Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Thorofare

I have heard the thorofare mentioned several time.What is it,and where is it,thx rusty51

Guessing your thinking of that area south of Yellowstone lake in WY with the mythical cutthroat trout fishing, elk herds, wolves and mr. grizz.

The Thorofare

Furthest from a road you can get in the lower 48 (or so they say....)

I'm reading "Elk of the Thorofare" by Bob Nichols right now. I think it was in Field and Stream in 1935. If half the story is true, it was a real cool place back then.

What dreams are made of from back in the day of hunting we will never see again. We are about 100 years too late.

Pretty country.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tho...mp;ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1097&bih=545

If you wanted buffalo, true. However, in the last 30 or 40 years, game numbers in the US have been at record levels.

I rode in there in 1980 on a pack trip, elk and sheep.
Was awesome back then, from what I hear it's changed some.
Still a great place to experience I'll bet.

Packed in with ten mules on a string and let me tell ya
After eight hours and pissing snow and rain your ready for a half a bottle
Of beam

I packed in 31 miles on horseback one year for elk there, beautiful country, kinda rough on horses, gotta use the switch back method traversing some of the mountains and the get off and led on the way down.

Saw grizzly, bison, some kind of horned goat or sheep and a few mule deer, chased a 360 class bull round and round a huge bowl, he was busy tending his cows and warding off a young satellite bull, could never get him to stop for the shot.

Gunner

The Thorofare is a river, but the whole general area is sometimes called the Thorofare. It's head waters and some of the headwaters of the Yellowstone river are only seperated by one divide. The Thorofare ends in the Yellowstone river inside Yellowstone National Park. Most of the Thorofare is outside the park.

The whole area is a sight everyone should see. Probably the best known way in is over Deer Creek Pass. Lots of horror stories about it but it is alot better than it used to be.

The hunting can be good, but it wouldn't be my first pick if a huge bull was my priority. If you want a traditional pack in wall tent hunt with decent hunting it should be near the top of your list.

Don't discount summer trips. It isn't hunting, but they are less expensive offer a great way to see the country and fish. Whatever kind of trip you take be prepared for some miles and hours on a horse/mule.

There are lots of outfitters that offer hunting and summer/fishing trips in there. I work for one of them. We do some trips where we start near Cody and end up near Moran, Wy (or the other way). They are usually 7 days. Or you can just go in and stay at one location. I work for Two Ocean Pass. Which got it's name because of a creek that literally splits on the divide into two creeks. Pacific and Atlantic creeks. You can guess where they end up. This "Parting of the Waters," as it's called, is a brief walk from our main camp.

That got my wheels spinning, thanks for the info. That country is definitely on my short list of places to visit.

How far is the hike to get into it?

18-20 miles the short way over Deer Creek Pass. You can get into the area multiple ways, from inside Yellowstone, up a couple different creeks on the North Fork before you get to the east entrance of Yellowstone. These routes I believe are a little longer but not quite as steep or rugged.

I know some people have gone in one end and backpack or horse pack out the other and have pickup arrangements made.

People also do the same leaving out of Cody up the South Fork river and go over to Dubois.

Definitely need a horse/mule to elk hunt there.

The trail in from the Nine Mile trailhead inside the park isn't bad, but it's a long way.

There is a trail that goes from the Elks Fork south over the top and into the head of open creek. There really isn't a pass there though, you are pretty much right on the peak. This way would be pretty high and then you'd have a pretty good trip down Open creek to the Thorofare.

The trail in from Moran at Turpin meadows would be pretty easy but again long. It takes about 8.5 hours horse back, with only one pretty easy pass. This is the way we usually go but we hit our camp before the Yellowstone or the Thorofare.

Like Partagas said there are several ways in. But none of them are short or easy. I see a few backpackers in there every summer. Usually they are resting in the middle of trail to scare my mules.

I hunted there the year ole Marty had a train wreck with his mule pack and damn near cut his head off, had it hung between a tree trunk and the mule wreck by a damn rope.

Ty, our guide said it was 31 miles in the way we went.

Gunner

Laffin... Great description...

Ralpie, do u ever run into the guys from shoal creek outfitters , tony or Brandon?

Its on my bucket list to do a horse back elk hunt there!

Dont ferget ta pack ya a bottle of liquid Advil fer yer sore arse.

Gunner