Idaho Panhandle Rifle Season - Deep Timber and creeks vs High Country?

[EvenSteven]

I'm scouting new territory this year for rifle season, last year with pre-season scouting and 6 days out hunting I saw 1 spike and otherwise saw more hunters than cow elk. I'll be scouting every weekend until opening day Oct. 10th. I have the option of focusing on going deeper into the timber in units I've hunted the last couple years, possibly focusing on what I think are pinch points where creek draws come together with some open south facing slopes or heading for the more open high country in the Selkirks up in unit 1. Example images below. I'd love any advice on where or how to focus my efforts. Are these remote creek bottoms worth checking out? Has anyone found elk up in the high(for here) elevations in the granite bowls around 5-6000ft?

I'm really hoping the September rut and bugling will help me find bulls wherever I scout but I only have so much time and need to choose which direction to head.

Also for reference the Idaho Trails arcGIS website is a great mapping tool that highlights motorized/atv/non-motorized trail use well. I'm focusing on the gaps to avoid the road and atv hunters. ArcGIS Web Application

 

[Ross]

What I will say is yep and yep...creek bottoms can be good and have shot them up very high...best thing you can do is find a good population and learn the travel routes and patterns...nidaho is tough as we have few openings, jungles of brush and few flat spots. Good luck.

 

[nidaho]

i would go as far away from a road as possible. which means up high, unit one is a mad house during rifle season which you know. the granite bowls can be great or totally void of life at times, depends what bowl you hit and when.