Unit 316 MT help

deerhuntr4885

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We finally decided that we are going into unit 316 this year for elk and deer. We are going to Buffalo Creek from the Boulder River. I know there is an outfitter in Hellroaring Creek so we are going to try to stay out of their way.

Any suggestions/advice for this area would be greatly appreciated. We are packing in with four horses in Sept. (around the 21st). I get a little nervous because we have to cross over a mountain pass before we can hunt and I am worried about getting snowed in. I know it is not likely but it is possble.

I know the elk are there but we will have to scrounge the dark canyons to find them. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Some of you guys have read about my past adventures and I look forward to writing another Loooong story when we get back. I bought a new camera this year too, so I plan to take alot of photos.

Good luck to everyone this year!

Mike Henne
 
Back in the old days, 10-15 years ago, that is when most of the crowd would be streaming out of there. I haven't hunted since that time. Wife, kids, job and wolves.

Anyway the wolves were becoming an issue at that time. Elk would not bugle at all. The hunting pressure would push most of the elk to the park in first week or so. Otherwize I would recommend hunting the high timbered benches on the north facing slopes. The Hellroaring side and the north side of Middle ridge are better as far as I am concerned, but that may not be the reality. Elk are where you find them. It will certainly be an adventure. Big beautiful wild country. Beware of grizzlies especially on kill sights. Good luck.
 
hunted it last year on the opening week with an outfitter. wolves blew through hell roaring creek the night before we rode in. 2 elk and 1 muley for 8 hunters in 5 days. there were elk around but they wouldn't bugle except the one bugled in from the park on the first day. be very aware of griz, there's plenty of that sign. hopefully it won't be too hot for you, we had pretty good weather. too bad the wolves spooked the elk. good luck, I'd do it again even without getting an elk, beautiful country
 
jchisum,

How heavy was the hunting pressure? I'm curious how the wolves have changed things. When I used to hunt the area there would be stock trailers backed up a mile from the trail head. I would say maybe 50 - 60 trailers plus vihicles without trailers. The forest service was always there the first week to direct traffic and parking and give instructions regarding special grizzly rules.
 
other than the hunters in our camp we only saw 4 or 5 other guys for the week. one was a moose hunter and 3 were probably locals on their own horses but we only saw them out riding the backcountry. we saw some washington dc types on a boodoggle fact finding trail ride being led around by a ranger. I know hellsroarin outfitters were over the other side of hell's roarin creek drainage but we never saw them. other than that nobody really but we were in the southern half. There were quite a few archers out there in the general zones outside the back country. one got mauled by a griz the day we road in on the palmer creek trail. the elk aren't pressured by hunters back there. it's pretty much wolves. by the way there's pretty scarce deer back there. once guy took a little 2x3 but he was from wisconsin and figured he'd probably never get a shot at a muley again. we've been hunting in that area (313, 314) of MT off and on in the general season in Nov. for 10 years now and every time we go there's fewer and fewer hunters, more and more wolves, and fewer elk. The outfitters are still full up but the locals are going elsewhere.
 
Thanks,

It sounds like I should try it again just for the experience and to be in the country again. I won't expect to get an elk though. I used to think I would hunt that place the rest of my life. Then the wolves came and the elk went, sad.
 
Thanks for the replies. Sounds like it could be a tough hunt. How big were the bulls that your camp killed? Did you see elk often or did they head for the park right away? Have you ever been into the Buffalo Creek side and if so, is there good grass for the horses?

Mike Henne
 
i haven't been in the buffalo creek side. it's all good country back there. The first day one guy passed on a 4X5 bull because he wasn't sure where the park boundary was and his guide went to look for it. Another guy shot a 5X6 bull that probably went about 315-320 mostly because it had a ton of mass down low but not much else. The guy that passed a bull the first day shot one on the last day but it was only a 4X5 adn a bit spindly. any bull is a good one though. The good part of that hunt is that its the polar opposite of a high fence hunt. We were on 3 other bulls but after one or two calls' they'd dissappear. it really pissed the guides off to see wolf sign because they'd been spending the summer back there dragging tourists tied to the pommel on their big cowboy adventure and watching elk everwhere. they finally get to take guys hunting and the wolves ran them out..

we drew up there this year so we'll be going in november but we'll be up in the tom minor area mostly. I saw a guy from minnesota with a rack that green scored 395 up there in 2000.
 

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