Any Boise, Idahoans out there?

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GodSpeed1

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Does Idaho offer OTC elk hunting opportunities for residents like they do here in CO? How does that all work? My state is going to shit & once I finish this schooling I can probably live anywhere i want
 
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Idaho
Does Idaho offer OTC elk hunting opportunities for residents like they do here in CO? How does that all work? My state is going to shit & once I finish this schooling I can probably live anywhere i want
Idaho has OTC for residents. Some zones are controlled hunt only, some are capped . Zones that are OTC typically have A tags (primarily archery hunts) and B tags (any weapon hunts).
 

TVW

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If you're not used to cities, Boise is a big city by Idaho standards and has the typical city problems. Traffic is bad, wages are low, drugs are winning the war on drugs, cops shoot someone about once a week and criminals shoot each other about every 36 hours.

Old thread I know but.... those shooting statistics seem pretty exaggerated, got any data that shows it's anywhere close to what you claimed?

I lived in Boise area from 2009-2021, leaving was one of the best choices I ever made but I had the opportunity to get to true rural Idaho and now don't even have a traffic light within 50 miles of me. Also didn't hurt that we sold our home we owned for 7 years for 3x what we paid for it, people are so desperate to get outta Cali that they'll pay insane prices for a Corey Barton Special 🤣

Boise is still a pretty nice place if you are used to/ok with some of the city problems such as traffic.
 

IDLassie

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All of you are newbies. None of you have lived here over 30 years.
I was priced out of housing the minute I graduated high school in '76, at the first wave of Californians.
We left the valley 10 years ago and very glad we jumped when we did.
Idaho isn't what everyone thinks it is. It's now something else and I'm totally sad to what has happened to my beloved state.
It used to be said about Idaho. Come on in and set your mind back 25 years.
Enjoy what you have right now because it will change and probably not for the better.
Our big game hunting at least for elk is coming to an end. So that means 2 open slots for someone else.
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
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Idaho
All of you are newbies. None of you have lived here over 30 years.
I was priced out of housing the minute I graduated high school in '76, at the first wave of Californians.
We left the valley 10 years ago and very glad we jumped when we did.
Idaho isn't what everyone thinks it is. It's now something else and I'm totally sad to what has happened to my beloved state.
It used to be said about Idaho. Come on in and set your mind back 25 years.
Enjoy what you have right now because it will change and probably not for the better.
Our big game hunting at least for elk is coming to an end. So that means 2 open slots for someone else.
Born here in 1975.
 

TVW

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 12, 2023
Messages
194
Location
Idaho
All of you are newbies. None of you have lived here over 30 years.
I was priced out of housing the minute I graduated high school in '76, at the first wave of Californians.
We left the valley 10 years ago and very glad we jumped when we did.
Idaho isn't what everyone thinks it is. It's now something else and I'm totally sad to what has happened to my beloved state.
It used to be said about Idaho. Come on in and set your mind back 25 years.
Enjoy what you have right now because it will change and probably not for the better.
Our big game hunting at least for elk is coming to an end. So that means 2 open slots for someone else.

Born in Idaho in 1984, haven't left.

Not a newb.
 
OP
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GodSpeed1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 15, 2021
Messages
184
All of you are newbies. None of you have lived here over 30 years.
I was priced out of housing the minute I graduated high school in '76, at the first wave of Californians.
We left the valley 10 years ago and very glad we jumped when we did.
Idaho isn't what everyone thinks it is. It's now something else and I'm totally sad to what has happened to my beloved state.
It used to be said about Idaho. Come on in and set your mind back 25 years.
Enjoy what you have right now because it will change and probably not for the better.
Our big game hunting at least for elk is coming to an end. So that means 2 open slots for someone else.
How you figure the elk hunting is coming to an end in ID? Are the legislators trying to do away with res./nonres. OTC with a proposal like they are here in CO? Just wondering
 
OP
G

GodSpeed1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 15, 2021
Messages
184
All of you are newbies. None of you have lived here over 30 years.
I was priced out of housing the minute I graduated high school in '76, at the first wave of Californians.
We left the valley 10 years ago and very glad we jumped when we did.
Idaho isn't what everyone thinks it is. It's now something else and I'm totally sad to what has happened to my beloved state.
It used to be said about Idaho. Come on in and set your mind back 25 years.
Enjoy what you have right now because it will change and probably not for the better.
Our big game hunting at least for elk is coming to an end. So that means 2 open slots for someone else.
& sorry to hear that.
 

IDLassie

Lil-Rokslider
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May 11, 2018
Messages
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Location
Idaho
I'm in my middle 60's and I'm running out of steam and drive to chase elk.
We have no kids or young guns to helps us out.
I'll still be out there deer hunting and grouse hunting and rock hunting.
Elk are just too dam hard to hunt and haul out if you don't have a army to help you.
No, we have no close friends to help out. I hiked out and helped the other half haul his cow in last year.
Luckily there was old snow on the trail and the Kennetrek sled did a great job.
 
