Sent you an email w/ some reading material...

Sweet.. preciate it.

AgEng06 said:

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goHunt always has really good strategy articles about each state, but they're behind the pay wall... You got an email address?

Here is a short writeup from toprut.com (a free site)... http://www.toprut.com/news/2017/04/03/comprehensive-look-at-nevada-draw-odds/

I will also add, if you haven't looked at toprut.com yet, you should. Their Google Earth unit maps are really good.

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Randy Newberg has a great thread going on the elk board on how he e-scouts and there's a good thread on the gb regarding nevada's draw.

Yep, Randy's thread is a good one. Robby has one in the Mule Deer forum as well about using GE, although it's just a link to an article he wrote on goHunt (but it's free).

shaynew1 said:

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Tell me about the weminuche and how a willin man might pack some meat out of there

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I live just a few miles from Weminuche Wilderness. Was up in there yesterday scouting for turkey, and ended up shadowing 40 elk for a couple hours. Always learning

You can definitely pack out an elk or muley, just gotta be willing to put in the sweat equity. During seasons with over the counter tags, the woods are crawling with out-of-staters, and the animals (especially elk) know the drill. Most people go home with empty coolers, net because of a lack of animals, but because they were ill prepared. They didn't want to hike more than a mile or two from the truck, and couldn't come early and put in the scouting. Lots of guys running around bugling their heads off near the trailheads during OTC seasons. Draw seasons are a whole different story. If anyone thinks they can pick up a bugle tube at Academy, run a couple miles, drive up here and kill an elk... well, you better like beautiful scenery, because that is likely all you will see. If you are willing to do your homework, get in mountain shape, and go further than the other guys, there are some good animals to be had.

If you have never been up on a mountain hunt, my strong suggestion would be to go with a guide your first year. What you will learn on 1 trip with an experienced mountain guide is worth 10x what you will pay, and will save you several years of frustration. It is SO much more than just hunting up here. I compare it to going with a fishing guide your first time on a new lake, you accelerate your learning curve exponentially.

I know a guide (I am in no way affiliated, just friends) who does an incredible pack trip. He can do as little or as much as you want. He has some awesome drop camps set up (and some primo locations), and the dude can flat out speak elk if you are early season and want to learn how to call. PM me if you want his contact info. Drop camp hunts are very affordable, and what you can learn is invaluable. Plus, you probably 10x your chances of taking home meat vs. doing it by yourself. The Weminuche is no joke, it is tough country here. But the experience and beauty alone are well worth the trip.

Let me know if you want any more info about this beautiful place. I have plenty of pics of the elk and muleys we have up here, and have been lucky enough to put a couple in my freezer as well. Not to mention some of the best high mountain trout streams in the US. But that is a different thread...

Depending on how draws go that's the tentative plan. Backpack in somewhere godawful. Any place you can't ride a horse through or over get preference.

And this thread is all over the place so you can definitely tell us about the fishing.

shaynew1 said:

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and this thread is mostly Shayne and Lung e-humping each other's leg, so PLEASE tell us about the fishing.

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FIFY

I know I have an Internet grabass problem. Be grateful it's relegated to mostly this thread.

I don't hate ya. Just giving you sheet.

Is it maybe because your leg is lonely?

Come on in Sean the water is fine.

I'm just tryin to motivate the guy.

How many pigs Ya kill today?

None. Got close to some last night. > 35 but no shot. Sorting cattle in smithville this morning.

+working on uploading pics... sorry

Here are some fishing pics form the Weminuche, San Juan NF, and around Pagosa Springs. All are from 2016.

There are some good stocked rainbow trout in the river in downtown Pagosa (20" is not uncommon), and especially in the city lakes (for family fun). Or, you can head to one of the many high mountain lakes, which offer breath taking camping and some great fishing. Williams Creek Reservoir has some spectacular brown trout and plenty of cokanee salmon.

Creed, CO also has some excellent fly fishing, and it is more "big water" open river than we have in the Weminuche.

Here are some pics from the mountain lakes

http://i.imgur.com/MVslvZk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aYNgAjf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OANzqAi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jHFbSzZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XahAlhu.jpg


If you want a really awesome experience, hiking or horse backing into a high mountain stream can be unreal! Here are some pics form a trip last July. Spent a couple days fishing at 10,000+ feet, it was amazing.

http://i.imgur.com/AJxFxw0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lsK9Cyx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vhMfxtg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Yk3YQUW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Lr3Hozk.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/E0BfOF7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ot8kCos.jpg

so, I'm guessing I can only post links to pictures? Not the actual pictures? Unless someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I was going to post up some good elk and mule deer pics from last year too.

Posters with "rookie" status can't post pics to prevent people from just claiming an account and immediately porn blasting the site.

