Idaho Selway Zone

[Chase_D]

First off, I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers and I'm not asking for anybody's honey holes.

My question is the feasibility of hunting unit 17 without an outfitter. I've read and know that the access is very limited and I'm prepared for that issue. My main question is, has anyone on here freelanced a hunt in that unit?

I know there are wolves, I've read about that on a hundred other posts.

Thanks in advance, just want some general feedback.

 

[theleo91386]

As a non-resident that won't have stock (guessing you're not up for dragging stock from the east coast even if you had some) I'd recommend you look elsewhere if harvesting an animal is your definition of success. Can it be done, yes, there's guys that luck into animals every year, but the odds are HIGHLY stacked against you.

 

[Dvidos]

As a non-resident that won't have stock (guessing you're not up for dragging stock from the east coast even if you had some) I'd recommend you look elsewhere if harvesting an animal is your definition of success. Can it be done, yes, there's guys that luck into animals every year, but the odds are HIGHLY stacked against you.

+1

 

[KurtR]

They are right

 

[idahohikker]

Without horses you barely start getting into the huge wilderness areas in the Selway. Take the success rates and divide by two or three to figure out your chances without being an outfitter client or a resident with local knowledge and stock.

 

[GregB]

You can certainly hunt the area without an outfitter. You'll see some awesome country, some whitetail a couple mule deer, probably have a great time and have a good story to tell. If you want to fill a tag probably not top of my list. I feel like I've said this a few times about the wilderness areas.

 

[Azone]

Word of advice, DONT SKIP leg day with the workouts and Google Earth does that place absolutely no justice at all. I swore I was never going back but.......see ya there. Your either gonna love it or hate it.
Definitely pack an emergency bivy sack, and keep a few different ways to start a fire in your immediate possession at all times. It gets really, really cold in November, ask me how I know..... Come on 2020!
Good luck!

 

[sneaky]

Take a camera, only thing you'll probably shoot will be some landscapes. We're not trying to be doom and gloom, but it is what it is. Lots of empty country. Without stock you aren't going in very far, if you do go far without stock and kill an elk, have a plan to eat it all before you hike back out.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Indian Summer]

Numbers are extremely low. It’s highly likely you’ll never see an elk. People get struck by lightning so it could happen but if you really want to kill an elk I’d seriously recommend looking elsewhere. Even at 15 miles in we don’t see much. The typical success story is killing the only one we saw or seeing nothing at all.

 

[87TT]

Go for it.




May want to take a trip out in the summer first though.

 

[idahohikker]

The spring bear/wolf combo or summer backpack trip with a flyrod is where it’s at. A quality Idaho wilderness experience for sure.

 

[mtnbiker208]

 

[mtnbiker208]

Kick ass country that is for sure. I will not bring an elk out on my back in this place.
top photo, water was an hour and a half from the tarp. great place to wander and get lost in.
There is game there also.

 

[idahohikker]

View attachment 137226

These photos show all of the rock that's present back there. Beautiful too. The Idaho Baolith creates rugged country and also stunts body size and antler growth as documented by Idaho biologists and hunters. You look down and most of the country has this really rocky soil.

 

[Indian Summer]

I don’t know about that! The bulls we do kill there are as big or bigger than anywhere. Some have some damn nice racks with a few having some non typical points.

 

[idahohikker]

I don’t know about that! The bulls we do kill there are as big or bigger than anywhere. Some have some damn nice racks with a few having some non typical points.

There are pockets where the bulls can be pretty nice if the feed is good and sometimes the age class of the bulls can make up for it.

If you’ve talked to 5+ bios who’ve flown the unit for surveys, viewed all published outfitters photos for years, and spoken with dozens of hunters who’ve hunted back there, with that sample size you see that there’s a size issue based on habitat limitations.

Surveys show a just an occasional and big bulls over 320” and many mature elk topping out below 300”. Many of the elk are smaller. GoHunt has their trophy quality as one of the worst in the state and in this case I think there’s right on.

 

[idahohikker]

This is all based on the Middle Fork Zone. I’ve hunted the Selway a little and researched but not as much as the Middle Fork. I think the habitat limitations aren’t as bad in some parts of the Selway.

 

[Customweld]

I have spent some time in unit 17, just passing through (not hunting) . It's big and burnt. Feasibility without stock and prior knowledge is low. I own some property in unit 19 (part of the Selway zone) and have never felt the urge to hunt it.

 

[idahohikker]

I have spent some time in unit 17, just passing through (not hunting) . It's big and burnt. Feasibility without stock and prior knowledge is low. I own some property in unit 19 (part of the Selway zone) and have never felt the urge to hunt it.

I forgot about had brother. Are you on the east side coming up from Dixie? There’s a terrible road that way which I haven’t taken but heard horror stories about. Somewhere in that area the kid of the film crew took off last year and was never found. Crazy.

 

[idahohikker]

And @Customweld could tell you all about the baolith and game quantity and quality. He’s been prowling Central Idaho for years and knows more than I do.