Roosevelt Elk

[adcoch1]

Lotta elk in there, going with a guide?

[Landy88]

Lotta elk in there, going with a guide?

No, I know that it'll limit my chances of taking one; but I'm just going a with friend and his grown son (They'll go anywhere suggested if there's fishing water and hunting country.), who will also be new to it.

My desire to hunt each subspecies (Tule is, though, problematic.) is long standing. When other things in life predestined that I was going to be at Kalaloch and then Queets in mid and late summer with not too tight a schedule to scout some, I dug into maps and the WA game regs. A limited chance is better than no chance, and having a great trip after new game in new country and learning a bit for next time is worthwhile with or without meat and horns.

[atr]

Landy88...there are also large herds of Elk in the Colockum WA area and well as in the Mt. Saint Helens area. Much different hunting then in Olympic rain forest.

[quilbilly]

the Matheny hunting unit is pretty good in the area you are thinking about. The area along the Quinault R. just outside the park also has its moments. The Queets is one of the most beautiful steelhead fishing rivers in existence but elk season is before those fish arrive. The modern firearm elk season marks the start of our "monsoon season" so bring plenty of rain gear and dry clothes. Listen to the NOAA weather radio for wind predictions. I have been driven out by winds on more than one occasion. If you get caught back on the logging roads in one of those 60-70 mph windstorms, you better have a chainsaw and lots of gas to cut your way out (got that tee shirt myself). I once ignored a 5x5 when both of us were fleeing for our lives from falling timber from wind.

[erdyalx]

I hunted them in Western Oregon for around 30 years. We killed them with the 10mm, 44mag, 445 Super Mag, 30-06, 308 Win etc. I saw several killed with the 25-35, 303 British, 30-40 Krag, 300 Win, 300 Wsm, 30-30, 45-70 and who knows what else. And when I say I saw. I was standing there. You will be fine. A fine stalking rifle that swings well is a great thing. I even shot one with a 7.62x39 with a Barnes bullet. I say go for it. I found shorter guns to be very helpful. It's why I started using a handgun.

"God bless and good shooting"
Erik

[adcoch1]

Well good luck and good shooting, I hope you find a trophy bull to show off for us. There are lots of elk around there, just find some big areas to glass or drive through and keep your eyes open! I've also wanted to hunt all the different elk in the US, but so far only one good Roosevelt bull has fallen to my charming calls and compound bow. Hunted both rifle and bow, but something always comes up when I'm on em. There's always next year though. Again, good luck, I hope you get one!

[quilbilly]

One of the things that has occurred in Western Washington in the last 3-4 years is that the big timber companies (Weyerhaeuser, Rayonier, etc) have closed their lands to hunting, fishing, and mushroom hunting (think chanterelles) except on a fee basis. The fees are steep. Most of those lands are in the lowland rolling forests. Those were the areas I loved for hunting Roosevelt elk, steelhead fishing, and mushroom chasing. The public lands are primarily in the steepest country. Those public lands (state and Olympic National Forest) are not suited to old guys like me with arthritic knees among other things. My favorite elk areas were around Willapa Bay in the Nemah and Naselle River drainages right down to the tideflats on the bay. Those areas are almost exclusively Weyerhaeuser's with only a few pockets of state land. If you lease a section or have a guide that does have the rights, you will do well.
Don't blame the companies. I don't. I personally saw the results of several acts of environmental terrorism on their land not to mention other illegal activities.

[Landy88]

the Matheny hunting unit is pretty good in the area you are thinking about.

Exactly of where I was thinking trying. It has lower elk take stats than many units; but I think that's due to low hunter use not elk population it's a bit remote and has limited access with the Olympic park and the Quinault Reservation surrounding three sides.

[ammohead]

I hunted roosies in 1990 along the Sol Duc River. I heard a bull bugle no more than 200 yards away in cover too heavy to see him, and all that was between him and I was a grove of 7' tall devils club. I made it less than 10 yards before I decided that it was his lucky day! Surely after hearing me cuss and cry he was long gone anyway.