Middle Fork September Elk/Deer hunt

[bucktowntrotter]

New member, longtime lurker. I’ve been reading on here for months now. So, me and a buddy both bought elk tags for the middle fork unit. Yes, we jumped the gun. Yes, we know game numbers are low. Yes, we know it’s steep and know we aren’t in good enough shape, yet.

My question is, drive in and hike in several miles? Or fly in and hike in several miles. We have 8 days. Not after anything in particular, any legal bull or a decent muley. 20a vs 26 vs 27? We have been pouring over onX maps for a couple of months and spoken with the biologist in the area twice now.
Any tips or opinions are welcome.
Thanks

 

[BeaverHunter]

I’d go with that the biologist recommended. They know those units better than just about anyone outside of a guide/outfitter. I spent a week+ in one of these units last year in November. I saw 4 elk the entire time. And told myself it would have to be a 330 plus bull and be damn close to a trail for me to shoot one back in there. Would have taken 3+days for me a buddy to pack it and our gear out. And you could probably count on one hand how many 330 caliber bulls total are in those units on one hand. Good luck.

 

[GregB]

There’s probably a dozen or so threads on this subject use the search function.

 

[bucktowntrotter]

There’s probably a dozen or so threads on this subject use the search function.

Thanks
I have and have read them many times over. I can resurrect those old threads if that would be preferable.

 

[idahohikker]

IMO one unit in the Frank isn’t especially better or worse. I’d quit worrying so much about exactly where by looking at the maps so much. Cover a bunch of ground and hopefully find a couple legal critters.

You can exchange your tag and I’d consider it unless you’re really into the area for the adventure. Brutal terrain and few animals and most nr I talk to don’t have a single legal shot opportunity in a week there. Sweet place though if you’re in shape and not picky about animal size.

 

[bucktowntrotter]

IMO one unit in the Frank isn’t especially better or worse. I’d quit worrying so much about exactly where by looking at the maps so much. Cover a bunch of ground and hopefully find a couple legal critters.

You can exchange your tag and I’d consider it unless you’re really into the area for the adventure. Brutal terrain and few animals and most nr I talk to don’t have a single legal shot opportunity in a week there. Sweet place though if you’re in shape and not picky about animal size.

Thank you for that. We may look at what else is available. We aren’t really picky, just want to get a chance at a bull and be away from people for a few days. The adventure that the Frank sounds like does have us intrigued though.....

 

[Pootros]

I would just recommend getting in the best shape of your life. It is steep country back there.

I’ve hunted that area frequently over the last 15 years and we do not see a whole lot of deer that time of year. And not to be a downer but the elk numbers are not the greatest either. It can be dejecting but I still go back every year for some reason. There are bulls out there but you need to work your ass off to kill one. It is spectacular country though. Best of luck.

 

[bucktowntrotter]

We are looking at the third week in September. Hopefully most people will hunt and be gone that first week. That's what the biologist said anyway. That time of year, what elevation and terrain should we be looking in. Dark holes with water, or grassy open areas close to timber? Is it worth calling? Or do the wolves have them quiet? Wolf tag? What do I do with a wolf if i see and shoot one?

 

[nphunter]

We are looking at the third week in September. Hopefully most people will hunt and be gone that first week. That's what the biologist said anyway. That time of year, what elevation and terrain should we be looking in. Dark holes with water, or grassy open areas close to timber? Is it worth calling? Or do the wolves have them quiet? Wolf tag? What do I do with a wolf if i see and shoot one?

Most of the country is too big for calling to do much good. It's not your typical call into a drainage and hear a bull answer and dive in. I watched a group of bulls bugling and chasing cows in there one day and never heard a single bugle and they were on the opposite side of the draw from me, what that meant for us was 4 miles the way a crow flys with over 8000 feet of elevation in really crappy cross country walking. We found a different route that was 5 miles one way and about 5000 feet of elevation, we made it halfway there through some super nasty terrain and it started snowing on us. We continued for a bit until we got to where we could see the elk again, about 2 miles left to go, it was already late afternoon and now we were watching them between snow flurries, we decided if we did get to the elk and fill even one tag we would spend several days packing out. We decided to turn back and didn't want to try to traverse the unknown nasty country in the snow, we arrived back at the trailhead where our vehicles were at about 2 am totally exhausted and defeated with 6" of snow, the drive was sketchy going back to camp.

