Washington Roosevelt Elk

[mmgrode]

Hey Gang,
  I'm considering heading to Washington for a roosevelt elk/blacktail hunt and was hoping for any advice you fellas might give.  I've heard the roosevelt elk can be difficult to find and even harder to hunt. Are they really that much different from rocky mountain elk?  I'd also greatly appreciate advice on areas to look into and areas to stay away from for getting into rosies. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks fellas, Matt

[Ragnarok Forge]

I hunt them ever year in Washington. They are not nearly as hard to find as the can be to see, once you find them.  There are a lot of RE in western WA. The coastal units are full of elk and have a lot of open hunting country with forest roads you can drive or walk in on.  Lots of hills and heavy animals when you make a kill. Get in shape. The units in SW washington along the coast have a strong population, if you hunt slow in the right areas you will see elk every day. Roosies don't run far when bothered by hunters.  They just bury in the brush and move a quarter mile or less.  They are used to humans being around due to logging, etc. Roosies are not very different from Rocky Mt Elk.  It is the terrain that is very different.  Don't come out here expecting to call them in.  Far to much of that is attempted here by novice callers.

I will cow call a few times here and there, and will use cow calling to calm slightly disturbed elk.  The only time I call heavily is if I bike in 4 to 6 miles on closed logging roads. Undisturbed elk respond better.  On that note bring along a bike if you can.  It helps get back in past all the half mile or less hunters.  Bring a GPS, heavy timber and brush means knowing how to get home after dark is important.  

Send any questions you have I will be happy to answer them for you.

[USN_Sam1385]

Excellent advice on the bike.

I have been using a mountain bike to access the back side of hunting areas for a few years now. Works quite well.

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by Ragnarok Forge:
Roosies don't run far when bothered by hunters.  They just bury in the brush and move a quarter mile or less.  They are used to humans being around due to logging, etc.

One of my favorite memories is walking up on a small herd with my SAR dog in heavy fog somewhere near Rainier. The elk barely moved into the woods as we walked through.

[flinter]

been hunting rosevelts for 44 years. Good advice from ragnarok forge. Once you find the elk you want to hunt keep on them, they don't move like rock ymountain elk. They live in the same drainages all year. Don't get me wrong they are not easy by any means. they live in thick reprod evergreens and rough country. Get in reasonable shape, a good pare of boots that you can hike all day in. know how to use a compass, carry a flashlight, hunt hard and don't give up. Good luck.

[mmgrode]

Thanks for the replies fellas!  Are there any topographical features to concentrate on?  Here in Idaho I always look for the water, meadows, and north face bowls for RM elk, but I would imagine the coastal RE elk don't relate to the water this way (wetter climate?).  Should I be focused more on edges, reprod, etc. or saddles, benches, wallows?  
Is glassing practical?
Cheers, Matt