Idaho rifle Elk 2019 ?s

[Gobbler36]

Go to CO way closer and a lot more and no wolves

 

[fnf01]

Right now funds is a major concern, so CO with a tag that's double in price and the added hunter pressure is not appealing. I'm set on ID and fine with that, now to narrow down to a unit and then narrow that unit to a few spots, and narrow those spots to glassing areas and finally get there an hunt.

Again with just getting out there and hunting this year funds are a limiting factor, while I don't mind going home with tag soup if I've done all my research and given it my best I don't think I'd be anywhere close to giving my best just jumping out there. I'll spend the year hunting and camping closer to home while narrowing down these seemingly unlimited options for units and areas in ID

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Go to CO way closer and a lot more and no wolves

Amen to THAT !! I have LIVED in Idaho for 25 years, now and unless you DRAW, a "GOOD tag" you are, wasting your time and Money ! Buy 2 Wolf Tags if, you come here as, MOST area's, in Central Idaho, have NOT recovered very much,.. YET !
I would advise,.. Co or, NM,.. TOO !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

PS,.. I'm spending my points for, a Late Rifle hunt,.. in Arizona !

 

[BullElk]

Right now funds is a major concern, so CO with a tag that's double in price and the added hunter pressure is not appealing. I'm set on ID and fine with that, now to narrow down to a unit and then narrow that unit to a few spots, and narrow those spots to glassing areas and finally get there an hunt.

Again with just getting out there and hunting this year funds are a limiting factor, while I don't mind going home with tag soup if I've done all my research and given it my best I don't think I'd be anywhere close to giving my best just jumping out there. I'll spend the year hunting and camping closer to home while narrowing down these seemingly unlimited options for units and areas in ID

what was available in '17 and '18 wont necessarily be the same in '19 as far as OTC opportunities are concerned. they opened up a ton in '17 for the first time in years and with all the pressure im sure it wont stay the same. just something to think about in your planning process. you wont know for sure until april '19 when the new regs come out.

 

[David Gough]

Right now funds is a major concern, so CO with a tag that's double in price and the added hunter pressure is not appealing. I'm set on ID and fine with that, now to narrow down to a unit and then narrow that unit to a few spots, and narrow those spots to glassing areas and finally get there an hunt.

Again with just getting out there and hunting this year funds are a limiting factor, while I don't mind going home with tag soup if I've done all my research and given it my best I don't think I'd be anywhere close to giving my best just jumping out there. I'll spend the year hunting and camping closer to home while narrowing down these seemingly unlimited options for units and areas in ID

Keep doing your research and find what you think is the best unit for your needs and wants, but keep in mind it's OTC elk hunting. It will be very tough, especially your first time, no matter which area you choose.

 

[bigdesert10]

First off, a drainage is all of the area that drains into a given creek or river, from ridges to creek bed.

As far as advice, get in the best shape you can in the time you have, but don't let that be the determining factor in whether you go (within reason). The units you're considering are plenty tough, but you don't have to be Cam Hanes to hunt them. Plenty of fat fellers get it done just fine. A friend of mine shot his last elk when he was 80 in the Salmon zone. Best thing you can do is just get out and do it, while keeping your limitations in mind.

Make sure you're prepared, gear wise, but also don't think you have to be outfitted to the teeth. Chubby guys have been shooting elk in Wranglers and flannel for years. I'm not saying the new hightech stuff isn't worth the cost, because it is very much an improvement, and I love me some First Lite merino. I'm just saying that so long as you can stay warm, dry and fed, you can get away with a lot less than what the magazines might lead you to think, especially if you're truck camping.

Speaking of truck camping, maybe plan on spending at least the first night or two by the truck, and once you get your feet under you, try overnighting within just a mile or two. If you have a Yeti cooler, secure it. If you have a Shiti cooler like me, you're probably ok. For the most part, people will leave your stuff alone.

Stick to main roads as much as possible until you get more familiar and comfortable. Some zones have non-motorized restrictions on anything but roads for full-sized vehicles that you should be aware of once you pick a zone. Nothing will piss a local off like a four-wheeler where it doesn't belong.

To put it simply, just go do it the best you can with what you have. You'll learn more in one season of half-assing it than you will in 3 years of pondering on it.

 

[label027]

Couldn't agree more with what BigDesert10 said. I'm from MN, went out to ID for an OTC rifle hunt for the first time LY. if you can swing it financially, you need to go this year. You will learn a ton while still having a chance at an elk. We hunted 4 days before we got into elk, and one half of a day getting close but no shot on a 6x6 was the coolest experience of my life. I did what I could to get into shape LY, but seriously underestimated the terrain. You just hunt at your own pace at that point. This year I'll be able to go faster and farther.

We brought a wheeler, drove in, and set up camp next to the wheeler. It snowed the first day, and with all the people the trails got nasty in a hurry, I'm glad we had the ATV, we wouldn't have gotten into some areas without it. Next year we will be truck camping. There are plenty of areas that are not too far off the road that are too steep for the average hunter and that's where we found the elk.

