General Season Hunts in Lost Cabin Creek
General season hunting begins in the last week of October and ends the last week of November. All of our general season hunts are in the Scapegoat Wilderness portion of area 422. For the hunter who is looking for the "Western Classic Combo" this is the best time and place.
Lost Cabin Creek is located on the Dearborn River about five miles from the head of the river and about six miles from the Continental Divide. Our ride in begins on the Smith Creek trail. We ride up Smith Creek for five miles before we cross and go up Jakie Creek. The ride crosses over Welcome Pass and down to Welcome Creek and the Dearborn. Once we hit the river it is only another 15 minutes to camp. The ride is a total of ten miles.
The area we hunt in Lost Cabin Creek was burned in 1988 in a wilderness fire. This has greatly improved vegetation, visibility and hunting. Since the burn, this has become one of the best wilderness hunts available. We see very few other hunters in the area except occasionally when we hunt the lower country out towards the front. Hunting areas include Bald Bear Creek, Lost Cabin Creek, Cave Creek, Red Slide Mountain, Moudess Creek, Dry Lake, Jakie Creek, Weasel Creek and Starr Creek. All of which is usually a full days hunt. There is no shortage of country in Lost Cabin Creek. On most hunts if the weather permits we will hunt up to the Continental Divide at least once.
Fully guided and semi-guided hunts are available out of this camp. We can accommodate up to ten hunters per hunt, depending upon how many are guided and how many are semi-guided. Fully guided hunts are 1 guide per 2 hunters and of course the opportunity rate is higher. But for a more experienced hunter or a hunter who wishes to hunt on his own more, a semi-guided hunt would be more suitable.
This area is open for either sex elk and there is no brow tine rule. In other words any elk you see is legal. Over the years most of the elk we have bagged in Lost Cabin Creek have been bulls. This is after the rut for elk and the bulls are usually gathering together for the winter. It is not unusual in places such as Weasel Creek, Bald Bear Creek or Lost Cabin Creek, to see a group of bulls together. These groups can be as large as fifteen or as small as two. The groups of cows and calves like to hang in Moudess Creek and on red Slide Mountain. These groups almost always have a bull in the bunch also. As it is everywhere, weather is an important factor in hunting elk in Lost Cabin Creek. We usually have a nice snow cover which improves our ability to track elk. Although occasionally we get more then we need.
Mule deer generally start their rut anytime after the first week of November (weather dependent). This entire area is excellent Mule deer hunting with some very nice bucks working the rut. In Lost Cabin Creek most hunters will get an opportunity at a buck. Mule deer hunting in the area is legal for any antlered buck, although we discourage shooting small bucks, such as fork horns. Reason being, chances of finding something better are very good. There is a very nice population of deer in the area. Our day by day hunt plan is generally made to hunt elk, but we run into deer everywhere. If we spot a deer you like we can work on bagging it.
On hunts in Lost Cabin Creek we provide everything with the exception of sleeping bags, rifles, and personal gear.
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