Just returned from a ten day trip into the Bob Marshall wilderness in Montana. The main goal was elk. This is an early season rifle hunt for elk and deer.
We packed in 28 miles and camped by the South Fork of the Flathead river. I was not successful filling my elk tag but got a deer and caught a few fish.
The elk where hanging out in the thickest timber they could find. We did manage to bugle in a mature bull but due to the thick cover my bullet was deflected by a branch.
That was the only elk I saw. I estimate we rode 150 miles on horse back and had a cool encounter with a grizzly bear.
I will let the pic's speak for themselves.

Great pictures, thanks for sharing!

David

Congrats on the deer looks like you had a great time...

Looks like a great trip. Nice pics. Can you walk straight after all the miles on horseback?

Thanks guys , more pic's


A rather large grizz.....

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The worst part was he bedded down in a clump of tree's on our trail off the mountain. We decided to have lunch and keep an eye on him. When he woke up he started up the ridge toward us. We cut our lunch short mounted up and took the long way home around the backside of the mountain, it added ten extra miles, better than havin a show down with the grizz.....

Great pics! Sounds like a fantastic hunt/adventure. Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful, thanks for sharing!!!!

wowza, great country! congrats on the nice buck, looks like a classic JOC pic with the deer horse pic.
seems the fish cooperated , thanks for the post and wonderful pictures. Nice pre 64 M70 fwt!

Thanks for the photo’s. It brought to mind my and some friends’ trip into “the Bob” in the late eighties. We split up with a friend and myself doing a drop-camp and my other buddy going another way with the outfitter. The scenery was spectacular as you well show.

The trip, other than the wildness of the whole area, was made memorable by my missing a beautiful, color-phase black bear, partially hidden behind a deadfall — still, a “gimmy” I had thought. And the other involved a kangaroo rat eating a candy bar in our tent that I startled with a flashlight. As my buddy watched from his cot it scambled toward him and into his bag. If a horizontal human being in a sleeping bag can levitate and spin at the same time, I believe I saw it. Still makes me laugh.

Thanks for posting.

Thanks handwerk, a classic rifle for a classic hunt. In 270.......

Folks like me, on this end of our Country, only dream of laying eyes on territory like that. Simply stunning photographs and it looks like a great experience. Thank you for posting.

Awesome!!

Fantastic! What beautiful country.

Thanks for taking us along.

I'm headed in to the Bob at the end of October. Thanks for leaving me an elk!

Nice trip! Thanks for posting.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Passed up a trip to the Bob Marshall a few years ago. DIY, and was a little intimidated. Should have done it. Congrats on a nice buck too.

Stunning!!

Very awesome. I love the browns in all their fall, spawning colors.

Wow what awesome country. Thanks for the pics.

EXCELLET!


NICE Cutthroats!

Great pics and a very nice buck. I have hunted north of the 49th close to that area, got to get back there again soon!
Nice stock on the fwt, one that you did yourself?

Cool beans! Country, rifle, deer and fish.

Pat, that is my 270 fwt and yes I stocked it myself.
How are the elk doing on your side of the border?

Brings back fond memories. Most of mine were from the east side.

Dandy country!! Thanks for sharing. I really need to get into the Bob someday.

Who was the outfitter? (Sorry if it wasn't guided!)

The essence of enjoying life! Beautiful country, memories and experiences. I wish most others (not the fire crowd) could understand the wild beauty of hunting, and it is not about killing. It is about living the moment and being part of the cycles of nature. Thanks for sharing. I need to get up there myself.

The outfitter was Micky Cheff of Bob Marshall legacy outfitters. His family has been outfitting in the Bob for 86 yrs!
I highly recommend him. He runs an excellent camp, great stock and knowledge of the area is unbeatable.

