Idaho DIY Backpack Hunt

[mtnwrunner]

I've done a bunch of solo backpack hunts...heres my take;

Do it! You will learn one heck of a lot about yourself from one week solo in the wilderness.

Focus on reading the country rather than just hiking with a bow. It sounds hokey...but the more you become one with nature and understand what its telling you...the more effective you will be as a hunter. Make 'Trying to figure them out' the fun part.

You will have to cover a lot of ground usually to get into them...90% of country holds little...keep going. Then you can slow way down and hunt the 10% of country they are in.

Important to be mobile...go as light as you can. Most first time guys tend to bring too much clothing.

Keeping a positive attitude is more important than your gear....but good gear is the icing on the cake!

As you already know, you'll get a lot of opinions here on everything. It sounds like you have done your research and keep on keeping on about that. As Beendare says, DO IT! Man, life is short (a fellow coworker of ours was killed at work yesterday) and you just never know.
Now, i'll be brutally honest as I am getting more and more selfish about Idaho. I'd just as soon not see any more hunters come! But it is a really good state to backpack hunt in both for deer and elk and you'll find a good place to go with the proper research and questions.

Good luck!

Randy

 

[captchet]

You will need a cook stove and water filter. I suggest the MSR windboiler. Its more efficient that the jet boil. Not sure how high you will be, you will easily be able to boil 2.0l per oz. Of fuel. That equates to 33 boils of 1pt (2 cups) for an 8oz canister. 2 cups h20 is the avg amount needed for a freeze dried meal. Most only cook 1 meal/day, maybe 2 if you do oatmeal, etc in the AM. As for a filter, the options are endless. I prefer a pump. If a straw freezes, it WILL crack and allow contaminates past. I use the MSR Sweetwater. Awesome and durable. Just test your gear and build a meal plan. Figure about 1.5 #/day of high calorie food. Backpacking sites are the best clearinghouse for this info. Good luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[KurtR]

I was in your place last year at this time. It was over whelming at first but the best advice is just go. You will learn more on that first trip than you can imagine. It is rugged I had been to montana and Wyoming snowmobiling so it wasn't my first time in the mountains but Idaho will let you know who the boss is. I did not get one but already planning my trip back next year. I don't have the most experience but pm with any questions and I will answer best I can.

 

[livingandlearning]

Alright guys thank you for all of the comments (positive and negative) so far. I have always been of the opinion that most people learn best by doing. I am one of those people and this is the attitude I have going into this. As far as a little bit more info about me, I am in my mid/late twenties and coming from the midwest. I have whitetail hunted from a treestand (climber and a hangon sticks) for the last 12 years or so. About five years ago I started hunting mainly public land and packing the stand/gear in each hunt (nothing too far, 1.5 miles max). I realize this is nothing compared to what i will be doing but it was what got me started thinking seriously about taking a backpack hunting trip out west instead of just dreaming about it. I recently just got out of hound hunting for coons but spend some time hunting small game, with my main focus being hunting public land for deer and turkeys.

I love DIY hunts and have had several successful out of state deer and turkey hunts on public land. I tell you all this to let you know I'm not new to hunting, just new to backpack elk hunting. As far as backcountry camping goes, I have zero experience. What I do have are the funds to get some decent gear and the willingness to go learn. I have a very large (to me) national forest close to my house that I plan to use to test gear and do a few overnight trips before heading west.

The sleep system and optics that many of you have mentioned have been on my mind as well. I have my eye on the Kifaru Supertarp. Based on your guys experience would this be a good fit for me and the type of hunt I'm trying to go on? For optics, I have a cheap pair of Vortex Diamondback 10x42's I plan on taking with me. As far as pads and quilts, I plan to do some more research on the forum to see what info I can dig up before I go asking too many questions.

I am sure I will have more gear questions as time goes on. One thing I would like is a little more info on the communication device that one of you mentioned. I have not given this much thought. Can anyone tell me what a couple good options would be? I have spent zero time researching this and not even sure what I should be looking for.

