WA State Selkirk Unit - GMU 113

[AutumnPulse]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-06 AT 10:19PM (MST)[p]I asked about this unit and some other last year when I was deciding where I wanted to hunt this year. I have decided to hunt in the Selkirk's Unit 113. If you have hunted elk or anything else in this unit, I would love to hear about it.

I chose it for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest is it's lack of hunter pressure and abundance of public land. I know the herd up there isn't as big as in other units, but that hasn't bothered me before. I am a serious backpack hunter and like to get away from the crowds, even if I have to go in a ways. I would rather chase fewer elk in a unit with a low harvest rate, than to have to see 3 pumpkins per ridgline.

If you have hunted there, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Hey, in a thread that has many replies, is there a setting I can adjust so I can read all the replies in scroll form, rather than having to click on each one?

Thanks,

Autumn Pulse

"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."

 

[JACKELOPE]

Click view all instead of the header for the thread...then you can scroll down...
don't know anything about selkirk, sorry, but i agree with your thinking
good luck

 

[hunterofelk]

I did a little research a couple years ago about this area. I talked to the biologist and made a three day camping trip in the wildlife refuge there. I found one big pile of elk droppings near Kalispell Rock, but the majority of sign was moose. The biologist said most elk hang out near the river on the private land. I talked to a store worker who said her family goes to Idaho to hunt elk. I was told some of the Hanford elk released in the area traveled all the way back to Hanford once their hoofs hit the ground and others were killed in Idaho. There might not be enough grass land for Rocky Mountain elk to prosper. Maybe if they release some true Roosevelts there the population might increase, but remember, in the region, there is a reservation with no bag limits or seasons.

 

[WAsharpstick]

Roseavelts in NE WA? lets make it so none of the elk in wa qualify for the record books because they are all genetic mutants.

 

[Colville]

Noting that the elk herd is "smaller" than other places is a dramatic understatement. There are elk, they are in small bands and they are spread over a large territory that doesn't afford vista's and open basins to glass. People who live and work right in that part of the country have a hard time being successful in public land areas. I know a guy who hopes for snow and then drives the areas he thinks has elk to look for any road crossings. It's almost like a cat hunter, find tracks and set out on them. It's a very difficult thing locating them.

There was an article in WA OR G&F mag a year or so ago suggesting that the 3500 foot elevation areas with water were the preferred areas. The guy I know over there says there's more as you move north toward canada. I know he hunts the north end of Aladin and I'm sure selkirk as well. Call over to the G&F office in Colville they'll be glad to help but he bottom line is you can spend a whole week and not even find fresh sign. It's a hard hunt, good luck.

 

[FarBeyondDriven]

My pops & I went there once...only thing we called in was a sow & 2 cubs...no joke!

 

[AutumnPulse]

Thanks everyone for the info. From the sounds of it, it doesn't look good, but I am hoping that I will have a different report at the end of the season. I am prepared to cover alot of ground and do alot of glassing. I know the terrain isn't conducive to glassing in alot of areas, but I figure their should be some.

I understand that in the northern parts of the unit, it is very heavily wooded, and it's all pretty much timber hunting with very few clearings. I am prepared to accept that, and grew up hunting whitetails in the northwoods of Minnesota, so it doesn't threaten me, even though I don't prefer it.

Can any of you tell me by posting or PM where you hunted and describe the terrain? I am not asking for your special spot, but the general area, ie. northern, central or southern. The southern end of the unit is supposed to have fewer elk ,but more open areas because of logging. I would be interested to hear about what you saw and your opinion of the terrain. With where you were at, is it nasty steep? Or was it gently rolling? Was it swampy in areas? Was there decent browse?

Moving to WA from Montana,I was taken by surprise when I hunted the West of the Cascades in 04' to find that the elk were hanging out in slough bottoms and buckthorn, so thick that you wouldn't have any skin left after going in there. (that was down in the Giff Pinch.) There were plenty of elk, but alot of hunters too.

I am not going back, (for personal reasons) even though I think I would stand a great chance at a good bull. (at the time, I was a guest in a camp that has hunted the area for years, but there idea of Elk camp, was a 12 pack of beer every night, up at the crack of dawn to drive up a logging road, park and set the rifle and your 3 packs of smokes on the hood of the truck and wait. I got on elk every time I was allowed to go off on my own, but those times were few and they feared that my sneaking would spook them into other areas.) Being a guest in camp, I didn't trouble the water, and will return after a few years to really hunt it. Until then, I want to learn about the east side.

I seem to have two choices in the unit at this point, the Northern part, which has more elk, but is heavily timbered and has greater hunter pressure. Or the southern end, which has alot more clear-cuts, but less elk and a decent amount of pressure as well.

What would you do? I am going to look at them both, but am deciding where to start and spend the bulk of my time.

Thanks for reading.



"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."

 

[JACKELOPE]

check your pm.

 

[AutumnPulse]

Jackelope,

Back at ya.

"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."

 

[MikeLonsford]

I have only ever hunted for deer in the late season over there. I was in the Alladin unit just to the west. It was thick cover except in the clear cuts, I saw no elk or elk sign, just moose, big mulies and lots of whities. I have a few friends that hunted elk there for a couple years and also never saw any elk but know that a 5 point and couple other elk were taken in the valley they hunted. They saw many moose and whities.

Mike

 

[AutumnPulse]

Ya know,

I knew that the elk herd is drastically smaller in the North Eastern units and there is a reason that they are any bull units. I think the stats for last year was just under 600 hunters with a harvest of just under 40 bulls.

