Nonresident Predator Hunting

[Outlaw99]

All this “non resident” come plan a specific predator hunt sounds great in theory, but in reality isn’t going to accomplish shit. Wolves numbers, to be managed any realistic fashion need to be trapped hard, or aerial gunned. If anyone thinks sending a bunch of warriors into the woods with a fox pro and a howler are going to do anything besides educate a bunch of wolves, push elk and deer herds around, you’re not being realistic. I’m not saying that every dead wolf isn’t a good thing, and that some folks wouldn’t be successful; but not to the extent of having any great statistical impact on the numbers of wolves in the state as a whole. You want to make an impact, work with your state trapping association, the f4wildlife group. Get experienced k9 and cat trappers in those areas to get some serious lines out to not just take out a few individual animals, but rather take out the whole family units. I’d much rather see this than educating a bunch of wolves and bumping out a bunch of elk and deer at the same time.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

All this “non resident” come plan a specific predator hunt sounds great in theory, but in reality isn’t going to accomplish shit. Wolves numbers, to be managed any realistic fashion need to be trapped hard, or aerial gunned. If anyone thinks sending a bunch of warriors into the woods with a fox pro and a howler are going to do anything besides educate a bunch of wolves, push elk and deer herds around, you’re not being realistic. I’m not saying that every dead wolf isn’t a good thing, and that some folks wouldn’t be successful; but not to the extent of having any great statistical impact on the numbers of wolves in the state as a whole. You want to make an impact, work with your state trapping association, the f4wildlife group. Get experienced k9 and cat trappers in those areas to get some serious lines out to not just take out a few individual animals, but rather take out the whole family units. I’d much rather see this than educating a bunch of wolves and bumping out a bunch of elk and deer at the same time.

THIS!!! About the only way to handle the population of coyotes here in the south.

 

[idahohikker]

All this “non resident” come plan a specific predator hunt sounds great in theory, but in reality isn’t going to accomplish shit. Wolves numbers, to be managed any realistic fashion need to be trapped hard, or aerial gunned. If anyone thinks sending a bunch of warriors into the woods with a fox pro and a howler are going to do anything besides educate a bunch of wolves, push elk and deer herds around, you’re not being realistic. I’m not saying that every dead wolf isn’t a good thing, and that some folks wouldn’t be successful; but not to the extent of having any great statistical impact on the numbers of wolves in the state as a whole. You want to make an impact, work with your state trapping association, the f4wildlife group. Get experienced k9 and cat trappers in those areas to get some serious lines out to not just take out a few individual animals, but rather take out the whole family units. I’d much rather see this than educating a bunch of wolves and bumping out a bunch of elk and deer at the same time.

If an extra 100 nonresidents predator hunted in Idaho via spot and stalk, that would benefit the herds. Is trapping more efficient? Yes. There’s not many residents or nonresidents with the time or gumption to run trap lines though those individuals are highly valuable. Predator hunting doesn’t have to be Elmer Fudd garbage hunters. The kind of nonresident who believes they can come to a western state in cold weather and put down some predators, if they have some knowledge about predator hunting, would be pretty successful.

Go throw out your Foxpro in the wilderness areas. You’ll get some action and not just be educating critters. If you’re only calling in heavily hunted areas, then it won’t be effective.

 

[idahohikker]

For winter hunts, you’ll need a snowmobile or you can use the main highways for access. Idaho 511 shows the status of all the major highways, including whether there’s snow, ice, etc., and has cameras on the roads.

Winter is hot time of year. Early in bear season can also be good for wolves because the animals are still on winter and transition range. Anytime you have a fresh snow you have a possibility of tracking the predators.

Many of the winter ranges are within short distances of the state’s highways. The wolves and lions will have followed the game down onto the winter range. It’s pretty accessible with car camping and some hikes away from the vehicle.

The winter range for the Boise, Weiser, McCall (partial), Smoky Bennett, Sawtooth, Salmon (partial), Pioneer, Lemhi, Beaverhead, Hells Canyon (partial) zones are all near highways.

The winter range for the Selway and Middle Fork are remote but can be accessed by plane or boat.

