Outfitters supply the livestock, equipment, and know-how for comfortable camping and efficient movement in the wilderness. They are knowledgeable of the terrain and wildlife in their area. These outfitted hunts will cost about what a hunter would expect to pay for a guided hunt in other Western states.

While some do-it-yourself hunters may use livestock to establish camps deep in the wilderness, it seems most hunters camp at the wilderness boundary and make day-hunts into the unit. Knowing there are several others to share meat-packing chores or to be available in case of an emergency gives a "boot" hunter confidence to venture farther into the wilderness each day.

Perhaps the greatest benefit that companions provide do-it-yourself elk hunters is the ability to scout larger expanses of territory. Several helpers can spread out and thoroughly glass thousands of acres a day, greatly enhancing the permit holder's chances of locating a trophy bull.

Handheld radios allow these scouts to communicate effectively. But ethical hunters should know and follow each state's regulations regarding radio use while hunting.

Self-guided hunters are further helped by a non-commercial public-use area set aside in the wilderness.

According to the Forest Service's Martin, the Forest Service has reserved a sizeable chunk of land on the north and west side of the Wenaha-Tucannon exclusively for non-commercial public use. This, he said, is an area where the non-outfitted public can go without encountering guided parties.

While all 177,412 acres of the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness are open to unguided hunting, guides and outfitters cannot operate in the non-commercial area. Maps of the non-commercial area are available from the Pomeroy Ranger District.

GETTING THE TAG
Arguably, the most difficult aspect of harvesting a trophy bull elk in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness is drawing the appropriate permit. The Washington portion of the Wenaha-Tucannon lies mostly within Wenaha Game Management Unit 169.

That portion of the wilderness north of FS Trail 3113 (commonly referred to as the Oregon Butte, Bullfrog Springs, Diamond Peak Trail) is in Elk Area 1014. For the 2007 season, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife offered 17 modern firearm, three muzzleloader, and four archery tags allowing the harvest of branch-antlered bulls in GMU 169.

Chances of being drawn for a permit in any of these hunts ranged from 1 to 2 percent.

For Elk Area 1014 -- a much smaller geographical area -- WDFW offered four modern firearm, one muzzleloader, and three archery tags that could be used to take a branch-antlered bull. Chances of being drawn for one of these hunts ranged from 0.5 percent to slightly more than 1 percent.

Oregon's portion of the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness is part of the larger Wenaha Unit. Hunters drawing a permit allowing harvest of a branch-antlered bull may use the tag anywhere within the entire unit, including the wilderness area.

According to Vic Coggins, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist stationed in Enterprise, there is a good distribution of branch-antlered bulls across the entire Wenaha Unit.

"It seems that more guided hunters are drawn to the wilderness area," said Coggins.