Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 18, 2011, 05:24:14 PM

Title: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 18, 2011, 05:24:14 PM: Anyone ever do any hunting here? I have heard its a good place to go after elk up north, but that was one guy's opinion. Whats the area like?
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Machias on January 18, 2011, 09:42:14 PM: Big, steep, thick. I ride my mule up there two or three times a summer and then I like to chase bears in there a couple of times every fall. I haven't seen alot elk sign. I have ridden the Thunder Creek trail and down to Pass Creek Pass, AWESOME country. If you'd like to see if from mule back my club will probably be doing some trail clearing work parties in Aug, your more than welcome to tag along, it's alot of fun and since it's in the wilderness area it's all done with crosscut saws.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: huntnnw on January 18, 2011, 10:03:35 PM: There are elk there, but not many and extremely steep and rugged. There are far more elk in the lower elevations where logging persist
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: CAMPMEAT on January 18, 2011, 10:14:29 PM: Quote from: huntnnw on January 18, 2011, 10:03:35 PM
There are elk there, but not many and extremely steep and rugged. There are far more elk in the lower elevations where logging persist

I know a logger over there and he says, "hunt near the river". A friend of mine went over last year muzzleloader hunting. He saw elk near the dam on the powerlines. There are actually some nice big bulls there. Right place, right time. I've been over there too. Slate Creek comes to mind.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: TeacherMan on January 18, 2011, 10:32:35 PM: Great area, at least that GMU. I have been in the wilderness several times and never seen an elk, they are there but its very thick. I have seen a lot of bears and some really nice mule deer in there. Last year during rifle season one of my hunting partners ran into some cows down around gypsy meadows. But not high concentrations. There are a few places along the river to hunt them, lots of animals around it but mostly private land. Overall a hard area to hunt.

good luck
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 18, 2011, 10:36:56 PM: I have been hunting lower along the idaho border and have seen some elk, but not a lot. I know its really about being lucky up there, but I was hoping maybe the wilderness would hold more. Im just sick of waiting for a bull tag in the blues, that i wanna find one up north.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on January 18, 2011, 10:40:50 PM: Quote from: Machias on January 18, 2011, 09:42:14 PM
Big, steep, thick. I ride my mule up there two or three times a summer and then I like to chase bears in there a couple of times every fall. I haven't seen alot elk sign. I have ridden the Thunder Creek trail and down to Pass Creek Pass, AWESOME country. If you'd like to see if from mule back my club will probably be doing some trail clearing work parties in Aug, your more than welcome to tag along, it's alot of fun and since it's in the wilderness area it's all done with crosscut saws.

I would love to check it out, at least to see some new country and check it out. Is it too far north for the elk or just so massive of an area you cant hunt it effectively. Let me know when you head up there, I will come clear some trail and see what its all about.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Machias on January 19, 2011, 08:19:30 AM: It's certainly not too far north, British Columbia has some HUGE bulls and LOTS of them. I'll let you know the dates when they get firmed up. Lots of good dutch oven cooking and having fun, we ususally only work hard one day and rest up the second day. Lots and lots of fun. Most of the guys and gals are older folks so the pace is pretty laid back. First year we did the Thunder Creek trail which is a 17 mile loop we had about 180 trees down, but since we've been doing it for four years we average about 60-80 trees now.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: bearpaw on January 19, 2011, 08:23:52 AM: Quote from: huntnnw on January 18, 2011, 10:03:35 PM
There are elk there, but not many and extremely steep and rugged. There are far more elk in the lower elevations where logging persist

This is very accurate with what I have seen. The elk like the growth that occurs after logging and tend to stay near areas which have had logging in the past.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Machias on January 19, 2011, 12:07:25 PM: Yep a big fire would do wonders for the elk herd up there!
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: quadrafire on January 19, 2011, 12:28:29 PM: Quote from: Machias on January 18, 2011, 09:42:14 PM
Big, steep, thick. I ride my mule up there two or three times a summer and then I like to chase bears in there a couple of times every fall. I haven't seen alot elk sign. I have ridden the Thunder Creek trail and down to Pass Creek Pass, AWESOME country. If you'd like to see if from mule back my club will probably be doing some trail clearing work parties in Aug, your more than welcome to tag along, it's alot of fun and since it's in the wilderness area it's all done with crosscut saws.

