So, here is a write-up from our 2016 Fall trip. This is a long report, there is some fishing, some hunting and a lot of scenery. We took Gus out of school and went on the road. There is some duck hunting content – but you are going to have to hunt for it!
Leaving August 9th (so young and full of hope).
We spent a bunch of time in Idaho: the end of August, all of September and a couple Weeks in October. Idaho is a great state for the outdoorsman. We did a lot of fishing in August, camping around the Salmon Region and scouting for grouse for the August 31 grouse hunting opener.
Fishing Panther Creek, a tributary of the Salmon River, which ends up in the Columbia River.
Here is a pretty Cutthroat. We caught quite a few nicer ones in this stretch of the creek, but don’t have good pics. There were also Rainbows and Whitefish in the area and higher up the mountain where the creek is smaller and faster a lot of little hungry Brookies.
We spent a few days this mountain lake fishing and scouting for grouse spots.
The lake was stocked with Tiger Trout and boy were they keying into minnow imitations. Gus with dinner.
Forest Service campsite at the lake. We were the only ones there most nights.
During the early part of the trip there was a large forest fire (Pioneer) that we were trying to avoid the smoke from. You can just the outline of the next mountain range (which should be clear) in the distance across the middle.
Lot of snakes in the area. I got more than my fill. In an area near here, we had a snake come into camp feet away from where we were sitting and I had to fling it back in the bushes. Jen and Skeet got rattled good the same day by another snake.
[/URL]
Salmon River country. You can see the roughness of the terrain and smoke, this smoke was from a smaller nearby fire.
We saw a lot of Bighorn in this area, the most I’ve ever seen outside a park. Saw some rams, but no big ones. Saw a lot in irrigated alfalfa fields.
Lamb and ewe along the roadside on the way from grouse scouting.
[/URL]
Stock/foot bridge in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return. Later in the trip we spent a couple weeks in the backcountry in the “Frank”, but we were excited to set foot in it here first. Wilderness designation usually means foot or horse travel only (no wheels).
Shot from the other side, an impressive wood suspension bridge.
Grouse hunting! First bird down! One of the reasons we were in Idaho is that they have a mentored youth hunting program for kids and since Gus is 9 he can’t hunt in most states.
Boy and Dog.
Trying another spot.
[/URL]
I had to stretch Gus’ first grouse into appetizers/dinner for three – grouse and garlic with dried apricots, and brie on good bread - it was good.
[/URL]
Gus did do some schoolwork (and we did do some work), so it wasn’t all play.
[/URL]
Gus and Jen at Craters if the Moon National Monument on top of a big cinder cone.
Lot of Lava tubes to explore. Some with ice when you got down deep in them.
[/URL]
Surreal environment with thousands of acres of lava flows.
[/URL]
From there we spent a week in the Sawtooths grouse hunting. Very pretty country, maybe a little less rugged than where we were (but still steep) and much more lush.
[/URL]
This shot gives you an idea of the steepness.
[/URL]
Temps were freezing at night and mild during the day. We got our first snow here the first week of Sept. We camped at the bottom and drove up to the top for grouse.
[/URL]
Gus with his first Dusky Grouse.
[/URL]
There was a nice hot spring complex in this area. Here is Gus in one of the pools.
[/URL]
I was allowed to shoot some too. I made a very pretty report double on these two as they flushed in sequence and tried to take the same route across a meadow.
[/URL]
I thought about trying to make a pan sauce from what was in the crop of the birds.
[/URL]
to be continued....
Leaving August 9th (so young and full of hope).
We spent a bunch of time in Idaho: the end of August, all of September and a couple Weeks in October. Idaho is a great state for the outdoorsman. We did a lot of fishing in August, camping around the Salmon Region and scouting for grouse for the August 31 grouse hunting opener.
Fishing Panther Creek, a tributary of the Salmon River, which ends up in the Columbia River.
Here is a pretty Cutthroat. We caught quite a few nicer ones in this stretch of the creek, but don’t have good pics. There were also Rainbows and Whitefish in the area and higher up the mountain where the creek is smaller and faster a lot of little hungry Brookies.
We spent a few days this mountain lake fishing and scouting for grouse spots.
The lake was stocked with Tiger Trout and boy were they keying into minnow imitations. Gus with dinner.
Forest Service campsite at the lake. We were the only ones there most nights.
During the early part of the trip there was a large forest fire (Pioneer) that we were trying to avoid the smoke from. You can just the outline of the next mountain range (which should be clear) in the distance across the middle.
Lot of snakes in the area. I got more than my fill. In an area near here, we had a snake come into camp feet away from where we were sitting and I had to fling it back in the bushes. Jen and Skeet got rattled good the same day by another snake.
Salmon River country. You can see the roughness of the terrain and smoke, this smoke was from a smaller nearby fire.
We saw a lot of Bighorn in this area, the most I’ve ever seen outside a park. Saw some rams, but no big ones. Saw a lot in irrigated alfalfa fields.
Lamb and ewe along the roadside on the way from grouse scouting.
Stock/foot bridge in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return. Later in the trip we spent a couple weeks in the backcountry in the “Frank”, but we were excited to set foot in it here first. Wilderness designation usually means foot or horse travel only (no wheels).
Shot from the other side, an impressive wood suspension bridge.
Grouse hunting! First bird down! One of the reasons we were in Idaho is that they have a mentored youth hunting program for kids and since Gus is 9 he can’t hunt in most states.
Boy and Dog.
Trying another spot.
I had to stretch Gus’ first grouse into appetizers/dinner for three – grouse and garlic with dried apricots, and brie on good bread - it was good.
Gus did do some schoolwork (and we did do some work), so it wasn’t all play.
Gus and Jen at Craters if the Moon National Monument on top of a big cinder cone.
Lot of Lava tubes to explore. Some with ice when you got down deep in them.
Surreal environment with thousands of acres of lava flows.
From there we spent a week in the Sawtooths grouse hunting. Very pretty country, maybe a little less rugged than where we were (but still steep) and much more lush.
This shot gives you an idea of the steepness.
Temps were freezing at night and mild during the day. We got our first snow here the first week of Sept. We camped at the bottom and drove up to the top for grouse.
Gus with his first Dusky Grouse.
There was a nice hot spring complex in this area. Here is Gus in one of the pools.
I was allowed to shoot some too. I made a very pretty report double on these two as they flushed in sequence and tried to take the same route across a meadow.
I thought about trying to make a pan sauce from what was in the crop of the birds.
to be continued....
