DIY Idaho Elk Hunt 2010
 

I recently moved to the state (from ND where I bowhunted whitetails) and I'm trying to get a DIY archery elk hunt planned for this fall. I've never hunted elk before and I'm pretty fired up. I'm hoping some of you with experience in Idaho, or elk in general, can lend a hand.

Location:
I think I've narrowed down to a couple areas. I'm hoping to do a backpack hunt in order to get away from most hunters, but travel distance is also a consideration. I'm trying to decide between middle Idaho (Frank Church wilderness) or Island Park Zone in the east. Harvest percentages look good, as well as percentage of bulls over 6points (any elk would do me just fine, though) but what the statistics can't tell me is what it's actually like to hunt there. I plan on calling the regional biologists but does anyone have experience they can share?

As an aside, am I reading the regs wrong or is there no archery only hunt in the Frank Church?

Methods:
I'm reading/watching as much as I can about archery elk hunting. Practicing my calls and whatnot. My question is: Are these methods still valid in Idaho? I've heard people saying that because of wolf populations that elk are staying quiet. Is my dream of calling in a bull unlikely of coming true or are people looking for excuses?

Thanks for your help.

IFH

I have family and friends in idaho. they along with lots of other folks have said that the Frank Church area is riddled with wolves..
i could e wrong, but im pretty confident of my sources.
maybe someone else has a better idea on it though.

I shared my experience with you but you chose to ignore it. Good luck finding a wolf-free spot with no hunters in Island Park.

I'm certainly not ignoring your advice, I thank you for your input but I'm looking for as much information as I can get. I apologize if I somehow made you feel slighted...

So, sounds like Idaho hunts are going to be tough due to wolf populations? Is it so bad that I should look into another state? Seems a shame to leave when my backyard holds so much potential. :(

Thanks everyone for your input.

I don't feel slighted. I just rarely throw out much information on these forums. You seemed like you sincerely wanted to learn so I was merely trying to help.

Wolves are a problem, and it is getting worse. I still hunt Idaho because I am a resident and have learned enough country that I can generally find some game if I put in the work and time. I suggest you get out this spring and cover as many places as you can. Where you find elk in June may not be where they are in September, but you can at least see what the country has to offer before making up your mind. Plus, hiking in the summer will get you in shape for fall.

Thanks for the help. I'm limited to Idaho because I'm a resident and don't have the $$ for an out of state hunt. I'll take your advice and get some scouting trips in mid&late summer to see if I can't find any.

Here are the stats from 2008 (2009 aren't out yet):
There didn't appear to be an archery only season for the zones listed above as "any weapon" (unless I'm reading the regs wrong). I'm a young-ish guy and hoping to backpack in to get away from the bulk of hunters. But it sounds like I'll have trouble getting away from folks in Island park zones (61 is the main one I'm looking at). So perhaps 27 in the frank church is better suited for getting into less pressured elk that will respond to calls?

I'll have to call the regional biologists a couple times throughout the year and see if they have information on herd strength and wolf problems. I'm not expecting to completely avoid wolf areas, obviously difficult in Idaho, but I'm just wondering if the wolves make elk hunting strategy different than I'm reading most people advocate currently. I.e. does it make calling ineffective and you're resorted to glassing & spot/stalk exclusively?

I hunted unit 10 (archery) in 2007 and was into elk everyday. There are wolves up there but you'll find elk if you work hard enough.

The bitterroots are a brutal mountain range so be prepared physically if you go.

Good luck. Elk are fun to hunt...until you get one on the ground and have to pack it out alone!!

Ha! My brother is talking about coming out so at least we'll be miserable packing out meat together. A very welcomed misery it would be though.

Thanks for the info.

One other thought...I hunted deer in the pioneer zone in 2008 and saw a bunch of elk there too. There is an either sex archery season for that unit.

I have hunted for quite some time in northern idaho panhandle. The elk are still very stimulated to calls. Cow calls have always been the best for me. Occasional bugle will fire up a bull. I would suggest keep practicing calling. I have not hunted down in the area your looking, so no real help there. Good luck.

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

IF_hunter, you might want to check out the forums on Monster Muleys also. The Idaho forum could possibly give you some more insight into the areas you area asking about and the wolf situation in those areas.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/cgi-bi...rum/dcboard.pl

Thanks. Looks like there's some good info there...I hate the way their forums work though, ha.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I've been scouring the net and come up with some quality information. I still need to find some locals to buy some :guiness: and shoot the ****. People in my office are...not the outdoorsmen type, you might say. I'll have to check into local archery clubs.

IF Hunter, you might want to consider an early season archery only hunt in one of the Non wilderness areas. I have gun hunted in unit 28 in the Salmon zone for the last 15 years. Units 29 and 30 are draw only for gun tags but you can buy an archery only tag over the counter and it has an abundance of great bulls on open land.

I have heard the wolves have really hurt the elk population.
But best of luck to u. (I would get a wolf tag just in case)