Going to Idaho for elk in 2016

[kball4]

We would probably go for 7-10 days in a row.  Don't have access to horses so we'd be in the truck, but I'm used to hiking 5+ miles in for elk.  I could probably find time in March or April for scouting, summers get crazy with halibut and salmon fishing.

[MADMAX]

Been thinking of doing the same thing for both elk and deer

I have been hunting pretty constantly this year with multi season deer and eastside elk archery including the little naches quality bull permit.
I am ging back out tomorrow and will hit it for the remainder of archery seasons both elk and deer
But I have yet to have an opportunity to raise my bow or rifle
I hike in gates and closures, timber,glass, road hunt, spot and stalk  and quad
my worst year ever........so far

[kball4]

I drew multi season deer tag 2 years ago $$$. Archery hunted all September and ended up shooting a buck opening morning modern firearm.  Never doing that again for deer.

[kball4]

Looking success rates and Google earth areas 32, 32A, and 22 look like a good starting point.  Any experience in those units?

[Bigshooter]

Looking success rates and Google earth areas 32, 32A, and 22 look like a good starting point.  Any experience in those units?

I like 22.  It's big country, mostly open.  Way more open than western wa.  Good numbers of elk.  Not a ton of roads.  But there will be lots of people on the roads. 

[KFhunter]

I'm hearing there's more WA plates than ID plates during the Elk modern now

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I hear the area around McCall is good, especially if you only can make one trip. Or try the edge of the Frank church, early rifle tag and I know guys who hike in for a day and get bulls. 

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[kball4]

I see those areas are open for whitetail bucks too during elk season, but it looks like mule deer country to me.  Are there whitetails in those areas?

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

The church should have an early mulie season as well. 

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[andrew_in_idaho]

I see those areas are open for whitetail bucks too during elk season, but it looks like mule deer country to me.  Are there whitetails in those areas?

If you're referring to the "weiser river zone"(32, 32a, 22), those are primarily mule deer country. McCall zone(19a, 23, 24, 25)has deer and elk season running concurrently for 9 days I believe, deer would be any buck(mule or whitey) elk is any bull. From what I hear McCall zone can get crowded too but I've never hunted it. When people say a place gets crowded here though it usually means a parade of road hunters who will bitch and moan about the wolves eating all the deer and elk and you might even run into 1 or 2 guys out hiking occasionally

[kball4]

Think we are going to look at area 22 this spring to get a feel for the land, seems about 70% of that area is public land and a success rate of 20%

[MADMAX]

I may do the same for Mulies in the adjoining units

[bigbullshedhunter]

Ya, the Panhandle areas are steep, thick, steep, and thick but there are a few elk left up there    Elk pops seem to increase the farther you head south and there are less wolves on their heels. 

That is still a great shot, RJ.   

Phantom is right, the Panhandle can be really steep, and the national forests are very thick (very little logging in the past couple decades).  Do your research on the IDFG website (all of the answers to your questions are there).  Some units do not have OTC tags.  Draw tags are limited to 10% of the pool for non-residents.  However, you do NOT need to draw a special tag to have a successful hunt for elk in Idaho---there truly is plenty of opportunity there.

apparently you havnt been to the panhandle for the last 5 years cause they are logging like made men up there. It's ridiculous how much there cutting.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

They are logging lots of state land, I haven't seen much done to the national forest in unit 4.  They need to though.

[WapitiTalk1]

Ya, the Panhandle areas are steep, thick, steep, and thick but there are a few elk left up there    Elk pops seem to increase the farther you head south and there are less wolves on their heels. 

That is still a great shot, RJ.   

Phantom is right, the Panhandle can be really steep, and the national forests are very thick (very little logging in the past couple decades).  Do your research on the IDFG website (all of the answers to your questions are there).  Some units do not have OTC tags.  Draw tags are limited to 10% of the pool for non-residents.  However, you do NOT need to draw a special tag to have a successful hunt for elk in Idaho---there truly is plenty of opportunity there.

apparently you havnt been to the panhandle for the last 5 years cause they are logging like made men up there. It's ridiculous how much there cutting.

Yes sir, the bull in the photo was shot on 22 September 2015.  But yes, I agree that there is a ton of logging occurring in the northern part of the state.