Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)




Wilson is probably worse than Saddle Mountain because you don't have to draw it. Expect a lot of road hunters. That said, if you get off the road and into the canyons, thats where the elk are. Just don't expect to find anything within view of the road.

Rip'N'Lips

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I have hunted the Wilson unit 1st and 2nd season through out the years. If you thought saddle mountain was bad you haven't seen nothing yet. There will be way more truck traffic and idiots. It is very crowded and if you don't know the area, you wont even come close. Advise would be to scout a lot and learn the areas. By the time you spot something someone else has seen it also. If you can get away from your truck and put some miles on your feet it will help also. Good luck.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Any unit in the NW corner of the state is a zoo during 1st rifle season. Their are areas that you can possibly get away from the crowds but not many. If I was you I would look for a area that is walk-in only, via a gate or ditched out road. If you study some maps and Google earth look for the largest track of land or biggest canyon with out a road going threw it and start their. Also elk will be where they feel that they can not be seen from a road, sometimes you do not have to be miles back in. The 6x7 in my profile picture was shot 200yds from a road in the Wilson unit. I knew that a group was chasing a heard in a certain canyon so I setup where I thought they might push the elk to and dropped him at 30yds. Good luck and welcome to the ZOO!

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

We were in a similar unit last year closing weekend. Road hunters all over the place. Saw nothing but orange...

We slipped in before daylight and got behind a locked gate and in to a clearcut. We could see the road behind us and trucks cruising by. About 200 yrds in a big buck jumped up and started running. My buddy took him down...all those road hunters were furious but too lazy to get out of the truck. Get out and walk!

Any unit in the NW corner of the state is a zoo during 1st rifle season. Their are areas that you can possibly get away from the crowds but not many. If I was you I would look for a area that is walk-in only, via a gate or ditched out road. If you study some maps and Google earth look for the largest track of land or biggest canyon with out a road going threw it and start their. Also elk will be where they feel that they can not be seen from a road, sometimes you do not have to be miles back in. The 6x7 in my profile picture was shot 200yds from a road in the Wilson unit. I knew that a group was chasing a heard in a certain canyon so I setup where I thought they might push the elk to and dropped him at 30yds. Good luck and welcome to the ZOO!

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Wilson Unit is a great hunt, lots of elk and no people. Hunt there.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Wilson Unit is a great hunt, lots of elk and no people. Hunt there.

Better than sitting at home, I hope, haha

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Thanks for the replies guys, figured it was crowded. Hoping the Portland area guys stay on that end. Gonna hunt a lil and get ready for my son's tag during the Saddle mt 2nd hunt. At least he drew something anyway. Hopefully he can get one, that would be great.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Everywhere is a Zoo!!

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I've hunted Wilson a lot and can say It is very challenging, but can pay. off. Have.seen some really good bulls, and some of my spots very few if any others huntif you do your home work youcan do.well

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

The wilson unit, like so many others is getting ruined by all of the people that claim to be disabled, therefore shooting any cow or calf that steps out. It use to be that when there was a herd of elk with a bull standing in the middle of cows, everyone would wait to shoot fearing that they might hit a cow. Now with all the "hair" tags it doesn't matter if they hit a cow because someone in their group has a tag for it. The effects of the excessive amount of cows getting killed in the Wilson/Trask unit during the general season is really starting to show. Even with these issues it is still possible to get away from the crowds/roads and have a successful and enjoyable hunt.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Thanks for the replies. I'll be headed over soon to start learning the area/terrain. I have a few hunt options when it all starts. I know I can use terrain to set up vantage points and being a whitetail hunter from the south, have plenty of tree climbers and portable stands to hunt trails if I find something in the timber that look nice. Would hunting the timber with the obvious limited visibility distance wise be a huge drawback for the odds of killing one?

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I wouldn't call them "road hunters," more like road drivers. But that's a technicality.

Get yourself a good map and find areas with as few roads roads as possible. These spots should contain various cover and terrain types. Forget hunting clearcuts unless they're remote and accessible only by foot. They'll prove their worth by the amount of elk sign surrounding them and the type of cover. Concentrate your hunting/scouting effort on the surrounding cover and not the clearcuts themselves. If there are no clearcuts around, so much the better as this will discourage competition from other "hunters." The ideal cover will provide food and water which does not expose the animals to outside observation and interference from people. If a person can't see into the area from afar, it's a good place to start. It shouldn't be too steep as elk are lazy and don't like going up or down hills any more than you do when going about their daily business. Find a spot that offers solitude for pressured animals and the travel routes into the protected area.

