I drew the rifle tag for that unit in 2003 with 11 points. Incredible area in there with elk all over! Saw some good size bulls, but could never get close enough to the really big ones for a shot and settled for a respectable 5 x 5 that I dropped right next to a logging road. No complaints there! One thing to keep in mind with that area is that it’s on weyerhauser land and if it’s been a dry fall (which has been the case the last few years), they don’t hesitate to close access to everyone if there’s any hint of fire danger. I know the year I got in there it didn’t open for access until the end of October, which screwed all the bow hunters.

If you really want to increase your odds of getting drawn, keep an eye out for poachers. A couple years prior to me being drawn, I witnessed a guy shoot a doe in a closed area, walk up to it, then walk away. A quick call to the poaching hotline, the guy got nailed, and a couple months later I had 10 points. Now I watch hunters nearly as much as I watch deer or elk when I’m out in the woods. Really want that Desert A mulie tag.