Another IDAHO thread

[7mmfan]

I'm coming back one more time to ask for some basic advice. I'm planning on heading to ID this year for either deer, or elk, or maybe both depending on what scouting turns up for me and what tags are left to purchase OTC.

I'm making this switch with mainly elk in mind, and mainly for my nephew. He is 15 this year, has hunted 2 years with me here in WA and seen a ton of animals, including several beautiful bulls that we've had to let walk. He's got the want and the will, but I know that if there isn't any success in the near future, that could fade as he enters his later teen years. I want to give him an awesome hunting trip to really plant the seed.

If someone could PM me some thoughts on decent OTC units, that would be fantastic. I'm not interested in specific drainages/roads/ridges etc... I'll figure that out. I just know some of these units are ghost towns during the general season, and I'm trying to avoid that. I've looked at harvest stats and it appears that the Boise area up to McCall (so basically all of west central ID) has the best OTC success %.

I'd like to have the ability to get off road to avoid quads/dirt bikes. We don't mind hiking a few hours in the dark to get to where we hunt. But we will be truck camping.

Anything anyone has will be appreciated. Thanks guys.

[vandeman17]

I will shoot you a pm this weekend. 

[7mmfan]

Thanks vandeman!

[BULLBLASTER]

Take a look at the controlled hunts also. It's cheap to apply if you have a locense anyways. And there are options for either sex tags that have good odds of drawing.

Good luck!

[7mmfan]

I've also seen and am curious about the early antler less hunts in some of those units. They run Aug 15 - Sept 30. Anyone have experience with them? I know it's a long way/ alot of money for a cow, but I'm more worried about success than horns, and August cow elk eats pretty good!

[idaho guy]

I have thought about those hunts for my son and some other younger hunters too. If you are talking about the within 1 mile of private land only cow hunts in Aug. As you probably know you cant be on national forest.  I have not gone for it yet but if that is the hunt you want a landowner contact is key for obvious reasons. I would start on trying to get a landowner first before wasting any time or money. I am not sure about the central to southern Idaho cow hunts but the elk get shot up pretty bad in the hunts more north so going early would probably be a necessity.

[7mmfan]

Thanks for the heads up on the cow hunt. I did not realize it was a private land deal. I'll have to look into it a little more.

[Mr Mykiss]

Ok I'm gonna do you a HUGE favor here. PM BLRman and ask him exactly where he hunted elk in Idaho last year. DO NOT GO THERE!!!!!!!!!

[BULLBLASTER]

Ok I'm gonna do you a HUGE favor here. PM BLRman and ask him exactly where he hunted elk in Idaho last year. DO NOT GO THERE!!!!!!!!!

[7mmfan]

   That's a good tip. He likes to go crazy places, which is exactly my style! I started my pre season conditioning last week and realized that I'm not 24 years old anymore. It was enough to convince me I need to start doing year round conditioning. I'll be glad to have my 15 y.o. nephew along as a work horse!

[Jonathan_S]

Ok I'm gonna do you a HUGE favor here. PM BLRman and ask him exactly where he hunted elk in Idaho last year. DO NOT GO THERE!!!!!!!!!

Bahahah!  That made me laugh... very funny American 

[Karl Blanchard]

Ok I'm gonna do you a HUGE favor here. PM BLRman and ask him exactly where he hunted elk in Idaho last year. DO NOT GO THERE!!!!!!!!!

Bro!!!!!!!!  That cut me deep


 

[7mmfan]

We've picked our zone, and talked with a biologist for the area who gave me some good insight. I've been doing extensive google earth scouting and I've gotten into some areas with TONS of game trails, but I'm curious if they are actually game trails. Is most of this ground rangeland like a lot of WA is? I just want to make sure they aren't cattle trails and get all fired up 

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Depends on where you are looking.  Care to share the unit?  I might be able to help a little more. 
Things to consider.  Nearest road, nearest town, how remote is the area, and what type of tags are available there. 

[7mmfan]

I've found some of these in 21A, 21, and 28. One in particular is in 21a, and its a few miles from a road plus about 2000' in elevation change. Those ones I'm pretty sure are game trails. The other is in 28 in a bottom with some beaver ponds and nice aspen groves. its not particularly far from a road, a little over a mile, but has pretty rough ground around it. The associated basin is absolutely covered in trails.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Id say your looking at game trails, possibly old pack trails to some lakes, maybe some single track dirt bike trails, etc.   Very rugged country indeed.  Not the best place to free range cattle, but you never know.  You wont having any problem getting away from people up there.         