I appreciate the comments on some additional areas to look into. It is probably going to come down to me simply picking area and going to do it as I am mainly focused on learning how to hunt/camp in the backcountry with getting a shot at an animal coming next. I forgot to mention in my first post, but I would like to hunt a unit that does not allow motor vehicles (unless you all think its not anything to be concerned about). The map that I found on the Idaho fish and game website shows that the two units I mention do not allow them. Is this correct or am I reading this map wrong?

I am sure I will have more questions and plan to post them as I run into problems. I want to say thanks again for all of the comments so far and I appreciate anyone else writing in with comments/advice.

 

[Northernpiker]

I believe one of the most popular GPS communication devises is the Delorme InReach(not sure which model is best). But I think you have to have a monthly subscription also. Someone will chime in with more details.

 

[Idaho CTD]

Most of that country has motor vehicle restrictions. What that means is if a trail is open to dirt bikes they can only be used to take your camp in and out. You can't hunt off of them. So there won't be a bunch of daily traffic on the trails. Generally the elk won't be super close to the trails anyway.

Even in the units that allow some dirt bike use many of the trails are closed during hunting season to motorized vehicles. It's best to get a travel plan map from the forest service where your wanting to go to see what is closed and when.

A Delorme Inreach is a good thing to have in case you have problems and can't get out. It's a GPS/Satellite messenger. Pretty much if you can see the sky you can text for help or just let someone know your OK. Only a small portion of that country has cell service and most of that is around the main valleys with highways running through them.

 

[avluey]

I have hunted elk in Wyoming for several years and am moving to Moscow, ID this Summer so I'll be looking to make hunting relationships. I love doing 2 guys on a backpacking hunt, solo is a hell of a lot more difficult (not to mention more risky). More power to you if you decide to go it alone the first time, but hunting elk (especially with a bow) is a fairly different undertaking than bow hunting whitetails if that's your only experience. I started hunting elk with several old timers and wasn't too confident to strike out on my own (with my brother) until I had a couple seasons under my belt. That's not because of mountaineering or survival skills, just that figuring out elk with whitetails as the bulk of my experience wasn't an easy task and having experienced elk hunters to lean on is invaluable. Just breaking down an elk for packing out is a daunting task by yourself, and that's before taking the first step with 60-100 lbs on your back. We've had elk fall in spots that seemed nearly impossible to get the carcass into position to field dress even with 2-3 guys. If you end up looking anywhere out on the west side up through the St Joe send me a PM and maybe we can at least get you friend to phone if you get in a pickle.

 

[aion2come]

For sleep systems ... check out the tarptent series by Henry Shires. Love mine. Gets great reviews. Lots of guys on here use them. Their Stratospire can be used either as a tarp only ... or with a full tent underneath.

 

[avluey]

For sleep systems ... check out the tarptent series by Henry Shires. Love mine. Gets great reviews. Lots of guys on here use them. Their Stratospire can be used either as a tarp only ... or with a full tent underneath.

I got the Mountain Hardware Mountain Shelter LT before this season and really liked it. That Stratospire is 3x the cost but looks awesome.

 

[Beendare]

Keith22,

I think what many of us are getting at is.....don't just talk about it....do it! I'm guilty myself of talking about getting back to Australia, a drop camp for moose, etc....but put this one on your calendar....you will be very glad you did. I see many of these comments and the guys are just dreamers- if they knew what they were missing they would be pissed! Once you do it.....you will see why many of us here make it such a high priority. Its addicting!

BTW, wlecome to the forum.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Solo gives the best chance of killing just about anything. Me and my dad hunt about as good together as any to possibly could and still it lowers both our odds hunting together. I suppose there are exceptions, as if a pile of elk are 6 miles deep and nonecloser... you will want a partner to help with that, but overall I like your goal of just hearing one bugle. That was my goal on my first hunt and I ended up hearing 2, maybe 3. One took an arrow threw both lungs.

