Let's Talk Bison!

[colonel00]

My experience while elk hunting in that area is the bison will not likely climb a 'mountain', but rather will stay down along the Gros Ventre river. I think you're referring to Blacktail Butte and I've never seen a bison up there. They may cross the highway to the west and follow the Snake if needed until they can cross to the east again. Is your tag only good on the refuge?

It's not just for the refuge but that's where we are concentrating right now. The herd north of the Gros Ventre Rd has moved south a bit more and is closer to that little town of Kelly. Hopefully, with the weather moving in, they will push across the river. It's just a matter of trying to figure out where they go from there. As you probably know, once they get to the river, they are blocked by those trees so it's hard to see them from the north side (gros ventre rd) and will be a gamble from any of the NER parking areas. We have a plan for tomorrow and will check the herd before dusk to see if there is any movement. Seen plenty of elk, not just those being lazy way down in the refuge, and a ton of moose. We also drove Hwy 89 north a ways and found a few more bison up by some historical place, I think Cunningham cabin, but I don't think they will make it down anytime soon.

I'll have to check but you are probably right about me referring to the "mountain" and it's Blacktail Butte. It's the one huge hill just south of the river. Towards Kelly, there are even a few houses on it.

Also, as far as other areas, I have had some people suggest checking the Forest but I still don't have a handle on where we should even be looking. With that herd staged just north of the river, it seems that this might be our best bet but I'm open to other suggestions on places to check just in case.

 

[power54]

The bison like to come through Long Hollow and stay low, from what I've seen at least. When I had my tag, I would drive to the furthest northeast parking area on the refuge and then climb the ridges just to the NW of that a area at first light. That was my favorite vantage point for glassing. I had a cow tag. If you're going for a bull, they could be anywhere in the North Hills. I saw the herd this morning near Kelly, looked like they may have been either in the river bottom or on the refuge and came back to the hayfields. I was curious if they had been shot at. I think what you're referring to as "the mountain" is the North Hills of the refuge and they will cross the north hills but they seem to prefer staying low or going up the draws. Again though, I've seen bulls just hanging out in the north hills so if you're going after a bull I wouldn't overlook that area. In addition to Long Hollow, crossing the Gros Ventre River at the designated location and then walking east was also a tactic I used. When I finally did get mine, we were glassing up on my Long Hollow spot and there was a thick fog to the south. Once the fog cleared, we saw a herd of 50 or so in the flats to the south. You never know when they're going to sneak through! Good luck! Hopefully some weather moves in for you.

 

[colonel00]

Thanks power54. Yeah, that herd was further north in that hay field yesterday. I don't know that they crossed and came back but it's possible. Where is Long Hollow? I think we did what you suggest as we parked in the furthest east parking area in the refuge and then climbed that first hill to the south (the smaller one) up to the point where you could see the valley that led all the way to Kelly. Sure seemed like a great place to try to catch them moving through if they were there.

Looking south (southwest) from our glassing point:

Looking through the valley to the north towards Kelly. Is that the north hills on the left:

 

[colonel00]

Since I like pictures, here is where we were and where the bison are. I think I know where Long Hollow is now and it's what we were glassing. Just trying to figure out if the bison will cross and filter down into there or cross through more towards the campground north of the river and then funnel southwest along the base of that larger north hill.

 

[dotman]

Good luck!

 

[colonel00]

Good luck!

You should have come. This place is amazing. If things don't work out this trip, I'm coming back in January....

 

[dotman]

You should have come. This place is amazing. If things don't work out this trip, I'm coming back in January....

Wish I could, only way involves a divorce

 

[bbrown]

Wish I could, only way involves a divorce

Ha - same boat here but January may be a different story. Good luck man!

 

[colonel00]

You can always find a new wife but when is the next time you will get to go with a buddy on a bison hunt (not on a game farm, Brian )?

 

[bbrown]

Game farm???

 

[colonel00]

I thought that's where you were earlier this year when you sent me photos of a bison. I'm not hatin', just sayin'...

 

[bbrown]

Naw - that was a 103,000 acre ranch that is home to around 2,000 head of bison but they do not get hunted - only sold for meat or breeding stock. They don't get fed, branded, hormones or vaccinations (other than brucellosis). The only real human interaction they have is once year during round up when the yearlings are sold off. Prolly the most genetically pure and closest to free ranging that we have here in Colorado so not much of a game farm.

 

[colonel00]

Sorry, "Game Ranch"

 

[Double Creek]

Subscribed! Jackson Hole is an amazing place. I plan to try this hunt in the near future.

 

[colonel00]

Subscribed! Jackson Hole is an amazing place. I plan to try this hunt in the near future.

It's really a cool place. This is my first time here but definitely not my last. Aside from the hunt, just seeing the wildlife here is amazing. The elk are everywhere, not just the ones already deep in the refuge but we kicked up several and watched more still way up in the hills. The sheep in the refuge are really cool to watch and literally stand in the road or right next to it. We have also seen a ton of moose which I wasn't expecting at all.

 

[nickstone]

Good luck!

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Try further north. There are a bunch up that way right now. Just gotta catch em off the park

 

[colonel00]

Try further north. There are a bunch up that way right now. Just gotta catch em off the park

Yeah, as I mentioned in one of the posts above, we did drive up north a bit but only found a small group still on the park side. I'm open to any suggestions on places to check.

We were really hoping that the pretty decent snow that came through last night pushed them into the refuge. So we hiked in this morning but unfortunately all we got was a swift humbling of our old, out of shape, flatlander conditioning. After hiking out we drove back around and the herd hasn't budged. Sadly, I was unsuccessful trying to draw another permit for the NER for the rest of the week. We'll see what happens later today and tomorrow but we may have to head home and look at coming back in January if I can draw another permit. I believe they do a day to day permit thing but I don't know that we want to just sit in a hotel hoping we draw from day to day. Especially if the herd doesn't move for several more days.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Hiking uphill at elevation in snow is hard, exhausting work. You'll sleep good tonight.

 

[wyosteve]

One other suggestion, you might take a drive up the Pacific Creek Road if the snow is not too deep. It's just north of the entrance booths after you turn off Hwy. 26/89, as if you'd be heading to Yellowstone. The road dead ends about 7 miles in and only the last 2 miles or so are on Forest Service. I've seen bison in the lower reaches which is still in Grand Teton Park, but you might get lucky and find one on Forest Service land. If nothing else it's a scenic drive.