Frank Church Wilderness Question

[HONDO]

Alright, what do you think about a combination mule deer/elk hunt in the Frank Church Wilderness? Would fly in and hunt for ten days on foot. During this hunt the elk are rutting and the muleys are still up high. Anyone done this hunt before? What are the pros and cons. Anywhere better to get good representative animals for both species on the same hunt? What do you think?

 

[fatrooster]

Hondo, welcome to monster muleys. I've been looking at this area for several years and I've been wanting to learn more about it myself. I wasn't aware of the overlapping muley/elk season but I've got me an Idaho booklet and I'm gonna look it up. I live in Nevada and haven't been able to get up into that area as of yet but its been heavy on my mind. When does the Elk/mule deer season start Hondo? I'm guessing late September early October? I do know somebody who used to be a forest ranger in that district for about 10 years and I'm getting ready to get all the info that I can get. I'll let you know what I find out. fatrooster.

 

[chasendeer]

I have hunted the middle fork unit for 2 years. It opens 9-15. The elk are bugeling and the bucks are high. We have done about 50 % on elk and have yet to get a deer worth tagging. We pack in abiut 15 miles on mules.
Jay

 

[HONDO]

fatrooster, if you look in the Idaho book for 2005, you will find that both general deer and elk open on September 15th in units 20A, 26, 27.

 

[fatrooster]

Thanks for the info Hondo.
Chasendeer, what kind of quality of bulls are in that area. And do you feel that the deer quality is not there? Of course I want to hunt where I have a chance to harvest trophy animals. What are your thoughts? fatrooster.

 

[eweikum338]

Chasendeer, If you ride those mules from Panther creek up into the Frank Church, Unit 27, you have my highest respect. That trip is not one for city boys. There are one heck of a lot of big Elk up in there.
If anyone is planning on hunting Unit 27, I can tell you this, be expecting one heck of a lot of Lightening Strikes.
If, I was going to hunt 27, I would definetley FLY in.

Just my .02 cents

 

[JB48]

I spent 11 days on the East side of the Wilderness around Waugh Mountain, sheep unit 20-1. We saw very few deer, but did see some good bulls. I was sheep hunting. Due to wolf activity on the ridges at night most the elk we found were off the ridges and down in the timber holes.That is some very tough country. JB

 

[nfh]

i went to the frank church wilderness to bear hunt. the timber was thick. wasnt a whole lot of meadows. i was up on the nez peirce pass part of it.

 

[coonhound40]

A friend of mine goes in every year, I don't know which airstrip. He does run into a lot of elk, the Muley's however are few and far between. He has killed several muley bucks but nothing any bigger than 150 B & C.

He did comment that the wolf problem is getting to be significant. He seen a couple deer kills close to his camp this year and talked to another hunter that seen them take down a small bull elk.

 

[fletch]

An acquaintance of mine and 5 friends fly in every year...to which airstrip i'm not sure...they generally do well on elk and occasionally somebody gets a buck...not everybody hunts deer though. This year he did not get a bull but two of the guys did. In 2003 5 of the 6 got bulls and the 6th got a buck. In 2004 I believe they went 50% on elk and one buck. Both of the bucks were in the 26 inch class if I remember right. I have looked into this some...the cost of flying in and how much gear you can take is a limiting factor. Being stuck in one place if there are no animals is another. The bulls my acquaintance and his group got were 7 miles from camp with no horses...and if it snows hard the planes have a hard time getting you...details details...I would still love to try it...

 

[shortmag]

A buddy and myself did the mule deer hunt in 27 in 2003. We flew in for the last week of the deer season thinking the weather would push the bucks down to us. We didn't get any weather. Found the good bucks to be 4 miles above camp. We passed on legal but mediocre bucks. Cut only one set of elk tracks. Bucks in this unit are not generally huge but a mature buck is certainly probable. It is not known for 30 inch bucks but good bucks 24 to 27 inches are present. Folks across the river(Middle Fork) killed some dandies. I think there's better elk hunts but the reason for going in there is the full on wilderness experience. We stayed an extra day due to weather so be prepared. The trip out was extremely bumpy. I nearly kissed the runway in Challis upon landing. Doin' it again in 2006!

 

[Jimmyf124]

A buddy and myself did the mule deer hunt in 27 in 2003. We flew in for the last week of the deer season thinking the weather would push the bucks down to us. We didn't get any weather. Found the good bucks to be 4 miles above camp. We passed on legal but mediocre bucks. Cut only one set of elk tracks. Bucks in this unit are not generally huge but a mature buck is certainly probable. It is not known for 30 inch bucks but good bucks 24 to 27 inches are present. Folks across the river(Middle Fork) killed some dandies. I think there's better elk hunts but the reason for going in there is the full on wilderness experience. We stayed an extra day due to weather so be prepared. The trip out was extremely bumpy. I nearly kissed the runway in Challis upon landing. Doin' it again in 2006!

Hey shortmag, I’ll be going to the Frank next October with my dad, uncle, and cousin for my first western hunt. How did your trip in 2006 end up going?

 

[Deepcolor]

???

 

[JPickett]

Hey shortmag, I’ll be going to the Frank next October with my dad, uncle, and cousin for my first western hunt. How did your trip in 2006 end up going?

I doubt he can even remember that far back!! Good on ya for finding such an old thread

You’ll have fun on your hunt. It won’t be what you think it’s going to be so make your expectations for the fun not the animals. If you’re going guided you’ll probably shoot something. Most guys that do it are expecting there pick if giants behind every tree because there “way back in there” are very disappointed. A lot of it is a vast emptiness

 

[travishunter3006]

People are so bored right now that we are resurrecting decades old posts.

 

[idahomuleyhunter]

Hey shortmag, I’ll be going to the Frank next October with my dad, uncle, and cousin for my first western hunt. How did your trip in 2006 end up going?

I hunt the area every year with my dad. We go in September and consider it a camping trip with an outside shot at an elk. If you go with the right expectations it will be awesome.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Been in there last 2 years..
Get ready to cover alot of ground and climb..
Great Adventures