You can find places to hunt by targeting any of the winter range. It will be the lower country in the area. The biologists for the regions would be happy to describe the winter range in places you’re looking and so would guys on here.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

If an extra 100 nonresidents predator hunted in Idaho via spot and stalk, that would benefit the herds. Is trapping more efficient? Yes. There’s not many residents or nonresidents with the time or gumption to run trap lines though those individuals are highly valuable. Predator hunting doesn’t have to be Elmer Fudd garbage hunters. The kind of nonresident who believes they can come to a western state in cold weather and put down some predators, if they have some knowledge about predator hunting, would be pretty successful.

Go throw out your Foxpro in the wilderness areas. You’ll get some action and not just be educating critters. If you’re only calling in heavily hunted areas, then it won’t be effective.

One hired trapper will put in a bigger dent than 100 nonresident hunters will. I have been predator hunting for about 10 years and it isn't as simple as having some knowledge, putting a fox pro out, and then being pretty successful. There has been many apon many times where I have located 5-8 different packs of coyotes the night before where the following day they would not come into a single call. Once a dog is educated it becomes extremely hard to lay a dog down and a lot of times we have to go by night and shoot them with a thermal. In fact I would rather hunt an educated old whitetail buck vs hunt an educated dog. It's not like the videos we see that foxpro airs or dog soldier airs.

Granted I have never been wolf hunting but considering where they live, conditions, the size of their territory vs a coyote it won't be a "Locate an animal, plop a fox pro down, and here comes the wolf". If it was easy everyone would be doing it and we wouldn't be having this conversation. And we haven't even started talking about cats.

For winter hunts, you’ll need a snowmobile or you can use the main highways for access. Idaho 511 shows the status of all the major highways, including whether there’s snow, ice, etc., and has cameras on the roads.

Winter is hot time of year. Early in bear season can also be good for wolves because the animals are still on winter and transition range. Anytime you have a fresh snow you have a possibility of tracking the predators.

Many of the winter ranges are within short distances of the state’s highways. The wolves and lions will have followed the game down onto the winter range. It’s pretty accessible with car camping and some hikes away from the vehicle.

The winter range for the Boise, Weiser, McCall (partial), Smoky Bennett, Sawtooth, Salmon (partial), Pioneer, Lemhi, Beaverhead, Hells Canyon (partial) zones are all near highways.

The winter range for the Selway and Middle Fork are remote but can be accessed by plane or boat.

You can find places to hunt by targeting any of the winter range. It will be the lower country in the area. The biologists for the regions would be happy to describe the winter range in places you’re looking and so would guys on here.

Now you are getting into heavy logistics and more money.
Snowmobiles, trailing a snowmobile, fuel for the snowmobile etc.
I understand your position but every state deals with a huge predator problem whether it is wolves, bears and lions in the rockies or bears, coyotes, pythons (Florida), alligators, feral hogs (Yep they kill turkey nests and fawns), raccoons, bobcats in the east to Southeast etc etc. It's to hard to leave to go deal with another states predator problem when your home state already has one.

Question why not take this type of motivation and drive and try to convince residents to do it?

 

[idahohikker]

One hired trapper will put in a bigger dent than 100 nonresident hunters will. I have been predator hunting for about 10 years and it isn't as simple as having some knowledge, putting a fox pro out, and then being pretty successful. There has been many apon many times where I have located 5-8 different packs of coyotes the night before where the following day they would not come into a single call. Once a dog is educated it becomes extremely hard to lay a dog down and a lot of times we have to go by night and shoot them with a thermal. In fact I would rather hunt an educated old whitetail buck vs hunt an educated dog. It's not like the videos we see that foxpro airs or dog soldier airs.

Granted I have never been wolf hunting but considering where they live, conditions, the size of their territory vs a coyote it won't be a "Locate an animal, plop a fox pro down, and here comes the wolf". If it was easy everyone would be doing it and we wouldn't be having this conversation. And we haven't even started talking about cats.


Now you are getting into heavy logistics and more money.
Snowmobiles, trailing a snowmobile, fuel for the snowmobile etc.
I understand your position but every state deals with a huge predator problem whether it is wolves, bears and lions in the rockies or bears, coyotes, pythons (Florida), alligators, feral hogs (Yep they kill turkey nests and fawns), raccoons, bobcats in the east to Southeast etc etc. It's to hard to leave to go deal with another states predator problem when your home state already has one.

Question why not take this type of motivation and drive and try to convince residents to do it?

Residents are already mostly hunting predators. It’s the nonresidents who just take who could give some. It’s not hard for nonresidents to leave to go help with the elk overabundance that isn’t there.