This trip was about more than just killing an elk. I wanted to hunt the "Bob" , It is unique in the fact the season starts early during the rut and hearing the elk bugle with a rifle in your hands is very exciting. I also wanted to hunt in fair weather for a change.
The traditional pack train deep wilderness hunt was also very appealing. This hunt lived up to all my expectations and any true outdoors man that enjoys a rugged adventure should do it at least once in their lifetime.
Accessing the "Bob" is not an easy task and few could do it on their own. Backpacking 30 miles in rugged terrain to hunt elk simply isn't happening with out stock to back you up.
Another factor is hunting elk in the wilderness is a whole lot different than a ranch hunt! The success rate is much lower in the wilderness and the terrain is more difficult, not to mention the logistic's of such a hunt.

Also unless you have a bunch of well conditioned mountain horses I wouldn't even consider doing it yourself. The horse you keep in the pasture and ride on the weekends aint gonna cut it, you and the horse will likely get hurt.

I am glad all of you are enjoying the pic's and I encourage you to do it yourself!

Oh, and ya my butt hurts from all that saddle time........

Hve lways wanted to do an elk hunt like that. Probably never will, so thanks for sharing. Awesome country.

Better luck next time, but I bet you never forget this one.

This looks spectacular, I'm green with envy. Great pictures and good for you. I agree that such a trip is a must do. Now that I've been on one such trip, I must do another!

One question, is the tag a general elk tag?

BKinSD,

I am a resident so yes it is an over the counter general elk tag. I believe a non resident would have to apply? from what I hear most get their tags.

Nice pix!! 2 of my nephews and I went in several times in the 90s -- but on the East side. I did go in on the West side once. As you say, not the best Elk hunting but a great experience. I'll not forget our horses being run out of camp in the middle of the night by 2 Griz. Great memories.

Outstanding trip and photos, thanks.

Really great pictures and it does look like a heck of a fun adventure. Some fine trout pictures as well. And congrats on the deer - is that the norm for that area to find whitetails?? It sure looks like prime mule deer country. Regardless hope to do something like that one day - thanks for the great post!

Oregonmuley,

The whitetails are relatively new to the area and seem to be increasing in number. Few people hunt them in there. You are correct some of the high country is good mule deer habitat and the outfitter talked of seeing a few toads, but as you know big high country mule deer are few and far between and a real challenge to hunt.

We spent several days up high looking for elk and I found myself looking for bedded mulie bucks, but we were pretty much covering ground looking for elk and not spending as much time glassing as I usually do.

If you consult the record book many book bucks come from Flathead county and much of the Bob is in that county.

I wouldn't mind going back and target mulies but I believe it is a low numbers game.

great pics... who was your outfitter?

Micky Cheff of Bob Marshall legacy outfitters. I highly recommend him!

I'm glad you had a great trip.

Wow Just Wow! Just the trip would have made my Hunt! Oh hope to do a hunt like this one day! but I doubt it will happand! Love the Pics, & Congrads on the Buck!

What an awesome experience!

Great pics, looks like a great time. Love the whitetail and Pre-64 pic...6x Leupy?

Yep 6x Leupy with LRD, nice little scopes

Ubah trip and pics!

few more pic's

Awesome...

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

The Cheff’s sure know that country well. They have been outfitting in bob for a LONG time. It’s a hard hunt and often there is more hunters in there one would expect to see way back in there. If you get a chance it’s worth going in the east side to from Augusta. Different scenery and we have had better luck with the animals. Be careful the weather turns in a hurry up there. Last year with a member of the Cheff family on a non guided hunt we went from t-shirts to ass deep snow in about 24hours.

Mick and Karen do a great job along with their boys. I have hunted with them 4 times and would love to go back.. We went on the last hunts in November.
Phil.

Thanks for sharing.

Awesome!!

That looks so awesome!

One day....somehow, I want to make that kind of hunt.

I think "wow...." Sums it up nicely.

-Jake

The Bob is a very special and beautiful place. On the China wall there are goats and sheep. I had a camp just outside of the area and we were visited by a big black bear that was following an even bigger Griz. Fish & game trapped the black bear but the grizzly eluded them. I just hope the current regime doesn't open up this area for mining and drilling.

