2018 Idaho Unit 11-13-18 RMBS Hunt Phase One Continued

[Diddywahdiddy]

More pics from the "unsuccessful" Phase One

Day Two "The Professor and his Swarovski Glasses"
8/31/18. Day Two, early morning. First stop to glass SSE into the upper/south end South Fork Capt. John Creek, looking across Main Fork Capt. John Creek. Access via 4-mile hike from the north, Madden Creek trailhead.

Snake River Breaks, looking SW-Craig Mtn
8/31/18-Day Two. Farther W almost to junction of Snake River and Main Fork Capt. John Creek, looking SW across the Snake River to Washington.

8/31/18-Day Two Phase One early morning, north side main drainage Capt. John Creek, having moved farther WSW overlooking lower junction of Madden Creek and CJC.

Unit 11 2018 "Craig Mountain"
8/31/18- Day Two, early morning, enjoying the brisk and windy air...then I put on my Kuiu hoody/puffy jacket. Upper/South end South Fork Capt. John Creek, access from the north via Madden Creek trailhead.

Unit 11 Idaho Craig Mtn-Looking SW across Chimney Creek
9/1/18-Day Three, midday. Looking farther SSW from north side Chimney Creek across Snake River. Wallowa Mountains in Oregon outlined on far horizon center/center left of photo. By this time, as far as RMBS, we'd seen one 10-11 year-old ram with 1 1/3 curl on left and busted horn "above the cone" on the right...very frustrating...

9/1/18- Phase One Day Three-"Up Top" Washington side, looking back into Idaho's Capt. John Creek drainage. Close to sunset. Access via 8.5 mile winding/switchback/streamside Crouse Creek Rd up onto Montgomery Ridge Rd, Washington, looking SSE into Idaho. I love the undulating artistic patterns of harvested fields in rural America. Cow elk, mulies and whitetails, and curious cows all within a few hundred yards, shared my vista that evening. Jon dropped me off and was about a mile down this remote county road and we both picked apart the numerous finger canyons. Nada.
Later that night, at dinner back at the hotel, we discussed the option of "calling it" , but we'd sleep on it. The next morning at breakfast we made the mutual decision. I'd go back to work and be coming back out a month later...

 

[RimRunner]

I know this is a reach on an old post but did you see any bears by chance? Iam trying to come up with a spring plan and Craig Mountain keeps gettin my attention...

 

[Diddywahdiddy]

What a coincidence. I haven't checked RokSlide since August and checked it late last night but was too tired to respond. Yes, I personally saw a Cinnamon Phase and a pure melanistic black bear while hunting the S. Fork Capt Jack Creek drainage during "Phase One". That's the only area we saw bears. We did see a mountain lion during "Phase Two" but no bears near Wapshilla Ridge.
Best,
DWD

Hope to see some of y'all at the Sheep Show next week.

 

[RimRunner]

Thanks for the info good luck this year

 

[Jdcollins86]

I live in Lewiston, and your second photo puts a smile on my face. I took a bull in the bottom of billy creek in 2020. Worst pack out ever…. I’m going to to chase bear on the wma this spring. Great photos

 

[KG92]

@RimRunner @Jdcollins86 Did either of you end up hunting spring bears on the WMA? Depending on how the rest of this winter shakes out snow-wise, I'm headed down there to hunt bears in late April/early May, and I have some questions about access. Feel free to PM me if you prefer. Any insight would be much appreciated.

 

[RimRunner]

@RimRunner @Jdcollins86 Did either of you end up hunting spring bears on the WMA? Depending on how the rest of this winter shakes out snow-wise, I'm headed down there to hunt bears in late April/early May, and I have some questions about access. Feel free to PM me if you prefer. Any insight would be much appreciated.

I never made it for a spring bear hunt I did deer hunt it up top mostly for whitetail and did see some sign not sure that’s worth much but it looked like it should be good for spring bear I still would like to try it one of these years

 

[KG92]

I never made it for a spring bear hunt I did deer hunt it up top mostly for whitetail and did see some sign not sure that’s worth much but it looked like it should be good for spring bear I still would like to try it one of these years

Nice, I appreciate the response. I’m going try to start high and get into the river breaks as far from main roads as I can get. The steep nasty stuff. Looks like hell to navigate but also looks super glassable and like prime spring habitat.

 

[RimRunner]

Nice, I appreciate the response. I’m going try to start high and get into the river breaks as far from main roads as I can get. The steep nasty stuff. Looks like hell to navigate but also looks super glassable and like prime spring habitat.

That’s a great plan that area is full of people from Lewiston hiking biking etc but they run out pretty quick in the breaks

 

[TheTone]

Nice, I appreciate the response. I’m going try to start high and get into the river breaks as far from main roads as I can get. The steep nasty stuff. Looks like hell to navigate but also looks super glassable and like prime spring habitat.

It’s an absolute beast in places. I’ve all but given up on it anymore just because of the steep. Most bears I’ve ever seen were pretty dang small. Be prepared for lots of ticks and rattlesnakes in places you wouldn’t expect them

 

[KG92]

That’s a great plan that area is full of people from Lewiston hiking biking etc but they run out pretty quick in the breaks

That’s what I figured. That the accessible parts of the WMA is basically all of Lewiston’s playground.

 

[KG92]

It’s an absolute beast in places. I’ve all but given up on it anymore just because of the steep. Most bears I’ve ever seen were pretty dang small. Be prepared for lots of ticks and rattlesnakes in places you wouldn’t expect them

Thanks for the insight. At this point, I expect ticks to be everywhere in the spring. I live and hunt in North Idaho and they’re thick up here. I’ve hunted rattlesnake country before. Not pleasant but a worthwhile evil to access the country.

If I could go later in the spring, I’d be headed to a different area about 2000 ft higher. But the low elevation of this area is what I’m after for late April.

 

[TheTone]

Thanks for the insight. At this point, I expect ticks to be everywhere in the spring. I live and hunt in North Idaho and they’re thick up here. I’ve hunted rattlesnake country before. Not pleasant but a worthwhile evil to access the country.

If I could go later in the spring, I’d be headed to a different area about 2000 ft higher. But the low elevation of this area is what I’m after for late April.

Last snake I saw up there that was more than a little aggressive was up high on a ridge line. His presence convinced me I didn’t need to hike any lower into stuff that looked much snakier

 

[KG92]

Last snake I saw up there that was more than a little aggressive was up high on a ridge line. His presence convinced me I didn’t need to hike any lower into stuff that looked much snakier

Good to know, because I plan on staying exclusively on ridge tops. I always bring trekking poles into snake country and they’ve been very helpful in the past when I’ve come across snakes. I hope the only reason I’d have to get down into the low bottoms is to look for a dead bear.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Last snake I saw up there that was more than a little aggressive was up high on a ridge line. His presence convinced me I didn’t need to hike any lower into stuff that looked much snakier

Snowflake.

 

[KG92]

Snowflake.

Do you think maybe if I’m nice enough to the buzzworms, I can bring a few home as pets?