Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: alanger on March 05, 2010, 04:06:43 PM

Title: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: alanger on March 05, 2010, 04:06:43 PM: Anyone ever hunted around there?? This will be our first year hunting Montana, and we will be in that area, so just wondering about some hunting stories or see what you have taken out of there. What it's like around there, don't know too much about the area, going to have to make a summer run over there to start scouting. Any info. helps, thanks

Langer
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: huntnphool on March 05, 2010, 04:43:05 PM: Quote
This will be our first year hunting Montana, and we will be in that area,

You are awefully optimistic :chuckle:
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: alanger on March 05, 2010, 05:11:00 PM: Quote from: huntnphool on March 05, 2010, 04:43:05 PM
Quote
This will be our first year hunting Montana, and we will be in that area,

You are awefully optimistic :chuckle:

I know huh. well thats just where the family is, but I dont know how big they are into hunting.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: vanhornhunter on March 05, 2010, 07:54:56 PM: It's a good area, but you need to be in very good shape! It is steep and thick. There are good bulls there though.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: rainshadow1 on March 05, 2010, 08:18:11 PM: I guided out of Heron/Noxon right out of High School. It's steeper and thicker than you think of when you think of Montana, but it's still more open than here! Good country, but definatley not easy. Some good fishing too!
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: high country on March 06, 2010, 05:34:32 AM: I have a friend who has dirt in trout creek. there are a good number of elk in the area, nothing like the yak or the colckum, but there are elk. wolfes are moving into the area now. the friends I have in that area did not harvest any elk last year. they did complain about wolves though. I do not know exactly how hard they hunted, just that they have all tagged out for as long as I can recall.

I met a guy at another friends place who used an outfitter to pack in up there. he shot a runty 6x and a big mule deer, in his party they took a couple other respectable bulls. the outfitters guided clients were not so lucky. this guy said they had to bust their hump to get into the elk, but they are obviously there, just not going to be a gravy hunt.

good luck
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: rasbo on March 06, 2010, 06:13:42 AM: got quad
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: alanger on March 06, 2010, 07:22:33 AM: Quote from: rasbo on March 06, 2010, 06:13:42 AM
got quad

oh yeah, we got those.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: alanger on March 06, 2010, 07:25:34 AM: Yeah like I said this is our first year, the family over there says they have some land or something, we arent really sure how much land they have and if theres any elk, sounds like it isn't too bad of an area. Thanks for all the reply's guys.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Basket Rack on March 06, 2010, 08:49:16 AM: Used to hunt south of T. Falls toward St. Regis. It was pretty good elk hunting, until the wolves really showed up in force. Still some elk but nothing like it used to be (which you could say about alot of western montana pre vs post wolf >:(). But still some animals there, hard hunting, steep and brushy but it is still better hunting than most areas in WA.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Pathfinder101 on March 06, 2010, 01:05:53 PM: This was actually going to be my backup area for mule deer when I drew my deer tag in 2009. Hunted elsewhere, so I didn't get to the area. Good luck (getting drawn AND hunting).
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: sako223 on March 06, 2010, 01:26:51 PM: That's Grizz country.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: huntnphool on March 06, 2010, 01:30:41 PM: Quote from: sako223 on March 06, 2010, 01:26:51 PM
That's Grizz country.

Got that right
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: elkaholic on March 06, 2010, 09:13:00 PM: Ive hunted Heron/Trout Creek/ Noxon areas. Be in shape. Thick and steep. I did not draw 2 years in arow so i gave up and started hunting Id on the border. I did hear from a taxidermist/guide friend out of Bull River taht the wolves moved in. They didnt have a very good season. One year I lost 13lbs in 20 days from hunting the steep stuff. broke my leg the next year.
Good Luck.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: dlaw on March 06, 2010, 10:17:48 PM: Hunted over there the last couple of years on the Idaho side. Be in the best shape you can possibly get in. I have never seen another hunter in the area we hunt. If you get back a ways you will really enjoy the area. Lots of animals, saw my first grizzlies out there last archery season. Quads will do you no good, unless you just plan on cruising the roads, its steep and thick. We are packing in 5 miles this year and setting up camp to avoid the hike every morning in the dark. Are you rifle or bow hunting? Good luck.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: elkaholic on March 07, 2010, 07:33:29 AM: Dlaw- You hunting north or south of the river.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 07:55:11 AM: dang, I forgot how beautiful that valley is!
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: rasbo on March 07, 2010, 08:06:11 AM: heres a couple just outside of town
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 08:33:35 AM: Dang it rasbo, now you are making me home sick, :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: rasbo on March 07, 2010, 08:52:27 AM: Quote from: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 08:33:35 AM
Dang it rasbo, now you are making me home sick, :chuckle: :chuckle:
I celivered a harley to thompson falls and hung out with a friend that just built a place on the lake...man you just take a quad everywhere there
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: elkaholic on March 07, 2010, 10:08:07 AM: Its absolutely beautiful. I have no stress while im there.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 10:14:52 AM: Quote from: rasbo on March 07, 2010, 08:52:27 AM
Quote from: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 08:33:35 AM
Dang it rasbo, now you are making me home sick, :chuckle: :chuckle:
I celivered a harley to thompson falls and hung out with a friend that just built a place on the lake...man you just take a quad everywhere there

you ever head back, I wanna ride
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: alanger on March 07, 2010, 02:15:53 PM: Quote from: rasbo on March 07, 2010, 08:52:27 AM
Quote from: Huntbear on March 07, 2010, 08:33:35 AM
Dang it rasbo, now you are making me home sick, :chuckle: :chuckle:
I celivered a harley to thompson falls and hung out with a friend that just built a place on the lake...man you just take a quad everywhere there

I'll remember to take mine.
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: fishm@n on March 08, 2010, 10:48:43 AM: That is big time WhiteTail country. You can kill more with your truck than with a weapon. There are some nice bucks in the area and some elk but not in the numbers that central and southwest MT have. There is a large herd of Big Horns south of T-Fall's that cross the road. BigHorn sheep crossing sign is something you don't see everyday.

I've caught a ton of Pike in the river just S of T-Falls..
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: elkaholic on March 10, 2010, 07:58:22 PM: Hiway 200..... Its brutal on the whiteys!!!!!
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: furbearer365 on March 12, 2010, 03:31:00 PM: I went to taxidermy school in Thompson Falls. Steep and thick in parts. That area isn't known for Bighorn sheep for nothing. Good luck
Title: Re: Trout creek/ Thompson Falls, Montana
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on March 13, 2010, 07:04:28 AM: Hunted it in 2003 for a week. Was surprised at the lack of sign, but was early in the season so I think they were pretty spread out. Like the others are saying, prepare to hike a bunch! I think we would hike in about 6 miles each day, hunting all the way, then back out. Weather was in the 50-60 range. Then, the day we decided to leave, the weather changed and dropped down below zero, in about 4 hours time. It was down to -15 when we got to Anaconda. I can still remember having a Coke freeze in the can, in my hand, in less than a few minutes outside. Darn cold!

I love Montana!!! My friend is retiring over there next week. He's busy finishing his dream home, so I'll have a nice base camp!