Wilderness Drop Camps
Hunt elk rut deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Circle 8 Early Season Drop Camps
The early season drop camps are in an early-opener area, where you can hunt elk, deer, bear with rifle starting in September. Our hunting camp for this is at the head end of the Strawberry Creek drainage. This camp is close to the continental divide and just over Badger Pass on the west slopes. It is in District 150 in the Flathead National Forest in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. As with all backcountry camps, this area is accessed by horseback and pack mule train. Our camps are clean, efficient, and well equipped to support a true wilderness hunt.
Strawberry Creek Camp
Type
Major Drainage to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River
Available Game
Elk, mule deer, black bear
Status
2017 burn area
2004 old growth timber burn
Overview
This hunting camp is on a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River at the head end of Strawberry Creek. This valley is about 14 miles long, and our camp sits in the top end of last 2 miles. It is a broad glacially carved valley with a mix of fresh burn (2017), old burn (2004), and old growth timber. The ridges are mainly open. The continental divide is 2 miles north, and here is a low pass dropping you either into the South Fork Badger Creek or Beaver Lake and Cox Creek. It is approximately a 8-hour ride from the nearest trailhead.
Camp Size
We typically limit the size of the early season unguided hunting camps to four hunters per trip. We do not aggregate unguided hunters into a hunt. Therefore, the camp is your private party for that week. We have a minimum of 2 hunters per hunt.
Accommodations & Transporation
We provide a set-up camp with at least one large wall tent, cots, wood stove, propane stove, table, and kitchen/meal preparation utensils. There is also a meat pole near the camp for hanging harvested meat. Unguided hunters are responsible for their own provisions, however we do supply bear proof boxes for storing dry goods. We pack you and your gear into Strawberry Camp with riding and packstock. Our staff generally stays the night before pulling out with all the stock. We will pick you up at the end of your trip. If you harvest game during the hunt you will need to contact us immediately with satellite enabled devices so we can coordinate picking up the meat for delivery out of the mountains.
Drop Camp Rates
Hunt Type |
Season |
Dates |
Price |
Availability |
| Unguided | Early rifle season | 9/13 – 9/21 | $3,300 per person | CLOSED |
| Unguided | Early rifle season | 9/23 – 9/30 | $3,300 per person | OPEN |
* 5 Day Minimum, price reflects 5 day hunt
** Note: Unguided hunts require a 2-person minimum in party.