Tatshenshini 6-29 / 6-28 Sheep/Grizzly

[Buckster]

:-D Was pretty excited when out of four of us my buddy and I both got sheep draws 1 in 6-28 and 1 in 6-29 even more excited now that three of us got grizzly draws 2 in 6-28 and 1 in 6-29. I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice from personal experience. We have never been there before. We thought that the first three weeks of September would be a good time to go. Planing on hiking in from the road and Tenting it, and or Bivy and a tarp?

[proguide66]

My first time there I didnt see anything for the first 3 days , only pavement...then the fog/sideways rain/cloud lifted and I saw 14 grizzlies in 2 days!!!...LOTS of goats heading south..look left at the height of land. There's a highway maintenance shed up there on the right heading south..I saw a band of legal rams on the range directly west...saw maybe 30 ewes/lambs on the east side back towards the outfitters place.Theres a small green cabin on the right heading south , trail head right there to..leads to good sheep and bears ( bears everywhere)
There's 3 different cabins along the highway.They used to be call points for vehicle travelers...one cabin on the east side is awesome..and all welcome to use em..great to dry off..BRING firewood..none up there..the cabin owner leaves a note to just replace what you burn...good place to re group , sleep between trips into the mountains....there's a trailhead right across the road from the outfitter heading west and this leads to good rams ( freind guided for him)...bout all i got , good luck!

[Buckster]

thanks proguide, and I assume that by no wood you mean barren land as far as the eye can see. Did you see any sheep on the east side of the highway?

[proguide66]

thanks proguide, and I assume that by no wood you mean barren land as far as the eye can see. Did you see any sheep on the east side of the highway?
Ya, the ewes...you 'may' want to bring a small aluminum boat/outboard..Alsek lake is a fair size and can get you back there to if not using a plane.....also you might see a HUUGE moose at the spruce patches at the east end of the lake and wanna wack one( as well rams)....its not really 'barren'..there's patches of spruce but not much..its unreal country..kinda half expect a wolly mamoth to come around the corner!! .grab a bunch of wood along the highway in the yukon after leaving whitehorse...try not to shoot the 400" bull elk that seem to be litered along the highway to!!...the place is NASTY wet weather in Sept on.
Just like in BC , dont over look mountains in sight of the highway !!!!...proven many times , its not the distance from the pavement you have to go to score big!!...be picky on the bear , its a gimme and there's some MONSTERS !!!.....need fuel , head south , ditch the guns in the bush before the border ( they wont let em in)..beers and burgers only minutes away!!!...good for a little break from dehydrated goods!!!!

[srupp]

hmmm we also have for 6-28 a grizzly tag, 3 Dall sheep tags, 3 goat tags(goats are in area 6-28 B )......

steven

[Buckster]

6-28B thats a long walk from the highway. lol

[Buckster]

I dont know if you guys know about this website, but cheack it out you can make and download all your own topographic maps for anywhere in Canada at any scale you choose it is a great site atlas.nrcan.gc.ca I found it a couple years ago by googleing canadian topographic. It may be of some use for you I make em then laminate for the areas Im going to beats paying for them and having to buy four of them because the area your going to is in the corner of all four maps.

[swampthing]

You should have an awesome trip.Going in for the first time is always tough but always an adventure. I got the call from work to head up tp Atlin next week to price a job. I am getting paid to go. Going to head up the alaska hwy and back down through Dease.

[srupp]

Heres my Gps attatch it to a Dall ram, Please , and Thank ewe..

lol

drive carefully

Steven

[Fosey]

I have a sheep tag for 6-28 also. This is bad but I can't go now because I have to work during that time. Also it was hard to find someone that is interested in going. I have been there four years age but we didn't score. Saw some Rams but nothing legal. We flew into the Duff Lake area at the end of July. The country is awesome so I want to go back, it is usually hard to get drawn as a group hunt and then be able to go. I do a little fish guiding in July and August and hunting guiding in Sept and Oct. The hunting guiding has been slow but this year it is busy so I cannot go. Where the hell is Alsek lake?

[gbear]

I dont know if you guys know about this website, but cheack it out you can make and download all your own topographic maps for anywhere in Canada at any scale you choose it is a great site atlas.nrcan.gc.ca I

Great site, thanks for pointing it out

[bayou]

Fault creek 6-29 side

[proguide66]

I have a sheep tag for 6-28 also. This is bad but I can't go now because I have to work during that time. Also it was hard to find someone that is interested in going. I have been there four years age but we didn't score. Saw some Rams but nothing legal. We flew into the Duff Lake area at the end of July. The country is awesome so I want to go back, it is usually hard to get drawn as a group hunt and then be able to go. I do a little fish guiding in July and August and hunting guiding in Sept and Oct. The hunting guiding has been slow but this year it is busy so I cannot go. Where the hell is Alsek lake?

My maps are tucked away , I 'may' have my lake names mixed up , but was sure the name of the lake on the left side heading south was 'Alsec Lake'..you can see it from the highway,turn left around the highway maintenace shack...you can bump your 4X4 down the old road right to the water...long lake and looks to be able to make it a cool adventure...gets you wayy off the highway into inaccesable country...also would be the EASIEST way to nail a moose and get it to a truck.The natives from both sides of the border shoot the shit outta either side of the highway , saw ltos everyday so nailing a moose with no horses is almost unrealistic....dont know about you guys but I get REAL grumpy if I gotta move a moose more than 10 ft..haha..hores all the way....but a boat and some water would be cool.....I know its a sheep hunt , but its a looong way away from home , maye as well ahve all the tags you can have!!

