your favorite spot for high buck

[croix]

If you want an uncrowded OP high hunt, with plenty o water,  try Mildred lakes. Short hike, five miles, but as strenuous a trail as they make em. But once your in the basin, it's pretty easy.  Bring a rod!

Spent a couple weekends there recently and there have been tons of people. Maybe the crowd thins in September??? That hike is no joke - especially the climb shortly after crossing huckleberry creek, but a really cool area. Last trip up we explored the huckleberry creek valley trying to avoid the crazy number of hikers, which is how we discovered the lack of water in the creek south of the main trail. Seems like a decent area for a high buck hunt though.
-croix

[GBoyd]

If you want an uncrowded OP high hunt, with plenty o water,  try Mildred lakes. Short hike, five miles, but as strenuous a trail as they make em. But once your in the basin, it's pretty easy.  Bring a rod!

Hey! That's one of the basins that I had on a short list just looking at Google Earth and topo maps. You don't see many people in there?

[MountainWalk]

During hunting season, the two times I went, the place was deserted.

[h2ofowlr]

I saw a dandy buck that was hanging in a honey hole at about 5,200 ft.  Almost an island 150 yards by 200 yards surrounded by rock.  Got over to it as the buck disappeared and I found that it was steeper and thicker than crap.  Never saw the buck again.  He gave me the slip.  Should have just planted my tail and waited him out.

[GBoyd]

Just back from this trip. It was so much fun that it will be hard to go back to hunting the lowlands!

My brother never made it scouting because him and his wife went and adopted a baby about a month ago. So we sat down with GoogleEarth and picked a spot. We ended up high in the alpine on the OP and JimmyHoffa was spot on with his advice. There were tons of deer and a lot of them hanging out way out in the open on scree with no food or water. I guess they just wanted to hang out with the goats! We made three stalks and got shot opportunities on two bucks at 350 and 220 yards. If I had been holding the tag I would have shot, but my brother isn't good with a rifle and respected his limits. We lost them all trying to get in closer. Tag soup, but I felt luck to have so many opportunities on an unscouted hunt.

The hike out we were already planning for next year. And I'm reconsidering my season down here in Oregon to see if I can do some backcountry..

Thanks again for the advice, it helped a lot.

[Watimberghost]

That's great to hear! Thanks for sharing the recap. The reward of those kind of hunts don't always come with dead animals.

[TRD1911]

During hunting season, the two times I went, the place was deserted.

My wife and I did that hike a few years back when the road was still washed out. Within the past couple years they have fixed it and the hoards have returned. It used to be passable with a vehicle having decent cleaeance but still kept most people out of the area.