Yeah that makes sense too. Maybe i should not totally eliminate 49 from my sites. Maybe East of Hailey but haven't really read much about it. Maybe that is a good thing for those who hunt it. Lol
About the ATV thing i have read that before on other sites also. Upset a lot of hunters because those rules are not being enforced. I won't be one of them cuz i don't have an atv. Just me, my baja jayco and my ol Wal-Mart mountain bike. Lol. Guess we will just see what the weather is like, try to find some watering holes, and hopefully be at the right spot at the right time. I don't mind climbing up the hills on my knees. I am no young buck anymore but know my limits now. May not be as fast as i once was but I'll get to where i have to get. Like you said, hopefully ill draw a tag and will go from there. If not well I will just have to go try some new country and learn the terrain.
11A had good stats in 2019 based on Idaho Hunt Planner. I'm curious why you hunt elsewhere if that's where you live. I can't PM at this time.
It’s a unit with under 10% public land and a really low elk population on top of that. With the right access you can probably have a good hunt but getting that access is the really hard part
makes sense. on to the next magical unit
Like has already been stated it's nearly all private land with elk in small pockets and for the most part aren't huntable without permission from multiple landowners. Allot of the elk are also on tribe ground. I have hunted other units in the zone however. Sometimes I just like a new challenge even if I could kill one in the farm fields around here I still would want to go to the mountains that's atleast half the reason I do it.
Sorry, but I'm confused. I thought that I read in 2023 there were only 600 total tags or so given out for 50, and of that about 100+ were archery a tag.....a unit that has dozens of miles of mountains....100+ a tags doesn't seem like a zoo to me? This December some buddies and I will try to get either sex a tags for Idaho since Colorado changed its non-resident structure. I assume with only 100+ OTC A tags, it will be difficult for 4 guys to each get the same tag?
It looks like there were 658 archery hunters in 50 last year (IFG Harvest Statistics). This thread is also 4 years old. There have been at least a couple of new season setting cycles since it was started.
idfg.idaho.gov
Having hunted idaho before the December 1 fire sale and tried with mixed success to get a tag since it's become so popular you will be extremely lucky if one of your group gets a solid archery elk tag.I think what it was, was 658 total archery tags, but there were only this many a tags given out to non-residents. I don't know, I guess I am coming from the massive state of Delaware where we have such a limited amount of public hunting land, so when I hear about states that dwarf us in size and mention pressure, our concepts of a zoo are completely different I guess and I don't let it discourage me. Honestly if you're used to hunting high pressure areas it's only a benefit.
Elk Nonresident Tag Limits
Nonresident hunters are limited to their selected areas for deer (GMU) or elk (zone). ( More information ). 2024 Nonresident Elk Tags (returns available on the next scheduled Returned Tag Sale) Tag Type Quota Available Nonresident Elk 12,815 SOLD OUT Elk hunting is managed in 28 elk...
So it sounds like it's possible all 4 of us (let's be honest, guys say they are interested, but half usually bail) to HUNT Idaho, but it may come down to only two guys get an elk tag, others were able to get a muley or bear tag and you just have to string together the tags you are able to come by?
It may be a huge unit area- wise, but the whole unit won't hold elk. Add in to that that in August everyone is hunting within a mile of irrigated fields, that area shrinks fast. That's what concentrates pressure. Huge difference between how whitetails handle pressure, and how elk handle pressure.I think what it was, was 658 total archery tags, but there were only this many a tags given out to non-residents. I don't know, I guess I am coming from the massive state of Delaware where we have such a limited amount of public hunting land, so when I hear about states that dwarf us in size and mention pressure, our concepts of a zoo are completely different I guess and I don't let it discourage me. Honestly if you're used to hunting high pressure areas it's only a benefit.
Elk Nonresident Tag Limits
Nonresident hunters are limited to their selected areas for deer (GMU) or elk (zone). ( More information ). 2024 Nonresident Elk Tags (returns available on the next scheduled Returned Tag Sale) Tag Type Quota Available Nonresident Elk 12,815 SOLD OUT Elk hunting is managed in 28 elk...
I can understand that then. That makes sense. I think if we were all able to get tags (in 50, or 32A, or a couple others i was looking at, we'd go in 2nd half of Sept. That was another thing I was thinking about in terms of pressure, basically yea, 658 tags were sold but guys are still going at diff times of the year.
