Idaho DIY Backpack Hunt

[livingandlearning]

Hey everyone,

Long time reader here but first time posting. 2017 will be the year of my first western hunt ever. After doing some reading on the rules and regulations for several of the states that offer OTC elk hunting opportunities, I have settled on Idaho. There are two main reasons for choosing Idaho. The first is that my elk tag could be good for not only elk but also, a bear, mountain lion, or wolf. The second would be for the scenery/ruggedness of the state. In the reading I have done the consensus seems to be that it is steep, with fewer hunters than some other states, but also fewer elk.

After a couple of years of only talking about it with buddies and constantly being given multiple excuses on why they can't (won't) do one, I have decided to just go at it myself. I will be doing this trip solo, with a bow, during the third week of September. My main goal for this trip is to learn how to backpack hunt and lay eyes/ears on a bugling elk. Getting close enough for a shot would just be icing on the cake!

I have read many of the gear threads here and started acquiring the gear already. I plan to have the gear to make this happen during, or before, the summer of 2017. So far I have the boots (Meindl "perfekt" Hunters bought in 2013), my pack has been ordered (kifaru rekoning), and I own many pieces of the first lite line. As of now I am planning on my three biggest purchases being boots, pack, and a gps. Is there anything else I should add or take away as far as gear that I should not skimp on? I plan to camp and hunt for as many days straight as I can stand before possibly taking a break and heading into town for a good meal and a night’s rest in a real bed. Any thoughts, comments, concerns, or advice here is appreciated.

Another thing I would like from you all is a little push in the right direction as to what Idaho elk zone is going to give me the best chance at achieving my goal. My thoughts and focus so far has been for the Salmon Region of Idaho. I am looking to be able to get away from roads and hunters (even if it means sacrificing animal numbers). I have yet to decide which particular unit in this region but have been looking at 21 and 21A. From your guy’s experience would this unit give me the type of hunt I am looking for? If there are other regions and/or units you all would recommend looking into, I am all ears. I have plenty of other questions and I am sure I’m leaving some important info out but wanted to keep this first post relatively short just to be able to start getting feedback from you all. I appreciate any comments or advice you folks are willing to give.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Test your gear b4 you go. I slept in the yard the other nite for a little while and my bag kept slipping off the pad on a 3 degree slope. There are fixes for that and I plan to implement them. I am pretty sure you can get a second elk tag if the first is used on non elk game.

 

[theleo91386]

You're diving into the deep end without ever having gone swimming. Going it solo and hauling everything on your back means you won't be "getting away" from hunters. At best you'll end up camping at the edge of where the guys that camp at trailheads hunt and you'll hunt back towards them. A camp at a trailhead with two or three guys will be able to range out further than the guy backpacking in solo.

 

[durangobrad]

You're diving into the deep end without ever having gone swimming. Going it solo and hauling everything on your back means you won't be "getting away" from hunters. At best you'll end up camping at the edge of where the guys that camp at trailheads hunt and you'll hunt back towards them. A camp at a trailhead with two or three guys will be able to range out further than the guy backpacking in solo.

This is certainly not true and there are a handful of ways a solo backpacker can go farther than car campers. You can have horse packers or guys with frame packs on call. I solo backpack hunt and always have friends with packs or horses that will be able to help me out when the time comes.

 

[durangobrad]

And to keep this on your topic of gear and not to derail you by telling you your doing it wrong, Id say dont skimp on your sleep system either. This is an area where you can save lots of weight and be as comfortable as possible. get a good thick/light inflatable pad and I recommend trying out a quilt instead of sleeping bag. They save you weight and size and most find that its more comfortable than being constricted by a sleeping bag.

 

[theleo91386]

This is certainly not true and there are a handful of ways a solo backpacker can go farther than car campers. You can have horse packers or guys with frame packs on call. I solo backpack hunt and always have friends with packs or horses that will be able to help me out when the time comes.

Those are all well and possible but are not what the OP is describing. His buddies are staying home, he has only scouted via the internet, and said DIY. He could call an outfitter to pack his elk out but that would counter the DIY statement and not having good friends in the area means he's limited on how far he can pack meat because strangers can be unreliable for packing help. You have to plan on worst case scenario and not rely on unaccounted variables to save your hunt.

 

[Northernpiker]

A good tent, sleeping bag and pad are very important. You can do this trip and have a good time. A communication device would be nice also, maybe combined with your GPS. Plan an area and have some backup areas. If you're planning on packing your harvest out(can happen), just remember that when you're walking in. Get in great shape and keep a positive attitude. It's an adventure you'll want to do again and again(probably).

 

[Felix40]

A solo backpacker can certainly go further than car campers. That is a fact. You better be ready for some work though.

I'm going to second trying a quilt and getting a decent pad. Something insulated would be ideal. Imo klymit is the best bang for your buck.

