Idaho Mule Deer/Elk Hunt

[NomadHunter603]

I'm planning a hunt for this fall in the Frank Church Wilderness. I think it specifically is going to be in 20A, as we are mostly targeting mule deer. I'm getting an elk tag because it is very cheap for non-resident veterans. We're planning on flying in. That being said I'm looking for any info on air charters, air strips, what kind of weather to expect in the mountains, etc. I've read on some other forums about some air strips that are pretty good, however I'm having a hard time finding a lot of them on Onx, is there any better way to go about finding these air strips?

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

You will most likely fly out of Salmon. Gem Air has decent rates, and have two different sized planes depending on number of guys and gear. Animals around the air strip areas are getting hit pretty heavily as their are more people flying in and a limited amount of airstrips. There are private air strips for some lodges like Flying B. Depending on how crazy you want to get you can rent a raft and fly in and then raft down the middle fork a ways and get picked up at a downriver airstrip.That way you are able to hunt areas along the river instead of being stuck around the airstrip.

Its rocky and steep.

Ever seen Lord of the Rings? Its like Mordor, except with some trees.

 

[idahohikker]

Most people who are thinking about the Frank Church wouldn't want to hunt there.

The steepest part of Idaho or right up there, some of the lowest animal densities in the state, and crowding issues with 7 outfitters and 1000+ elk hunters alone.

Harvest rates there are highly skewed due to disproportionate outfitter numbers and horse hunters.

Many nonresidents think they need to go to wilderness to escape crowds. You can escape hunters in national forest areas with effort.

That all said, it's incredible country that gets in your blood and you should consider it if you value the adventure and getting your butt kicked daily more than the hunting.

I knew a couple guys who went deep into 20a last year and saw zero deer glassing for a week. It was really demoralizing for them. You have to be ready for that challenge and glass your eyes off. And if you can't get very far from the strip you're probably out of luck.

 

[7Bartman]

What price are you seeing for non-resident veterans? I thought they're the same at $417.

 

[idahohikker]

Disabled vets receive the discount, correct?

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

IDFG site says

Elk - Jr.
Mentored and Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Must have either a Junior Mentored hunting or a Nonresident DAV hunting license. Those with a Junior Mentored hunting license must be accompanied by an adult with a tag(s) for the same species. The junior mentored/DAV elk tags are not valid for bear, mountain lion or gray wolf. Price not valid for nonresident general season deer or elk tags purchased as second tags.

$39.75

 

[GregB]

FG Map < click the link for the IDFG map. There is a layer on there for airstrips. I believe there are only 3 and if you use the one by the river you'll have to gain 3-4k or more to get into the high country. What IdahoHiker said is spot on. There are a limited number of access points to the wilderness units so everyone gets funneled to the same areas. I would not expect to be the only hunters at the airstrip.

 

[NomadHunter603]

Thanks for all of the responses guys, I didn't get any notifications, so I didn't realize anyone had responded!

 

[NomadHunter603]

You will most likely fly out of Salmon. Gem Air has decent rates, and have two different sized planes depending on number of guys and gear. Animals around the air strip areas are getting hit pretty heavily as their are more people flying in and a limited amount of airstrips. There are private air strips for some lodges like Flying B. Depending on how crazy you want to get you can rent a raft and fly in and then raft down the middle fork a ways and get picked up at a downriver airstrip.That way you are able to hunt areas along the river instead of being stuck around the airstrip.

Its rocky and steep.

Ever seen Lord of the Rings? Its like Mordor, except with some trees.

It looks like some gnarly terrain. I have highly considered the raft thing, but it seems like it could be a logistical nightmare, as this already somewhat is coming from New Hampshire haha. I appreciate the reference though, I'll take a look into them!

 

[NomadHunter603]

Most people who are thinking about the Frank Church wouldn't want to hunt there.

The steepest part of Idaho or right up there, some of the lowest animal densities in the state, and crowding issues with 7 outfitters and 1000+ elk hunters alone.

Harvest rates there are highly skewed due to disproportionate outfitter numbers and horse hunters.

Many nonresidents think they need to go to wilderness to escape crowds. You can escape hunters in national forest areas with effort.

That all said, it's incredible country that gets in your blood and you should consider it if you value the adventure and getting your butt kicked daily more than the hunting.

I knew a couple guys who went deep into 20a last year and saw zero deer glassing for a week. It was really demoralizing for them. You have to be ready for that challenge and glass your eyes off. And if you can't get very far from the strip you're probably out of luck.