 

[tttoadman]

Take a mini tripod to put the binos on. There are places to setup in that area that you can see for miles. This can eliminate a great deal of hiking.

Check out six moons lightweight tents. I have the Solo LE. Bring your trekking poles.

Look for cold draws on the north side that can serve as a meat hanging area. Make some waypoints of places like this as you move around.

Get the simple inreach. I love it. You can get a weather report every morning that seems to be really accurate. Was really great to be able to chat with the wife.

In central ID, listen for the wolves. If you don't hear the wolves, then the elk numbers are likely not really high. Additionally, the elk are pretty quiet in many areas. They will come silently to a bugle. Be patient.

I went to ID in sept 2013 by myself, first out of state hunt, went to a place that people said was a so-so place to go. It was a real mental challenge for me more so than the physical. I came home with a 5x5 bull, which was a best for me at the time. It was one of the most rewarding hunts I have ever had.

 

[Idaho CTD]

Wolves cycle through areas every 5-7 days typically so listening for wolves isn't a great plan. There could be tons of elk there and the odds are higher you won't hear a wolf then that you will. Hunt where the elk sign is and/or where your hearing bugles, don't worry about anything else.

 

[Buglebrush]

If you have a smartphone skip the GPS. Just get Gaia GPS, and download the map of your area. If going solo I would spend on a Delorme Inreach or Spot instead of GPS.

 

[ndbuck09]

I'm not so aligned on the skipping the gps part. I use gaia a ton out here but your phone is just not nearly as accurate as a gps. I've seen it off by over 100-200 yds. If you're looking for something in the dark solo, ie: your camp...that could really throw you for a loop mentally. Which, by the way, is just as important as learning anything about elk hunting, behavior and calling. The mental game of the backcountry solo takes time to get used to. I know lots of guys are tough and all but the mental side of being miles from a road and miles and miles from anyone else wears you down and can really have you feeling like success is just getting back to the truck. At least from my early trips solo. I now personally hunt solo a fair amount here in idaho. I will say that you may not think 2 miles is that far but when its covering 2000 ft of vert you're going to feel like its pretty far. Most people over estimate how far theyve gone if they don't gps track it, myself included.

That said, when i talk to people about getting into backpack hunting and really getting in, I say you have to basically budget around $12-1500 for good gear. Don't skimp, buy once and you'll have it for a while. If you buy a pad that is cheaper but a little heavier, if you get into it you'll really wish you had the pad that cuts 8 oz. Here's my sleep system just for reference amongst all the products people will recommend. I'm currently running a Z Packs 20 degree bag (1.5lbs), a Tarptent Protrail tent (1.5lbs) and a thermarest neoair x lite pad(1lbs). A light pack is another huge way to save lots of lbs. Another tip for weight, take a pillow case and put all your clothes in it at night to make your pillow. As far as clothes go, I second the guy who said don't take too much. In september, I bring the KUIU teton jacket, the kenai zip off insulation pants (great idea to not have to take off the boots to put on/take off insulation. Can literally hear a bugle once its starting to warm up in the am and drop the pants and unzip the insulation and stuff in the backpack to run to the bull all in about 30 seconds), a Patagonia down vest and my rain gear. These are all the clothes i have/need for september, in addition to the given light weight gloves, a hat and the top/bottom i wear everyday.

 

[AdamW]

You can do it. Take how long you have to get meat out before it spoils in to consideration and plan accordingly. If you get there and decide going in 32 miles isn't what you want to do, set up camp a mile from the trailhead. It's your hunt!

Sounds like you are on the right track with gear. After my experience with the OnXMaps app and using my iphone 5S as my GPS this year, I don't see myself buying a dedicated GPS unit going forward. I may well take my old one along again and just mark important waypoints (truck, camp, etc.) as a backup but other than that, take a look at OnX.