Those elk ended up being in that spot a couple of days later as well and happened to be the only elk we saw the entire trip. We never made it across to them and ended up pulling camp early. We were not prepared for the challenges out there, the size of the country and the amount of deadfall and thick brush we were moving through. We saw wolves every single day and even had a pack of about 8 in our camp one night. If I were to ever go back I would take my floorless shelter and hunt off of my back and make sure I had time to pack out whatever we killed. Someday I would like to go back, it is beautiful country, it really makes you realize how small you are and humbles you very quickly. Every time we made a plan to make a hunt it ended up being more than we could chew, that country is very unforgiving and slow going. I still have never seen such great habitat and such a luscious place so void of game in my life, it was almost like something out of a scary movie. There was a ton of historical rubs and beds in the mountain but zero fresh sign, seeing and hearing wolves daily was cool but I feel like they totally decimated a once game-rich environment where we were at.

We went the third week of September and dealt with snow on several occasions. To be successful in there you not only have to be physically tough but you will have to be just as mentally tough as well!! Definitely buy a wolf tag, if you see one shoot it and skin it.

Personally I would find another unit to hunt, ID has some great opportunities, there is a reason having an OTC rifle rut hunt seems too good to be true.

 

[bucktowntrotter]

That’s the kind of info I was looking for. We are both eastern hunters and haven’t seen vast expanses like that... I think that’s what’s drawing us in. I have done a lot of backpacking and hiking on the AT, and we are going to do a couple more this year to get our gear situated the way we want. Anyone ever fly in to a strip? If there is snow, can the planes pick you back up after the snow stops? Is 3 days extra supplies enough for that?

 

[Customweld]

That’s the kind of info I was looking for. We are both eastern hunters and haven’t seen vast expanses like that... I think that’s what’s drawing us in. I have done a lot of backpacking and hiking on the AT, and we are going to do a couple more this year to get our gear situated the way we want. Anyone ever fly in to a strip? If there is snow, can the planes pick you back up after the snow stops? Is 3 days extra supplies enough for that?

The airstrips are pretty busy with fly-ins. I wouldn't be too worried about a stuck and stay in September. There are frequent snow storms in September, but it can turn back to 75 degrees the next day. If it was late October or November, you would definitely have that on your mind. NPHunter nailed the hunt description to a tee. I grew up hunting unit 26 and 20A, my uncle used to own one of the guide services out of Cold Meadows and Cabin Creek. The FC is something everyone should experience. It really is quite humbling.

 

[mtnbiker208]

it's the frank, it is either in you or not.

Me i try to spend a week a year in there,but i am not picky and would prefer it to be river rafting. Now that is a good time in that place. IF you relish steep country, difficult obstacles and just flat out kick ass country, it is a great place to take and adventure hunt. If you fly in, be prepared to hike a couple of hours to get away from the crowds.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Hoping to get in to 27 in a month or so and get our butts kicked...

 

[bucktowntrotter]

Cold Meadows is the only airstrip we've really looked at. The other spots have been drive in, hike in spots.

 

[sneaky]

The edge of the Frank gets a ton of pressure from drive in/ hike in hunters during September. Keep that in mind. Elk and deer know where those access points are as well.

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[bucktowntrotter]

The edge of the Frank gets a ton of pressure from drive in/ hike in hunters during September. Keep that in mind. Elk and deer know where those access points are as well.

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That was our concern with driving that far and hunting right next to someone else. The biologist said at 3 miles in we would be alone, and at 5 miles from a road, we would find elk. The said most of the pressure is within a mile of a road. Our plan either flying in or driving is to go in about 5 miles for camp and hunt from there.

 

[87TT]

Just remember it's one thing to hike 5 miles. Another to carry everything for a weeks hunt. Then maybe several more trips with a large load of meat (and your gear). Oh and probably up and down some really steep crap. That's AFTER you maybe find elk. But it is absolutely gorgeous there.

 

[sneaky]

Yeah, hiking 5 miles in the Frank on paper, and hiking 5 miles in the Frank in reality are two different things. Awesome country but remember this, if you fly into a strip and plan to hunt elk everyone of those miles will be climbing to take you up to their elevation that time of year. Elevation changes in the Frank aren't gradual either. You have to use the exaggeration feature on Google earth to see how steep some of those slopes are. We aren't trying to discourage you, just giving you a heads up to what to expect.

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[mtnbiker208]

morning hike off of the middle fork. I only got to the top of the guard ridge above the river, not the top of the mountain. long, long ways off.

 

[bucktowntrotter]

Wow, God’s an amazing architect.... it looks steep as heck, but I can’t wait for it to kick my butt.