Idaho Panhandle E-Scouting (Habitat Identification)

[BuckSmasher]

Howdy all. I am new resident to the Idaho Panhandle. Live up near Bayview. As of this writing I have had precious little scouting in the mountains for an elk spot so far, a little bit during turkey season. Running a business and completing a remodel on a house while finishing a move has been a pretty big drain on my spare time.

Here is my question. While E-scouting for other species and locations I have a plan of what to look for. Not so much up here. For example, in Colorado where I have elk hunted I have been very successful in finding elk looking for timbered, watered, north facing slopes near extensive alpine tundra grass feeding areas. Or in Texas finding hogs and deer on public land by looking at satellite pictures in the winter that showed where recently burned/logged uplands adjoin large bottomland timber that was clearly seen in winter pics by the lack of foliage.

What should I be looking for up here in the panhandle on satellite images? Logged areas? Logged areas down closed roads? Just areas away from roads? Completely clueless on e-scouting up here. Any tips on how to narrow down the thousands of square miles to a manageable amount so I can go out and burn some boot leather in the next few weeks in a targeted manner would be appreciated! PMs are welcome to!

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

E-scouting the Panhandle wont do you much good. It's heavily timbered and there's enough roads everywhere that getting far in away from others is near impossible.

Buy really good rain gear, good boots, head off into the heavy timber. Make it easier on yourself, find areas near hard to reach logging areas and you might get lucky at first light.

I wont tell you where to go, but I will say Bayview isn't a elk wonderland. Closed road signs mean nothing to anyone in this state unfortunately, so plan on that as well.

Deep, nasty dark drainages with big elevation drops and gains are your friend here.

 

[Huntnnw]

elk need openings or logged areas for feed and they will spend time in them at night and even in the daylight if you find areas that are not pressured. I wouldnt even spend anytime narrowing down water as it is everywhere in this part of the country. Just getting out and hunting area this fall you will learn alot about where elk are and are not. Where lots of people are and are not. If you can get cameras out this summer it will help you narrow down if elk frequent that area.

 

[Ross]

Welcome to the jungle there is a reason it is not a destination spot for elk hunting Good luck

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Welcome to the jungle there is a reason it is not a destination spot for elk hunting Good luck

I thought it wasn'r a destination spot because we're all rude, grumpy residents???

Lol, honestly jungle is the best term. Should we give him a general direction to go search?

 

[Wrench]

They gotta eat, drink, have escapement and bedding areas.....all of those should be within 1-1.5 miles of each other.

This year, I'd push the water and dark cover a bit harder.

Panhandle elk aint easy, but they're predictable.

 

[Huntnnw]

Problem with that is water,feed, bedding and escarpment is literally everywhere in the panhandle

 

[Ross]

The open parks of north Idaho

 

[jimmy33]

Ive hunted the panhandle for elk for many years...the best advice I can give you is to cover ground before the season and early in the season and locate a bugling bull. Once you do that, take a guess at how that bull is using that drainage and set up accordingly.

 

[mtnbiker208]

scout during the season. I know most people will shake the head at this.
You will learn alot of stuff. Where the camps are, where not to go ect.
Start ruling places out, this will make it easier to figure out where to go.
IT takes alot of fricken work to be succesful here, and i do mean more work than the average person wants to put in. Actually more work than 90% of the hunters are willing to put in.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

scout during the season. I know most people will shake the head at this.
You will learn alot of stuff. Where the camps are, where not to go ect.
Start ruling places out, this will make it easier to figure out where to go.
IT takes alot of fricken work to be succesful here, and i do mean more work than the average person wants to put in. Actually more work than 90% of the hunters are willing to put in.

This is 100% true. Every bit of it. There are more people hunting the panhandle these days, so the competition has gotten higher as well.

 

[Randle]

Finding elk for us has been done the first couple weeks of season , then as they shift to breeding areas we know which drainage hold elk.
I have scouted late July and Aug but found it didn't help that much for actual hunting.
Lots of boots covering lots of ground.
To many options for elk to live so e scouting may be fun for some but hiking and seeing is way more productive

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

The #1 rule....

