Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 66

Chad Hurst with his four point
mule deer he found in a steep
draw above the Salmon River in
Idaho’s backcountry.
Opposite, the Middle Fork of the
Salmon River cuts deep in the
Idaho mountains. This is steep
country with breathtaking vistas at
every bend of the river.
64
WESTERN HUNTING JOURNAL
friends. I helped both Kyle
and Chad with the chore of
hauling their deer back to our
basecamp. Kyle’s found us ar-
riving well after dark to a cold
tent but Chad had harvested
his buck in the morning and
it was mid-day when we got
down to the runway. Finally
coming into camp with the last
heavy load; eager to head down
to the hot springs only to find
a pilot talking to other hunt-
ers. He asked if we were the
camp wanting out on Friday
and then said that a big storm
was expected to arrive late
Wednesday and possibly stay
through the weekend making
flying impossible. Deciding to
fly Wednesday morning meant
one day to fill my deer tag.
Weather is the most unpre-
dictable part of this hunt. Of
course, storms bring snow and
animals migrate down from the
high country. But it also means
that planes can’t fly; a remind-
er from the previous flight
when one pilot tried to get the
final guys into deer camp. Long
range weather forecasts will
give you an idea on the possi-
bilities of canceled flights but
once weather sets in the delays
have a domino effect since it is
first come first serve on reser-
vations. More than once I have
sat in the bush pilot’s office on
clear days missing my sched-
uled flying date as the groups
before that were weather de-
layed bumped our group. It is
always recommended to add
a few days before and after the
trip for weather delays.