I can post your photos when I get back to a computer if one of the other guys doesn't do it first.

Thanks Sean98 -

I used to be a premium member for years, but never ventured on the boards much. Had to let it laps when the kids started coming along... diapers are expensive, ha ha!

I'll go ahead and put the links to the hunting pics as well. Appreciate the help

I got ya...

cupofjoe04 said:

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Here are some fishing pics form the Weminuche, San Juan NF, and around Pagosa Springs. All are from 2016.

There are some good stocked rainbow trout in the river in downtown Pagosa (20" is not uncommon), and especially in the city lakes (for family fun). Or, you can head to one of the many high mountain lakes, which offer breath taking camping and some great fishing. Williams Creek Reservoir has some spectacular brown trout and plenty of cokanee salmon.

Creed, CO also has some excellent fly fishing, and it is more "big water" open river than we have in the Weminuche.

Here are some pics from the mountain lakes








If you want a really awesome experience, hiking or horse backing into a high mountain stream can be unreal! Here are some pics form a trip last July. Spent a couple days fishing at 10,000+ feet, it was amazing.

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Great pics cup. From which trailheads do you normally take pack trips?

For a good fishing pack trip- heading up to the Fourmile lakes is always fun. Take Fourmile road north from downtown Pagosa Springs, trailhead starts where the road ends. About a 6 mile hike to the first lake. The lakes are only 1/2 mile apart, so you can camp at the lower one, and easily fish both. Great cutthroat fishing up there. Don't ignore the creek on the way up, holds fish in all the normal places.

Another good place is Williams Creek Lake. Not a pack trip, you can drive right up to the lake in mid summer (forrest service road is still closed right now, so its an painless couple mile hike to the lake). But you can hike up past the lake as far as your legs will take you and fish high mountain streams with cutthroat and cokanee salmon running certain times of the year (small stream, but good fishing), or fish from the lake dam down the creek which is better for trout.

Some people love to fish Turkey Creek lake, which is a 9 mile hike on the trail. I've never personally done that one, but it is supposed to be full of rainbows, brook, and cutthroat trout. Turkey Creek is a between Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass, off of Jackson Mountain Road (some great hiking in that area, and fantastic mule deer country too).

If you were meaning pack trips for furry critters... well, we might have to be better friends for that info, ha ha! Just kidding (sort of), there really are SO many variables that dictate which area to target. General rule of thumb- you can find and shoot good mule deer anywhere if you are patient and lucky- but for the best chance at a big boy, I like to get as close to the continental divide as I can, and glass glass glass glass from a high ridge till I find some to put a stalk on.

For an elk, find some good choke points between dark timber and parks (open grassy areas). There is some decent elk hunting south of Pagosa near V-Rock, which is definitely doable for a solo pack trip. And there are tons of elk between just west of Pagosa, you just have to be very careful not to encroach on the Indian Reservation there. And it can get crowded with day hunters west of town.

If you really want to get after a good bull, and get away from other hunters (we are talking about some serious packing here) I have had most success in the Piedra Primitive Area, but I also know the Beaver Meadows compartment of the San Juan Forest (just south of the Weminuche- you'll probably need horses, at least to get a bull out) holds some big bulls in some nasty cover. Focus on the drainages in whatever area you are in. You'll be camping at 8,500+ feet in either of these. A smart man would look at getting a drop camp guide (at the very least) his first trip up here.

To wet your whistle- here is my bull from 2 years ago (2015). Spent 9 days in some of the nastiest god-forsaken thickness you've ever seen. Put almost 49 miles under my boots according to my GPS. Finally was able to get within striking distance of a big bull in the waining hours of the very last morning. Took myself and 3 buddies 7 hours to get him packed out of there. Worth every single drop of sweat and blood.

http://i.imgur.com/jyAna5d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RhsNd0E.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4dDPJTA.jpg

I've got pictures of some other bulls from around here. Many are in the 225-275" range, but a 300+ is definitely possible for the dedicated guy. Here is a 375+" that my buddy shot this past year- but this was in a primo unit (need probably 12 points to draw in that unit).
http://i.imgur.com/AT2m67C.jpg

I haven't gotten the chance to draw a mule deer tag yet (hoping to this year), but here is a muley that I was tracking last year, and helped put my coworker's wife on it.
http://i.imgur.com/iFAbWkF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4zLIS5Q.jpg

Its fun trying to stalk within cellphone camera range of bucks-
http://i.imgur.com/93J4CL9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TxPXpEu.jpg

You just have to watch out for these- stumbled on this big lion last fall. She was not too happy with me, I got a quick pick and then got the heck out of dodge.
http://i.imgur.com/FVqAHdR.jpg

cupofjoe04 said:

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To wet your whistle- here is my bull from 2 years ago (2015). Spent 9 days in some of the nastiest god-forsaken thickness you've ever seen. Put almost 49 miles under my boots according to my GPS. Finally was able to get within striking distance of a big bull in the waining hours of the very last morning. Took myself and 3 buddies 7 hours to get him packed out of there. Worth every single drop of sweat and blood.





