floating the middle fork salmon

[eLightfoot]

anybody here done this hunt for mule deer? My buddy has already floated the river during summer before. Now he is trying to put a hunt together. Just curious to hear from others who have done this hunt. are there deer near the river before rut/cold weather? Best time to do it? Are flows likely to be low and slow/ pushing raft? I know the country is wicked and really looking for an adventure as much as a hunt. Hes talking about putting in at indian creek and take out at Cashe bar.

 

[IdahoElk]

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Check out American Whitewater and Mountain Buzz to see if there is a trip report from someone who has done that float around the dates you are looking for. I would definitely check with the USFS and tell them your plans as well. Having done other late season float trips around the West I'll caution on a few things I've encountered. At low water outside of the typical boating season/flows, some rapids get easier but many get much more difficult with new exposed obstacles and channels narrowing. Even if your friend did it in summer it could be a much different river at 1/2 of the water or less. If you go late enough ice formation could become an issue, and could even form while you are there with the right conditions. Combining a class 3 / 4 wilderness river trip with a big game hunt certainly qualifies as an adventure! For your sake though, I hope you guys are all expert experienced boaters to attempt this. If so go get em' and good luck!

 

[idahohikker]

Not sure there’s much of a need to float it, especially with nonresidents limited these days. If you want to great, but otherwise just fly into a strip and hike hard to get up and away from the crowd a little bit. You can also cross the river with a little raft or whatever. I’ve done it in mid November.

You’ll get in some deer but not many big bucks. The smart old ones stay away from access points and high. The habitat limitations in the baolith rocky soils prevents good antler growth and most bucks top out in the 150-160” range. Very occasional big guys. I’m tight with some guys who do surveys and I’ve looked at all the outfitter sites back there.

It’ll be a lot of fun either way if you’re into the experience more than the hunting and like big country and near vertical slopes where you’ll need to use your hands sometimes.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

From my dad... did this in ‘01.
had rafted the river 2 times before in summer.
November, 0 degrees, chipping the raft off of the sandy beach because the water had frozen it solid.

Buried his buddy in a mid sized hole up to his head, they had to stop immediately and start a fire. He was on the verge of hypothermia.

The river is almost exactly the same as it is in late July. It’s a little higher than it is in August. Gotta have a way to dry your gear.

Not to discourage you... I’m going to do this someday. Just have to find a hunting partner to do it with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[eLightfoot]

If this happens we would have a good size group. Few guys who are basically non hunters, and a few guys who are very tough hunters. The guys own 3 rafts. They are talking about hunting in September but I doubt we’d be on bucks that early.

 

[idahohikker]

If this happens we would have a good size group. Few guys who are basically non hunters, and a few guys who are very tough hunters. The guys own 3 rafts. They are talking about hunting in September but I doubt we’d be on bucks that early.

If this happens we would have a good size group. Few guys who are basically non hunters, and a few guys who are very tough hunters. The guys own 3 rafts. They are talking about hunting in September but I doubt we’d be on bucks that early.

September would be a way better boating experience. Plan on climbing 4000”ish feet to get to the bucks and they’ll be scattered and fairly hard to find. Should be light pressure.

 

[eLightfoot]

Lol only 4000ft, that’s pretty outrageous

 

[idahohikker]

Lol only 4000ft, that’s pretty outrageous

Yeah it is pretty crazy. You’re looking at +/- 4000 feet at the river to 8000 feet where the animals are at early season.