[ytlogger]

Kelsall Lake

[srupp]

Guides camp on Kelsall..

srr

[Buckster]

For you guys that have been up there is there any point in bringing a quad to get you into the back of 6-28? Don't know if its possible just asking? Its a long drive from Cranbrook.... I would have picked a farther spot in B.C. but there wasn't one. depending how the hunt goes we may stop around Redfern lake on the way back as there is a lot of game around there and both my buddy and I have family in Ft Nelson, and Ft St John so may just leave the quads there if theres no point taking them all the way.

[srupp]

great question about the quads..
Steven

[ytlogger]

I live to the north of your zones, in the Yukon. Yukon maintains the highway and I work down there in Winter. I know a little about the Haines Rd. area but as I don't hunt down there, I can only offer general information. The best quad travel is to the west in the Tat. Park and I think motorized access is restricted in the Park. You can find that out in your Reg.s or BC Parks, I expect. The boat idea is probably worthwhile for Kelsall Lk., but I'd suggest an inflatable or a topper of some kind as the road in from the highway is not maintained in any way.

This is BIG and RUGGED country. The highway goes through a plateau with mountains on both sides varying from right beside the road to 10 plus kms away. As you might expect for the northern Coast Mountains weather is variable, expect wind, fog/cloud and rain or snow, BUT if the sun comes out it is awesome country. There are no services except in Alaska to the south(yes that means Customs both ways) and about 110 plus kms to the north in the Yukon. The best advice I can give you is to research as well as you can and I don't mean just on the forum. Like you said, it's a long and costly trip for you, so prepare well to make the best of it. Mostly the info in this thread is good so far. Expect to find Indian people from both sides of the Border hunting and the guided hunters. Also there can be lots of hikers and tourists, particularly before about the middle of September. Remember this is a major route to a tidewater port so there is regular traffic to the Alaska ferry system and tankers hauling fuel to Alaska and the Yukon.

Your eastern zone is bounded by the Skagway Rd, from Carcross Yukon to Skagway Alaska and there are National Park issues for some of that. I'm not sure that Bennett Lake is good access for you. Get good maps!

[ytlogger]

I tried to edit and nearly lost the whole thing. I hate Vista. Anyway about the quads, what I mean is that physically, most of the old mining trails are on the Park side but I think that motorized use is verbotten.

[Fosey]

I would recommend a tent not a tarp. We were in there in late july/early august and it rained every day. It wasn't enough rain to really slow us down but definitely tent weather. Thank god for the rain and wind because when we hiked down lower the bugs were so bad I had to wear a thick shirt even while we were hiking. But the country is spectacular and I keep applying.

[digger dogger]

I would recommend a tent not a tarp. We were in there in late july/early august and it rained every day. It wasn't enough rain to really slow us down but definitely tent weather. Thank god for the rain and wind because when we hiked down lower the bugs were so bad I had to wear a thick shirt even while we were hiking. But the country is spectacular and I keep applying.

x2 + bug dope!

[BCrams]

For you guys that have been up there is there any point in bringing a quad to get you into the back of 6-28? Don't know if its possible just asking? Its a long drive from Cranbrook.... I would have picked a farther spot in B.C. but there wasn't one. depending how the hunt goes we may stop around Redfern lake on the way back as there is a lot of game around there and both my buddy and I have family in Ft Nelson, and Ft St John so may just leave the quads there if theres no point taking them all the way.


Leave the quad at home or drop them off!

By all means, pack a tent and sil tarp. Save the bivy / tarp for those crisp blue sky days in the Kootenays.

[ytlogger]

Perhaps a hammock?

Yeah, quad use is pretty limited. I've seen a couple of argos but not too many.

[pistolpete]

3 of us hunt there a few years back in 6-29
1st night we camped along the Tas River. Found a old mining . guide outfitter road that crossed the river & went back up into the mtns. We camped at 4500 ft. Shot two Dall Sheep & one Black wolf. Lots of Griz. sign. Good place for quads. Seen lots of sheep as well up from PArdon Creek & also in 6-28
Have fun we had a great time.

[proguide66]

3 of us hunt there a few years back in 6-29
1st night we camped along the Tas River. Found a old mining . guide outfitter road that crossed the river & went back up into the mtns. We camped at 4500 ft. Shot two Dall Sheep & one Black wolf. Lots of Griz. sign. Good place for quads. Seen lots of sheep as well up from PArdon Creek & also in 6-28
Have fun we had a great time.

Thats awesome!!!....you DO realise you have to post trophy pics now for us to drool on!!!??

[BCrams]

3 of us hunt there a few years back in 6-29
1st night we camped along the Tas River. Found a old mining . guide outfitter road that crossed the river & went back up into the mtns. We camped at 4500 ft. Shot two Dall Sheep & one Black wolf. Lots of Griz. sign. Good place for quads. Seen lots of sheep as well up from PArdon Creek & also in 6-28
Have fun we had a great time.

Sounds like a great hunt!!

For those not in the know regarding quads .... the "Tat" is 'closed' to quads / atv's so to speak.

[srupp]

is the other side 6-28 closed also??I dont think its in the park??

cheers
Steven

[BCrams]

is the other side 6-28 closed also??I dont think its in the park??

cheers
Steven

Not that I am aware of for 6-28. Just 29.

[Buckster]

Thanks to all of you for great insight.
6-29 is closed, has been to all motorized vehicles since they made it a park. The caveate I'm told is the outfitter who was grandfathered in to transport clients via jet boat on the Tat, and of course the fish cops. As far as I can tell 6-28 is open to quads but from what I hear there isnt much point in bringing a quad to 6-28 anyways....To far to drag the horses from here, so I guess we will have to walk. I'll still be smiling.:)

[srupp]

Thanks Greg we will leave the quad @ home...

steven