Idaho vs Colorado

[mathews8pt]

As a guy who has never elk hunted before this "picking the spot" game is really getting to me. Im use to small tracks of public ground where im from and i know it will be way different out west but when i look at a unit and then google search and find people talking about the same trailhead that im looking at, and them saying how many cars are parked there, i get discouraged. So i took a step back and thought, man, everytime i talk to someone that has hunted elk out west they say colorado is where they went. Seems like the easy answer when someone from out east is heading out for elk.

So, is Idaho a better, slightly less pressured option for a OTC archery elk hunt? I spent a little time looking yesterday and the Pioneer zone looked promising but i havent narrowed down spots and googled them yet like i had Colorado. Help, im going crazy!!

 

[Rizzy]

Idaho has a more public land and less residents, but I can't say if it's better than Colorado though. I have never hunted Colorado.

 

[mathews8pt]

Another thing that got my attention is the elevation seems to be a couple thousand feet lower on average, which i dont know how much of a difference that will make to us flatlanders but it sounds better on paper. It does look like some of the stuff in the units i was looking at could be kind of steep though.

 

[ChrisS]

Based on internet research, every OTC unit has too few elk and too many hunters. A few years ago it was different, elk were hiding behind every tree and there were no other hunters.

I don't think you're going to find the perfect spot your first time out before you go. Don't let that discourage you. Trust me, I've been going through the same thing and frankly, if I get the chance to go this season, I'm just going to go.

 

[xziang]

When you have a trail head that you thought about hiking in on take a look at the parking log on google earth. Then change the 'date' on google earth too for sometimes they'll show the parking lot during hunting season the previous year or two. This can kind of give you an idea as to how popular it is etc.

Granted it might not give you the exact time on opening day but still another internet scouting tool you can use to see how many people might be in the area.

I go to CO because I know the area and shorter drive too plus I like the area even if I don't get an elk.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I never hunted Idaho, but I hunt a private Ranch in 78/81 Colorado 2nd rifle season. We are at 8000 to 10000 ft on top of the mountain on the Ranch, and you can see the mountains and draws covered with Orange dots moving around. I don't see how an Elk or deer could manage to escape the multitude of hunters unless they can hide very well. I doubt that I would hunt the public land there if I didn't have access to the private Ranch. Keep in mind though, there are unlimited OTC tags for those units for second and third rifle, so no telling how many hunters are there.
Maybe things are spread out a little more in Idaho.

 

[Idaho Brad]

I can only speculate on Colorado Elk hunting, but Colorado has a lot more elk than Idaho and depending on what part of Idaho you are in, it is more conducive to glassing. If you want to hunt North Idaho (North of Lewiston) be prepared to hunt highly pressured elk in dense timber and vine maple brush fields. Also, leave the spotter home and pack binos. The farther South you get, the more open the country gets compared to the Northern portion of the state. If I had a choice, I would hunt Colorado before wolves get introduced there and the big game numbers look like Idaho.

 

[weaver]

There's no magical forumala to finding a good otc elk spot. The success rates and hunting pressure are going to be similar from state to state. Pick a unit and learn it.

 

[fltlndr]

For OTC archery units in CO, I'd hunt before muzzleloader season. The rut won't be in full swing, but the elk won't be nearly as pressured as late September. I archery hunt almost exclusively now to avoid crowds and hunt less-pressured animals, regardless of species. If/when I draw a good unit, I may change my mind. Either way, like weaver said, pick an area and learn it. Good Luck!

 

[cuerro viejo]

As a guy who has never elk hunted before this "picking the spot" game is really getting to me. Im use to small tracks of public ground where im from and i know it will be way different out west but when i look at a unit and then google search and find people talking about the same trailhead that im looking at, and them saying how many cars are parked there, i get discouraged. So i took a step back and thought, man, everytime i talk to someone that has hunted elk out west they say colorado is where they went. Seems like the easy answer when someone from out east is heading out for elk.

So, is Idaho a better, slightly less pressured option for a OTC archery elk hunt? I spent a little time looking yesterday and the Pioneer zone looked promising but i havent narrowed down spots and googled them yet like i had Colorado. Help, im going crazy!!

I hunt both and hunting both again this year... hopefully

The best thing about Idaho vs CO is the other OTC tags especially if you like bears

With that said hunting wise it's the same. The nastier it is less people you will see, easier the terrain more you will see..

 

[pingpong7]

If I were you I'd hunt Colorado, I have hunted ID many years and wolves have done a number on our elk herds. As far as I am aware, all if not the majority of elk herds in CO are unaffected by wolves.

 

[PA 5-0]

My first elk hunt back in the day was in ID, Clearwater Nat Forest. Steepest shit I've ever seen in the lower 48, and thick as a tick. I saw elk jump off cliffs and disappear. CO !!

 

[Gobbler36]

Wolves have probably done in the elk, Colorado for the this year

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

Idaho for sure.

 

[svivian]

Idaho for sure.

X2 plus there aren't any elk in Colorado

 

[Greg Beck]

Wolves behind ever tree in Idaho No elk Gonna have to be Colorado !!! .. Seriously though I have never hunted Colorado so don't know the difference. Vacationed a lot there. Pick your state and unit and learn to hunt it!!!

 

[Ross]

If you like brush, steep nasty crap and wolves many places in Idaho are perfect I've met many out of staters hunting nidaho and nwest mt through the last 20 yrs and they always say"you can't see anything and where are the elk"? Elk numbers are good in much of Idaho but would recommend as a first timer if Idaho chosen stay lower in the state than higher just due to wolves and greater visibility....someone above noted no spotter needed and many times no binos as just a jungly mess yep that is this area up north.

 

[mathews8pt]

Still collecting some data on this stuff but i appreciate the input guys! I was thinking the southern half of Idaho if we go there.

 

[mathews8pt]

I'm really leaning towards the pioneer zone in Idaho. good stats, some decently remote spots and not large numbers of predators from what I could find. The pressure might not be the lowest from hunters but I'm not afraid to spend some time getting away from the roads.

I spent like 4 hours on google earth looking over a couple spots today, marking roads, trying to find water, looking for Atv trails, etc. I'm getting pretty pumped for this trip!!


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[hobbes]

I know back east a crowded parking lot may mean your stepping on top of one another. A crowded trailhead in the mountains doesn't always translate into heavy hunting pressure............when there is miles upon miles of country that the trailhead leads to. It may however require you to hunt some holes that the other folks are avoiding.

The parking lot at one of the trailheads I hunt typically has 4 or 5 horse trailers and a few other vehicles at the main parking spot, several campers from down the road that I think come in behind me and leave before me, and typically 3 or 4 vehicles besides mine that drive a little farther up a jeep trail to the actual trailhead (I'm pretty sure we are mostly backpack guys). The horse guys and probably some of the backpackers set up shop beyond where I hunt and the rest of them apparently hunt a different direction than I do or right along the trail, because I've seen very few hunters while hunting it and ran across one solo hunter's camp in the opposite direction I typically hunt. In other words, the parking lot may appear to indicate a huge amount of pressure but there is likely still room to hunt undisturbed. It seems the parking lot has gotten more crowded each year that I've hunted it over the last four years so I may not be so lucky in the future.