[7mmfan]

I'm excited to get feet on the ground. We're heading over for our first scouting trip mid-late June to learn the lay of the land, and then again in August/September probably. I've ID'd 3 or 4 main areas I want to hike into and spend some time.

[7mmfan]

I'm realizing that I may be confused about purchasing tags for Idaho. I just checked the tag availability for Salmon zone and theres a little over 560 tags available. Do I need to apply within the normal application period even though its a guaranteed draw as long as theres tags available? Or can I wait until I get my WA draw results and then buy the tags, again, assuming they are still available?

[WapitiTalk1]

7MM, maybe I missed it (could be, I'm kind of slow).  Are you looking to hunt primarily archery or rifle?  The OTC tags "normally" don't sell out but a call to the ID F&G asking the question for the area(s) you're looking at may be a good choice.  I'd hate to see you make your plans and unable to get tags.  Oh ya, the trails you're seeing may very well be recreational trails.  ID is big time with the ATV trails in some areas   

[7mmfan]

We're hunting the rifle season. The tag availability hasn't really changed much over the last couple months, but I expect as permit drawings happen around the west, that will begin to change for the OTC tags. While I'm not holding my breath to draw a bull or cow tag here in WA, I'd hate to invest the money into Idaho tags and draw one close to home.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

We're hunting the rifle season. The tag availability hasn't really changed much over the last couple months, but I expect as permit drawings happen around the west, that will begin to change for the OTC tags. While I'm not holding my breath to draw a bull or cow tag here in WA, I'd hate to invest the money into Idaho tags and draw one close to home.

2016 Capped tags go on sale for Residents 7/10/2016 and Nonresidents 12/1/2015. 
Not sure when the results will be out for WA, but you should be fine.  Although with the season length in WA, you should be fine to hunt both places if you got the time. 

[7mmfan]

I'm hoping to hunt the early part of the elk season in Idaho in hopes of maybe finding some bulls still rutting, and then backtrack to WA if time allows. We will have our drawing results far before Idaho residents can buy tags so we should be in good shape. Thanks for the heads up.

[andrew_in_idaho]

The remainder of the quota that you are looking at right now is only tags that are available to non-residents, there is an additional resident quota above and beyond, that number but as of right now there are 562 tags in the non resident quota for salmon zone, you do not need to apply or anything just buy your tag when you are ready, before July 10th


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[7mmfan]

Perfect, thanks Andrew

[Jonathan_S]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

[Mr Mykiss]

Da frank is only steep if'n you get off the main trail. We're you looking for a bear?

[Jonathan_S]

Da frank is only steep if'n you get off the main trail. We're you looking for a bear?

Yeah and just looking for adventure. Found plenty of it and also a good deal of snow. The Salmon zone is awesome. Someday I will graduate to it for elk

[kentrek]

Da frank is only steep if'n you get off the main trail. We're you looking for a bear?

Yeah and just looking for adventure. Found plenty of it and also a good deal of snow. The Salmon zone is awesome. Someday I will graduate to it for elk

Rite on that's cool....i was going to go for bear in there early this month but now it's looking like the end of the month 

It's only steep until you've had steeper....idaho is good at showing the later

[7mmfan]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

   Good thing my new boots are coming next week. Ample time to break them in and get these legs in tip top.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

LOL, could you even get up there?  We have been trying to head up to the mountains north of the Church a ways, but as of a two weeks ago, there was still 10 ft of snow on the main road to get in.  Im hoping by July we can get up there.  Snow pack is pretty good this year

[Jonathan_S]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

LOL, could you even get up there?  We have been trying to head up to the mountains north of the Church a ways, but as of a two weeks ago, there was still 10 ft of snow on the main road to get in.  Im hoping by July we can get up there.  Snow pack is pretty good this year

Yeah going through the metropolis of Yellow Pine, I could get within a few miles of the wilderness boundary. I hiked the rest of the way.

[7mmfan]

Hoping someone on here may have a good biologist contact for the Salmon Region. The guy I talked to a month or so ago was less than helpful. If you've talked with a guy in particular that you felt was knowledgeable and helpful from a hunters perspective, I'd love to talk with him. Feel free to pm if you like.

[300rum]

I have some info, what are you looking for?

Hoping someone on here may have a good biologist contact for the Salmon Region. The guy I talked to a month or so ago was less than helpful. If you've talked with a guy in particular that you felt was knowledgeable and helpful from a hunters perspective, I'd love to talk with him. Feel free to pm if you like.