Machias, that sounds cool. Is this near the shed roof divide?? Be sure and post up some dates of your trail work
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Emptyhanded on January 19, 2011, 01:36:28 PM: I hunted opening day of deer up there and it is real thick. Didnt see any deer but i hope this summer we can go in on the horses and check it out a little more. Theres supposed to be some big Mule deer up there. My grandpa used to hunt up by sullivan lake and gyspy meadows and he took my uncle several years ago and suposedly he missed a monster muley... :dunno: Should be a fun hunt none the less... :twocents:
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Machias on January 19, 2011, 02:02:50 PM: Quote from: quadrafire on January 19, 2011, 12:28:29 PM
Quote from: Machias on January 18, 2011, 09:42:14 PM
Big, steep, thick. I ride my mule up there two or three times a summer and then I like to chase bears in there a couple of times every fall. I haven't seen alot elk sign. I have ridden the Thunder Creek trail and down to Pass Creek Pass, AWESOME country. If you'd like to see if from mule back my club will probably be doing some trail clearing work parties in Aug, your more than welcome to tag along, it's alot of fun and since it's in the wilderness area it's all done with crosscut saws.

Machias, that sounds cool. Is this near the shed roof divide?? Be sure and post up some dates of your trail work

Yes we clear Thunder Mtn Trail and do the spur trail up to Shedrof Mtn. There was a crew working, I think trail 526, (I'll have to verify the trail number) but they came face to face with a big ol sow grizz and two small cubs last August up in that country. I love riding my mule up there.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Devinshoe on January 19, 2011, 02:07:18 PM: I Have a friend that goes up there for mule deer season, He says that the hike is super steep and rugged but if you see a buck its gunna be a pig. I heard a while back that carribou used to cross up there, not sure if it was true or not. So im thinking that's why the state put that pack of wolves up there to take care of them . Haha what a bunch of ratards. I've never hunted over there just drove around and prospected but it's some of the most beautiful country around.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Black Plague on January 19, 2011, 02:21:17 PM: last year in mid September I hiked the Priest-Salmo loop and had a nice 5x5 sneak through the brush 60 yards from our cooking fire along with 4 cows...the caribou thing seems almost to be an urban myth....i was hoping to see one the whole time I was out there...good area for bears and in September the huckleberries were going crazy! its a fun little hike and you get to go through some beautiful area with changes of scenery... oh and the grouse out there are so so so dumb so carry a rock with you so you can smack one....or 4 ....but i agree with the others, its a tough hunt especially if you get off the trails.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: TeacherMan on January 19, 2011, 02:24:56 PM: Back in 2003 ish I actually got to see about 15-20 of the caribou in a acclimation pen that was located up a dead end road one left turn up from Gypsy meadows. There was a biologist camp there and they where part of the transplant herd. kind of cool.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: Machias on January 19, 2011, 02:28:38 PM: They used to call them, caribou, lunchbox on hooves, they've either run back across the border or have been eaten.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: quadrafire on January 19, 2011, 02:31:46 PM: Machias
I have a friend that was doing trail work up there last year. I seem to remember him telling of a bear or wolf, I can't remember which. I will have to find out.
I definately am going to have to do some hiking up there this summer.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: wayner on January 19, 2011, 07:25:38 PM: A few years back, we took the road from sullivan lake over the pass. One night while looking for a spot to camp we got in the middle of a herd of about 30-40. Alot of cows and calves. It was up near muskegon lake. And yes it is very steep and thick, but if your willing to put in the time scouting and hiking it might pay off.
Title: Re: Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Post by: huntnnw on January 24, 2011, 07:08:20 AM: lotta bears! I saw 3 last year in a 5 mile hike on Crowell ridge, I read the notes people put in the box at the trailhead..LOTS of bears