Weiser River ideas

[Badseed]

First of all, I get it, Im a nonres but I actually play by the rules and if I saw you setup glassing I would walk a mike or two away before I setup. I have dreamed of going elk hunting but financially I couldn’t afford it until now so I would love an opportunity to shot an elk in Idaho. Unfortunately I wasn’t unable to jump on the zones I wanted for next year but Im motivated so I took a weiser river b tag which from what I have heard can be a zoo depending on how you hunt. I have friends that live in Idaho with some experience hunting that area but its limited. Unfortunately that area is something like 71% private land so I am hoping to either get in touch with a large landowner or PM with someone willing to help out a first time elk hunter. Anybody willing to offer advice or contacts?


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[WeiserBucks]

Best advice I can give you is to forget about hunting private property, its simply not going to happen unless you book a guided hunt. Dive in head first and give it 100% effort, you'll either be hooked on elk hunting or you'll be so disgusted that you'll never come back.

Count on it being a zoo no matter how or where you hunt.

 

[Badseed]

I plan on giving it my best shot. I hunt the Sierra Nevada’s so the steep terrain isn’t a big deal for me. I know thats the obvious choice for elk but I am confident I can get to areas others cant which is what Im planning to do. There are a ton of roads but most of them get locked down at the start of the season. I dont expect and honey holes but some sound advice as to where would be good place to start would help. I have been scouring onx and google earth already to start learning the terrain. My plan is to take a 5-7 days off work to complete the hunt with some of my local friends that are there to help. One of my big questions, which is going to be somewhat weather dependent, is which timeframe during the season should I head up. The opener sounds like a mess but I am concerned that everything may be too scattered afterwards to track them down in a limited time.


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[WeiserBucks]

Everything is going to be scattered regardless of what dates you hunt, there's an archery elk hunt, youth rifle cow hunt, general cow hunt and general deer hunt before your season even starts. If you think most of the roads are going to be locked before the season you're going to be seriously disappointed. If you think you're going to hike away from the other hunters you're going to be seriously disappointed. There's literally thousands of people who hunt that zone and they'll be everywhere in trucks, atvs, side by sides, dirt bikes, horses and everyone else who thinks they're going to out hike the others.

 

[Badseed]

I debated about getting the archery tag instead because I thought there might be fewer people and a better chance to locate the elk. The only reason I got the b tag is because its easier to get within range which I thought was a bigger advantage. Now Im starting think thats the logic everyone else uses. Is there a noticeable difference on crowding between the archery and rifle season?


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[BRTreedogs]

So I do not know anything about this zone.
You have the tag so don't let the fear of crowding deter you now. I find elk rite under peoples noses almost every year.

I would say your best bet would be to get there a full day or 2 before and get some located if you can.
Be in position of a likely area well before sunrise.
I think the best bet is gonna be at daybreak opening day.
Make sure all you gear is set up efficiently to reload for the next day. And be doing things towards your goal sun up to down.

Also in most areas I've noticed locals like to head to the house for dinner. There not still in position of a likely area till absolutely dark.

Sorry I do not have zone specific area info for you but these are tactics I would take to any area to set myself apart.

 

[Rob5589]

A co-worker hunts there for rifle. Yes, it is a zoo. You're not likely to go deeper than anyone else that feels the same way. One thing I have found, if you spotted it on OnX, so has a bunch of other guys. As far as locked gates in Idaho, don't count on it. I have seen a bunch that have been cut and a removable clasp placed on the chain for access. Something Idaho doesn't seem to care about is illegal off road access.

On a positive note, my co-worker and his group seem to kill a bull or two most years. Last season they killed one out of 4 tags, so about average.

 

[Spoonbill]

A co-worker hunts there for rifle. Yes, it is a zoo. You're not likely to go deeper than anyone else that feels the same way. One thing I have found, if you spotted it on OnX, so has a bunch of other guys. As far as locked gates in Idaho, don't count on it. I have seen a bunch that have been cut and a removable clasp placed on the chain for access. Something Idaho doesn't seem to care about is illegal off road access.

On a positive note, my co-worker and his group seem to kill a bull or two most years. Last season they killed one out of 4 tags, so about average.

Man, that’s true. If a four wheeler can get there, someone is taking it there. BHA does offer a reward for reporting illegal atv use, just as an fyi.

As far as general advice, the only thing I can add is to look for spots that cannot be seen from a road. That way you at least eliminate the road hunting crowd.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

As Rob5589 already said, don't count on locked gates keeping people out. I stopped hunting that zone because of the motorized users going around gates. Find places where the terrain makes it impossible to take an ATV or motorcycle.

 

[Badseed]

Thats BS that people are so damn lazy and remove the locks. The roads in that area are like spaghetti so it would be a nightmare if every road was open to joe shmo. Either way its up to me to do my part and try to separate from the crowds. I have heard that there are local elk that stay in the flats of the area but they are also crossing lots of private land. Is it worth spending any time in the flats or mainly focus on the mountains?


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[Customweld]

Lot's of people, lot's of roads and lot's of private ground to deal with. You can look at the hunting pressure a couple of ways. 1. Way too many people. 2. Way too many people, but since you have the tag, you might as well use them to your advantage. Folks keep those elk moving pretty well. Find a good sitting point on an escape route and be ready to shoot.

 

[87TT]

Just set realistic expectations. I know a lot of people who were born raised and live there and have been having only limited success. And don't forget your wolf tag. Had a friend who hunts there every year and said that the wolf sign was way thicker than the elk sign. And the animals weren't staying where they usually are.

 

[Badseed]

I will certainly add a wolf tag! If the roads are open and used is it worth planning on driving around to locate a good vantage point deep in the zone or find a spot to park and walk in as far as I can? There aren’t many areas isolated from some type of road.


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[UglyDog223]

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[Badseed]

That pretty much sums up what I have heard from multiple people. Good to average opportunity to locate elk if you do your part but high possibility of running into other people chasing the same elk. The road warriors sound like a big downer.


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[Customweld]

I grew up in Council and know the zone very well. That portion of the Payette National Forest was very productive in timber harvests, so it is very well roaded ( for lack of a better term). There are extensive system roads and piles of non system roads. The Weiser zones have some rugged areas, but really no where that is secret or hard to get to. By the time elk season rolls around, they have been chased since the middle of August. A full month of archery and bear hunters in September and 2 weeks of deer hunters in October. Finding undisturbed elk won’t happen. Figuring out how to use the hunting pressure to your advantage is the key.

 

[Badseed]

More than a few people have told me that the elk get pressured into the private land which doesn’t help much either.


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[Customweld]

More than a few people have told me that the elk get pressured into the private land which doesn’t help much either.


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It definitely doesn’t help and getting access is all but impossible.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Spent years hunting that unit as a kid, with very limited success. Better have good legs is all I can say....move constantly until you hit sign. Never know where they might be.....

 

[KClark]

The best advice I can think of for that unit is:

Don't pass up any legal bull.