Unit 19?

[Farmboywannabe]

I would like any information on hunting deer in Unit 19. We are planning on hiking in from the Wind River pack bridge. How far will we have to get in to get away from the crowds? Will it be worth our time for only hunting deer and not elk? I have spoken to a few people who say if you put your time in there are possibilities of taking good bucks. Just looking for any more info anyone might have, thanks.

 

[springbear]

Good Luck. When are you heading in? I have hunted from Wind river 2 times for elk late season. Killed bulls both times. Have you ever been to Wind River? That is a hell of a pull out of there! There will be a lot of people in there doing the same thing. It is about a 2-3 hour hike to get away from the foot hunters. That is about where you will run into the first outfitter camps, and private hunters with stock.
the only good thing is that it is hard to find a camp site for stock due to limited water and very few flat spots to camp.
The Rattlesnake Fire burnt right up to Sheep Creek this year, and the Black Butte Fire burnt all the area to the west of the Sheep Creek. It is entirely possible that there will be a hell of a lot of animals in wind river this fall... That will mean a ton of hunters as well.
I have not seen that many good bucks in there, but they are there. I have a friend that killed a 216 non typical a few years back in this unit... I would not go without an elk tag. Of course if you are a non resident, it is too late this year. The only thing I can say is if you go for it on foot, you will want to be in very good shape. It is very unlikely that any critter that you get will have an easy pack out.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Springbear, thanks for the info. Was the Black Butte fire this year or last year? I've been told to at least get to the Vinegar Creek area to get away from the crowds, is that true? If so, would that be a 2 to 3 hour hike? Once I am on top, is it fairly open or pretty well treed?

 

[springbear]

Vinegar Creek would get to to the first "top" of the ridge. The trail crosses warnock ridge and that is the first top. vinegar creek is the next major drainage.. I saw several guys in and around that area when I hunted back down from my camp. Something you may want to consider is instead of going up river, ie up the trail to the east, is to check out hunting wind river proper. it is a pretty good sized drainage but very steep. You will likely see some rams, and or goats in there. The unit does include most of the drainage though and most guys head up the trail.
The Black Butte Fire was in 2006 and it burnt the hell out of that area. So there will be much more open country in there. I would say that most of what you can hunt on foot from the pack bridge is going to be open. some of the north slopes will have some trees and brush still in them. I have not hunted it since 05 the year before the fire, but I have flown it a few times since then, and will likely fly it here pretty quick.
I do not know how good of shape you are in, but 2-3 hours of steady hiking with a light pack would put you close to vinegar creek. It is pretty steep once you step of the trail.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Springbear,
So you think it might be better for us to stay in the Wind River Drainage instead of hiking east paralell to the Salmon River. How far would you say that Sheep Creek would be to hike to? If we did stay in Wind River, is there a trail that goes up the drainage or on top of the drainage? I had one guy tell me to camp at the head of Vinegar Creek and then do many hunts to the east. Would you recommend this? I know I am asking a lot and I appreciate all your info. It has helped a tremendous amount already.
Thanks

 

[springbear]

there is a trail up Wind river, but not all the way. and that tail is not all in the open unit... Only the east side is open. it is steep as heck in there, but it is closer than vinegar creek. the fire may have opened that up enough that it would be worth looking into. (hunting the east side of wind river) Not sure though.
Sheep Creek would be a solid day hike to even get into. I can only imagine packing something out of there on your back!! I would think that is asking for some serious trouble... However it could be done, might take you a week to get it out though. I am sure you could find a spot flat enough to pitch a small tent someplace near vinegar creek along the trail... You could also hunt out of there to the east. The trail kind of moderates a bit as far as elevation gain. However you will also start to run into the outfitter or horse camp guys! IF you end up over in sheep creek there will be guys that go up in a jet boat. It is big country with lots of elk. We killed 6 bulls in 05 in 6 draws off of vinegar creek above the trail... nothing very big. The outfitter also killed a decent muley right in our camp one night. I mean right in our camp. I think the buck was eating horse pellets. That was near black butte lookout.
another thing is snow. It will also help! but i have hunted up there when there was none. The critters were much more spread out.. good luck.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Springbear, I will try not to bother you too much more, but when you say a lot of people may be footing it into the Wind River area, what do you mean by a lot of people? Is that shoulder to shoulder or is that seeing one or two other hunters a day? Also, is Black Butte fairly treed or is it open as well? Are the bottoms of the drainages you mentioned treed? If not is it sage brush or real rocky for cover? You have been a tremendous help, thanks.

