Idaho Elk hunting 2020

[Nminutelli]

Hi everyone,

I hope you all got, or at least will get, the tags you are after this 2020 season. We didn’t get so lucky this year, woke up and got to play with the Idaho website for an hour and a half before they sold out of 66a/76. My father-in-law and his brother have been hunting there for about 7 years and me for 2 years.

So now we’re trying to find some general info on some over the counter tags in Idaho. We all live in Clarksburg WV so we don’t really have the option to go out and scout around. I’m not asking for anyone’s secret honey hole or anything, just somewhere that would have a place to put a camper and have some fun with a few bulls.

I really appreciate anyone’s response and thank you all in advance for any advice!

 

[Rob5589]

Your best bet is to see what zones are still available ( 8 or so last I looked ) then check the IDFG website for stats. After that, Google Earth and OnX is where I'd start. We missed out on the DC tag as well this year. Good luck!

 

[Nminutelli]

Your best bet is to see what zones are still available ( 8 or so last I looked ) then check the IDFG website for stats. After that, Google Earth and OnX is where I'd start. We missed out on the DC tag as well this year. Good luck!

Okay thanks for the advice! There were a couple that had decent stats we looked at but was grizzly country too. We were a little nervous about that and thought that worried that with the bears they might not bugle as much either. Good luck!

 

[nidaho]

Grizzly bears have never changed how the elk I have hunted acted. They seemed to bugle just fine, it will be wolves that Change that way more than any bear. Once your elk is down is when you need to be cautious. We usually would pack out same day we kill. Have left a few over night and only lost one to grizzly bears.

 

[ez_willie]

haha it's like Groundhog Day around here.

 

[Pscott19]

Good luck

 

[NJDiverDan]

Hunt Colorado?

 

[Nminutelli]

Hunt Colorado?

I would not be opposed to Colorado. One of the guys I go with had a bad experience there in the past so he’s kinda impartial to it. But I think I could convince him to go back lol. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Colorado from people who go around here.

 

[sneaky]

Your best bet is to see what zones are still available ( 8 or so last I looked ) then check the IDFG website for stats. After that, Google Earth and OnX is where I'd start. We missed out on the DC tag as well this year. Good luck!

There's way more than 8 zones still available. There may be 8 zones WITH CAPS still available, but all of the uncapped zones are available as long as the 12,815 NR elk tags haven't all been sold.

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[Roughwater]

There's way more than 8 zones still available. There may be 8 zones WITH CAPS still available, but all of the uncapped zones are available as long as the 12,815 NR elk tags haven't all been sold.

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Sneaky is correct, way more than 8 units but up till a few days ago I also thought only the units with Caps were all that was available too. All the OTC units are available. I think even the DC unit is available if one is willing to buy a B tag.

 

[sneaky]

Sneaky is correct, way more than 8 units but up till a few days ago I also thought only the units with Caps were all that was available too. All the OTC units are available. I think even the DC unit is available if one is willing to buy a B tag.

You have to draw a rifle tag for DC. Only tags available for DC right now are outfitter tags to book with one of those.

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[805Bowhunter]

Every unit has elk. Do some homework on stats and go hunt with several backup plans for the unit. You can't go wrong elk hunting in September if you have a game plan despite what a lot of people say. Some years it is a lot more effort than others, but its still elk hunting and you're still learning

 

[Roughwater]

My Bad on saying "All the OTC units are available. I think even the DC unit is available if one is willing to buy a B tag. "

I just looked it up again on the hunt planner and it says the following:

Diamond Creek Zone (Units 66A, 76) Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, August 30 - December 31, See Pages 104 - 106 August/September October November December A Tag Archery only — any elk Aug 30 - Sep 30 Note: 1,836 A Tag Quota Available First-Come, First-Served. 2019 Capped tags go on sale for Residents 7/10/2019 and Nonresidents 12/1/2018 2020 Capped tags go on sale for Residents 7/10/2020 and Nonresidents 12/1/2019. B Tag
No B Tags in this Zone — See Controlled Hunts

So like it says above, There are no OTC "B" tags allotted for this unit so I was wrong. There's always a first time to be wrong I guess. That's what I always tell my wife anyway.

 

[Beendare]

Tags selling out is the new normal...EVERYONE wants to hunt elk.

Idaho never used to sell out their OTC tags, then they would sell out just into the archery season...then last year they sold out a few weeks before the archery season. ...theres a trend here for those paying attention.

Snooze you lose.

_______

 

[Roughwater]

Tags selling out is the new normal...EVERYONE wants to hunt elk.

Idaho never used to sell out their OTC tags, then they would sell out just into the archery season...then last year they sold out a few weeks before the archery season. ...theres a trend here for those paying attention.

Snooze you lose.

_______

True that. In the recent past Utah's 17000 Any Bull General Elk tags had begun to sell out toward Archery Season but last year they sold out in less than three weeks after going on sale. I was online the first hour they went on sale and I had to wait in line a while (45 Min) to get a tag. You want to have your ducks in a row too when you get online or you find yourself back at the end of the line a second time. Montana also for the 1st time I'm told had 500 more applicants for their General Elk tag drawing in 2017, so 500 went without a tag when normally there are leftoevers. However in 2019 there were some leftovers for the same tags. But like Beendare said there is definitely a trend toward tags being gobbled up earlier than previously.