If you're looking for large bulls, they will be with a bachelor group or by themselves. If you're seeing cows and a ton of sign, I'd move to where there's little sign yet provides the type of cover a bull wants when recovering from the rut.

A good time to scout is prior to or just after the rut. Big bulls will be very vocal in the two weeks leading up to the rut but once breeding reaches its peak, the first week of October, they'll shut up. When major breeding activity subsides, they'll again go on the search for that one last cow and will respond very well to cow calling. Do not try to approach bulls that are located, just mark them on the map and leave the area.

When bull enter their recovery stage after the rut, they'll seek out sort of rolling country that also offers protection from the weather and almost without exception, lower elevation from their rutting area. It might be a half a mile, it might be several miles. These recovery areas are the key to a person's success and once you find the right spot, it'll be the right spot year after year. Remember, you aren't looking for a bunch of animals, in fact, just the opposite. You are looking for one animal. An abundance of "fresh" sign is a good indication you're in the wrong spot. Hunt the fringe where sign fades away.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I wouldn't call them "road hunters," more like road drivers. But that's a technicality.

Get yourself a good map and find areas with as few roads roads as possible. These spots should contain various cover and terrain types. Forget hunting clearcuts unless they're remote and accessible only by foot. They'll prove their worth by the amount of elk sign surrounding them and the type of cover. Concentrate your hunting/scouting effort on the surrounding cover and not the clearcuts themselves. If there are no clearcuts around, so much the better as this will discourage competition from other "hunters." The ideal cover will provide food and water which does not expose the animals to outside observation and interference from people. If a person can't see into the area from afar, it's a good place to start. It shouldn't be too steep as elk are lazy and don't like going up or down hills any more than you do when going about their daily business. Find a spot that offers solitude for pressured animals and the travel routes into the protected area.

If you're looking for large bulls, they will be with a bachelor group or by themselves. If you're seeing cows and a ton of sign, I'd move to where there's little sign yet provides the type of cover a bull wants when recovering from the rut.

A good time to scout is prior to or just after the rut. Big bulls will be very vocal in the two weeks leading up to the rut but once breeding reaches its peak, the first week of October, they'll shut up. When major breeding activity subsides, they'll again go on the search for that one last cow and will respond very well to cow calling. Do not try to approach bulls that are located, just mark them on the map and leave the area.

When bull enter their recovery stage after the rut, they'll seek out sort of rolling country that also offers protection from the weather and almost without exception, lower elevation from their rutting area. It might be a half a mile, it might be several miles. These recovery areas are the key to a person's success and once you find the right spot, it'll be the right spot year after year. Remember, you aren't looking for a bunch of animals, in fact, just the opposite. You are looking for one animal. An abundance of "fresh" sign is a good indication you're in the wrong spot. Hunt the fringe where sign fades away.

Great post! Thank you for sharing good (but not too much) information!
:applause:

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I have heard them be very vocal clear till the end of October. Sometimes they go quiet a little earlier, but still have them awnser to a bugle. My tactics may be strange but its nice to try things others don't and see what happens.

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Took a ride over today and spent about 5 hours running around. Finally found this about 300 yards off a road

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

That pic was coming out of a thick bottom. I walked about 30 yds to the left and found two more trails intersecting that one coming off of a ridge

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

Found this on the old dim road about 70 yds away. Also found several small rubs

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I found all of that sign AFTER I went up another old road 4-500 yards around the curve. The other side was too thick to see in to. The old road had two areas that the trees were tore up on last year. Each spot probably had 15-20 trees rubbed. Gonna check it after the leaves fall off the trees. If low vis, should I maybe use a climber at the trails I posted photos of? Elk are a new deal for me, that would feel like whitetail hunting doing it that way. Do a lot of elk use the same trail daily or, do they go on cycles thru their area?

 

Re: Wilson unit elk (1st season)

I found all of that sign AFTER I went up another old road 4-500 yards around the curve. The other side was too thick to see in to. The old road had two areas that the trees were tore up on last year. Each spot probably had 15-20 trees rubbed. Gonna check it after the leaves fall off the trees. If low vis, should I maybe use a climber at the trails I posted photos of? Elk are a new deal for me, that would feel like whitetail hunting doing it that way. Do a lot of elk use the same trail daily or, do they go on cycles thru their area?

Put a trail cam on the trail then you will know what moves on the trail and how often.
With knowing that you will know if its worth your time or not.

 

it varies . Some can get used 3 or more times a day when the elk are there . others can be just travel routes where big groups come through when moving from one place to another . figuring out what kind of trail it is can be key . sure you already know but watch the wind on your many trips to check your location before setting a stand . you want it in the best location it can be in . even if that means you have to move up or down trail 1/4 mile .