A snowmobile isn’t necessary. It’s helpful in some places.

 

[idahohikker]

One hired trapper will put in a bigger dent than 100 nonresident hunters will. I have been predator hunting for about 10 years and it isn't as simple as having some knowledge, putting a fox pro out, and then being pretty successful. There has been many apon many times where I have located 5-8 different packs of coyotes the night before where the following day they would not come into a single call. Once a dog is educated it becomes extremely hard to lay a dog down and a lot of times we have to go by night and shoot them with a thermal. In fact I would rather hunt an educated old whitetail buck vs hunt an educated dog. It's not like the videos we see that foxpro airs or dog soldier airs.

Granted I have never been wolf hunting but considering where they live, conditions, the size of their territory vs a coyote it won't be a "Locate an animal, plop a fox pro down, and here comes the wolf". If it was easy everyone would be doing it and we wouldn't be having this conversation. And we haven't even started talking about cats.


Now you are getting into heavy logistics and more money.
Snowmobiles, trailing a snowmobile, fuel for the snowmobile etc.
I understand your position but every state deals with a huge predator problem whether it is wolves, bears and lions in the rockies or bears, coyotes, pythons (Florida), alligators, feral hogs (Yep they kill turkey nests and fawns), raccoons, bobcats in the east to Southeast etc etc. It's to hard to leave to go deal with another states predator problem when your home state already has one.

Question why not take this type of motivation and drive and try to convince residents to do it?

And you my friend don’t know about the politics of predator hunting in the West. Hired trappers and hunters would be great. They create a firestorm. Fish and Wildlife removes some problem packs from time to time. It’s on the backs of hunters to take out predators.

And coyote hunting in the east isn’t wolf, lion, and bear hunting. Not even responding to your comments in any detail where the west hundreds of miles of areas that are not heavily hunted outside deer and elk season and can be effectively hunted with electronic calls, hand calls, glassing, and tracking.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Residents are already mostly hunting predators. It’s the nonresidents who just take who could give some. It’s not hard for nonresidents to leave to go help with the elk overabundance that isn’t there.

A snowmobile isn’t necessary. It’s helpful in some places.

Again this goes back to "risk vs reward". Money and time off from work play a huge roll roll more nonresidents especially when they live a few hundred miles away or farther. Question when was the last time you have done a nonresident hunt where travel look at least a full day if not two?

Also I'm willing to bet there can be alot more residents recruited to hunt predators. I know in my state we could use a lot more. We have plenty of hunters that will go out and hunt deer and shoot the occasional coyotes during deer season but after that it's turkey season and on to preparing for the next deer season. There is zero want or drive to go out and hunt predators for a lot of people. Me I aboslutley love it especially when a coyotes comes running into shotgun range but the population of dedicated predator hunters arn't that high.

 

[idahohikker]

Again this goes back to "risk vs reward". Money and time off from work play a huge roll roll more nonresidents especially when they live a few hundred miles away or farther. Question when was the last time you have done a nonresident hunt where travel look at least a full day if not two?

Also I'm willing to bet there can be alot more residents recruited to hunt predators. I know in my state we could use a lot more. We have plenty of hunters that will go out and hunt deer and shoot the occasional coyotes during deer season but after that it's turkey season and on to preparing for the next deer season. There is zero want or drive to go out and hunt predators for a lot of people. Me I aboslutley love it especially when a coyotes comes running into shotgun range but the population of dedicated predator hunters arn't that high.

Thanks for your thoughts. You seem to think it’s all for residents to do and nonresidents are reasonable to only use their precious time and money for prey hunting. I believe you’ve sufficient explained your position and it’s recognized you aren’t familiar with the dynamics of Idaho hunting. Would you mind politely leaving your thoughts at this? I’m not wanting endless back and forth.

 

[Outlaw99]

The Foundation for Wildlife Management – Ensuring ungulate populations recover in areas negatively impacted by wolves

With 2400+ wolves removed, F4WM has saved an estimated 336,000+ elk, moose, deer, and livestock, by promoting science-based predator management. (2400 wolves each consume 20 big game per year for 7 years- 7x20=140 x 2200 = 336,000 saved!) Season Stat Counter Season to Date (7/1/24 - 6/30/25)...

www.f4wm.org

Here ya go. I’m sure this has been posted before, but residents, and no residents alike should be donating to this group. If you can’t personally get out there and make a dent, you can still help the cause by donating to the cause.

