Hello all, I am new here but I absolutely love this forum! Best out there. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here is or has any knowledge or experience in the Frank Church wilderness? My brothers and I recently went on a 50 mile backpacking/fishing trip thru there ending near the lower Salmon river and getting flown out of there on a small bush plane. (fun as heck)
What I wanted to find out is what the hunting is like, what is the best time to go hunting there, and would we have to have a outfitter or guide accompany us?

Thanks in advance.

SR

I have nothing to add... but I'll be watching this closely. I'm seriously considering a spring bear hunt on the Salmon River in 2013 (a 50th birthday present from my wife, I've just got to decide where to go)

I did 2 spring bear hunts there in 2002 & 2003 with Horse Creek Outfitters. Really rugged country and great hunting.

Well from my last experience there I can definitively say that it is rugged country, but beautiful. The fishing was awesome and we did see several brown bears, several elk and a moose. So I do know there is good game to be had. I just don't know if I need an outfitter or not, to hunt with. BTW there are an overabundance of wolves in the FCW, and the forest service told us they are issuing at least two wolf tags with the permit, so that could be fun as well. If anyone knows if I have to have an outfitter let me know, and please tell your experience hiking or hunting there.

SR

quote:

Originally posted by samalama76:
What I wanted to find out is what the hunting is like, what is the best time to go hunting there, and would we have to have a outfitter or guide accompany us?
SR

In my opinion, the best time to go and the best hunt is for elk - bowhunting season. Most likely, the services of an outfitter will make the trip more enjoyable and successful. I think that practically anyone will need horses to pack an elk, especially if two guys go, and both get an elk. Also there is the distance to travel. Getting back in there, and out with camp and elk is difficult even for the most athletic. It would take multiple trips without horses.

There are some remote air strips back in there, and a guy could hunt near one of them, but that's limiting also.

I just think that one of the most exciting hunts a guy can do is for elk during the rut, with a bow. I used to hike and ride horses into the back country in Idaho, including FCW, and saw some awesome places for elk hunting. Those stinking wallows, and the pine sapling rubs high up on the stub that's left, and the bugeling day and night are unforgettable. In the rut, sometimes those bull were so aggressive that we had to chase them out of camp when they came in to check out the mules. They also made my Norwegian Fjord geldings nervous, and it took a lot to upset those boys.

It's awesome - go and report back with the story and pictures.

KB

I did a guided black bear hunt there 2 years ago. I was dissapointed by the fact that I saw many deer/elk bones that had been killed by wolves. My guess is that hunting for deer/elk would be very hard at this time. The number of bears I saw was vastly down from my 1st visit 7 years ago.

yes Buckeyeshooter, the wolves are something else in there. We saw more wolf tracks than any other by far. Strangely enough we didn't see any, even though we hiked 50 miles and were in there 10 days and 9 nights.
Kabluewy, (love that name) I think you are right and I am going to call my brothers and convince them to do the bow hunting instead of rifle. Even though I think I will still carry a lite 44 mag or my little 16" 45 colt carbine with some heavy loaded 300 grainers. Do you have any suggestions on a good outfitter? The smaller the outfit the better because we pack fairly light and plus money is always an issue for us working men.
BTW have you ever seen or heard how they dispose of horses that expire on the trail?

I am also interested in the Bob Marshall in Montana if anyone has any input on that.

Thanks a ton everyone!

SR

Well...I have hunted "The Frank" a couple of times. You can either fly, pack in by horse, travel by raft/boat, or partially drive in the lower section.
My personal preference is to horseback or mule.
If you hiked the "Centennial" trail which goes straight through, you have an idea of the terrain.
The good guides shoould already be booked.
Out of Stanley, you can drive into the lower "Frank".
Goto Idaho's DFG website, it has a great hunt planner and a list of authorized guides.
Good luck

Thanks Sierra_Dave,
The hunt planner is very well stocked with info and useful stuff, I am sure it will save me some time and headaches.
On a side note, I am thinking on what all around caliber to bring and had landed on my Howa 375 Ruger with a 20" barrel, because it is short enough to carry on my pack and I wouldn't think I would shoot anything over 350-400yds, and I really don't want to have to track a wounded, pissed off elk for miles because I didn't use the right caliber. What say you fellas?

SR

quote:

Originally posted by samalama76:
BTW have you ever seen or heard how they dispose of horses that expire on the trail?

I've heard of two solutions to that situation. Especially in Idaho, lots of non-guides just pitch camp nearby, and stay until they eat most of the horse, then use what's left for bear bait.

Guides, just lead the poor animal, if it can still walk, to a likely spot, then shoot it. After a week or so, after it has sufficiently ripened, they use it as bear bait.

I had a llama once, that I seriously considered its best purpose was to become bear bait.

It was said that most guides are booked by now for the next bow season. If you want to hunt this year, I remember several good places north of McCall, within walking distance of the roads.

KB

Samalama 76
I've hunted ID. a few years near the town of challis the last being 3 years ago out of Salmon. I was flown in with 2 hunt partners into the FCW Chamberlain basin air strip. Approximateley 58 air miles from Salmon. It's over 2.3 million acres of raw wilderness. the largest in the lower 48. We hunted for 9 days.
You do not need to hire a guide or outfitter. The only wilderness that I am aware of that requires it in the lower 48 states is Wyoming cross-ventre wilderness. Hiring a professional will greatly improve your odds, but at a price.
Working from memory back then it was $3500-4500
for deer, $5500-7000 for elk black bear $2500-3500. There is an outfitter in the Challis area.
You can contact ID. fish ang game dept. for an updated list of hunting guides/outfitters. There
is quite a few A.R. members that are local experienced and will lead you with great info. and or references which is best. The quality of game is another issue in short" WOLF"....The chamberlain basin was one of the top elk hunts in the country especially for do it yourself type of hunt. We saw zero elk few loner tracks. A few white tails small and skidish. Lots of predatory tracks lion, bear and WOLF being the dominant. Saw many skeletons deer and elk. There is a variety of big game in the area, but it's in the process of being inducted into the endangered species hall of shame. Thank the wolf above all else people....sickening. The area had a major fire a few years ago and all you see is burnt trees. Trees that are down and trees waiting for the smallest of breeze to fall down, makes for difficult walking. The green pretty areas are next to rivers or above timberline in small pockets. You can hunt with a partner or two for deer,if you're in good physical shape it's hard but doable. If after elk, you need some type of a pack animal.You might be able to rent some . Pack animals usually run about $350-500 per week. Black bear that inhabit that area come in different color phases, cinnamon being the color you saw. Brown bear are grizzly bears that inhabit the coastal salmon fed streams of Alaska. The interior grizzly will be found in parts of Wyoming,Wash. state,The Id. panhandle and Montana. The Bob Marshall being one of them . Currently no griz. hunting in the lower 48. The FCW black bear are small in the 150-250 LB. range average, occasionally some one gets lucky with an exceptional trophy, but I would not bet on it. The nonresident tag was around $31 ?.....
In short I would only enter that country as you did, backpacking, fishing ,hiking and solitude time. Hunting I would get as far away from the known wolf zones as possible if you want any kind of success .Your ruger definitly do.

I live in Idaho and have hunted here most of my life.
The damn wolves have done great damage to all major big game species; deer, elk and moose
and other smaller game,

other preditors have been greatly affected to such as black bears, coyotes and mt. lion.

come and help us get rid of this plaque-shoot the hell out of them.

I would love to help take care of the "wolf problem" and just go hunting for them as opposed to elk, etc. How many wolf tags do they give?

SR