 

[springbear]

Well... That is the only access point that is dependable to get into that unit. If there is not much snow and you want to gamble, you can get into the unit from Square Mountain... But you run the risk of being snowed in.
Every time I hunted down warnock ridge from my camp towards the trail (ie pack bridge) I ran into guys hunting up from the river. The thing is that it is so open down there, that every body is looking at the same country for the most part. You can pretty much glass every thing from the boat ramp to the pack bridge and then up the trial about a mile that you can hike to in a day... So that is what a lot of guys do. There is also a lot of ground that most guys simply will not or can not get into. It IS that steep and rocky...
a lot of the trees have been burnt. There is not much sage brush north of the Salmon River.
Black Butte used be mostly timber. There are openings, but mostly trees.
something to consider, if you are only deer hunting is dropping off of square mountain and having a you truck drove around to the pack bridge. (2 day hike 3-4 day hunt) But then you better be able to get the deer out in one trip!!!

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Springbear,
So it sounds like there aren't a lot of guys willing to pack in and camp unless you are with an outfitter. It seems that you think most guys will do day trips from the pack bridge, is that correct? How far must we pack in to get to some timber or the timber that used to be there before it burnt? If you were me and only going for deer, what would you do? We are hoping to get a couple good bucks and maybe have a chance at a real good buck because of the rut. Is this realistic on a five day hunt in your opinion?

 

[springbear]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-13-07 AT 02:02PM (MST)[p]if it were me and only going for 1 deer with 2 guys and ultra light gear, meaning after I killed the buck we could make one trip out with all gear and deer... I would go to Black Butte the first day glassing the open country all the way up. then I would break over into sheep creek and hunt up it to the north. eventually crossing it. glassing the other side and all major drainage's. then I would come down the other side (east) glassing the side that I had been on before. I would also try like hell to set up a jet boat pick up at sheep creek or some way to call one in. Shepp Ranch may be able to help you out with this. If I got all the way back down to the river with out a deer, I would hunt back up to Johnson saddle/black butte area then break into wind river and come out back down at the pack bridge.
You will need to be in top physical shape and very good in the back country to do this hunt. I do not mean relative physical shape, like the best you have ever been in, more like you better be able to place high in marathon, or iron man competition type physical shape....
Or you could just hire a jet boat to drop you off at sheep creek and hunt up sheep creek from there. or drop off at square mountain with a jet boat pick up at sheep creek.
The trees or what used to be tree start where the trail crosses warnock ridge. they get thicker as you gain elevation.
no matter where you go in there you will hear gun shots and see other people... mostly elk hunters, but they will also be packing a deer tag. you should still be able to find your own ridge or drainage though.
a couple of bucks in a five day hunt is realistic. anything over 180 is not. to many hunters with a OTC tag in hand. the topography and limited access is what saves the deer. the hunt that i described is not very realistice for two guys two deer in five days. but some portion of it is.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Would I have to hire an outfitter to boat me to sheep creek or do you know of someone who might be willing to drop us off for a fair price? By looking at topo maps and what you have told me and from what I have heard about the fires, it seems that we need to at least get to Black Butte and hunt north and east of there. Maybe I am wrong, but it looks like it flattens out, if there is such a thing, above Black Butte. Is it safe to say, the farther in we get, the less amount of people we will see? Also, the mule deer should be in the rut or close to it when we go so hopefully that will help. I promise not too many more questions, but if we do get snow up high will the animals tend to migrate down into the drainages in this area or will they tend to stick to what is not burnt? I know you have said that you have hunted in both snow and no snow, did the amount of animals change with the weather? I am assuming its better with snow. If not 180" bucks, what kind of bucks are realistic? Once again, thanks, you are a big help.