My advice is pick a unit, study the hell out of it, and get out there this year and do it. From now until 2019 you won't learn enough studying online to be a whole lot more confident than you are right now. Just do it!

 

[Scoony]

We hunted the Sawtooth in 2016, and Salmon in 2017.
Sawtooth, we truck camped. Lesson learned, don't go with a cheap tent. It rained then snowed, we had no chains and were lucky to get out just in time. Ended up in Stanley hunting out of a hotel. One elk between 4 hunters.

Salmon, we planned on staying in a hotel based on our camping disaster the previous year. Too much time spent driving each day. We also jumped around to different areas everyday. The only elk we saw driving around were on private land. We should have focused on a few drainages in close proximity and spend less time driving. One mule deer between 5 hunters.

If I go again, it will be to Salmon (since I know that area now) and I will truck camp initially, then hike in 2-5 miles and hunt from there. Idaho has a series of maps that tell you what roads can be used for different vehicles. You can use them on Avenza Maps app on a smart phone which I found very helpful in getting around. Talk to the locals, the most helpful info came from the guys at the meat processor when we dropped off the mule deer. That info came late in our trip, but they guided us to a good trail that got us back to an area where we had been trying to get to for a few days.

 

[davsco]

yeah really, do all you can to go elk hunting THIS fall! boots on the ground should give you way better intel than an extra 12 months of internet scouting. given guns & ammo, gear, travel and lodging, meat processing and everything else, the tag cost shouldn't be the making or breaking point. and a couple hundred extra or less for one state vs another again shouldn't be the deciding factor. git-r-dun!! i'm planning for my first elk hunt this fall (nonresident rifle) and cannot wait!

and i agree, colo looks somewhat daunting. if i'm reading their stats right, one (actually, the tag looks to include a handful, but still) of their GMU's for just first week rifle had some 4,400 hunters out there!!! my guess (hope) is it's like hunting anywhere else, you get away from vehicles 1-3 miles and lose most of the hunters.

 

[Rizzy]

A lot of great advice has been given. Get a bear tag and head out to unit 21/28 this spring. The Spring bear season is an excellent time to get familiar with the area and find Elk.

 

[fnf01]

Thanks for all the input everyone. Well see about this year still getting all the necessary supplies, all be it much faster then I thought, but still missing some very critical pieces. There are just some things I don't use whitetail hunting in the midwest so I don't have them.

 

[JohnnyR]

That second picture made me chuckle. No matter how far we get into the backcountry, daily jet flights overhead serve to remind us that it ain't like it used to be. I love it back in the Frank Church and Bob Marshall areas, but the jets bug me. And, I'm a pilot!
To that, I think we're headed back to some of the mountain strips in 27 come 2019

After our first year there chains were one of the first things we got. Glad we had them this year. Also glad i had the stove for the cimaron one morning was 12 degrees when we woke up.

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[YZF_88]

I rifle hunted mid October for the first time this past season. Damn that was cold. It reminded me why I prefer archery hunting in September. Couldn't even keep my water from freezing. Spike camping in those conditions sucked. Glad I tagged out in a couple days so I could go home and thaw out.

 

[One-shot]

I live just south of the ID state line in NV and can tell you we have herds that go back and forth. South eastern ID is lower, less steep and has some thick elk migration paths - to the point of highway warnings for motorists. Also, weather can be a little milder than farther north and more predictable.

 

[Wassid82]

Idaho is a challenging place to hunt. There are elk to be found in almost any area. You’ll need to work hard and hike your butts off. If I was coming from the central u.s. I would consider Tex creek. There seems to be decent access and it’s less of a drive. However I would read up on griz encounters just to be prepared.

 

[Matt Brubaker]

KurtR thanks I'll definitely been sending you a message. I'm very excited already just to have firmly set a date I can't imagine once I get there and once the hunt is over "successful" or not.

fnf01 How was your hunt?

 

[fnf01]

fnf01 How was your hunt?

First off we are going back 2020 got my tag last week.

Lot of what you see here, it was UNBELIEVABLY STEEP. Like you can read all about how steep it is, I can tell you till I'm blue in face but until you see it well you just won't get it till your there.

As for game, most everything we saw as within 200 yds of the main road. Lots of mule deer does and yearling, a cow elk herd of about 15, a bachlor group of Rams (one full curl). Some bear scat, and stories of a mountain lion. lol

We ended up having to road hunt, we made a couple treks a few miles back in but my buddy just wasn't in shape to do it like we planned and we packed too heavy plain and simple.

This time 2020 we know more what to expect and have a game plan we couldn't execute this year. Our original plan escouting was an area that was and is not going to be accessible to us and we learned that when we got there. But we got onto a spot that had we been able to make the trek was promising so we have more intel for 2020.

So TLDR, if your on the fence. Buy the tag drive/fly out. Don't expect to get anything. And make a plan for next year. All while enjoying the experience of being somewhere most people never get to see in person. This year I'll still be amazed at all that land and so little animal life (of any kind) but hopefully we can say we found some elk.