new to elk hunting need advice please.

Crider89

FNG
Joined
Aug 21, 2019
Messages
48
Alright, a buddy and i are going to try our hand in idaho next year. Ive been using onx and google earth and have a few spots tagged. My question is how high will elk go in mid to late october? I know snow is almost guaranteed at 9000 ft, and hunting pressure plays a big factor also. A spot i am really liking has everything i am looking for but the bottom of canyon is 8000 ft. Camp location is 9000. Oh, one more thing to add. We will also have deer tags. Would mule deer be at those elevations too? Thank you for responses.
 

Gerbdog

WKR
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
816
Location
CO Springs
Cant tell you what the weather will look like next October but I can tell you the snow wont bother the elk unless it gets deep enough to cover their food to the point its too much work for them to get to it, especially during hunting season. On top of that, each different herd acts differently in different areas. I found a bull the one single year I decided to try OTC rifle season here in CO that was still up top in 3 ft of snow. He didnt seem like he was planning to go anywhere soon. Keep marking locations, boots on the ground is gonna be your best and only bet in this, if you don't see fresh sign in one spot, jump to the next spot, keep moving til the elk show up.
 
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
897
Not too sure on mule deer, but there are a ton of factors on the elk. Weather, pressure, water, food, etc. my advice from my experience is DO NOT GET FIXATED ON A CERTAIN AREA. Just because it has everything you think and elk needs doesn’t mean they are there. If it’s a late rut, they may still be bugling in October. Of your hunting rifle then use that to your advantage and glass. A LOT! Cover ground. Like miles. Every day. I’d you glass a canyon and do it thoroughly all morning starting at sunrise and don’t see elk, move. Go somewhere else that after noon. Check sign along the way. Fresh tracks, trials, droppings, and anything else. If there isn’t sign, get out. Keep bouncing around until you either glass up elk or find fresh sign, then hunt. You could easily end up 10-15 miles from where you started. If you’re close to a bunch of private land, then expect them to be there. Seriously, as serious as I can be, do not keep hunting the same area the entire trip if you aren’t seeing elk. You will blow your whole trip. Not sure what unit you’re in but I’d try to get an idea of what a trophy deer is where you are hunting. Trophy on public, not what gets shot on a 15,000 acre ranch. Then shoot the first deer that is comparable. Same with elk.


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Crider89

FNG
Joined
Aug 21, 2019
Messages
48
Thanks guys, we plan on backpacking in and setting up camp for a week or so. Ive been elk hunting in montana but i was too young to really study up on elk, so i didnt learn much while there. There is no private land near by. This spot is in 36b, but im pinning spots in the whole salmon zone incase we run into other hunters or road closures.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2019
Messages
75
After our two weeks out there all I can say is that we saw plenty of Mule Deer at 8,500-9,000 feet.
 
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