I've got pictures of some other bulls from around here. Many are in the 225-275" range, but a 300+ is definitely possible for the dedicated guy. Here is a 375+" that my buddy shot this past year- but this was in a primo unit (need probably 12 points to draw in that unit).


I haven't gotten the chance to draw a mule deer tag yet (hoping to this year), but here is a muley that I was tracking last year, and helped put my coworker's wife on it.



Its fun trying to stalk within cellphone camera range of bucks-



You just have to watch out for these- stumbled on this big lion last fall. She was not too happy with me, I got a quick pick and then got the heck out of dodge.

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yessssssss share all the pics

Sweet Lord

Really tremendous pics and stories COJ. Many Thanks.

I've driven by Williams Reservoir 6 times on my way to Williams Creek TH but have never wetted a line there. I've been up to Williams Lakes/Trout Lake on the divide (about 13 mile hike) and got stormed out 2 summers ago before I really had a chance to fish there. I want to pack in an inflatable kayak some day and get on both of those lakes. It's an incredible area. Weather is a little dicey, to say the least.

I've done 3 solo back pack archery hunts and 2 solo scout trips out of WCTH. I completely understand what you say about getting into the steepest, nastiest country you can find. That's were I've seen most of my elk. I drew back on a cow last year on my way into that type of country and then called in my first bull during the latter part of the season. I should draw a deer tag with 1 NR point this year and my plan is to hunt treeline near the divide. I sailed one over the back of a nice velvet muley in '15. He should be in the 180s by now.

I drove up to the Buckles Lake / V Rock TH (can't remember if those are the proper names or not) to check it out last year. Didn't have time to pack in but talked to a hunter coming out with his wife or gf. They didn't see any elk but I don't think they got too far off the beaten path. A work acquaintance of mine went to that area during 2nd rifle and one of his hunting partners shot a decent bull near V-rock.

I'm tentatively planning another scouting trip for the end of next month.

Joe, these are fantastic, and even my hatred/disdain of elk won't allow me to disagree with it. And my love of Muleys and trout, combined with your photos, pretty much ensures I'll get no work done today.

The good news is you are at 23 posts now and 31 posts allows you to post your own pictures. So be sure and post your full 5x a day (all that is allowable for a Rookie) and in just a couple of days you'll be able to taunt Lung/Shayne/06 every day without asking for help.

Sounds like you've got some great experience up here! And you are targeting some good locations too.

Summer fishing at Williams Creek Rez can be awesome. Most people I see are just trolling around, and they might pick up a few fish in a morning of trolling. Personally, I target the far (easterly, opposite parking area) shoreline first thing in the am. The bait is schooling under the receding tree shadows, and there are always a couple big trout cruising. After the sun comes up a bit, I like to work a spoon or kastmaster close to the bottom, thats where I find the salmon. There are a couple drop offs, and the fish like to run those ledges. There isn't much cover in that lake, so honing in on those bottom contours is key.

I had a buddy who spent a couple days near V-Rock this past year during archery, and had a similarly disappointing experience. He said it was more crowded than in years past- so take that for what its worth (which might be very little). I've hunted turkeys near Buckles, never elk. That being said, I've seen plenty of elk out there in the spring.

If you keep going up 631 past the turn for Williams Creek there are a couple more trail heads back there, many of them overlooked. If you can pack in and get on the back side of flag mountain (or hike around bald mountain), there area couple really thick drainages between there and the divide. That is some good Wimenuche there. There is even a lake up back up in there, I think it is Emerald but I'm not totally sure.

If you are ever up in Pagosa, and have some time to kill, let me know. Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee and swap some stories.

Well, thats good to know! Mayne I can get off the posting-training wheels here before long. Here's one more post towards my total...

cupofjoe04 said:

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Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee

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I feel like you missed a golden opportunity right here...

AgEng06 said:

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cupofjoe04 said:

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Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee

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I feel like you missed a golden opportunity right here...

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Put that coffee down? Coffee is for closers?

If that's not it, then I don't get it.

At any rate, I will keep the visit offer in mind. I usually stop at Ski and Bow Rack and the Malt Shop on my way out of town.

Oh snap... his user name.

Lungblood said:

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Oh snap... his user name.

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Yes, that.

Or maybe get together and eat a bunch of caramels...

But seriously, great pictures and posts. I hope to spend more time down in that area this summer if time allows.

ha ha! I seriously thought about that... low hanging fruit and whatnot.