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Idaho
I'm in my middle 60's and I'm running out of steam and drive to chase elk.
We have no kids or young guns to helps us out.
I'll still be out there deer hunting and grouse hunting and rock hunting.
Elk are just too dam hard to hunt and haul out if you don't have a army to help you.
No, we have no close friends to help out. I hiked out and helped the other half haul his cow in last year.
Luckily there was old snow on the trail and the Kennetrek sled did a great job.
If you are close to Emmett or the Boise area, drop me a PM and I'd be happy to lend some help packing an elk out next time. I'm not real bright but have a strong back and don't mind taking orders.:)
 

IDLassie

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Idaho
Grew up East of Emmett. Lived about 6 miles East of where I grew up for 35 years.. Then the old place behind us got subdivided. We needed a new house. So it was a whole lot easier to move. Still live in Idaho but just far enough Western Idaho doesn't show up too much. And Yes, I grumbled real loud when I see 1A, 2C,6B or 1G plates.
Thank you for the offer. But you have your own hunts to do.

If everyone didn't think they owned full blown "Man of War" horse blood lines I'd be back into horses. Then hunting and packing wouldn't matter too much.
 
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Guys saying the hunting is crowded, have you hunted a rifle season in Colorado? Especially within the I70 corridor. How's that compare?
 

idahomuleys

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Guys saying the hunting is crowded, have you hunted a rifle season in Colorado? Especially within the I70 corridor. How's that compare?
Look up general deer stats for unit 39 then compare that to the units you are mentioning in colorado.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk
 
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Look up general deer stats for unit 39 then compare that to the units you are mentioning in colorado.

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Just did. F that.

Just for reference the most similar unit in CO is probably 18.

Unit 18 (CO) ~ 400k acres. 6970 reported deer and elk hunters over all seasons
Unit 39 (ID) ~1.6 m acres. 16387 combined hunters over the seasons.

ID had lower deer success (23% vs 10) but higher elk success (13% vs 10). Though take the CO stats with a grain of salt.

Can't say for sure if the ID guys are more spread out or not in an area 4x bigger, but still neither unit is ideal.
 
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Live in Star ID, used to live in Highlands Ranch in CO until 2015 so I have some perspective on both. Coming from CO, Boise will seem like a small town comparing to Denver. Topography is mellow compared to most ranges in CO. As others said, like CO, the further from a major metro you are, the more isolation you can find. Hunt opportunity and quality are about the same with some caveats. If anyone in your fam struggles with SAD (season affective disorder) or doesn't look forward to winter, not a good move. We have inversions and winter seems to linger even though we get little snow. Skiing is fun (if that's your bag), but it pales in comparison to CO and UT. Spring through Fall are awesome, just like CO. Traffic is increasing, shit drivers/ bad attitudes is rising just like CO in the 2000s, but its currently manageable. Cost of living is pretty good comparatively, but like others echoed, home prices are silly and a direct correlation to how poorly some states are run (you know who you are). If you come, great! Assimilate, wave at everyone as you drive down your street, volunteer in your community and local wildlife chapters (MDF, RMEF, etc) and give yourself extra time before you have to be there and you'll do just fine. Oh, last thing... there is a season called fly season which gets worse the closer to AG you get. you've been warned.
 

ODB

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If you come, great! Assimilate, wave at everyone as you drive down your street, volunteer in your community and local wildlife chapters (MDF, RMEF, etc) and give yourself extra time before you have to be there and you'll do just fine. Oh, last thing... there is a season called fly season which gets worse the closer to AG you get. you've been warned.

...and slow the **** down, and use your turn signals.
 

Rotnguns

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Southwest Idaho
Just did. F that.

Just for reference the most similar unit in CO is probably 18.

Unit 18 (CO) ~ 400k acres. 6970 reported deer and elk hunters over all seasons
Unit 39 (ID) ~1.6 m acres. 16387 combined hunters over the seasons.

ID had lower deer success (23% vs 10) but higher elk success (13% vs 10). Though take the CO stats with a grain of salt.

Can't say for sure if the ID guys are more spread out or not in an area 4x bigger, but still neither unit is ideal.
Indeed, the comparison is nuanced. Unit 39 is gigantic - for perspective, it's more than twice the size of Rhode Island. And some of it might not be accessible throughout the entire season. LOL at all the comments from the Idaho folks about the old days, Been here since 1974, yes it's changed, some for the better and some not, but I challenge you to find anyone anywhere that isn't saying the same thing.
 
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dancyr3

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ADA COUNTY IDAHO
Does Idaho offer OTC elk hunting opportunities for residents like they do here in CO? How does that all work? My state is going to shit & once I finish this schooling I can probably live anywhere i want
Most of the really good hunts are controlled (obviously) but yes there are some OTC elk hunts and you can also buy a leftover tag
 

Okhotnik

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N ID
Hey!
I got a tip on a job in Boise Idaho & I'm wondering if anyone out there can provide a bit about their experience residing there? I'm a CO native & I've been trying to do some researching. How has your experience been? Good hunting opportunities? Big Mountains? Grizzly bears? Thx!
yes 100s of grizzlies in the SW Idaho area. You've obviously done your research. Bravo young lad
 
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