I hope I don't offend any of you, but this is the way I see it. I typically don't have much respect for about 80% of the hunters out there. They are my brothers in the 2nd amendment cause, and I am glad they are out enjoying the right to hunt like I am. However, when they are represented as a statistic, I typically try and deduct their figures from the average.

The way I figure, there is about 10-15% percent of the hunters in any given area that have all three qualities:
1. Skill from diverse hunting experience or natural ability
2. Knowledge about the area and elk in general from scouting and homework with locals, biologists and hunting boards.
3. Intensity that makes you get up at 4 AM instead of 5:30 so you can be at the top of the mountain when shooting light hits, rather than just hittin the trail. The intensity that will make you put 10-15 miles on your Danner's rather than 50 miles on your BF Goodrich's.

Their is a reason that the saying exists "You lose 85% percent of the hunters when you get 2 miles from the road;" In the moutains I would shorten that to 1 mile. Add elevation above 8,000 feet and cut that number to 1/2 a mile, unless they are in there on horses or an atv.

I think like this: In a low harvest area, like the Selkirk, how many opportunities were not capitolized on due to missed shots? Or how about a tuffed of orange hair that wansn't seen and so? Now I am not Super-hunter especially considering present company..y'all. I know for a fact that there are some you that even I don't understand, when it comes to hunting obsession. However, I do try really hard to have points 1-3 working for me when I go up on the mountain.

SO......if lasts year's stats were 600 hunters. I will be generous and say 100 of those really worked the unit with knowledge, skill and the intensity to log the miles and cover ground effectively. (glassing, minding the wind, sneaking through the timber-not just walking logging roads)

I would venture to say that at least half of those bulls were taken by hunters who knew what they were doing and had at least 2 out of three of the above mentioned qualities working for them. So if we take 20 bulls out of 100 hunters, that's 1 out 5 people that got a bull, and that's not too bad.

I know my math is not perfect, but it works for me. AND, what's worse than going into your hunting spot, with a crappy attitude?

Thanks for all of your input.

Autumn Pulse





"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."

 

[WAmuleyHunter]

I say go for it. Whats it gonna hurt. I have always been interested in those elk up there. i know a guy that was hunting over there a few years back that saw a really nice bull. So you know they are there, put in the work and make sure to tell us the story and show us the pictures after the hunt. Cause well im curious!! Good luck!!!

Garrett

 

[Colville]

Couple things about the stats. 1, a lot of those 600 are locals that know the area and still couldn't score. 2. a good number of those bulls were taken on private. That cuts even your (reasonably approached) reduced actual REAL hunter representation.

If you are willing to commit to it, it can be a great hunt. The thing is that it's a very steep learning curve and it'll likely take a commitment of years to have a region understood (assuming you don't live in spokane) and begin getting on elk with any kind of regularity. Again, locals that hunt state land score with great infrequence. I hunt whitetails every year over there and in my area I've seen 5 moose without ever yet seeing an elk going on 8 years.

Hunts should be hard. There's not much reward in driving your truck up to the alphafa feild and loading the local evening grazer. I'm not suggesting for a second it's not worth hunting there. But, be eyes wide open, know it's hard, commit to meeting the game folk, call the biologist and drive and hike a lot. Plan on a lot more days involved than hunting the season. If you want to get on elk and have less time to commit especially consideringt this is a far flung corner of the state, there are easier places to get on an elk. Unfortunately a lot of them are spike only reg areas.

 

[ridgerunner]

Go for it, I think there is probably truth in both your way of looking at it and what Colville says. One thing is for sure you won't know unless you go, you may find a spot to be able to chase big bulls every year and that wouldn't be a bad thing. IF I was so tied up at home I wouldn't mind scoping it out a little bit.

 

[Colville]

The real plus in my mind, and something I'll do in a few years... You can make a 2 week deal of it and hunt elk and move righ over to late deer. You can double your efforts your Elk HUNT is a deer scout and vice versa. And deer are very numerous and it's any whitetail buck. Elk ends Nov 5, lake whitetail begins Nov 6. It's perfect.

 

[drs]

I have hunted and fished that area for 50+ years. I rarely see any elk sign. I have never seen any elk hanging in a camp. Rarely hear any shots. All I see is a bunch of road hunters. Watch out for the four wheelers hot rodding on the roads. I go because I love the area and love to get out in the woods. I don't care if I bag an elk.
There are lots of white tails and mulies up there. If you want to have more than a 1% chance of shooting an elk go someplace else. If you are looking for huckleberries this is the place to go.

 

[Dman]

Killed my very first elk in 113 almost 25 years ago. Feels like an eternity. Had a cow tag at the time and a college buddy an I hunted our arses off for days. Saw one elk and I killed it. Perseverance and blind luck is what that took. Good thing back then we were too stupid to quit…still thought we had a chance with the pretty girl…”so your saying there’s a chance?”
What the heck you never know give it a shot!
Wish I could remember location a little better, but I’d have to dig through years of old maps. But I do know we were north of Sullivan Lake. You can access from north of Metaline Falls or you could go in from Ione I think.

Only hunted that one year up there…very happy to now live in Idaho?
I too came out from northern MN… we were hunting the elk up there like you would still hunting white tails. I really don’t remember anywhere you could even glass from. Just looking for a needle in a haystack for sure.

Good luck!

 

[Dman]

Whoa, hey Drs, this is a really old string you resurrected! I just noticed! But thanks anyway, always good to remember old hunts and buddies I haven’t hunted with for a very long time.
Good times ?