How hellish is hells canyon?

egradyfire · Dec 27, 2018

1. How tough on a scale from 1-10 is moving around on foot in hells canyon? I get it, it's called hells canyon and not tinkerbell cove.

2. Is it best to boat in and hike from there?

3. How are the deer and elk herds?

Thanks fellas

BPKHunter · Dec 27, 2018

Would help to know what kind of shape you are in to answer question 1.

In Idaho, if you don't have much experience here, that scale is quite different for locals than folks from say the Midwest. As the saying goes, if you flattened Idaho it would be bigger than Texas.

For reference:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5239080

egradyfire · Dec 27, 2018

i am in pretty good shape shape. I'm prior Marine Corps and currently a Fireman/Paramedic. I typically backpack hunt and love a good challenge.

egradyfire · Dec 27, 2018

BPK hunter. You have always been super helpful. Thank you for the tips of the trade. I have only hunted 43 and 39 in idaho but with the crowds that have developed over the recent years I am looking for more remote ground. I love people but not while im hunting

idhikker · Dec 27, 2018

I'm guessing you would be okay with your background. It's tough even for Idaho. One guy I heard had Achilles issues for weeks after. The best way to judge this is not google maps. You can change the settings on google earth and use cal topo elevation shading. Compare where you've been and the shading in HC.

I'd read the population surveys for the units and talk to the bios to get a feel for the game numbers. I researched it pretty deeply and found the numbers to be decent for a controlled hunt and good compared to general units. The rub is there is serious access issues with lots of private on the East and a boat or a couple highly-used roads into the higher country. Lots of elevation gain and loss no matter how you slice it. There's a lot of tags so trophy quality seems to be on the kind of low, with the exception of the big animal coming from places way in there. Lots of outfitter pressure.

There are a lot of units that aren't designated wilderness that are as remote or more. Wilderness is trendy these days. You've hunted the heaviest hunted units around. Feel free to branch out to other OTC areas if wanting more elbow room.

boise · Dec 27, 2018

I was discouraged at the lack of trail maintenance. But where isn't that an issue? As far as elevation and terrain most elk country outside of panhandle is pretty steep. Idaho no country for old men! Unless you have mules of course.

twsnow18 · Dec 27, 2018

>I was discouraged at the lack
>of trail maintenance.

That's exactly what I do look for!

idhikker · Dec 27, 2018

+1 especially where there's an access bottleneck.

boise · Dec 27, 2018

RE: How hellish is hells canyon

In August of 2017 went from black lake at 8:00 a.m. Up the hill dropped down granite creek to emerald lake which was pretty good. Fishermen probably maintain that section it got progressively worse. 3/4 of way up Casey mountain I gave up even with gps I couldn't stay on the trail it was so far gone. When we got into oxbow drainage we just free for alled it! Side hill as far as we could to keep elevation to the back of the drainage and found a chute thru rocks that got us over to six lakes basins made it to trail by the lake at dark got to the tent at 11:00 pm. Saw 5 piles of bear crap to every pile of elk poop. We where glassing for mtn goats all day saw 6 at black lake and one in six lakes basin. My wife usually trust me in the woods, but she had some doubts on that hike!! Your gonna earn anything you pull out of that country.

tagsoup · Dec 28, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Dec-28-18 AT 11:57AM (MST)[p]>Would help to know what kind
>of shape you are in
>to answer question 1.
>
>In Idaho, if you don't have
>much experience here, that scale
>is quite different for locals
>than folks from say the
>Midwest. As the saying
>goes, if you flattened Idaho
>it would be bigger than
>Texas.
>
>For reference:
>
>https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5239080

Me and my hunting buddies always ask each other is it steep or is it Idaho steep.

"Go hunt for meat at Walmart."

OLDHORNHUNTER · Dec 28, 2018

draw only for elk & mulies gen season whiteys !! STEP & DEEP , rugged country from the top or bottom . I have logged a few miles in there & always ask myself afterwards WTH is wrong with me !! The deer & elk herds are way down they have taken the same toll as most other Idaho units. Just my 2 cents I will never apply for deer or elk in that unit again

egradyfire · Dec 28, 2018

thanks guys. appreciate your input.

tworivers · Dec 28, 2018

Only place, I've ever gained elevation by going downhill..... or it seemed.

RIP Lil Bro' "Huntnfever"

N_Corey · Dec 29, 2018

From the river it's nothing but sandy beaches and pristine water. From the top it's breath taking views. In between it's brutal and you earn every step you take.

SoloHNTR · Dec 30, 2018

I was lucky enough to draw the archery elk and earlier rifle deer tag this year. I thought both hunts were incredible. I love to hike elevation and cover miles. This hunt was exactly what I was looking for, hard but rewarding.

I would say this area is hard even for Idaho standards. It's the hardest place I've hunted in Idaho.

I'm not good at hunting areas the easiest way possible but from my perspective to hunt this area effectively you will either be hiking up 2-3,000 ft each day or down 2-3,000 ft just to get into the elk. In 8 days I hiked 60,000+ ft of elevation gain/loss.

It didn't seem possible to glass and find much game from roads. But maybe I was missing something.

Both of my hunts are in the Idaho forum. PM me if you have any specific questions.

NiceRack · Dec 31, 2018

"Me and my hunting buddies always ask each other is it steep or is it Idaho steep".
Truer words were never spoken.
When my friends come to Idaho to hunt Elk and Deer I always give them fair warning.
"There is no flat ground in Idaho for Elk".
PB

HUNTNNW · Feb 4, 2019

funny is I had the deer tag in 2017 and glassed up well over 300 elk from the road in 7 days. Not 1 single person would go after any of them which gives you an idea how steep it is. I started hunting hells canyon and 1 specific unit and the deer hunting is a fraction of what it was just 6 years ago and quite sad to see.I had a buddy draw the deer tag this year and said he would not return until the deer rebound. Elk from what I have seen hasnt changed much find elk pretty much everyday getting to them is the story and getting them out is the ? you have to ask yourself if you do put on a stalk on.

DeerMadness · Feb 12, 2019

I've watched elk in places not one person would want to climb up to get them. I think they were laughing..

broomd · Feb 21, 2019

'brutal' is an understatement. Much is inaccessible.

hawkbill · Mar 8, 2019

You have got to be born in that country, to hike that country, and like many more have said, the days of good trails are long gone

boise · Mar 9, 2019

Camped in Hells canyon park last weekend not a single person in campground or Copperfield Park. With snow everything was within 1000? of reservoir. South facing slopes were open, it was interesting to see some of the places the elk move into especially on Oregon side. Ran into couple guys who were fishing below dam. Goats were on both sides of stairs going down and quiet a few in cliffs at mouth of deep creek. Fawns looked really good! so many more elk on Oregon side I'm curious if they swim reservoir to take advantage of more south facing slopes? Snow isn't slowing down Turkeys they were out in force from Oxbow to Ontario! Looking forward to GREEN spring

HUNTNNW · Mar 11, 2019

2 years ago I was at low saddle on the ID side glassing there is a big ranch on the river on the Oregon side thats accessible by boat only I quit counting at 200 elk bedded right above the ranch.. there was another herd a half mile up river around 100 all of this was October 25th

Weiserbucks · Mar 12, 2019

I helped a friend on a successful hells canyon bull hunt in 2018. Between the spot and stalk, kill , and the pack out , it was so much fun I'll never do it again. UNTIL NEXT TIME !!!!!!