Willmore

[swabs24]

Hey semi new hunter here. I'm planning a late September expedition for Elk and Mule deer in the Willmore. I have the following questions..

1.) In late September will everything be under snow typically? Or is it just the beginning of winter?

2.) Can you get by without a horse?

3.) Any tips on access choice for the above mentioned species with consideration that we will be on foot and prefer not to need to cross a bunch of rivers?

Thank you all for your help

Nicholas

[cowmanbob]

Originally Posted by swabs24

Hey semi new hunter here. I'm planning a late September expedition for Elk and Mule deer in the Willmore. I have the following questions..

1.) In late September will everything be under snow typically? Or is it just the beginning of winter?

2.) Can you get by without a horse?

3.) Any tips on access choice for the above mentioned species with consideration that we will be on foot and prefer not to need to cross a bunch of rivers?

Thank you all for your help

Nicholas

Answer to your first question is no.
You can get by without a horse if you can pack hindquarters that weigh 90 lbs each and then go back for the fronts and the head. (3) Drive down and walk around and look for sign.

[marky_mark]

Best thing you could do is go and do a couple practice trips in the summer
You will know pretty fast what you will need
And it will leave you enough time to make some changes

[fatboyz]

Packing an elk out of the Wilmore on your back is a romantic notion but quite unrealistic. 2 guys could do a mule deer. Even getting in 7-10 km makes it unrealistic without horses. I packed a small bull moose out by myself in a mountain area back to the quad trail. Was only 1.5 km, took me 4 trips and took 8 hours with processing, the meat weighed 425 lbs, small 1.5 yr old bull. (Have a thread about it on here). I have hunted sheep in the Wilmore on foot with my daughter, got a ewe and that was enough work. If you're 10 km in that's 20 k/ trip, likely 4 trips just meat, then the rest of your gear. Neat place to hunt and going for mule deer would be a good excuse to go, elk, not so much.

[penguin]

Good advice so far. I've been in there several times on foot and a few times with a horse. Really recommend going in the summer with your camp on your back to see if that is a challenge.

[Grizzly Adams]

If I was thinking elk and Mule deer there are better options by far.

Grizz

[Dean2]

Wilmore is a GREAT hunt, you will never forget it. Walking in, camping and hunting can all be done on foot. Bringing out an elk however is not a pack out option unless you are tougher than boiled Owl poop and enjoy self abuse. If you really want to hunt Elk there, either take a couple of rental Lamas or make arrangements with someone to come in and bring out the Elk if you get one. The relatively small cost is well worth it.

[kurthunter]

Went in the Willmore last year. spend 10 days in there and Did not see any deer or elk. Saw 2 grizzlies, some goats, and some sheep so far away couldn't tell what they were. Great country for a camping adventure for sure! Go in at rock lake and start from there.

If you actually want a chance for elk/deer there are 50 other spots on your way to the Willmore that would be a better option. Remember sept is gonna be packed with sheep hunters and outfitters all over the place.

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck

[Pathfinder76]

Moose come out of the Willmore in pieces 20k in quite often. Some on foot. Some on horses.

[Smoky buck]

I don’t hunt wilmore and have only fished it. I have done a good number of backpack mountain hunts when I lived in BC. I am more of a timber hunter theses days as I find it more peaceful but I will still take game a good ways from the road

First things first people carry elk out of the mountains every year this is far from an uncommon feat. The thing is you better be prepared physically and gear wise. Good boots, good pack and trekking poles make a huge difference. Train with a weighted pack hiking and climbing stairs before you go on the hunt. This will show you what you can actually carry. When it comes to a backcountry pack out or any pack out that is going to be long and tough de bone the animal don’t quarter

Dean2’s comment about enjoying self abuse is not a far stretch . Even though hunters pack big animals out of the mountains every year it is not fun, your body will hate you, and you will be questioning your sanity at times but you will feel a sense of accomplishment when that passes.

Don’t forget some of those who are packing out game on their backs are man bun growing millennials and do you really want to let them show you up?

Take marky Mark’s advice and do some summer trips it is 100% worth it to learn your limits and learn the area scouting

If you’re goal is to go out and challenge yourself you are on the right path if you are only looking to hunt elk/mule deer you might want to consider something else.

Good luck

[swabs24]

I appreciate all the advice given! There will be four of us going out so I won't be alone! And I think we are mostly in it for the adventure of hunting in the mountains. I will be doing a practice trip.

With that said I seem to be getting the impression here that deer and elk are not very plentiful in this area? Are things better further south along the Rockies?

Also how are the river crossings in the fall?

Nick

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by swabs24

I appreciate all the advice given! There will be four of us going out so I won't be alone! And I think we are mostly in it for the adventure of hunting in the mountains. I will be doing a practice trip.

With that said I seem to be getting the impression here that deer and elk are not very plentiful in this area? Are things better further south along the Rockies?

Also how are the river crossings in the fall?

Nick

There’s some elk in the north end of Wilmore, Rock Lake used to be ok years ago but pretty scarce now.
Mule Deer are almost non-existent except for a few small pockets.
I definitely wouldn’t be going into the Wilmore to target either of those species, there’s way better places to hunt.

If you’re set on the Wilmore go sheep hunting like the rest of us

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

There’s some elk in the north end of Wilmore, Rock Lake used to be ok years ago but pretty scarce now.
Mule Deer are almost non-existent except for a few small pockets.
I definitely wouldn’t be going into the Wilmore to target either of those species, there’s way better places to hunt.

If you’re set on the Wilmore go sheep hunting like the rest of us

x2.

Grizz

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

There’s some elk in the north end of Wilmore, Rock Lake used to be ok years ago but pretty scarce now.
Mule Deer are almost non-existent except for a few small pockets.
I definitely wouldn’t be going into the Wilmore to target either of those species, there’s way better places to hunt.

If you’re set on the Wilmore go sheep hunting like the rest of us

And there is a lot of “the rest of us”. The Wilmore is fast losing its appeal. The crowds are brutal.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by chuck

And there is a lot of “the rest of us”. The Wilmore is fast losing its appeal. The crowds are brutal.

We usually manage to get away from the crowds, although last year was the first time in about 5 years that I went early.
The main horse access points are definitely busier then years ago, but a couple ranges back on foot you’re usually all by yourself

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by chuck

And there is a lot of “the rest of us”. The Wilmore is fast losing its appeal. The crowds are brutal.

It use to be great until magazine articles started getting published on it and then the flood gates opened. I was at one of the staging areas at about 15 minutes before dark one night in October a few years back when a group of young bucks showed up and started unloading their truck and throwing on packs. They had said that they read on the internet that there was good elk hunting here. I didn’t have the heart to tell them they were 20 years too late , it use to be awesome. After a short conversation they headed into the park for the first time.

[Mr. Dynamite]

Originally Posted by chuck

The Wilmore is fast losing its appeal.

.

Especially when you head south and see trail heads right at/right below the timberline, and start to wonder “why am I going through what I am doing in Willmore just to even get to a mountain”