Willmore report 2017
 

Have a couple friends in the Willmore reporting more bugs and more mud then they've ever seen, sucks on the trail but once in to the hills it's still amazing. Good luck tomorrow for anyone in there!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

wouldn't be wilmore without bugs and mud!

hope they do well

Somebody told me, if your'e going to the Willmore in July, it's gonna rain. didn't tell me it snows as well. :lol:

Grizz

leaving tomorow
 

I know I should be leaving today or even a few days ago but work interferes. I hate hiking in on opening day, I'm sure everyone would prefer waking up on top opening day. Calling for 15-20mm of rain today in Grande Cache so should make that mud a little worse than it already is. This will be trip 5 in there in the last 4 years and haven't seen a legal ram yet so at this point I'm thinking its going to be another good hiking trip.

Going to be there in a month. Hope it gets cool and drier.

I know of one ram down at first light today.

Updates?
 

Hi - Any updates - we are heading in in 1 week... this is our first trip in.

Still muddy? Bugs? Bears?

Thanks for any info provided

My bro and his hunting partner ran into 3 different groups at the trail head 10 in total 12 including them. A few heated arguments. No sheep got packed out, there were multiple sightings but no full curls.

See, I've always liked the idea of sheep hunting... but IMO there aint a critter in this world worth putting yourself through this type of experience. I know a few guys who sheep hunt and hunter competition seems to be an ongoing aggravation.

Kind of ruined the experience, over the years. It's all about getting a ram, very self centered thinking.

Grizz

Not a sheep hunter but curious as to the heated arguments part. What makes them hunters so mad? The fact so many will now be competing for camp spots and sheep chances?

I guess we won't be lonely...
In any event it is the first time in for our group so really looking forward to exploring the area. We are heading in from rock lake, any advice from the willmore veterans would be greatly appreciated

Thanks and best of luck to everyone this season

Sheep hunting often seems to bring out the worst in people. Both on the mountain, and on the internet.

My brothers partner ran into and old partner from years past, needless to say they had a tough breakup to put it short. Being a no nonsense guy my brother just pushed on through after a quick conversation a to where they were setting base camp. A camp that he's been using for the past 7 seasons. The weather was hot, and fresh water was limited. He figures lots of people in the back county pushing the sheep over the summer. They did come across some fresh camps.

Willmore report 2017
 

Going in from rock lake, about 6hrs to eagles nest cabin if you can keep a steady pace. If the rain last night and this morning didn't affect the trail too much it'll be good and the deepest creek crossings will be about a foot. We just got out it was beautiful weather, some black flies but nothing crazy. The only other people we saw were on the trail and the vast majority were not hunting. Saw lots of goats and not too many sheep. Needless to say we didn't harvest anything but as always it's a beautiful big place just to be. My advice to first timers as always, don't push yourself the first day of you are backpacking in, and if you are on horses make sure you find water, pretty dry in there now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sheep are down low right now. Look for them in the shady chutes and in the trees. Infact they should be low enough to be in poplars with this heat and close to the streams.
I'm headed out on Sunday to kill one and hope for the best

If you see grizzly #148 sporting her new GPS collar, be sure to say 'Hi' from all of her Canmore friends :) We got tired of her 'bluff charging' the locals and shipped her up that way!

I've always run into good guys on the trail and in the backcountry when sheep hunting.
No sheep tag for me this year but am heading to the Willmore in a couple of weeks to hunt moose and my partner will have a sheep tag. .......should be another great experience.

Good luck to everyone!!

No, she went to Kakwa, probably back home soon. Gotta keep those Canmorites and their mutts on their toes. :lol:

Grizz

She's actually staying put nicely right now.

Man, ive thought so many times about doing a moose hunt in the Wilmore. After packing out a moose on a solo hunt a far lesser distance than I would expect based on my experience in the wilmore though, ive always talked myself out of it though, lol. Cant wait to hear about your trip and GOOD LUCK, im sure it will be awesome. I have no doubt there is a new Alberta record somewhere in the wilmore, hopefully with your name on it! :sHa_shakeshout::sHa_shakeshout:

Thanks Magman..........I will have horses for packing if I do actually connect.

Has anyone heard what the trail conditions are like the past few days?

Been raining here for last couple days with some fresh white stuff higher up on some of the mountains. seen some beautiful animals come out already but its pretty busy in there this year with people.

Dry. Of course it's raining right now. But I haven't seen it so easy going

^^^^^
Thanks guys. .........just finished shoeing the horses today and pulled out some gear. Really looking forward to this year.

I was thinking of going hunting for WT in Willmore in a couple of weeks. My wife is going to join me for the first time ever and I wanted to check out some place new and quiet. Unfortunately the week I set aside for scouting the area this year got taken up by a last minute provincial exam I had to study for.

I generally hunt 410 & 316 as I live in Canmore and those seem to be the closest opportunities, but I hunted both zones hard last year and only had two bucks walk by. I ended up with a nice 5 * 5 but pretty much at the 11th hour.

I am thinking of maybe heading to WMU 339, it looks decent, all public land and is open for the last week of September. Plus there are some supplemental tags.

What's it like out there? I have most of a week so I will have time to move around and check out the area. I don't have horses or machines and my little Mazda is 4*2. I generally just walk most of the day, maybe too much for Whitetail deer hunting. Any time I tell people I am thinking of Willmore for WT they generally just raise their eyebrows.

Happy hunting

if it has rained at all I would not try to drive into rock lake to access the willmore. It is 45mins to 1hr drive on a good day down the gravel road their. As for white tails i don't know if I would go their. I have seen them in the east part of 440 and that is normally were i like to hang out.

Gbuss

Fresh snow last night about 2/3 the way down the mountains and snow on highway 40.... hope you dress warm out there :)

Thanks guys. That whole corner of Alberta looks beautiful. I'll be hiking in as I'm not sure what my luck would be getting out with my truck if it rained hard during my stay. 4*4 is not in the budget this year.

Are supplemental tags a sign of high population or is that just how it always is in the ore northern wmu's?

Supplemntal tags should of been canceled years ago in many wmu's but we are in AB..., so no don't base population on what the bio's give for tags