Give me your thoughts on hunts

[Deleted member 20812]

Okay, so I wrestling around with hunting plans for the fall. I don't see it being an issue to draw a MT deer/elk combo, so I'm planning on that being a given. Here are the two options I'm kicking around:

1) Buy an elk tag in WA and hunt the west side near St. Helens for a week (3-10 of Sept). Come home, work for a week and leave for MT to hunt (22-30).

2) Skip the WA elk tag and hunt MT both weeks.

Some logistics here. It's about 300 miles from my house to the St. Helens units. It's 200 miles from my house to Missoula.

The season in WA is short, so the only opportunity for me to hunt it during the early hunt is in option 1. I can hunt it during the late hunts in December (think wet). The seasons are 3pt minimum bull or antlerless.

If I do option 2 and kill an elk on the first trip, I'd still come back to MT to hunt with a buddy and possibly deer hunt while I was there. I can also get a shorter trip in during rifle season if needed.

Part of the motivation for option 1 is to explore some areas here at home that I haven't hunted. However, I can also explore some new areas in MT that I haven't hunted.

Thoughts?

 

[the nikster]

I would spend my time in Montana. I am more about the time spent afield than getting 2 elk in a season. I would use the road time and extra set-up time that you save to spend more time getting to know where the elk are and the hunters aren't

 

[livnright]

i agree with nikster, what sucks over here seems like the timber co. close their land because of fire danger.then all you have is very little state land to hunt. best of luck this year.

 

[noharleyyet]

Both.....

 

[jryoung]

Focus on MT, its closer and you can try and get a B tag if you want a secomd elk or deer.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Add a week and do two weeks in MT and one in WA

Of the two options, I would probably take the two weeks in MT. Of course, I couldn't realistically expect myself to get two elk anyway, so the added time in getting to know the first area and have more time to harvest in that area would be my deciding factor. As you mentioned too, you can still try for a deer and hunt with your buddy even if you get your elk right away.

Whichever you choose..good luck!

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Add a week and do two weeks in MT and one in WA

Actually, that is what I'm working towards. Right now I don't earn enough annual leave to pull that off every year but in another five years or so I will. My eventual goal is to take the whole month of September off.

I was a little surprised at how easily the wife bought off on this plan!

 

[1_pointer]

Actually, that is what I'm working towards. Right now I don't earn enough annual leave to pull that off every year but in another five years or so I will. My eventual goal is to take the whole month of September off.

I was a little surprised at how easily the wife bought off on this plan!

Ha! Buying off now when it's not possible is much different that allowing you to follow through when you do have the time to do that! Hope you are able to do that in the future, but don't be surprised if she has other ideas for that leave by then.

PS- I'm using a week of leave to go to the MX to lay on the beach in June...

 

[mixedbag]

Montana 2 weeks and add the B tag if you want a 2nd elk.Spend less time traveling and more time elk hunting.I wish I was 200 miles from Montana.Add 2000 to that and thats where I'm at,but I'll be out there thisSept and Nov. if my Wy. elk tag doesn't come thru today

 

[Muskeez]

since you asked for advise; advise from an older, now-wiser, and now-single guy,.... take care of mama with part of your time. Even if she clears all this, she'd still appreciate you choosing her over another elk/deer.... just sayn,...
Good hunting and Happy times on the homefront and afield

 

[----]

I might be different but I'd do both hunts.

I would think if you were coming for a week hunt you were going to keep driving for a while after Missoula right? I've lived in the area my whole life and almost all my elk hunts start with a 2-3 hour drive.

The area around St. Helens is absolutely gorgeous too. There's a lot more of an adventure in doing both, in my opinion. Although I have zero idea on what the elk hunting is like over there.

 

[Big O]

Been in the same boat many years. The only reason I still hunt WA is family. Last year I planned on 2 weeks in MT & a long 4 day weekend for WA. I ended up killing an elk with my bow in Sept., hit the WA. rifle season and went back to MT. late for deer, works great. I only do the WA part every few years when uncles, brothers....want to make a trip. Knowing I have a second week in my back pocket makes that first trip more enjoyable.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

since you asked for advise; advise from an older, now-wiser, and now-single guy,.... take care of mama with part of your time. Even if she clears all this, she'd still appreciate you choosing her over another elk/deer.... just sayn,...
Good hunting and Happy times on the homefront and afield

No worries, Mama is taken care of. Priorities have always been dad and husband first and always will be. She understands that I have a short window each year to do all that I want to do, and does her best to accomodate that.

1 Pointer, if there was never a chance of that happening, she'd flat out say it. No rope a dope tricks from her

I appreciate the opinions thus far. Randy kind of hit it, that part of it's about the adventure, although I can get the same adventure exploring new ground in MT. Right now, I'm leaning pretty hard towards just doing MT and looking at a some spots around Trout Creek, which is 140 miles from my house.

Of course then I thought about maybe doing a week long backpack archery hunt for high country mule deer on the Rocky Mountain Front

I guess life is good when these are the kinds of things one struggles with. I count my blessings every day.

 

[Jon Boy]

You really gotta worry about getting shut out of the timber company land in the early season in SW Wa due to fire danger. Ive hunted both places fairly extensively and would spend two weeks in MT. And buy some new gear with the gas money you saved. Id think if you hunted MT for two straight weeks you'd have a very likely chance at killing a bull. Hunting st helens for 7 days is going to be hard to kill a bull, unless your very familiar with area and elk movements.
It really comes down to what you want and your confidence in either area. I really do miss chasing elk through the brush and clear cuts of the winston, mossyrock, and williams creek areas but if given the chose I think Id rather spend two weeks in MT.

 

[Big O]

JLS- like you said about Trout Creek, 140 miles. I leave my house and my boots are on the ground in about 2.5 hours. I have hunted around there for about 10 years and love it. Can be hard to find elk to start but once you do they always seem to be close by to those same spots. We hit SW MT for the longer week hunts but if I have only a weekend I hit Trout Creek. Some big narly bulls in those woods.

 

[putm2sleep]

Explore and score!
Blessings indeed - do both!
> If you can buy tags in 2 states, you can buy gas.
>If you can call elk, you will find em.
Get er done.