High Buck hunts

[Eric M]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

And you are hoping to trade your solitude for company, why? I don't understand why people post so much on a public forum. It sounds like you have a special place, try to keep it that way!

The Pasayten is 530,000 plus acres. Alpine Lakes is 400,000. Add the rest up. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out this guys honey hole. 8-12 miles into the ride from where?

I disagree. Look at a map, the wilderness is just not that big. Not many areas where you get 12 miles from a trailhead where you are still that distance from a trailhead on the other side.

I guess what I'm saying is he didn't say which wilderness. 8-12 miles in means a swath of ground 4 miles wide in an unspecified wilderness area open to the high hunt. You could probably find it but it's probably going to take awhile. Just in Alpine Lakes how many basins are 8-12 miles from a trailhead? I can think of 3 without looking at a map. Or maybe it's Mt. Baker or Henry Jackson? Or the Pasayten? Of course anyone doing that much hiking is definitely doing their homework and is probably going to find a good spot anyway don't you think?

[JeffRaines]

All advices that I've taken into thought already. Any high country (wilderness or not is always over run) I've changed ground on this theory already. Likely permanently and intend to take horses into some of NW Montana's more remote back country.

Don't get discouraged.  I've been doing the high hunt in ALW for the past 3 years. Ride in 8-12 miles into our basins and have never seen anyone even close to them. Most people we see are the hikers on the main trail either coming or going from the major tourist destinations .  2 hours into the ride not another sole for 7 days , have never seen another hunter in our area. Plenty of legal deer  , one morning we counted 9 legal bucks within 3 hours.

And you are hoping to trade your solitude for company, why? I don't understand why people post so much on a public forum. It sounds like you have a special place, try to keep it that way!

The Pasayten is 530,000 plus acres. Alpine Lakes is 400,000. Add the rest up. You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out this guys honey hole. 8-12 miles into the ride from where?

I disagree. Look at a map, the wilderness is just not that big. Not many areas where you get 12 miles from a trailhead where you are still that distance from a trailhead on the other side.

I guess what I'm saying is he didn't say which wilderness. 8-12 miles in means a swath of ground 4 miles wide in an unspecified wilderness area open to the high hunt. You could probably find it but it's probably going to take awhile. Just in Alpine Lakes how many basins are 8-12 miles from a trailhead? I can think of 3 without looking at a map. Or maybe it's Mt. Baker or Henry Jackson? Or the Pasayten? Of course anyone doing that much hiking is definitely doing their homework and is probably going to find a good spot anyway don't you think?

I agree. It would be different if he name-dropped a trailhead or specific basin/etc... who is going to spend time pouring over maps finding all the basins 8-12 miles in(is it 8? 9? 10? 11? 12?), then taking the time to go and visit each and every one? Even if there are only 7 of them, thats weekends spent looking for someone elses honey hole... something tells me they would likely end up finding a honey hole of their own when it was all said and done.

[Jpmiller]

I was fairly open with a couple people on here last year with where I was planning on elk hunting and where they could go to get into elk. I saw nobody. Knowing a location to hunt and actually putting in the work to get there are two different things.

[jstone]

LOOOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS. Even your buddies can tell someone else and POW more people. If there is a place you like to keep secrete keep it. If someone tells you a place and asks you to not share, don't share. Especially on the internet.

[muleracks]

Actually, most of the WA Wilderness High Hunt areas only get hunted heavy on Opening Weekend; this year Sept 15-17 or 18.  The weekend warriors leave, solitude is restore for about Sept. 19-25.  There will be a few scattered horse camps and outfitted drop camps but they are few and far between.  Buck behavior tends to return to normal once the weekenders hike out.

[Watimberghost]

Great bucks muleracks!!

[NW SURVEYOR]

With regards to the 8-12 miles subject I offer this....
Is the distance "As the crow flies" or "trail miles"?
If trail miles, you have now decreased the radius distance from the trailhead, thus effectively enlarging the search area for the elusive "Basin" AKA "Honey Hole".
In my opinion, once you get 3 miles from the road off trail, things get pretty spread out.
Basins can also be defined a drainages, draws, canyons and any other sundry terms.

I have occasionally pointed select people in the general direction that I hunt.
It should be noted that these are areas that someone shared with me 20 years ago.
We all understand that these areas are to be kept secret, but not forever.
We get older and understand that knowledge is to be sparingly shared, not jealously guarded.
Do we not have at least a small obligation to help our fellow sportsman?
In my opinion the ones that we should help are those that did not have the advantage of growing up in a hunting family.
If you grew up hunting, you should have the scouting thing figured out, if not, sorry, you never will.

I was fortunate enough to grow up hunting and fishing since I was 4.
For the last 35 years I have had a job which enables me to get out into the woods.
There is no way in hell that I can hunt all the places that I know hold animals.
Why should I not share at least a small portion of tis knowledge with someone less fortunate.
The success that he may have could inspire him to keep hunting, thus adding another sportsman to our dwindling ranks.

That all said, I am looking for a new "Honey Hole" to hunt elk in for the Westside, any ideas?
You can PM me.
I won't share it with anyone for 20 years.

Later,
Rob.

[Eric M]

With regards to the 8-12 miles subject I offer this....
Is the distance "As the crow flies" or "trail miles"?
If trail miles, you have now decreased the radius distance from the trailhead, thus effectively enlarging the search area for the elusive "Basin" AKA "Honey Hole".
In my opinion, once you get 3 miles from the road off trail, things get pretty spread out.
Basins can also be defined a drainages, draws, canyons and any other sundry terms.

I have occasionally pointed select people in the general direction that I hunt.
It should be noted that these are areas that someone shared with me 20 years ago.
We all understand that these areas are to be kept secret, but not forever.
We get older and understand that knowledge is to be sparingly shared, not jealously guarded.
Do we not have at least a small obligation to help our fellow sportsman?
In my opinion the ones that we should help are those that did not have the advantage of growing up in a hunting family.
If you grew up hunting, you should have the scouting thing figured out, if not, sorry, you never will.

I was fortunate enough to grow up hunting and fishing since I was 4.
For the last 35 years I have had a job which enables me to get out into the woods.
There is no way in hell that I can hunt all the places that I know hold animals.
Why should I not share at least a small portion of tis knowledge with someone less fortunate.
The success that he may have could inspire him to keep hunting, thus adding another sportsman to our dwindling ranks.

That all said, I am looking for a new "Honey Hole" to hunt elk in for the Westside, any ideas?
You can PM me.
I won't share it with anyone for 20 years.

Later,
Rob.

My family didn't hunt. I was born in New York City. I've worked hard to find some places to kill deer. But maybe I'm an old softy. But if you find a good elk place I'm willing to help you pack it out to learn an elk area. I would like to kill one in this lifetime.