south rainier/packwood elk

[wadeerslayer]

I was on my home yesterday from snowboarding and saw hundreds of elk in between packwood and morton.So Im wondering any body has any info on them on where to hunt them I was also thinking about hunting them with a muzzleloader.

 

[Washington Hunter]

They're on their winter range. You won't see many elk down there during hunting season. I'm guessing many of those elk come down out of Mount Rainier National Park, and also from the Goat Rocks Wilderness. But yeah, you could hunt elk in any of the units around there. South Rainier, Packwood, Randle, Stormking, or even the Lewis River unit farther to the south. I'm thinking that the only muzzleloader season is in the South Rainier and the Randle unit. And the Randle unit may be difficult to get access, as I believe it is mostly private. You could also go a little east of White Pass on the north side of highway 12, and the Bumping unit is open for muzzleloader.

 

[Muleyslyr]

Like WH said.....you can hunt any of those units in and around there. Just don't expect to see herds like that during any season. I believe the Randle unit is a little more accessable then people might think. I have done some Blacktail hunting around there, and seem to find some pretty decent areas to hunt.

It's good to hear there's good herds still around there right now.

 

[NW Hunter]

I have deer hunted Stormking for several years and have yet to see an elk or elk sign. Struck me as rather odd, as it looks like prime elk habitat. I'm sure they in there, but not in my deer areas.

 

[wadeerslayer]

NW there are alot of elk in the stormking if you hunt the state land right before you get to ashford .In fact I was hunting up there this season and a guy had shot a 7by7 up there before the bridge wiped out.Alot of people get this spot mixed up with the elbe hills.Muleyslyr are you saying theres decent areas to hunt elk or deer?I have hunted the randle unit by burley mnt. for deer. Am I hunting the right areas?If you have a couple of good areas send me a pm.Im NOT asking you for your honey hole but just a few pointers.I also heard they were opening randle up for cow opportunitys for ml's.

 

[NW Hunter]

I make the turn I believe at Ashford or just before it going south on Hwy 7. I turn to go towards Morton. About 5-6 miles down on the east/left side of the road. Beautiful hunting area, but no elk that I've seen.

 

[SneakyJake]

I mostly hunt South of 12. Packwood, Lewis, Winston. I know a guy who muzzled Stormking and took a big bull every year. Just like most places, you have to hunt it for a few years until you figure out where they are holding up. He never mentioned seeing a lot of cows in the area, though. Just bulls. He has since switched to archery to peek at the rut. This year they said that the floods had everything ass-backwards. Saw only deer during elk and elk during deer.