Fortification Creek Mule Deer-Access

[crcountry]

Hello Everyone-

Anyone MD hunt the Fort Creek (proposed) wilderness area for mule deer? Is it possible to float the powder river, gain access to the BLM, and then float south to the next bridge? I spoke with the game manager, Heather, and she said the Floyd's and Hayden's shoot some dandy's off their giant private ranches. I think the Hayden's were voted best ranchers in that district in terms of game management. Is there any "new" public access points into that wild country? We're sitting on max points, and I think the western part of the state is in dire straits in terms of deer...so why waste points when it may never come back. If we have a legit chance to hunt 170"+ bucks in an area with extreme access issues, I'd rather go east. I've tossed around the idea to draw an elk tag in there this year, but I don't want to pack 300+lbs of meat 6 miles over hill country back to a road....a deer pack-out is very doable. Google earth makes that country look very tame btw! 6500' peak elevation?!? Not too extreme to me. I don't know why the locals and F&G call this area "extreme" rough country!?!? I've seen pictures of this country, and it doesn't look bad to me considering some of the places I've hunted!

Any comments? Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
Thxs-
chris

 

[TOPGUN]

From what I've seen of that country hunting it right south of the freeway years ago, I think you would have two major problems. First, is that I don't think much of the river is even navigable to float it like you're talking about. Second, I just looked on my CD ROM and zoomed in on the entire length of it up though that whole elk/deer unit. It doesn't appear that there is hardly any place that it touchs or goes directly through public land where you could get out to hunt if it is navigable. I wasn't aware the F&G puts a label on an area like Eastmans does as far as calling it extremely rough like you mention, but they do asterisk all the areas they consider as having poor public access. Sometimes I have wondered how they come up with those calls though when I know some of the areas they are talking about and have hunted them. With the computer map programs and now with the newer GPS equipment and chips available that show land ownership, it is becoming easier to hunt more of the public lands. If a person has the time to do their homework on the computer and then the ability to walk or pack in a fair distance from legal access points, there is a lot of good public lands to hunt. If you want to take the chance right now and corner jump, or even better if the courts would ever make that legal, it would open up jillions of spots and acreage for us to hunt on OUR lands.
If you have found particular spots along there that you think might be workable you could send me a PM or email. I could hone in on it/them with my computer program and give you a better idea of what it/they might present. It would be kept in confidence and I have no plans of ever hunting east of the BigHorns in Wyoming again as I have my honeyholes for deer, elk, and antelope!!!