I know the odds aren't good, but it's also largely the adventure we want. I've been reading, watching videos, and studying maps on it and it just looks incredible. Not to mention the history behind it is awesome. I know it's going to kick our butts but that's all part of the experience. It will definitely be a humbling experience and one where embracing the suck will probably be an everyday occurrence lol.

 

[NomadHunter603]

FG Map < click the link for the IDFG map. There is a layer on there for airstrips. I believe there are only 3 and if you use the one by the river you'll have to gain 3-4k or more to get into the high country. What IdahoHiker said is spot on. There are a limited number of access points to the wilderness units so everyone gets funneled to the same areas. I would not expect to be the only hunters at the airstrip.

Thank you! I've only used the IDFG map a little bit because it doesn't seem to work well on my computer. That being said, I've scrounged through some other maps and found a strip I'm interested in. I have no intentions on being the only hunters there though!

 

[GregB]

It can be a little weird, you have to zoom in to get some of the layers to work correctly. Google earth Pro has airstrips as well.

 

[sneaky]

You will most likely fly out of Salmon. Gem Air has decent rates, and have two different sized planes depending on number of guys and gear. Animals around the air strip areas are getting hit pretty heavily as their are more people flying in and a limited amount of airstrips. There are private air strips for some lodges like Flying B. Depending on how crazy you want to get you can rent a raft and fly in and then raft down the middle fork a ways and get picked up at a downriver airstrip.That way you are able to hunt areas along the river instead of being stuck around the airstrip.

Its rocky and steep.

Ever seen Lord of the Rings? Its like Mordor, except with some trees.

Mordor with wolves instead of orcs. Eh,wth, they're essentially the same. How tall are you? They like halflings lol

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[sneaky]

A pack raft would open up tons more options. No one is suggesting you guys pack in a full sized raft, but a pack raft is definitely a good idea to escape some pressure.

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[NomadHunter603]

Starting to weigh the pack raft idea more and more. Anyone know of any areas around Idaho Falls, McCall, or anything in between there that do pack raft rentals?

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

There’s places in salmon that rent what you would need. When I was proving everything I was working with Gem Air our of salmon, they pointed me in the right direction for a shuttle service for the vehicle and a place to rent stuff. My cataraft frames are too large to fly with


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[T1mberNinja]

Most people who are thinking about the Frank Church wouldn't want to hunt there.

The steepest part of Idaho or right up there, some of the lowest animal densities in the state, and crowding issues with 7 outfitters and 1000+ elk hunters alone.

Harvest rates there are highly skewed due to disproportionate outfitter numbers and horse hunters.

Many nonresidents think they need to go to wilderness to escape crowds. You can escape hunters in national forest areas with effort.

That all said, it's incredible country that gets in your blood and you should consider it if you value the adventure and getting your butt kicked daily more than the hunting.

I knew a couple guys who went deep into 20a last year and saw zero deer glassing for a week. It was really demoralizing for them. You have to be ready for that challenge and glass your eyes off. And if you can't get very far from the strip you're probably out of luck.

Excellent info ^

 

[stxdeer hound]

Hunted in there for 10 day last year would not have high expectations if I was you. Most of the deer that we saw during the general firearm season where up pretty high 8500 and up. We covered a lot of ground and on most days were lucky to see a 1/2 dozen deer. We used horse's and tents

 

[NomadHunter603]

Hunted in there for 10 day last year would not have high expectations if I was you. Most of the deer that we saw during the general firearm season where up pretty high 8500 and up. We covered a lot of ground and on most days were lucky to see a 1/2 dozen deer. We used horse's and tents

I know it’s not the best area, a lot of it’s also the adventure we’re after too. That being said. 1/2 dozen deer is a lot to me. Where I’m from, in NH, well the whole north east really. 1/2 dozen to a dozen is about what you would see in a deer season that is 90 days long.


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[Idaho_Potato]

I know it’s not the best area, a lot of it’s also the adventure we’re after too. That being said. 1/2 dozen deer is a lot to me. Where I’m from, in NH, well the whole north east really. 1/2 dozen to a dozen is about what you would see in a deer season that is 90 days long.


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Perhaps you would get a better experience if you broke this up into two trips? There are places out west where you can drive a truck, see 50+ deer in a day, not have to pack an animal and your camp up and down mordor, have a warm bed and and camp stove etc, etc. Just take another trip to fly into the Frank in July with some ultralight camp gear and a camera. That would be my plan anyway....

Plus, there's a chance you will fly into a crowded area and you might find every backcountry Bob and his cousin on every ridge. You can find that in just about every national forest without a bush plane. Hunting season in Idaho is a zoo. If you really want seclusion I would bet you are more likely to find it in summer.