WA-Peaches ridge bull elk tag

Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
29
So I’ve been drawn for the peaches ridge bull elk hunt this year. Time to do my scouting and come up with a plan. Have talked with a few people about this hunt already but was hoping some Washington guys on here could give me some insight on how I should approach this hunt. As you know the first five days of the hunt are before the general season starts and you have five more days when the whole place turns to a pumpkin patch. I’m torn on whether I should hit the wilderness part of this unit or should I stick to the interior of the unit. I’m worried if I strike out in the first five days I’ve heard the elk are full on high tailing it once the spike hunt starts. Any advice on this hunt would be much appreciated to help me narrow down my scouting efforts. Anyone on here ever done this hunt before
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Messages
710
Location
Pacific North West
I would get up there 3-5 days before the opener of your hunt and locate a bull you want to go after. Then once your season opens you already have a bull (or a couple) located and can focus on those areas before the general hunt starts. If you have free time in September when they’re in full rut that’ll be a good time to help locate them as well. The bulls rut pretty late up there and they won’t be far from where they were in September. I wouldn’t worry to much about trying to locate bulls in the summer because they’ll move a ways before they start rutting however it would be a good idea to get up there and learn the area if you don’t know it well.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Messages
408
Location
Idaho
I grew up in the Naches/Nile area and will say that the wilderness burn scar is where I'd spend my time hunting. Was back visiting during the rifle elk there last year and hiked up a trail off of highway 410 to get some measurements on some things for post-fire studies and saw 3 shooter bulls on the top of f...s Ridge. Also would check out c....t basin. Haven't spent hardly any time in there since the fire but all my buddies have been saying good things about what the burn scar has done for elk hunting.

If your worried about packing something out, chinook pass outiffiters is reasonable. If you're looking at a guided option, Ty (norsepeak) does well putting people on good bulls with rugged class outfitters.
 
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Messages
710
Location
Pacific North West
I grew up in the Naches/Nile area and will say that the wilderness burn scar is where I'd spend my time hunting. Was back visiting during the rifle elk there last year and hiked up a trail off of highway 410 to get some measurements on some things for post-fire studies and saw 3 shooter bulls on the top of f...s Ridge. Also would check out c....t basin.
I saw one of the biggest bulls I’ve ever seen in WA near there on the peaches side of 410 at night in august a couple years ago.
 

ridgefire

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
623
Location
western wa
I would take a look back in the Norse Peak Wilderness. We got into a ton of elk back around Crow Creek Lake and Cresent Lake when we hiked in there to do some fishing a few years back.
 

Str8shtr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
125
346 is open for general rifle spike only. Not open for general archery or muzzleloader.
 
OP
Coastiecreation
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
29
Appreciate all the good advice. All good areas. Better get the old legs in shape from the looks of it.
 
Top