So I've got a buddy who is working at a mine near Sparwood. turns out he is a new hunter, so i figure this is a good opportunity to make my way over to that neck of the woods.
what is it like over there these days?
So I've got a buddy who is working at a mine near Sparwood. turns out he is a new hunter, so i figure this is a good opportunity to make my way over to that neck of the woods.
what is it like over there these days?
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Flathead specifically. Logged to shit, decimated by wolves, lots of grizzlies, very busy during hunting season. Game numbers definitely not what they used to be, but if you do manage to find something, it’s probably gonna be big. That valley always produces big animals. Elk Valley in general, like anywhere, not what it used to be, but still really good hunting opportunities if you’re willing to put in the work.
If you're hunting wolves or grizz have at it, otherwise it really sucked the last time I was there about 10 years ago and I hear from others that is worse now. Flathead.
Living there, and visiting there to hunt are very different situations. Living there, you will get to know it in much more detail. Plenty to do, see, hike, fish and harvest there.
It is tough going in there these days. If you just travel the main road you’ll see 30-40 trucks in a full day of hunting. There is still good opportunity in the back bowls, just be ready to work. Quite the haul out of some of those back basins with meat on your backs and no horses but the game is there.
here i was thinking it looked somewhat secluded... hmm. how is quad access?
Well i am hoping that my buddy who now lives in sparwood can get in some good recon this summer so that we are better equipped to go. i hate going to new places without knowing the landscape. that being said i spend hours on google maps, hours and hours during preseason
It’s definitely a jaunt out of town to get there. It’s a big valley. As previous post said, if you get in the back areas, you’ll find game, but you’re gonna earn it. Especially if you don’t have horses. Pretty much everything on the east side is road closure. Roads that still have motorized access, you can drive a truck on, no problem. Quad or sxs is good for covering ground or saving on fuel, but you won’t access much more then you would in a pickup. Make sure you got a spare tire and an extra can of gas. I can’t remember what KM it is, but north of the Pollock rec area, on the main flathead FSR, there’s an orange flag in a tree, that is the only place with Cell service in the whole valley. Bring a fly rod. Decent fishing in the river. Or at the south End, Frozen lake is good too.
Not sure I'd bring a quad into the valley... haha. Seriously, there are more road closures in the Flathead and Elk than anywhere in the province. But you know that, you've looked at the access maps for the area.
As previously stated, lots of closed roads and there will be more.
If he’s in sparwood. Why not hunt around there ?!?!? You can stay at his place and be on so many fsr with in a hour . I’m not going to name any. Because I also hunt there. And so do many others !!! No point traveling to the flat head. That’s a rip. From sparwood. Get a backroad map and explore. And make sure you look at the road closures on the website ,There are sooo many! And also make sure you’re not in an archery zone. If you’re hunting around sparwood.