 

Depends on the pressure, location, and food sources. Some herds its a cycle. Best bet is to scout the area some more and see what happens over say a weekend.

 

Coastal elk have a home summer range and it usually takes a couple of weeks to make the circle, spending only a day or two in a single location. Those well worn trails are used when they move as a group to that new feeding area of if near a road or place of good visibility, move quickly as a group to avoid detection. As the cover thickens, they dispurse and the sign is much less concentrated. Steep terrain can create heavily used trails simply because it's the easiest route. Sometimes different groups share the same area and their ranges overlap and different groups will use the same trail. It may appear that the same group of elk is using the same trail day after day and sometimes it does happen but many times its just one of the many small groups that frequent the area. Not all coastal elk are part of a herd in the usual sense but random small groups that may co-mingle to appear as a large herd if only for a few hours but will break up and go their separate ways eventually.

This time of year, the large bulls are far from the cows and calves, many miles away at much lower elevations. In late August when the velvet comes off, they'll travel miles into the high country overnight, to sort of check in with cows and let the younger bulls know they're being watched. Big bulls may be with the cows at times or checking out the other bulls in the area. Here one day, gone the next, back again the next day. This continues up until the middle of September when the herd bulls start sticking more with the cows. They may venture away in the dark hours of the morning to bugle at the other bulls and call in unattached cows. After the morning shouting match, they'll return to their harem for some eating and snoozing. The closer it is to the rut, the less frequent these little morning adventures occurr. Once a cow comes into season, the bulls will become very protective of their girls and won't venture away till they've all been bred. This is about a two week time period and the bulls can be very vocal toward a challenger in the beginning but as soon as they have two girls ready to breed at the same time, you won't hear a peep. Any bugling a person hears the first week of October is from sattelite bulls and can give away the general location of a herd bull even though he is silent. It's amazing how silent those huge Roosevelt wall hangers can be. Some of the really big bruisers never bugle at all. When you're that big, you don't need to. All they do is leave rubs that make your jaw drop and your eyeballs pop.

 

Remember that all your scouting is to locate a "place" where that one bull will be when you'll be in the same spot with your rifle. It isn't about finding and seeing animals, they are only a reference to another undiscovered geographic location. Never forget, "geography."

 

Remember that all your scouting is to locate a "place" where that one bull will be when you'll be in the same spot with your rifle. It isn't about finding and seeing animals, they are only a reference to another undiscovered geographic location. Never forget, "geography."

Will do, thanks. I've got a portable stand I may hang and I'll keep the climber handy if the winds wrong. Unless I find a better spot

 

I don't think you find a lot of use for a stand. You'll need some mobility. Not a lot but some. Elk, like blacktails, are very unpredictable in their movements. Hunting trails only works when elk are moving and you have to know where they are and where they want to go and when they want to go there before setting up a stand. If you know where they/he is, go to him and sit. If you don't know where they/he is, go find him. You aren't hunting stupid whitetails that are as predictable as the sun coming up each day. Elk hunting the coast is more about what you hear than what you see. Your eyes are there to tell you where to put your feet so you can be quiet and spotting that patch of hair through the trees. We aren't looking for an entire animal. This is a game of hide and seek without letting the bull know he's being hunted. Just because we can't see him doesn't mean he isn't right under our nose. We need to demonstrate patience so the bull makes the first mistake like snapping a twig, rustling leaves, tapping a branch with an antler, maybe something you only thought you heard.

If you can figure out escape routes that an elk will take when disturbed, this can be productive but the ideal situation is finding undisturbed elk. You'll want to control the situation and not try to cash in on another person's mistake. This is called, getting lucky. Incoroporating knowledge of the area, stealth and patients, is the key to success year after year. A good spot is a good spot and we have to have confidence it is indeed a good spot so it can be hunted properly.

 

^^ That makes sense, thanks. I'll be checking the area a lot more trying to figure these guys out. Stalk hunting was fun in Alabama, guess I'll do some more. One thing I gotta say is, that unit is THICK and challenging. Guess that's why the tags are sold over the counter.

 

im from the area and know some good spots up in the wilson i can show u around a few spots where elk hide. sure some people know of the same area but they dont care to leave the truck, let me know and i will be glad to take u out and around some area

 

You'd be surprised how much it can open up 100 ft from the road.

 

After driving 105 miles y'day to scout and having a night to think about it, I'm going to get another bow and hunt the Saddle mt area. I think a month of chasing them around in an area I'm somewhat familiar with will give me a better understanding of elk and their habits. Plus, I'll be out their during the rut. This will also allow me to hopefully help my son tag one during the 2nd season. Thanks for all the input guys.