Krijack - that's one of the main reasons I wanted to start archery hunting. The general rifle elk season is a joke with the spike only rules and the number of guys out there. And the bull tags are impossible to draw. At least with a bow, you can hunt big bulls over-the-counter in a number of units, and the permit draws for archery have much better odds than rifle (like 1:5 or 1:10).

Nice work Sealice! I've heard the Valles Caldera Preserve is sweet - I know those tags are ridiculously difficult to draw. If anyone's interested in checking out Sealice's unit, go to www.vallescaldera.gov.

Here's a quote from the site. "If you’re selected to hunt, you’ll have 3,000-6,000 acres to hunt alone or perhaps with another hunter. The terrain is pure beauty: vast grassy valleys dotted with elk, surrounded by forested mountainsides, all within a 12-mile by 12-mile volcanic caldera. These grounds are the calving and breeding grounds of much of the Jemez Mountain elk herd; estimates put the herd at 2,500 — 3,500 animals."

Are you going to get a guide? Or do you have some way of learning about the unit from up here?

I spent the last four days over in E. WA. and shot my bow for an hour or two each day. Got my pins set out to 60 yards. Had a great time - I can see why people say once you go archery, you never go back. Awfully nice to be able to shoot your weapon for hours and not beat the crap out of your shoulder. Now I just need to figure out a good place to shoot around here. Where do people shoot in/around Seattle?