Idaho Elk City Zone & Unit 1

[VickGar]

Are you targeting mulies or whitetail in unit 1?

I don’t discriminate, I’ll take either!

[VickGar]

I had those exact tags two years ago and shot a 5x5 elk and a little whitetail buck in unit 1 (2 different trips). 

The unit 1 tag was nice because you can hunt it close to the rut.  I probably should have held out for something bigger but it was pretty cold that year and I was pretty burnt out at the end of the season.  Lots of cuts to hunt on the E side of Priest Lake, but I didn't explore the area too thoroughly.

The bio for elk city unit was really helpful to talk to - I definitely saw elk where he told me they would be, but there was a lot of pressure there too (I was in unit 14).  I ultimately ended up having success backpacking into the Gospel Hump wilderness, though it took me 4 days to pack the meat out.  There were some guys with llamas back there, but too many blowdowns for horses/mules.  If you hunt 14, make sure you're familiar with their CWD regs.

Thanks for the insight ganghis. I will make sure to contact the bio as well to see what advice he can give. How many scouting trips do you make up there? Or did you know the area prior?
I am focusing on 14 as my primary unit.

[ganghis]

Just e-scouting.  I get the sense that there are locals who know where the elk hang out, so there's quite a bit of shooting on opening day in areas close to roads.  So if those are areas you're interested in, it would pay to get there a few days early so you can hopefully get on some and be in position on opening morning.  One nice thing about 14 is that there isn't any archery before rifle season so elk aren't too pressured yet.  Don't expect a lot of it, but the bull I shot actually was still bugling in mid-Oct and bulls were still pushing cows.

[Bigfoot28]

I’m in the same boat with an Elk City B tag and unit 15 white tailed deer tag. From talking to people that hunted it last year, it sounds like it was tough sledding for elk from their experience. A lot of wolf impact in that zone. I’m happy to PM you with information from what I’ve gathered.

Feel free to shoot me a message. I’d be willing to share info of scouting trips and trail cam info. Anything to help someone else in my same situation.

Sent ya a PM

[leonpeon2]

for unit 1 buy a wolf tag. was out there last year and saw more wolfs than bucks. the wolfs were very skiddish, never able to get a shot. once i got out of the truck they were gone.

[VickGar]

for unit 1 buy a wolf tag. was out there last year and saw more wolfs than bucks. the wolfs were very skiddish, never able to get a shot. once i got out of the truck they were gone.

I’ll definitely be getting one just in case!