- Mar 16, 2016
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I'm from out of state and was hoping to get some information on the November mule deer hunt in units 26 & 27. Does anyone have any info on these areas that would be willing to answer some questions either on the forum or pm?
Frank Church Wilderness Mule Deer
- Thread starter Muley_Hunter
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dan maule
Veteran member
- Mar 16, 2016
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I guess the big question is, what size of bucks could I expect to see? Also, I'd like to do some scouting there this summer. Are there any areas you'd suggest to check out? I know it has been several years since you hunted it but I think mule deer like certain areas.
mntnguide
Very Active Member
Are you planning on flying into one of the airstrips?...or hiking in from the end of the road somewhere? ...long story short about the Frank, it's brutal steep and open country. The game has declined a lot from what it used to be. . Are there big bucks. .yes, but they are few are far between and they inhabit some pretty nasty country usually. Any decent 4 point should be a shooter unfortunately...a 160+buck is possible, but not easy
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dan maule
Veteran member
I agree I took a nice 4x4 the rack was not extremely impressive but it was by far the largest bodied deer I have or probably will ever kill. We also tried but could not close the deal on a 150+" Whitetail again the body size amazed me. The deer were not easy to find and we worked our buts off but just being in that country was reward enough for me. We hunted in their in the end of September. We were 6 to 7 miles back off of big creek then north up a couple of the drainages. We found the mule deer on steep burnt ridges and the whitetail around some of the meadows surrounded by heavy timber.
- Mar 16, 2016
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Looking into both options. It sounds like there are many hunters who fly in. Do you think there'd be more hunting pressure around the airstrips or hiking in from one of the roads? I guess I should ask, are the roads passable in November?
not unless you have a snowmobile. some crazy pretty, beautiful country. I did a 40 mile hike back in there a few summers ago with some buddies to do some high mountain lake fishing over the course of 4 nights, and spent hours upon hours glassing and I was shocked at how few animals I seen. I'm sure if you go you will find a buck, but.... I wouldn't have high expectations of bagging a beast. honestly, I think some of the better deer hunting is down lower in hills and valleys in that surrounding area. even a good number of big whitetails living around the river bottoms. good luck.
mntnguide
Very Active Member
Depends on what trailhead you are planning on going to...Some can be very dangerous to leave your truck at in november..cause if a big storm hits, you wont be able to get back over the pass out. There has been numerous instances of that happening..only thing you can do if the snow doesnt stop, is pay BIG bucks for a snow cat to drag your vehicle up and over...or you wont see it till the spring! There is nothing easy about getting around in the frank. Everything is steeper than hell and there are no "quick" routes if you spot something. And the big deer live in some of the nastiest steepest stuff you can find from what ive seen in there. I spent over 300 days in 3 years guiding hunters all throughout the Big Creek drainage of the Frank. . If i wanted to go back and hunt there, I know every nook and cranny of a lot of the area, and I havent made any plan to do so, if that shows you what i think of how the hunting is anymore. But nonetheless, you need to narrow down where you want to go because the Frank is 2.3 million acres and there is a ton of different spots that it can be accessed from. It will be a great experience and it is amazing country, but it will most likely not be an easy hunt.
Springer
New Member
I hunted Unit 27 three years ago when you could draw it as a second choice. Amazing country indeed. I hunted out of a comfortable camp from the edge of the Wilderness for nine days. I saw one really good deer in that time frame (170+) so that made it worth it for me. The deer numbers were very low in the area I was in. I think between three hunters we spotted four bucks over the nine days. Weather wasn't an issue that year.
I hunted 27 in 2013 for deer and elk. I agree the deer racks can be deceptively small. They tend to be more "timber" buck racks which means they are narrow. Air strips are crowded. You need to take base camp gear for an air strip, and then all the spike gear to get a few miles away. Everything is big and steep as said. I hunted the elk B tag in sept and drove through 6-8" of snow to get back over the south rim to get out to Stanley. It could just as easily have been 2 feet if the weather pattern stalled there.
For me it is a toss up. Not the real trophy potential for the cost of the November hunt. If you go, consider it a vacation with a chance at a "nice" buck. I haven't decided if I will go back or not.
For me it is a toss up. Not the real trophy potential for the cost of the November hunt. If you go, consider it a vacation with a chance at a "nice" buck. I haven't decided if I will go back or not.
- Mar 16, 2016
- 7
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Anyone know how the Loon Creek Rd. is when it snows? Looking on Google Earth it looks like there are some switchbacks that really climb right on the edge of Unit 27. Are there any good valleys around there that would hold rutting bucks, over toward Mt. Jordan perhaps?
tim
Veteran member
the big creek outfitters come out this road in mid to late November. that is as much as I know about that road.
It scared the shit out of me when there was no snow. If I had any snow in that area, I would be chaining up to be safe.
- Mar 16, 2016
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mntnguide
Very Active Member
If it snows big...Your not getting out..at all. There is a major pass inbetween yellow pine and Big Creek. . Ive been over it numerous times and know that area very well..I personally would not want to drive my truck over it in November if there is any chance of snow! Also, the area that the Big Creek road accesses of the Frank Church, is technically a lot more of the higher, steeper country. A lot of those animals will move further down big creek towards the Middle Fork of the Salmon as soon as the first weather storms start hitting.
tim
Veteran member
I have sat at the cabin creek airstrip in big creek for 5 days after the plane was supposed to pick us up. Weather.
I have also been in negative temps hunting in big creek in November. So I would expect winter conditions in November. I have seen tent cities in there and I have seen no one in there. It just depends. Beautiful place, be prepared to work very hard and than a little bit harder to get a nice buck. You will need to go to high elevations once you are there, don't expect to kill a nice buck right off of big creek. I have hunted in there 3 times, once for a bighorn ram and twice for mule deer. I don't think I will be going back anytime soon. Mainly other places to explore now. The country is breath taking though.
pic of a buddy with a little buck shot off of big creek.
I have also been in negative temps hunting in big creek in November. So I would expect winter conditions in November. I have seen tent cities in there and I have seen no one in there. It just depends. Beautiful place, be prepared to work very hard and than a little bit harder to get a nice buck. You will need to go to high elevations once you are there, don't expect to kill a nice buck right off of big creek. I have hunted in there 3 times, once for a bighorn ram and twice for mule deer. I don't think I will be going back anytime soon. Mainly other places to explore now. The country is breath taking though.
pic of a buddy with a little buck shot off of big creek.
mntnguide
Very Active Member
Those pictures sure bring back my memories!! Tim did you kill your Ram on Horse mountain right there south of the cabin creek meadow? Depending on what years you were in there, i may have passed ya with a pack string anywhere around that meadow haha. . I killed my once in a lifetime Ram up on Horse mountain in 07'...It was one hell of a tough hunt, and I knew that country inside and out and scouted over 2 straight week cause I was living in there. I give credit to all the animals that live in that country. But, just like you, am not exactly in a hurry to go back in there, even though I know plenty of holes where I used to find some big deer
tim
Veteran member
mtnguide
I got my ram in 2004. Yes on Horse mountain, basically went up horse mountain around the u of I ranch. I just don't remember the name of it. the one that is closer to soldier bar. I remember bumping into some guys on horses that where elk hunting, but don't rember a pack string. But it was over 10 years ago, the memory is not what it was. lol
I got my ram in 2004. Yes on Horse mountain, basically went up horse mountain around the u of I ranch. I just don't remember the name of it. the one that is closer to soldier bar. I remember bumping into some guys on horses that where elk hunting, but don't rember a pack string. But it was over 10 years ago, the memory is not what it was. lol