Washington State - East or West?

[Lucas in Wa]

For you Washington state archery hunters, do you choose an east side or west side tag? I know it depends on where you live, how much time you have to hunt, etc. I live on the west side and hunted on the west side last year. No elk for me last year. Although my neighbor thinks I'm nuts for hunting the west side, I think I am going to stick with it to build on what I learned of the area last season. I saw a solitary cow my first day out and missed a decent size herd by a day on my last day of late season. Mostly I learned where the elk aren't, but it's all pieces to the puzzle.

 

[MATT STRAW]

I lived in Redmond Washington for a while, I always got tags for the east side, west side was way too dense for me, I learned how to hunt in Arizona so Washington was a shock! I had no help with places to start so I just went with what I knew, which was a forest you could walk through! I actually ran after a grouse on the west side, I'd never shot one so I was excited, I ended up shoulder deep in mossy rotting trees only 10 feet off the road!

 

[RD]

I hunted Wash this year by Taledo and got a cow.

 

[Mark Z]

Don't like the EW system in WA. If I apply for a east tag and don't get it, I can't hunt in my own front yard which is feet from the Gifford Pinchot.

 

[Deer slayer]

Don't like the EW system in WA. If I apply for a east tag and don't get it, I can't hunt in my own front yard which is feet from the Gifford Pinchot.

Rumor has it that is going to change.  I heard you will still have to pick east or west but it will be after the draw.  Lets see and hope that is the case.  WA is all about the money.  East is mostly spike only units with out a draw tag.  West has 3 point or better with some special draw to hunt units.

 

[DaveBTS]

I grew up hunting Roosies, but drew a Peaches Ridge tag the last year I lived in WA. It was terrible year, but the funnest time we ever had elk hunting.

 

[Eagle1]

I stay on the east side.  It is closer for me to be able to hunt more often.

 

[northwesthunter84]

I hunt the west side.  I have not had any trouble finding animals.  This was the first year with an elk tag in my pocket and I capitalized on the oportunity with a nice 4x4.  Im from the midwest so the past two seasons have been really eye opening but looking back at it all it take is a little adjustment to ones strategy and maybe a little extra tenacity.  If you plan on sitting in the truck and hoping to find an animal good luck.  A good set of binoculars makes a big difference.

 

[10%outdoors]

What it is is a joke name one other state that has an east west. The best tags are in south east Washington and the system is so screwed up that a guy that loves hunting will pick the west  as I live in western Washington. Starting next year I'm going to start putting in on the east side and if I don't draw I'll just go straight to Idaho as the success odds are nearly double than the state of Washington!