[fishngamereaper]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

LOL, could you even get up there?  We have been trying to head up to the mountains north of the Church a ways, but as of a two weeks ago, there was still 10 ft of snow on the main road to get in.  Im hoping by July we can get up there.  Snow pack is pretty good this year

Yeah going through the metropolis of Yellow Pine, I could get within a few miles of the wilderness boundary. I hiked the rest of the way.

Did you lock your doors when you drove through yellow pine...last time I drove through all the locals where eye in me and I felt like I was in deliverance...but really its a nice town...

[7mmfan]

I have some info, what are you looking for?

Hoping someone on here may have a good biologist contact for the Salmon Region. The guy I talked to a month or so ago was less than helpful. If you've talked with a guy in particular that you felt was knowledgeable and helpful from a hunters perspective, I'd love to talk with him. Feel free to pm if you like.

Now that 2015 stats are out, I was hoping to bounce some areas off of him and get his opinion on how animals may have faired in those areas, and if they are seeing an uptick in populations in certain areas now that burns are regenerating well.

[Jonathan_S]

Idaho is too steep. I just confirmed that the past four days. Don't waste your time.

Want to hear a joke? It goes, "Frank Church in May"

LOL, could you even get up there?  We have been trying to head up to the mountains north of the Church a ways, but as of a two weeks ago, there was still 10 ft of snow on the main road to get in.  Im hoping by July we can get up there.  Snow pack is pretty good this year

Yeah going through the metropolis of Yellow Pine, I could get within a few miles of the wilderness boundary. I hiked the rest of the way.

Did you lock your doors when you drove through yellow pine...last time I drove through all the locals where eye in me and I felt like I was in deliverance...but really its a nice town...

I usually time it to drive in at night haha

[7mmfan]

So now we're considering doubling up on deer and elk tags and hunting the overlap, mainly so my nephew has a better opportunity at pulling the trigger on an animal.  I like the idea of potentially finding bulls still rutting, but I also like the idea of hunting late when I may have weather on my side, and no deer hunters in the woods.

Any thoughts/experience on hunting elk on the opener vs. the last week of the season?

[300rum]

I would go as late as possible.  My experience in ID is that the areas get pressure early from locals and such but the last few days are pretty good.  The last few days of the deer season are the best and the rut seems to kick in a little earlier up there (church), the last day or two of the season.  I have always seen bulls including some nice ones during that time of year and only a few hunters that stick mainly to the few roads there are.   

[WA hunter14]

last year i hunted the last week of the season and saw 3 bulls but all of them on the wrong side of the river, some guys i hunt with hunted there the week before and killed two bulls but they said they had to go above the snow level wich at that time was a heck of a walk for two spike bulls. i hunted there earlier and saw 0 elk so im definately sold on the last week and will be there again this year

[kentrek]

So now we're considering doubling up on deer and elk tags and hunting the overlap, mainly so my nephew has a better opportunity at pulling the trigger on an animal.  I like the idea of potentially finding bulls still rutting, but I also like the idea of hunting late when I may have weather on my side, and no deer hunters in the woods.

Any thoughts/experience on hunting elk on the opener vs. the last week of the season?

Go for the rut....over the last decade we've killed majority of our elk the first morning and the second morning....

[7mmfan]

A lot of good advice, lots to think about.

[7mmfan]

We made the call to go early and overlap deer season to give my nephew the greatest opportunity at pulling the trigger on an animal. One of us will be buying a deer tag as well as there has to be an adult hunting with the same tags as him, but I believe I will be focusing mainly on elk. I'm the only one really physically able/willing to go ultra deep and steep on a day hunt. I've been spending a lot of time looking at google earth and the assessors web page for that area. Does anyone have any experience hunting the mid/lower elevation stuff that is trapped by private? A lot of the ground looks amazing, and theres no way to get it than to hike in from above. I'm just curious if there will be animals there that time of year or if I should focus my time up high?

[The Fin]

I have hunted those units for several years.  I would be more than happy to share info with you.  I will send you a PM.

[7mmfan]

As I'm getting closer, I've got most details of this hunt dialed in. One thing i'm curious about is if anyone knows of a place to hang meat in Salmon or North Fork, should the weather be warm while we're there? Just a contingency plan...

[2MANY]

Salmon has a couple meat lockers.
One out across 93 from the airport.

[7mmfan]

I found Pete's Custom Meats. Any others that you know by name?