Heading into Idaho....

Joined
Jan 13, 2015
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807
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Veradale, Wa
Gonna head up the Joe and put some eyes on the land this weekend. Haven't been up that way so just going off some google earth. Should be the first of 3 different scouting areas that we will check out before we decide on which tag to buy.

I'll report back what I find :cool:
 
OP
D
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
807
Location
Veradale, Wa
A little late to report back but......

We left the house close to 4 and started the twisty windy route around the southside of lake CD'A. Gassed up in st Marie's and continued up the river. Saw probably 100 deer along the river and 3 elk, with one having little button nubbs on his head. Finally made it to the spot we picked out on google and hit the woods....or should I way brush.

Everyone talks about how steep and brushy north Idaho is, they aren't lying. The first bowl wasn't too far off the logging road and it turned out being void of elk sign. Found a few morels and lots of moose sign. Up the creek we go and we start sidehilling back further from the road. I think we ended up being 2 miles as the crow flies from the truck when we decided that we have had enough. We found a little elk sign, a little bear sign, lots of drumming grouse and no wolf sign. Back at the truck, we ate some lunch and refilled our water. We decided to drive further up the road and check out another area, but the road was gated 1/2 mile up the draw. I'm thinking that they will open it on Memorial Day, maybe a wintering deal.

Initially I felt that the trip was a disappointment, I guess I was expecting more, and I was really ready to move on to the next unit to scout. I don't know why I thought I could just stroll out there and find elk. Elk have a funny way of humbling a man.

After a week or so of sitting and going back over maps, we have decided to double down in that area. A little further off the road, hopefully a little less brushy and a little more elevation.
 

Idahohillboy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 7, 2016
Messages
269
Location
Hailey Idaho
I would scout more towards August buddy when they have horns and are in their early fall routine pre rut.. just saying. Also patchy timber is easier to hunt than straight timber. If its cold out at night elk feed on the sunny side of the mountain in the morning to warm thier big bodies then when it heats up pop the top to the cool shade of timber. It is still pretty early to scout there is easy food every where it dries out more in the fall and the paterns change you will have better luck.

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OP
D
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
807
Location
Veradale, Wa
I would scout more towards August buddy when they have horns and are in their early fall routine pre rut.. just saying. Also patchy timber is easier to hunt than straight timber. If its cold out at night elk feed on the sunny side of the mountain in the morning to warm thier big bodies then when it heats up pop the top to the cool shade of timber. It is still pretty early to scout there is easy food every where it dries out more in the fall and the paterns change you will have better luck.

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We will take a trip in august as well, but I would like to get a unit pinned down. None of the units that were are looking at gave quotas so that's nice.....Maybe we will pull our controlled hunt tag and I won't have to worry as much :)

The disappointment was from two sources, 1. The location wasn't really that huntable, I mean getting any kind of shot off in that area was impossible 90% of the time. 2. We we didn't find much rutting activity from last year.

Like I said though, we will double down on the area. Knowing what the terrain looks like on google compared to reality out there will allow us to make a better choice on the 2nd entry point....I hope.
 
OP
D
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
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807
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Veradale, Wa
Well....called an audible and purchased our tags for the Weiser River zone. That zone was one that I originally looked into but kind of pushed it to the back burner because of distance from my house, 5.5 hours. I came to the conclusion yesterday that was some really dumb reasoning, you only make the drive 2 or 3 times and there isn't that much difference between 2.5 and 5.5. I called the area bio yesterday and had a good talk with her. I believe that the area offers the experience that we are looking for; open sage below, pine and aspen up top, not too many roads, plenty of public land and not a ton of people. Success rates look good, winter wasn't too severe for the elk and the elk population is quite stable.

It feels good to have the tag in my pocket and really have one area/unit pinned down. It's looking like a late July scouting trip to get to know the area and terrain a bit is the plan. Then hunt the first and third weeks of September with a October cow hunt if need be.
 
OP
D
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
807
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Veradale, Wa
19 1/2 days to go!! Got 4 spots lined out for opening weekend. Sure hope no fires pop up and a day of rain sure would be nice!!
 

Ross

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
4,674
Location
Liberty Lake, WA
Good luck north Idaho is no joke👍 Brush and steep elk can be had but it is a very difficult hunt
 
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
41
Location
Middleburg, Florida
Good luck north Idaho is no joke👍 Brush and steep elk can be had but it is a very difficult hunt

Bunch of babies crying about hills and brush. :rolleyes: We have 5,000,000 % humidity, horse flies, yellow flies as big as your back pack and rolling ant mounds to practice on before we go west. BTW if you hear of a transplanted Cajun, who now lives in Florida, dying in South Central Colorado this year, I am putting you all on notice that my wife has VD:cool: but she may need help getting out of the woods.
 

Idahogobbler

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
195
I live in st Marie's and yea the joe is steep and thick haha


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kicker338

WKR
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
434
Location
post falls idaho
Bunch of babies crying about hills and brush. :rolleyes: We have 5,000,000 % humidity, horse flies, yellow flies as big as your back pack and rolling ant mounds to practice on before we go west. BTW if you hear of a transplanted Cajun, who now lives in Florida, dying in South Central Colorado this year, I am putting you all on notice that my wife has VD:cool: but she may need help getting out of the woods.

And you ain't got any elk there too ha, ha.
 
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