RAIN GEAR RAIN GEAR RAIN GEAR

 

[BuckSmasher]

elk need openings or logged areas for feed and they will spend time in them at night and even in the daylight if you find areas that are not pressured. I wouldnt even spend anytime narrowing down water as it is everywhere in this part of the country. Just getting out and hunting area this fall you will learn alot about where elk are and are not. Where lots of people are and are not. If you can get cameras out this summer it will help you narrow down if elk frequent that area.

Planning on putting out cameras in the next few weeks.

I thought it wasn'r a destination spot because we're all rude, grumpy residents???

Lol, honestly jungle is the best term. Should we give him a general direction to go search?

You absolutely should! I encourage that thought.

scout during the season. I know most people will shake the head at this.
You will learn alot of stuff. Where the camps are, where not to go ect.
Start ruling places out, this will make it easier to figure out where to go.
IT takes alot of fricken work to be succesful here, and i do mean more work than the average person wants to put in. Actually more work than 90% of the hunters are willing to put in.

Definitely plan to do that. Knowing how other hunters use the land is a big part public land success.

Question, is rain gear important? lol. I have some but may need to upgrade. My rain gear works to keep rain out but doesn't let my perspiration escape either. Anybody use rain gear that is both repellent AND breathable?

 

[mtnbiker208]

The #1 rule....

RAIN GEAR RAIN GEAR RAIN GEAR

I was in rain gear 8 days out of the first 10 days of the rifle season. I killed my bull on oct 19th in rain gear.
get the best you can afford, i was really impressed with the kiui stuff. first year owning it, but i was impressed. especially when it was down pouring and i was making trenches to keep the water out of my spike tent.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

I was in rain gear 8 days out of the first 10 days of the rifle season. I killed my bull on oct 19th in rain gear.
get the best you can afford, i was really impressed with the kiui stuff. first year owning it, but i was impressed. especially when it was down pouring and i was making trenches to keep the water out of my spike tent.

Lessons learned the hard way, oh the nightmares, err, memories...

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I’ve said this in several threads, but around here you’re hunting Roosevelts. Yes, technically they are Rocky Mountain elk, but I’ve hunted Roosies too, and it is literally the exact same thing here. Food, water and shelter and roads are everywhere. They bugle quietly and don’t run real far, because they know you can’t shoot them when they’re 10 feet away through the alders lol.

All the stuff that pro elk hunters on podcasts, or videos, or training courses etc is almost useless here.

 

[TheTone]

I’ve said this in several threads, but around here you’re hunting Roosevelts. Yes, technically they are Rocky Mountain elk, but I’ve hunted Roosies too, and it is literally the exact same thing here. Food, water and shelter and roads are everywhere. They bugle quietly and don’t run real far, because they know you can’t shoot them when they’re 10 feet away through the alders lol.

All the stuff that pro elk hunters on podcasts, or videos, or training courses etc is almost useless here.

I’ve not hunted Roosevelt’s but also thought it seemed so similar from videos and tactics.
Best advice I can give is just learn country, invest time year round and learn roads, trails, etc. if somewhere looks interesting to you lace up the boots and go take a look. I’ve found a lot of interesting looking little spots or features using google earth, etc but knowing the on the ground of it is way more valuable

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

I’ve said this in several threads, but around here you’re hunting Roosevelts. Yes, technically they are Rocky Mountain elk, but I’ve hunted Roosies too, and it is literally the exact same thing here. Food, water and shelter and roads are everywhere. They bugle quietly and don’t run real far, because they know you can’t shoot them when they’re 10 feet away through the alders lol.

All the stuff that pro elk hunters on podcasts, or videos, or training courses etc is almost useless here.

That's actually a really good way to look at it, honestly. Make sure you bring a rifle with a 26" barrel too, heard they're great around here

 

[bracer40]

Along with the recommendation on rain gear, A good pair of gaiters will help in preventing water from seeping down into your boots too!