Papoose Creek or Beaver Creek TH

[Addicting]

I have been doing some intense cyber scouting for 2017 Rifle Elk/Deer. I have talked to the Biologist, Ennis/Hebgen Lake Ranger Station, Game Warden for the area. I am honing in on the area and did some searching on here as well. I am looking to hunt near Cradle lakes. I was wondering if anyone has experience in there. I hear/have read the TH gets a lot of horse back riders in the Rifle season. I am not sure if the Beaver Creek folks are headed all the way up West Fork Creek trail or head east to that old burn scar or if the traffic on Papoose is mainly headed north to behind the Sun Ranch.

I also talked to Sandra over on the BMA there about access and hunting pressure.

If you are familiar with that area and willing to share your experiences please shoot me a PM. I am trying to avoid hiking on foot all the way in there to find a " I should of set up a coffee shop" kind of place like Big Fin ran into on one of his recent hunts.

Thanks Tony

 

[Bambistew]

Good luck... Make sure you show up about 4 days early to get a parking spot in any of the places you mentioned Its a decent area, lots of pressure though, not a ton of quality elk habitat to hunt, pretty steep/rocky and timbered.

I wouldn't waste my time with the West Fork. The hunters outnumber the elk there. I honestly don't know why it gets so much pressure, very, very few elk are killed in there. Not a lot of good elk habitat. Areas around the WF drainage are much better, still lots of people.

 

[Solduc]

I killed my first elk up Papoose about 35 years ago. Got to the trailhead late on a sunny Saturday morning Parking lot was packed to overflow. Forgot my binoculars and lunch. Walked up the trail with little confidence. About two miles in couple cows standing there looking at me. One shot and the work began. Harvested several more over the next few years, before heading west. Still amazed at the number of hunters, but still elk to be found
.jd

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Rifle or archery? During rifle season you'll be hit or miss on there being any elk up by Cradle Lakes, depending on snow levels/depths.

There will be lots of vehicles at either trailhead for sure.

 

[Addicting]

I got a lot of advice from some good PMs, I am looking for a different spot as neither of those TH or access thru the BMA to the south seem like they are going to be worth the effort if there are that many people in that drainage. If I have to put in that much effort to walk and pack in there I am going to focus on an area that is a little harder to access so when I get their I don't have to share it with 30 of my newest hunting partners. LOL

 

[Addicting]

Well my cyber scouting around Papoose, Moose, Wolf creek drainages has gotten me bummed out. I found out which outfitter was working the area and talked with them. They made a deal with the Sun Ranch for access, looks like they will have the Wilderness/BLM area from Carrol Creek down to Moose Creek covered. They are booked up to 2018. I looked up by Rainbow lakes east of South Indian Creek but I would hate to walk all the way in there to find out that it spotted with orange dots too.