Hunting around Mnt Adams Wilderness

[Magnum_Willys]

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The woods on the west side of the mountain are so choked that the elk numbers have fallen steadily in the 20 years I've been hunting that area. If I had two good hips, I'd be working the burn area from a couple of years ago on the south-side. That should be rich with grasses by now and I imagine a magnet for hungry ungulates. Much of that is the MA Wilderness.

Thats what I thought last year - looked great but no sign.  Too dry and hot on the south side I guess.

[nastybynature]

Taking the family up to camp Adams this weekend and we are hoping to find some waterhole we can boondock next to in our slide in truck camper. Haven't been up that way since I was my son's age (9 years old) so it has been 30+ years. Hoping to do some light scouting and play with my new trail cams. Maybe shoot the bow.... We would prefer to camp alone but if it is free camping with forest pass and a nice spot we can deal with others. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

So far on the short list is Morrison Creek Campground, Twin Falls Campground and Council Lake campground.

[Mudman]

Hoodoo from Oregon is running most camps now.  They Charge$  I think it was 12$?  Camp boondock close to a horsecamp(except Cody-No water potable) so you can grab some water if need be.  Horseshoe Lake camp is one I like and the road has been cleaned up, but dusty. 

[nastybynature]

Hoodoo from Oregon is running most camps now.  They Charge$  I think it was 12$?  Camp boondock close to a horsecamp(except Cody-No water potable) so you can grab some water if need be.  Horseshoe Lake camp is one I like and the road has been cleaned up, but dusty.

Thanks Mudman. Filled the water tank last night so we should be good for the few days we will be up there. Will check out Horse Lake Camp on the maps.

[Mudman]

You bet.  Olalie is ok too.  Fishing poles?  Good fishing but fish are picky and skittish.  Fly?  Mosquitos are already fierce up higher-warning!

[BUTTER]

Sounds like they closed most of the wilderness down now due to a fire had some friends backpacked in there and they got the boot

[Patarero]

Sounds like they closed most of the wilderness down now due to a fire had some friends backpacked in there and they got the boot

Yep.  Plume was pretty impressive on Friday. Info:

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4360/

[dreamingbig]

235 acres so far.


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[Pueblo]

I hunted the wilderness in 2013 during mid September archery.  I hiked in to the PCT and then along it to my camp.  It had just rained buckets for a week so everything was soaked and a fire was impossible then.  It allowed me to distinguish fresh elk tracks easily. The reason I'm telling this is to provide a perspective to those who think they might be "getting away from the crowds" as I thought I might.  I was hunting the largest single block of forest that I could find bounded by the PCT on one side and the forest road on the other, with radial access trails bounding the ends. 

I hunted 5 days, trying to penetrate the deepest parts of this "dead zone".  I found that the elk were far enough down from the PCT that they were equally accessible to the guys who parked their trucks down below and walked up with a day pack.  I found no fresh sign anywhere above the trail but plenty below.  I ran into no less than 8 other hunters, all of whom walked in from below.  Every bugle I heard was a person.  I also found one camp hidden like a Viet Cong encampment between two big meadows where the guys had hiked in through the woods with full packs and were living among the elk under a tarp.

I saw plenty of tracks and even spooked a couple, but saw no real action other than hunters.  If I bugled I had company shortly...but always humans. 

I'm still intrigued by the area and I know that elk are there, it's just too small of a wilderness to provide the solitude that one might expect. 

[nastybynature]

So we ended up at Council Lake after stopping at the ranger station in Trout Lake and then talking to the fire fighters where 90 and 23 meet, and it was a great camping trip. They did have many of the hiking trails around Adams (I am thinking timberline trails mostly) closed because of the fire and we could see the burn area and plume on the way up. Did a little hike up to Council Bluff on the Boundary Trail and found deer droppings up at the top although not really fresh. Great view of the fire from that spot and great place to check out the new Vortex 12x50 bino's. Didn't really get away from the lake area too much until we left but from what I saw, there didn't seem to be many signs of elk in that lake area. Although I am a no expert and could have missed the signs. Looks to be a hiker's paradise in that area though. Many more peeps up that way than what I remember from the 80's, although still quite a bit less than St. Helens area.

Speaking of St. Helens, took 90 back to St. Helens and headed up off of 83 to an area I had seen a herd of cows cross in front of us last summer when scouting with the wife and there were plenty of signs of elk up there inluding fresh tracks and scat. I did see some spots I want to go scout in between the 2 mountains that looked worth checking out some more. Quartz Creek area being one of them.

It was a great trip though. Was able to shoot the bows with my wife and son a little bit and did some swimming with my 10 month old daughter. Didn't see or hear any fireworks the whole time and surprisingly, didn't miss that like I thought I would having grown up in Vancouver. Looking forward to getting back up there. Maybe time to buy a 4x4 quad and/or a couple kayaks. Scouting from a Kayak sounds like it may be worth trying....?

[Z_rock01]

Nastybynature,

 I was also looking at checking out Quartz creek area. Now that i know that is one spot you want i'll lay low for a bit, don't want to step on your heels. You know if that area gets hit pretty hard or not?

[nastybynature]

Nastybynature,

 I was also looking at checking out Quartz creek area. Now that i know that is one spot you want i'll lay low for a bit, don't want to step on your heels. You know if that area gets hit pretty hard or not?

While I appreciate the gesture, I lay claim to nothing in that area other than some interest so feel free to scout/hunt all you want. 

There were several spots in between Adams and St. Helens. Quartz creek area was just one of the first I noticed as we headed west. It is a VERY large GMU and probably still has more hunters per sq. ft. than most of the other GMU's on the west side from everything I have read, heard and seen. Going to be hard to find an area with really easy access that isn't already "somebody's spot" I would guess. Not sure where I will end up come November although Marble Mountain area which is usually overcrowded is still looking good to me. Thinking I like the theory to go further and into more difficult terrain in order to escape the masses. Reality is, people go where the herd goes I suppose.

[Patarero]

Nastybynature,

 I was also looking at checking out Quartz creek area. Now that i know that is one spot you want i'll lay low for a bit, don't want to step on your heels. You know if that area gets hit pretty hard or not?

I was scouting that area quite a bit before the draw results (picked up a siouxon cow tag).  Found 4 trails cams, 1 stand, some cold beer and some elk sign, all at least a mile from the closest road. 

[elkoholic]

3 new fires started last night by lightning...

[HUNT-HARD]

where are the three new fires that started last night?