I don't even bring a gps anymore. I have Gaia on my phone and a battery to charge it at night. If you want to play it safe you could bring an inexpensive gps as a backup.

And don't wear cotton. Prana zions or decent hiking pants will change your life.

 

[durangobrad]

Optics, most important piece of equipment. Can't kill anything if you can't find it. Being solo i would try to find a horse packer that will get your elk out of the woods, hard to pack out an entire elk solo before it spoils. Third week of September is smart, should be close to peak rut and moon phase should be getting shorter. Good luck.

I think if your really just looking for basics especially if Idaho is as thick as it sounds you could probably get away without any optics? Especially if your not being overly picky about trophy size. I can find and see elk from quite a ways away with the naked eye. When optics really come to play is judging quality.

 

[Northernpiker]

I think if your really just looking for basics especially if Idaho is as thick as it sounds you could probably get away without any optics? Especially if your not being overly picky about trophy size. I can find and see elk from quite a ways away with the naked eye. When optics really come to play is judging quality.

I agree, but it's nice to have a pair of Bino's along( even if they are not top notch).

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Idaho is not thick everywhere. Up north yes. Central and southern are open to thickish, varies alot. Plan on covering a bunch of country just trying to figure out where the elk are. Also don't get to far in there on your first go. Elk are big and heavy and if it is warm meat loss is an issue.
Look into some of the draw areas also. Might as well put in! Many of the draw rifle areas are otc for archery season too

 

[JollyRoger]

Where I was at a spotter would not have been very useful... I also didnt get into many elk this year so take that for what it's worth.

As for the unit... take your pick. There's elk all over the state and the units cover a lot of area. Choose whatever looks best to you and go for it. It's unlikely you'll get anything too specific, and even if you do it's never a guarantee.

For your prep, make sure you are in shape. Not gym shape, but walking mountains shape. I dont know where you're coming from, but a pack with some weight in it and going for a few miles or a good while on the stair master will pay off.

 

[elkyinzer]

Welcome to RS. I don't know where you are coming from or what your experience is, so I'll through out a few caveats. There are some very remote areas of Idaho. I was not mentally prepared for its remoteness my first trip. Like bust up an axle on your truck and you just might get someone to tow it out early next summer kind of remote. All sorts of weather can really be a hazard even in September. Just have a plan to deal with any chit like that, so we don't have to read about you.

Hopefully you are fairly experienced backpacking, if not, get your skills up to par pronto. I made the mistake of going into my first elk hunt with very little backpacking experience and learned about three days in that extended backpacking wasn't all I'd hoped and dreamed and seen on the youtube, so now I prefer to truck camp with some short overnights mixed in. And I got into way more elk and cover more ground that way because I am more mobile, fed, and rested.

Heed the advise about getting a dead elk off of the mountains. Unless you are a human pack mule, it is 5-6 trips of more than 50 pounds, so do the math on that to figure out what you think your limit is. If you've never packed out a heavy animal, take what you think your limit is and divide it by 2, because it sucks.

Gear wise there are already a million threads on here, get to know the search feature, but every ounce hurts in the Idaho mountains. Ounce saving is expensive, buy once cry once, yada yada. Prepare to be addicted and upgrade virtually all your gear from your virgin trip if you are like most of us.

 

[theleo91386]

A solo backpacker can certainly go further than car campers. That is a fact. You better be ready for some work though.

It's not a matter of where he can get to, it's a matter of where he can get an elk out of. I give trailhead campers in that country a range of about 5 miles. Most won't go that far but a 2-3 guys could easily go that far or a bit further and haul an elk out in one trip. One guy camping 5 miles in and hunting another 1-5 miles beyond that, is going to have to be on his absolute A game if he's going to get an elk out on his back before the meat spoils. A guy new to this sort of hunting, navigating that country, dealing with the altitude, and doing it with equipment he's never been able to use in that situation is going to lose meat.

 

[JustinSmith1754]

I commend you in your decision to take on this challenge. I wanted to go west for a long time before I made the leap, and now hunting western big game is an obsession I have. Very challenging, and I learn from my mistakes on every trip; but the reward is worth it. You are also approaching this with the right attitude. You want to get a shot and harvest an animal, but your goal of finding elk and being in the hunt is hitting the bulls eye.

Do all you can do to be physically fit for mountain hunting, and invest in good boots that fit well and are applicable to your hunting style. A couple things that I carry that I am not sure make it to a lot of gear check lists: life straw, back-up batter charger for devices (I use Dark Energy Poseidon), and good optics. Also, on an archery hunt I appreciate having a bow sling to carry my bow and give my arms a break during the hunt.

Good luck on your endeavor. You'll be hooked.

 

[bigdesert10]

It's not a matter of where he can get to, it's a matter of where he can get an elk out of. I give trailhead campers in that country a range of about 5 miles. Most won't go that far but a 2-3 guys could easily go that far or a bit further and haul an elk out in one trip. One guy camping 5 miles in and hunting another 1-5 miles beyond that, is going to have to be on his absolute A game if he's going to get an elk out on his back before the meat spoils. A guy new to this sort of hunting, navigating that country, dealing with the altitude, and doing it with equipment he's never been able to use in that situation is going to lose meat.

