Idaho Report

[idahohikker]

I spent seven hours today driving for work from Blackfoot and back through Leadore- Salmon-Lower Pahsimeroi-Mackay-Arco.

My observations:
1. Lots of trucks with hunter orange, most of them carrying 4 wheelers. A crazy amount of 4 wheelers.
2. Zero dead animals killed by hunters from the trucks I saw, including many with tailgates open at gas stations.
3. Spotted about 80 deer, 100 antelope, and 1 elk in the lower country by the road.
4. Lots of desert country that’s not getting hunted. Could easily hold an old buck.
5. No snow except about 7000 feet and up on north faces.
6. An unfortunately high amount of cheat grass.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

The weather is actually not too bad right now. I've had some cold ass windy deer seasons in that country.

 

[theleo91386]

I can't imagine a more typical report for mid October in central Idaho.

 

[sneaky]

I spent seven hours today driving for work from Blackfoot and back through Leadore- Salmon-Lower Pahsimeroi-Mackay-Arco.

My observations:
1. Lots of trucks with hunter orange, most of them carrying 4 wheelers. A crazy amount of 4 wheelers.
2. Zero dead animals killed by hunters from the trucks I saw, including many with tailgates open at gas stations.
3. Spotted about 80 deer, 100 antelope, and 1 elk in the lower country by the road.
4. Lots of desert country that’s not getting hunted. Could easily hold an old buck.
5. No snow except about 7000 feet and up on north faces.
6. An unfortunately high amount of cheat grass.

Same things I see every day when I drive that stretch. It's camper central up here now. Every flat spot has a camper city on it. I haven't seen anything in or on a vehicle either.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[idahohikker]

Same things I see every day when I drive that stretch. It's camper central up here now. Every flat spot has a camper city on it. I haven't seen anything in or on a vehicle either.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

You’re the lucky devil who gets to live in that country. Super jealous.

I was expecting more snow up in that high to mid elevations.

I almost harvested a roadkill but it was too warm. Bummer too because it was just a floppy-necker.

 

[Elkchaser54]

Is a floppy necker a liberal from the city?

 

[idahohikker]

Is a floppy necker a liberal from the city?

Haha the term would apply too. A floppy-necker to me is a roadkill with a broken neck. Those are the best because you don’t have any damage to the insides.

 

[Scoony]

I am up hunting deer and elk outside of Challis. Some other hunters are shooting deer but no one is seeing elk. We have a few more days and are hoping this weather will push them around. Windy today so doing a laundry and resupply run into Challis and a stop at the hot springs.

 

[CubsFan04]

Are the days of hearing positive reports over? Every thread on here regardless of the state seems to be about pressure and no elk.

 

[sneaky]

Are the days of hearing positive reports over? Every thread on here regardless of the state seems to be about pressure and no elk.

It's rifle season. Everywhere is crawling with gun guys. I can make a 15 min drive and count 50 camp trailer groups, didn't see any during archery.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[CubsFan04]

It's rifle season. Everywhere is crawling with gun guys. I can make a 15 min drive and count 50 camp trailer groups, didn't see any during archery.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Well that is somewhat encouraging to hear. I recently moved to ID and couldn't get residency in time for 2019 and non-resident elk was sold out. Looking forward to next year but have been seeing pessimistic reports everywhere. I do archery and rifle but was hoping to leave some of the pressure behind in Colorado.

 

[Farrisryan3]

Just hunted unit 10 and never seen a elk in the 8 days we hunted there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CubsFan04]

Just hunted unit 10 and never seen a elk in the 8 days we hunted there.

That's rough, hope you still enjoyed yourself.

 

[gunsmith89]

We went one for 4 this year. First time in Idaho I got lucky and got with in range cutting off a bull at the edge of a saddle and letting him feed down to me. They did not talk very much and we took a slow glassing approach for the rest of the time due to the dry conditions. I'm sure they started really sounding off the day we left.

 

[mtnbiker208]

I am an Idaho resident that had 2 elk tags and went 2 for 2. they are out there, but elk are not easy.
I am in the northern part of the state. to me it seemed, kind of like a typical season.

 

[.204smokechaser]

I got mine this year. Took me about 2.5 days of hunting to get it done. I'm a resident as well.

 

[idahohikker]

My report so far from this year:

Unit A in Central Idaho: multiple mature bulls and bucks spotted quickly, kill made by a buddy. Didn't have a tag for another species.
Unit B (Unit 39): four days of nothing antlered during elk season, glassing huge expanses with a spotting scope. My primary hunting spot was destroyed by some genuises who put a tipi tent right on a well-traveled saddle. Normally 50+ elk tracks and there was 0. Friends and nearby campers mostly did bad. The unit is getting pressured like crazy between deer and elk seasons.
Unit C in Eastern Idaho: pretty good deer numbers but not much for mature bucks. I got a youth on a young buck.
Unit D in Central Idaho: TBD

 

[4shore]

Salmon/Challis was pretty over run with ATV's and campers when were there at the end of October. A TON of road hunters! We got away from the camps and up above 7k ft and got our elk. Didn't see the first one until Day 8.

 

[menhaden_man]

That was our experience in the Salmon-Challis (deer hunting). Really surprised at the number of people willing to back into a trail head with another two dozen vehicles.

 

[idahohikker]

Salmon/Challis was pretty over run with ATV's and campers when were there at the end of October. A TON of road hunters! We got away from the camps and up above 7k ft and got our elk. Didn't see the first one until Day 8.

All the general rifle areas are going to be like that—ATV city by the roads. Where it starts to get bad is when you hit many 5 mile expanses away from roads and turn up zero critters. Then you know that pressure is getting away from roads and having some bad effects.