no fresh tracks, came home.

Problem #1..the high winds on Thursday nite put the elk off the ridge tops....into Washington.

Problem #2..70% of the drainage is on the Wa side. There used to be as many as 120 tags for that side...now there's just 40. Oregon success rate has been dropping rapidly, with the drop in Wa tags. Most of the elk live on that side.

40 tags on the WA side had accounted for 10 branch bulls as of Tuesday morning, according to the USFS patrol. Oregon had two bulls checked, a busted up 6x6 that had ran up a ridge, right in front of one hunter, and a 5x6 that was probably the last bull we saw in the bottom on Thursday. (there were 6 people hunting that bunch).

Great to see that many bulls, but so depressing that most of the animals were in WA, where we couldn't get to them.

It's open through this weekend, I'm debating on going back.

WA residents...I would definitely apply for this tag!!!

kyle

[Bait O' Eggs]

What hunt did you get a tag for? Sled Springs, Walla Walla, Chesnimitz???? I assume it was NE Oregon since the elk were crossing state lines [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[birdhunter]

Mill Creek Watershed unit BOE.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the tag cow or 3+? Seems like you might be able to at least get some meat for the freezer. I'd head back for one more shot at a bull and be very happy to settle w/ a cow on Sunday. Just a thought.

[ 10-31-2001: Message edited by: birdhunter ]

[Dogfish]

Hey, at least it wasn't a total loss. I went three seasons without seeing an elk.

Andy

[WaterDog]

I agree with birdhunter, if you can take a cow go back.

Of course BOE likes to naw on the antler's so a cow is out of the question. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[HOGTIDE]

aaah Kyle, You just got spoiled with that easy coast range hunt, last year. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[TheRogue]

OH, yeah, Hogtide, last year was so easy (not).

I'm still debating on going back on Friday night....My priorities have changed since I started applying for this unit, 6 years ago. My two kids were EXTREMELY happy to see me (ages 4 & 1-1/2), and so was my wife (I think [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ). My youngest was sick all last night, I'm sure glad I was here to share the kid duty.

Things are going to change, one way or another, in this unit, maybe as soon as next year. They're either going to roll it into the overall Walla Walla unit, or change it to a late September rifle hunt. It would take 14 years to draw, then. The USFS hasn't kept the trails open, the OR side is a pretty tough hunt, even when they were open. The main trails on the WA side are usable...but still in need of major work. The city of Walla Walla has a new filtration system, and the whole idea of minimal impact on the watershed is now a moot point. However, the politics and the history behind this hunt will probably keep it a seperate unit for both OR/WA, I just hope they go back to more WA tags, and open those trails back up.

kyle

[Backlash2]

I know plenty about this unit, and have yet to draw my turn. Six preference points, and still going. Definitely large trophy potential here. You are right on with many of the points you make. First of all, most of the actual watershed itself is within Wash. state. And the trail maintenance program has been decreasing every year. The only trail that is well maintained is the one right up the bottom where Mill Creek runs. Wash. side tag numbers have been on the decrease the last few years, and I agree that the lack of pressure lets the elk hole up undisturbed by hunters. This is a GOOD thing if you ask most elk hunters. It certainly allows for elk hunting on a more personal level, instead of racing a bunch of Billy Bob's for a shot as they cross a clearing that 12 of you are watching.
Something for those of you that have not seen it in person, this is GOD'S COUNTRY!! The Watershed is a hole in the earth with hills as steep as you will find. But it holds some whoppers. I have seen many pictures, and personally seen some dandy's walkin' those hills. I have spent many a year spike hunting the Wenaha unit next to the Watershed, so we could keep an eye on how the tagholders do. Last year, we were coming out of the hills the second day of season and two hunters had already shot cows on opening day! I was happy for them since they were happy, but I am not going to blow all my points for a cow hunt. In this area there is no reason to shoot a cow, unless it's the last couple of days of the season, and you make the 'meat' call. My advice is to go back,be patient, and start from the top. Hike in Paradise Ridge until you hit the state boundary(about 2 1/2 miles), take a left and head down the finger ridge until you are low enough to comfortably shoot across onto Broken Ridge. The timber is open enough to allow you to see a lot of ground, and the elk will work this ridge all season long. I helped pack a guys elk out of the very bottom of that canyon two years ago. He shot it right in the very bottom, walked right up on it bedded at 50 yds!
Go do it, you won't regret it, and probably won't get another chance for many years. If you want more info, just ask.......Good luck