Idaho elk

[Lowke01]

Anyone out there have experience in this unit? How steep and nasty is it?

 

[KurtR]

Its Idaho every thing i have seen is steep and nasty other than the parking lot at albertsons.

 

[Lowke01]

You don't have any Idaho style mountains in South Dakota?

 

[DAOutfitters208]

What he said.

Its steep, you will earn it if you get a bull. It was extremely crowded last year as well. A lot of land got bought up down south in Idaho so there were a lot of new faces.

 

[KurtR]

You don't have any Idaho style mountains in South Dakota?

Been in Mccall unit the last two years elk hunting and the first year was an eye opener the second year we though we had it figured out and the mountain let us know we didnt.

 

[idahohikker]

Usually has low success rates. The herds in the unit don't seem very big. From hunting the area a bit, the habitat looks like it would hold more game. There's definitely some elk in there though. Steep country.

Look at the Caltopo gradient shading map to get a feel of the steepness. Helps to have places you've been to compare it to.

 

[Lowke01]

I'm trying to do that comparative thing with some rough stuff I've hunted around here. You can never quite know until you're there. Agree that habitat looks good. Success rate was around 25% with a bow 4 years ago but on a steady decline since. Below 10% now. Wolves maybe?

 

[KurtR]

where is here? That would help everyone compare it for you.

 

[Lowke01]

Sierra Nevada's east of Fresno. Edison Lake area. 7-10k elevation. Also in the Los Padres forest in the coastal ranges. I also hunted the Little Belts and Snowy mtns SE of Dillon last year. The interior of the Little Belts was too thick for my liking. Liked the Dillon area but decided on Idaho this year to save a little money and driving time.

 

[ndbuck09]

2017 Elk Archery General Hunt Harvest Statistics | Idaho Fish and Game

2017 Elk Any Weapon General Hunt Harvest Statistics | Idaho Fish and Game

6.9% success in this unit now for bow and 8.6 for Rifle it looks like.

 

[Lowke01]

That's pretty dang low success rates of recent. According to Gohunt, archery success rate was 25% in 2014, but has been declining each year since. I'm going to call the biologist to see what's up with the herds in that area.

 

[ndbuck09]

I'm sure like most of Idaho they'll write it off as habitat issues, weather issues and the like. Fact is there's more predators on the landscape, not necessarily talking in this specific unit per se as I don't know exactly about it, but this is the fact in most units in Idaho. Hunting these predators doesn't really work all that well at controlling the populations. I hate to take things to the predator side but a conversation about any elk hunting in Idaho can't hardly take place without it.

A while back, 2014ish, Idaho commissioned pack removal via helicopter and professional hunters, which does impact the packs and sizes but negative pressures from this have seemingly slowed the states resolve in helping to manage the numbers with these tactics.

 

[ohhiitznik]

Its steep. Its idaho. I hunt that unit and it holds animals, but you will see wolves. I took some shots at some last year.