^This. It's kind of a "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" scenario. Ethics trumps capability in this case. Now with that out of the way, definitely get a set of binos and a harness or chest pack. My assumption is that the guys that say you don't need them in Idaho haven't hunted the areas of Idaho you're looking at very much - at least not with much success. You don't have to have a spotter and tripod (although it's a nice luxury), and you don't need to have a pair of swaros. Just get a decent pair of 10X42's and you'll be set. You'll be shocked how often elk look like a bush (and vice versa) with the naked eye from across a canyon. Optics will save you a lot of second guessing and if you're calling, will help you determine if your calling efforts are having the effect you want. Above all, be cautious, be safe, don't bite off more than you can chew right off the bat, and have fun. Best of luck.

 

[Idaho CTD]

Welcome to RS. I don't know where you are coming from or what your experience is, so I'll through out a few caveats. There are some very remote areas of Idaho. I was not mentally prepared for its remoteness my first trip. Like bust up an axle on your truck and you just might get someone to tow it out early next summer kind of remote. All sorts of weather can really be a hazard even in September. Just have a plan to deal with any chit like that, so we don't have to read about you.

Hopefully you are fairly experienced backpacking, if not, get your skills up to par pronto. I made the mistake of going into my first elk hunt with very little backpacking experience and learned about three days in that extended backpacking wasn't all I'd hoped and dreamed and seen on the youtube, so now I prefer to truck camp with some short overnights mixed in. And I got into way more elk and cover more ground that way because I am more mobile, fed, and rested.

Heed the advise about getting a dead elk off of the mountains. Unless you are a human pack mule, it is 5-6 trips of more than 50 pounds, so do the math on that to figure out what you think your limit is. If you've never packed out a heavy animal, take what you think your limit is and divide it by 2, because it sucks.

Gear wise there are already a million threads on here, get to know the search feature, but every ounce hurts in the Idaho mountains. Ounce saving is expensive, buy once cry once, yada yada. Prepare to be addicted and upgrade virtually all your gear from your virgin trip if you are like most of us.

I shot the biggest bodied elk I've ever shot this year and a buddy and I took it out in 2 trips each. They were super heavy because we took the hind quarters out with the meat on the bone and the head weighed a ton. If you can't carry 60-70lbs of meat per trip you need to be in better shape before you tackle elk hunting IMO. I only weigh 170lb and have pack out 90-100lbs several times this year. Most average bulls will yield no more than 200lbs of boned out meat (mine was closer to 250lbs but the 6pt my buddy shot a week latter was under 200). At 65-70lbs per load that is only 3 trips. That shouldn't take more than 2 days to get out.

To the original OP......there are several units that are drawings for rifle but open for bow. Many of those units have fairly high bow success rates because the elk are pretty plentiful. Some are almost as high as the rifle hunts. I would look to those units for a place to start.

 

[Beendare]

I've done a bunch of solo backpack hunts...heres my take;

Do it! You will learn one heck of a lot about yourself from one week solo in the wilderness.

Focus on reading the country rather than just hiking with a bow. It sounds hokey...but the more you become one with nature and understand what its telling you...the more effective you will be as a hunter. Make 'Trying to figure them out' the fun part.

You will have to cover a lot of ground usually to get into them...90% of country holds little...keep going. Then you can slow way down and hunt the 10% of country they are in.

Important to be mobile...go as light as you can. Most first time guys tend to bring too much clothing.

Keeping a positive attitude is more important than your gear....but good gear is the icing on the cake!

 

[TJ]

I'd like to say that you can't learn if you don't go.

Yes, hauling out an elk solo is brutal. But don't NOT go because of this. Many areas have packers available for meat hauls. Yes it is expensive and not always practicable. If you can dial down an area call a few packers in the area, some will do it, some won't.

If that doesn't fit your plans find an area you can pack yourself in a couple miles, set up a spike camp and hunt from there. You don't always have to go in 10 miles. There are times your just hiking past elk already there.

Get in shape, if you think your in great shape, get in better shape. You just can't be too fit when it come to this stuff.

And, if you can swing a scouting trip say early summer, do it. Test yourself and your equipment.

Just go.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Keep your plan fluid. Find elk before you hunt them. You can go in and out as deep as you will want to pack out an elk and keep doing this and changing areas until you find elk, then move in and camp within striking distance. If the weather is hot you will probably want to keep your packing distance down to less than 4 miles. 2 miles would be even better. 6 miles might take you 3 days to get one out so make sure the weather will keep one fresh for that long before killing him.

Get the best gear you can afford but don't not go because of cheap gear. So much of elk hunting is audible... I have never even carried binos. I will likely be in that area at the same time.