Where I Saw the Sun Rise Yesterday

[Troutslayer]

This used to be one of my money spots. It is hard to find a spot with such good visibility in western MT. I shot that wolf from the horse trail that runs along the creek in the valley. It takes about an hour of straight uphill to get to this spot, and that is where I was yesterday looking for elk, then looking for any sign of the wolf I shot. Didn't see either. I have shot elk there in the past and almost always encounter them there. Walked 8 miles of untrailed ridges and didn't cut a single track!

 

[jmden]

Troutslayer,

I'm hearing more and more stories like this one coming out of MT, WY and ID. Not good. My wife is from Missoula, so we spend quite a bit of time over there. This time of year, I wish I lived there...

Good luck on your hunt,

Jon

 

[Slopeshunter]

Very nice pic!

Walked 8 miles of untrailed ridges and didn't cut a single track!

All I can say to that would be, wolves. Maybe you'll get another opportunity at 'em.

 

[royinidaho]

Very, very nice spot and pic.

Wouldja mind posting some ranges some spots on the right side.

I have a very similar spot but its only a 25 minute hike to the spot. The wind is in the 20s or I'd be there today.

I pack in fairly light and stay 2 or 3 days at a time, every so often.

Its sad that the wolf reintroduction has caused such a change in the success rate.

Its going to start hurting State's pocket books one of these days then maybe the States will begin a bit of a push back of the fed regulations.

Our experience south of the ID/MT border is that when you see lots of elk tracks you see wolf tracks on top of them. Or, you see no tracks of any kind especially where, as with your experience, walk the 8 miles and see nothing.

 

[bigbuck]

Troutslayer,
That looks awesome...

What is that around your barrel and why?

Bigbuck

 

[Troutslayer]

Troutslayer,
That looks awesome...

What is that around your barrel and why?

Bigbuck

Electrical tape, put it over the muzzle and brake to keep snow/debris out.

I don't know the ranges on everything in that pic, there is a lot of terrain that can be glassed from here, miles of it and anything on the right is "go-after-able" but as much as 2 miles away. This is not where you shoot a raghorn or a cow because it's a lot of work to get it out. I'm going to give it one more try. I've got a muley tag in this district, and though there are not many of them, the ones that I have seen have great genetics- big wide racks. I haven't seen one yet and am getting a little disenchanted with the whole thing. All of the people who hunt the backcountry on horses have been saying the same thing- wolves, no game. F&G is going to feel the crunch since success rates are plummeting along with elk and deer populations. When people stop coming here to hunt and their funding goes away they will get proactive about things.

 

[Len Backus]

"go-after-able"

I like that word. Can I use it some time?

 

[LRSickle]

That canyon reminds me of one of my favorite whitetail/elk spots in unit 15 in Idaho. We used to see so many elk in that canyon. Then the wolves came. We saw and heard wolves almost every day. Now I backpack into unit 67 and the last four years we've seen and heard wolves. Two of them looked sick, Might be they heard my 300 roar and it scared them to death, not sure.

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

Awesome looking place for LRH.
Great picture.
Sad to know the wolves had hit elk and deer too hard.

 

[Moman]

Great pic Troutslayer. Keep at it and let us know when you fill that tag.