Hunting Idaho Panhandle for elk questions

[Huntbear]

My brother, nephew and I are looking to start going to Idaho for elk. (it is only about 500.00 for license and tag) I hunted the panhandle a few years ago, but was wondering what the situation was for elk over there.  I went on Idaho's fish and game site, but no stats, just pricing and maps.  We also may be considering the Soldier Mtn. area down by Sun Valley.

We will be doing this on our own, no guides, no horses, just wherever we can set up a camp and hike from, and we will be going to whatever area we want to hunt to scout before hand. 

Any help or tips would be appreciated.

John

[JACKALL]

I've hunted the St. Joe for the last six years, there is a lot of elk and alot of good country. But the last 3 yrs there we have seen alot of wolves They are really changing the elk habits.

[Huntbear]

I used to hunt the Prichard (unit 4) area with my Uncles and my dad before he passed. My brother and I want to go back into that area somewhere.  Just want to find where our best chances are going to be.

[dlaw]

We hunted out of Prichard this past year. And my buddy has been hunting there with his family for many years.  No elk down but plenty of animals moving around and oppurtunities missed but thats hunting.  If you have hunted out their in the years past I would recommend going to that same area you were before. (if there were elk in there)  Don't listen to the bar locals who will tell you that every elk has been eaten by the wolves.    There were plenty of animals running around.  I am headed back this year for elk.  Are you rifle or bow?  Good luck.

[Huntbear]

We hunt rifle.  I know there used to be some awesome animals in the area.  I mostly ignore the locals in the bars.  They will try to send you the opposite direction (no harm in trying to protect your area I guess). 
We had our best luck up past the protected Cedar area, and then up Shoshone Creek in the Hells Gulch area.  Man, that Hells Gulch area is nasty to get an animal out of if you let it run to the bottom  (sorta learned the hard way).

I kind of got a kick out of walking that one trail where it is Idaho on the left and Montana on the right.  My dad and I actually saw a grizzly up there eating on a gut pile.

Thanks for the info, it will be put to good use.

[dlaw]

Yeah, some steep canyons in there thats for sure, we hunted up by the Jack Waite.  We were there archery hunting in early Sept. and between the terrain and the sun we were beat every night back at camp.  We walked out that stateline trail a few times and had pretty good luck seeing elk on the Montana side but only saw a big blackie on the Idaho side.  When we were back for rifle in October we had a skiff of snow but nothing much.  Good luck

[whacker1]

I took a spike bull out of Unit 6 in 2005 - 4 of us were skunked on elk in 2006 in Unit 6, but took 3 nice bucks - Montana in 2007 - in 2008 I hunted 20 days with various friends for both deer and elk in units 6 & 7.  I can say the following with very strong warning:  The wolves are dramatically increasing in presence and the reduction in both deer and elk is noticeable.  In the first week of December there was an article in the Spokesman Review regarding Idaho acknowledging where the wolves are centered.  Strongest presence is a triangle from Weiser to Salmon to fairfield, which encompasses units 6, 7, 9, and south.

I have done significant research on my own and it appears from I-90 headed south to Idaho falls along the Bitterroots and Beaverhead ranges the elk and deer populations are down significantly from where they were 4 -6 years ago.  I think you will see success rates be off significantly from where they have been when the Idaho harvest data comes out this spring/summer. 
If you want to see one of my hunting partners posts on the subject - follow the thread below:  includes some pictures we took during the muzzleloader season in early december in unit 6.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,15840.0.html      labeled North Idaho Afternoon

If I go back to Idaho - it will be farther north where the sightings are much less significant - Unit 4 or north of that.  Hoping to be in Montana this next year though.  possibly on the Montana side of Idaho's Unit 4 for a portion of the season.