5 Vet Idaho DIY first time Elk Hunt

[KyleBurk437]

Me, along with 5 other veterans, will be heading to Idaho for our first DIY elk hunt. We are all currently on deployment and have a short amount of time left before we leave this hellish place. As for me, I am stuck. I have studied countless videos, bought the ELK101 course, took notes, but I am still at a loss for what exactly I am trying to search for. Looking at these forums, I have somewhat of a gut ache seeing the reactions and comments about the place that I will be hunting, (Lemhi A zone). I am new to the Elk hunting scene, but have spent some time in Wyoming hunting mule deer and antelope. We are all truly looking forward to this opportunity to get out, and heal our souls from being away from the thing that brings us the most joy, the outdoors. The thing I am stuck on is what to exactly look for while trying to find bedding areas, food sources, wallows, etc. The terrain in the area seems to be a lot different than Wyoming. Also, finding access points has been something that has been truly bothering me. I have put in the time and research, but find myself circling back to asking for help. We all want to come home and enjoy the time outdoors, but dont want to get caught in a rut to where we are spending most of our time searching for a place to hunt, rather than actually hunting. We all plan on doing a several day backpack hunt, and dont mind pushing out into the wilderness to find Elk.

 

[Disco14]

Sorry I wish I could help you with specific info, but im not familiar with that area. Have you tried to reach out to a local ID fish and game biologist?

hope others chime in or message you for help/ advice.

thank you for your service and God Bless.

 

[GregB]

IDFG has an excellent map center that has an overlay showing all the roads and trails as well as unit and unit/zone boundaries. Have several areas picked out and stay mobile. If you don't see real fresh sign or elk move on until you do.

 

[mike.adams.467]

Don’t get discouraged about that zone. There are elk there and it’s a huge area. Lots of steep, open country with large swaths of timber. Binos will be your friend.


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[87TT]

I wouldn't backpack in unless you were really sure elk would be there. Go light and fast and look for sign. Like was said be flexible and have several plans. Elk are going to be where elk want to be. I would split up in teams of two and go to different locations for the day and meet back at night. At least until elk are found. 6 guys hunting together would be a disaster IMHO.

Oh and stick around and interact with folks and you will learn a lot. You have 7 months. And shoot your bow daily.

 

[Rob5589]

Haven't hunted Lemhi but, welcome and thank you for your service!

 

[GregB]

I wouldn't backpack in unless you were really sure elk would be there. Go light and fast and look for sign. Like was said be flexible and have several plans. Elk are going to be where elk want to be. I would split up in teams of two and go to different locations for the day and meet back at night. At least until elk are found. 6 guys hunting together would be a disaster IMHO.

Oh and stick around and interact with folks and you will learn a lot. You have 7 months. And shoot your bow daily.

Definitely don't recommend backpacking in on your first hunt.

 

[mike.adams.467]

Buy a wolf tag; they can be found there.


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[Spoonbill]

Are you looking at a specific unit? There are some big chunks of national forest in there so access should be easy if you park at a trailhead and walk.

 

[KyleBurk437]

Are you looking at a specific unit? There are some big chunks of national forest in there so access should be easy if you park at a trailhead and walk.

Im looking at Unit 29, or 37.

 

[RetiredMarine]

In reading OP Kyle's post, I believe the gist of his dilemma is, "The thing I am stuck on is what to exactly look for while trying to find bedding areas, food sources, wallows, etc."

You mention having signed onto the Elk101 course. I found its information to be super helpful in filling in some gaps of what I had yet to learn as well as highlighting errors I've made in years past. I routinely refer back to my notes as a refresher in the months leading to elk season. Go back and review the material and any notes you accumulated specific to pre-season and online scouting. Beyond that, a simple Google search for "what to look for when scouting for elk" or "e scouting for elk" will provides loads of information on what to specifically look for in relation to the info you seem to be at a loss for what exactly to search for.

Also, you don't mention whether you're using Google Earth, onX maps or any of those type aides where you can e-scout from home. I make a list of "areas of interest" based on terrain (north-facing slopes, saddles, benches, edges, etc), water and food sources, access routes and the like that I've first identified on Google Earth. I then download that data onto onX and use it in the field. If you're not already using those type resources, then you really need to look into doing so.

Last year, for my first time hunting in Idaho, I identified and prioritized more than 2 dozen "areas of interest" I had identified from e-scouting -- many more than I could ever possibly hit in the 10 days I had allocated to hunt. But I wanted to have backup options available to use if things didn't turn out as I wanted. I only ended up hunting maybe a quarter of those on my list. Some areas I found to be "keepers" while others were destined for the "trash" pile. For this coming season, I'll first hit my "keeper" areas and, if needed, will check out the untapped areas from last season.

Hope that helps. Do some thorough e-scouting, get in shape, and best of luck on your hunt.

Semper Fi

 

[MJB]

The hardest part of elk hunting is finding the elk.

If I'm new to an area it's glass, move, glass & keep moving until you find fresh tracks or you see elk.

If the elk are walking you need to be running......if they are running you need to be driving.......so don't chase them.

Thanks for your service!

 

[crossone]

PM sent

 

[Huntnnw]

get up high,glass and listen. You will learn alot and fast where elk are and where they head.