BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[tim]

whether you are climbing from the bottom or coming in off of the top, you are in steep country that will be lots of work. There has to be some backcountry airstips within 8 miles of where you want to hunt.

good luck

tim

[Serious Hunter]

Hambone - how's your adventure going? Have you been in there yet? It's been a while since your last post. Getting on the ground may give you some sense of how important horses will be to your equation, or not.

[Hambone]

Jeff,

I went in there with a friend last weekend and it's gonna be tough even with horses. Very steep, very rocky and lots of deadfall. No way I could backpack hunt that area from the trailhead. I could get in, I could hunt it, but I could not get the meat out before it spoiled. It was 8 miles in just to get to the edge of my area and you need to go in a lot further due to all the human activity on the trails. We met 4-5 parties of people each day on the trails and camped on the lakes. Saw 0 game animals. Decided to pull out and drive around to the other end of the unit to see if it was feasible to cross the river and come in from that side. Not sure that's even possible due to all the rules on floating the river and permits etc. etc. Tough area with lots of obstacles to your hunt if you can't afford an outfitter.

[Serious Hunter]

It sounds like you are at the place of major "GULP - What have I got myself into!!!???!!!" If you can't afford an outfitter - don't berate yourself - it would be a completely different experience anyway. If horses don't work out - fine. I'm not sure horses are an advantage anyway except for a `drop camp' scenario. Find out if you can fly into Soldier Bar (Salmon Air?, Stanley Air?, McCall Aviation). Soldier Bar is right across the MF from Waterfall Creek. If not - where ... [ snip ]. You have an impossible task ahead of you - that's why you should still do it.

[Serious Hunter]

hmmm ... [ snip ] I posted some new pics from my hunt in 27-1 ... there are a lot of similarities with your area.

http://www.woodengineering.com.....y_Hunt.htm

STAY IN TOUCH!

[Hambone]

Here is a picture of the canyon I scouted last weekend. I was headed upstream to the first drainage on the left which you can see here. I thougt it might be easier to climb out of the canyon there - WRONG!

(alt+p)[/img]

[Hambone]

Here is what it looked like when I got almost to the top of the first major climb. I ran into cliffs here and since there was no place to pitch a camp and I was beginning to show signs of heat stroke (temps around 90) I threw in the towel and headed back down to the river to sleep on a sandbar.
(alt+p)
[/img]

[Hambone]

Here's my consolation prize. I tried to find the other one but no luck. I'd like to run into this bad boy during bow season. Also found a big chunk of white goat hair on some tree limbs by the creek and saw lots of sheep tracks around water but no sheep.
(alt+p)
[/img]

[Serious Hunter]

... after your private message I looked at the map and was wondering if you might run into a little trouble. :D

If you have not done so already, you should acquire all the USGS 7.5 min. (1:24,000) scale maps for your area. I can give you specific names if need be.

On the maps you will see several trails coming off the riv and heading up your side.

See why I say I'm not sure horses are an asset????

You gotta chuckle, even if it's faked - otherwise you'll cry.

Keep me posted!

[Hambone]

Even up in the Crags horses would be good only on the trails. As soon as you leave the trail you are in this stuff all the time. Still gonna have to pack one from wherever it lands when you shoot it to the trail. It's that 8 to 10 miles of trail back to the truck where the horses come in handy. You would also have to camp where there was graze for the animals and from what I've seen so far that's down low where the water is. I'm not sure that llamas wouln't be a better way to go.

[Serious Hunter]

... first you need to shoot one - then the 8-10 miles back down the riv becomes relevant. It can be done. It's tiring. Bring along some $20, $50, or maybe even $100 bills. Waved by a passing rafter they may work wonders. Keep working on it.

[tim]

hambone

Here is the phone number for the middle fork ranger district. 208 879 4101.

permit season on the river ends sept 3. after that date you can call in for a river permit. Sheep hunters get special attention. just let them know that is what you have. a sheep permit. You could than fly into say the flying b and float down to where you want to camp. Hunt out of there and than if succesful float out with your trophy. The impassable canyon does have some more resrtiction than other parts of the river but it would way cheaper and easier than horses. at that time of year the river is low and managable by novice river runners.

tim