selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

was wondering if anyone hunted the selway- bitterroot wilderness of idaho for elk last fall, and what kind of success you may have had. i hunted it for the first time last year from sept 15 - 22 and the weather was extremely warm. harvested no elk.

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

keeter, first welcome to the board!:)I did not hunt the selway last year, but I have hunted it on two occasions. Both times were about the same dates that you hunted it last year, and both times it was cold.
It sure is some pretty country, huh.
I hunted section 17, pretty remote. What outfitter did you go with?

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RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

bigcountry,
our group hunted unit 17 also. we did a non guided hunt and plan to do the same this year. we have always done non guided hunts but it takes alot of research to connect on elk. we got into elk last year but with the warm temps they only were moving and bugling after dark. the country sure is beatiful alright, but was also very rugged. who was your outfitter and how did you do?
thanks keeter.

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

bigcountry,
our group hunted unit 17 also. we did a non guided hunt and plan to do the same this year. we have always done non guided hunts but it takes alot of research to connect on elk. we got into elk last year but with the warm temps they only were moving and bugling after dark. the country sure is beatiful alright, but was also very rugged. who was your outfitter and how did you do?
thanks keeter.

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

this area used to produce some of the biggest bulls in the west. oh about 4years ago we had a huge snow year and all the elk in the clearwater,lochsa and selway drainages were traped in high altitude canyons and could not get to the winter ranges. this devastated these herds. the fish and game says these units are still only half what they used to be. as you go north in the state the herds faired better. the st joe had a big kill to but not as bad as the clearwater. the CDA river drainage faired the best and hunting success this last year was the best its been since the late 70s. now the elk have moved into most drainages of the panhandle. the areas that are gonna be put on the map in the next couple years are the preist lake and bonners ferry areas. good luck to you all.

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

keeter, I went there twice in the early 80`s. I went with Art Griffith, who owns Iron Horse Outfitters. We left out of Hamilton, Mt. Our group killed some smaller 6 pt. bulls, I passed up a decent 5 pt., but I did connect on a good mulie. I saw just about every big game animal there is to see on those trips. We even had a grizzly tear down our spike camp tent once. Luckily, we were not home at the time. That was a sleepless night for a guy who has never seen a bear bigger than 200lb.

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

Keeter, didn't make my Sept. 11th flight south out of Ketchikan, so my hunting buds went without me. The three of them took one five point bull, and saw an older one. One guy did see a lion. I have hunted the selway unit since 95 and tagged every year, but I get after em pretty seriously. The others have had modest success at best. WE have managed to take two 340+ class, with some other average but nice 6x. it is rough, or can be, but we have been fortunate to get pack animals to our game every year. The weather can change in a heartbeat from 70+ to freezing and snow. If your prepaired for the worst it will be a great and fun hunt. I never used an outfitter, but had my own pack animals and do recomend them! You may e-mail me and I will give a few more details as we wont be going back till I leave Alaska...and I have my sights set on sheep n moose for a while...SMILE!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot;sitting at the top of the chain!&quot;

RE: selway - bitterroot elk hunting.
 

Hunted that country in the late 80,s during the archery season. We had the best season ever for elk hunting. There was 3 of us and all three got bulls. Mine was the smallest. It was 3x2 and only about 27&quot;. My cousin's was the biggest and itwas 43&quot; 5x5. My buddies was 4x5 and 38&quot;. The weather was cold but no snow. If I recall correctly we did have some rain. And yes it is great looking country. We had horses and mules to get the meat out. These bulls were not killed on the same day, but over a 2 week period. Good safe hunting.