 

[springbear]

To be legal you would need to find an outfitter, if any money changes hands. That would be Shepp Ranch, I believe to sheep creek.
The main ridge above black butte is pretty nice. It is not flat by any means, but it does level off a bit. Both sides are pretty steep (wind river and sheep creek). The snow will push the critters down. In 05 there was enough snow that I could not even get up to black butte.... I saw a lot of animals down lower, in fact some were two low. If I remember right the guys hunting in sheep creek did pretty good on the deer.
The deer will be rutting in November.
I would not say that the farther in you go will result in fewer people. You will see other hunters almost anywhere. This unit is no secret. a lot of guys from Boise have jet boats and put them to work. There are at least two outfitters in the general area. I know at least 2-3 local groups of guys that hunt it late season. One will be camped under black butte, and a big camp will be at sheep creek. theses guys have been hunting it for years. most of them usually kill a bull or 10 and some deer.
I would think if you looked hard and passed on the smaller buck you should be able to find a 170 buck in a few days... You never know when a big guy will step out, but I sure didn't see many. It is an OTC mule deer tag that is open during the rut.. how many bucks can survie that and ever have the chance at gettign big? Only the ones that stay high and out of sight i would assume.

 

[ShaneR_LewID]

I too have been considering a deer hunt down there, especially this year because of the fires. I hunted it once about 20 years ago in Nov and remember it being pretty tough county. Not really sure if I'm in good enough shape to get anywhere good now. I've been debating backpacking along the river a few miles and hunting the lower elevations, which I also remember being pretty much ultra steep. I know the fires will push some bruiser bucks into that country, but not sure what effect the hunting pressure will have.

The "A" tag for elk this year was extended thru the Nov season, so an "A" tag can hunt from about Oct1- Nov 19. Deer season has been open since Sept 15 . I'm also wondering if there are alot of deer in there right now because of the fire. If I wasn't fighting a cold I'd go check it out this weekend. I'm thinking maybe I won't need to wait for the rut with how large of an area the fire has burned.

Anyone remember if there are trails along the river at all, or is it a brush and river rock trek?

 

[springbear]

no main trail until sheep creek. lots of jet boats though.
if you crossed at wind river you would be walking a ways before you even got to the end of the road on the other side...

 

[ShaneR_LewID]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-07 AT 06:55PM (MST)[p]Yeah I saw where the road ends, and was even thinking of maybe kayaking or rafting across there, but as I remember there is no place to park at the end of road on the south side of the river. Even had the idea of carrying an inflatable kayak further up the trail on south side and rowing across if I glassed anything, which might be the way to go. The jetboats might be crowded a bit though , since about 30 miles of river frontage burned above sheep creek, if you look at the fire maps.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/maps/836/

I will say fires do displace some monster muleys, as I have seen first hand in unit 22. So anywhere near windy pack bridge could be good.

Incidently a buddy of mine and I have long contemplated a raft trip hunt the last week of the season thru the canyon, but I doubt it will ever happen. We had talked with a biologist that agreed there were some real B&C busters further up the main river canyon that come down in the rut, but Ice-outs are possible that time of year. He even gave us the hillsides to hunt, but I can't remember them off hand. Would sure be an adventure at any rate. I imagine some those buster deer will be within a few miles of Windy, unless they decide to swim the river.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

I was also of thinking of taking a quick trip back into the wilderness just to get a visual of what I was in for come November. Does anyone know if a guy can still go back on the trail from the Wind River Pack Bridge due to the fire or are they keeping people out even though the deer season has begun?

 

[springbear]

There are no closures in place right now.

 

[Farmboywannabe]

Has there been any big bucks that anyone has known of that have come out of this unit this year? I was wondering if many guys go back in during the early part or does everyone wait til later in the year.