Dont know how I missed this Post. Looks like about as good a time as a fella could have. Beautiful Country. Nice rifle and great choice on the scope.

Beautiful country. Congratulations on a fine buck.

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

Took me awhile to clue in that hunting the 'bob' meant Bob Marshall Wilderness and not taking a 257 'Bob' out for a hunt...

Still great pics and thanks for sharing. The Flathead river country really is beautiful wilderness.

Great pictures, IRFUBAR. Check you private messages, please.

L.W.

Great pics! I’m beyond jealous.

Just noticed this, what a trip!!! Never been in there, hunted the “front” a couple times, one of the most amazing places I’ve been!!! Great pics too!!!

Thanks Jman,

It was all I could do to pry my chunt off the couch.... psst don't tell Stick, he might call me names .. ha ha

I love the Bob!

Thanks for sharing your story...

Some very cool pics, what a place. Looks like a nice mature buck you got there.

Love this rifle and photo... simply fantastic.

Thanks for sharing and congrats on an awesome hunt.

You wild bitch.

It was amazing Flave. Getting off the couch was kinda scary though.......

Gorgeous!

Thanks for the great story and pictures, irfubar. Has to be the hunt of a lifetime regardless of what you get. Beautiful country.

^^^^This in spades, stunningly beautiful country that I could gaze at for days on end. WOW

Doesn't look like there was much for those elk to eat way back there.

The river bottom is actually their winter range and it has decent grass and meadows. The winter range is what dictates elk carry capacity. No two ways about it the elk have a tough life back there.

28 miles sounds deep! Longest I’ve ever been on a horse is about 28 minutes. Lol.


Was a bit surprised by the whitetail as well. Great looking buck!

Awesome! Awesomely! Awesomeness!
Brian, that looked like an incredible hunt. 150 miles on horseback; you must be walking bow legged back to your couch. Nice deer, too taken with your gay pride 270 Win.

I’m bathing in 68-70 degree sunshine deer hunting and my 270 WSM hasn’t had a chance to bark yet...Rain and cooler temperatures coming net week- Fingers crossed...Thanks for sharing your hunt. 😎

I'm calling bullshiit on this whole trip!!!!!! There is no way a Leopold held zero whilst be carried that far on horsess!!!!

Fantastic trip. I don’t know how I missed this. Thanks for posting. I can’t imagine 150 miles on a horse, but it’s got to be better than walking!


And for the record...

Great pictures of beautiful country! Looks like you had quite an adventure and memories of a trip that will last a lifetime. Thanks for sharing!

yes ! great pictures ! thank you for showing all these wonderful pictures ! nice buck too ! Pete53

I had to take another look at those PIC's they are that good.

Wow man just stunning what a dream come true kind of experience congratulations!

Glad you guys are enjoying the pic's.

Judman, it is simply a miracle the Leupold maintained zero, even fell out of the scabbard once and landed on the scope, checked it the next day, dead on!

Kingston, The horse on the couch is too funny, I bet Stick will enjoy that.........

Beav, good luck on your deer hunt, using a gay rifle and being in Oregon earns you extra points...

efw, I enjoyed seeing your Mt. pic's with your son, you visited many of my old stomping grounds a brought back fond memories. Thank you!

Great pics and congrats on a fantastic buck!!

Very nice. I have hunted several western states for elk but, sadly, never made it to the Bob. That ship has sailed.

Great pictures and write up.

donsm70

[quote=irfubar]


That would be a little nerve wracking riding that narrow trail after seeing a Grizz....

Wolves must have kilt all the elk.

enjoyed the pics a lot thank you for posting .got any more??

Got a few more pic's,



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This one is for Stick, he likes bear pic's.... this is a real bear, hint....

[url=https://postimg.cc/gx9jX5TZ]

irfubar-

Great picts - thanks for sharing your hunt with us.
Nice work on the deer too.