 

[brettdunn7]

Again this goes back to "risk vs reward". Money and time off from work play a huge roll roll more nonresidents especially when they live a few hundred miles away or farther. Question when was the last time you have done a nonresident hunt where travel look at least a full day if not two?

Also I'm willing to bet there can be alot more residents recruited to hunt predators. I know in my state we could use a lot more. We have plenty of hunters that will go out and hunt deer and shoot the occasional coyotes during deer season but after that it's turkey season and on to preparing for the next deer season. There is zero want or drive to go out and hunt predators for a lot of people. Me I aboslutley love it especially when a coyotes comes running into shotgun range but the population of dedicated predator hunters arn't that high.

Not to mention in this that elk fills the freezer while predators, except bear maybe, don’t for most people. I for one ain’t eating a dog or a cat so therefore I’m not paying a bunch of money just to go kill something to waste. I also don’t hunt for mounts or trophy so there is no benefit there. For a lot of people like you say it’s do I want to spend $1000s of dollars to actually benefit my family, meat in the freezer, food etc, or do I want to spends $1000s to waste an animal. My wife for one would probably divorce me if I pitched that idea to her.

Yes I’m fully aware that there are benefits to predator hunting and things like that, but people are inherently selfish and when spending a lot of their time and money they want to benefit themselves more than anything, I would say this is especially true for an out of state hunter. It’s human nature. It’s not always right.

Now I live in Utah now and will maybe get into some predator hunting out there if I can link up with someone that will benefit, maybe they eat cat or dog or something idk. Idaho ain’t far and if I start hunting up there maybe I’ll link up with OP and do some predator hunting if he would be down for it.


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[Brandon_SPC]

And you my friend don’t know about the politics of predator hunting in the West. Hired trappers and hunters would be great. They create a firestorm. Fish and Wildlife removes some problem packs from time to time. It’s on the backs of hunters to take out predators.

And coyote hunting in the east isn’t wolf, lion, and bear hunting. Not even responding to your comments in any detail where the west hundreds of miles of areas that are not heavily hunted outside deer and elk season and can be effectively hunted with electronic calls, hand calls, glassing, and tracking.

You are right I do not know the politics. But I have hunted predators in both the east and west (not bears, lions, or wolves) enough to understand it isn't that simple. At least in the regards to calling them in.

I know coyotes arn't a wolf, lion, or bear but what all these animals have in common is that they have to outsmart it's prey and other predators to live. They arn't like ungulates where all they have to worry about is outsmarting a predator. Predators (dogs, cats, bears, etc) are hard to hunt in general and if they weren't hard to hunt you wouldn't see bears baited or dogs used for lions or bears. Hunting lions without dogs can be an impossible feet especially if you do not know the area and the same can be said for Black bears if you are hunting without bait or dogs. Heck even knowing the area can still make it hard but we are talking about nonresidents so we would have to go assumption that they don't know the area.

Yes glassing avalanche shoots works but in regards to calling it's not as simple as plopping down with a fox pro and being highly successful. At least from all my friends that have tried that route predator hunting in Montana, Alaska, and Colorado. Those animals are smart, granted they can be extremely stupid too (can't we all), but hunting apex predators is a whole new ball game and it will just lead to what Outlaw 99 said.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Thanks for your thoughts. You seem to think it’s all for residents to do and nonresidents are reasonable to only use their precious time and money for prey hunting. I believe you’ve sufficient explained your position and it’s recognized you aren’t familiar with the dynamics of Idaho hunting. Would you mind politely leaving your thoughts at this? I’m not wanting endless back and forth.

No I'm not thinking like that I'm just looking at it from a realist standpoint. If you could get a ton of nonresidents to hunt them than man I salute you. That is awesome but yes I will leave the thoughts at that. Sorry about that I just thought is was a conversation going back and forth.

 

[KurtR]

Not to mention in this that elk fills the freezer while predators, except bear maybe, don’t for most people. I for one ain’t eating a dog or a cat so therefore I’m not paying a bunch of money just to go kill something to waste. I also don’t hunt for mounts or trophy so there is no benefit there. For a lot of people like you say it’s do I want to spend $1000s of dollars to actually benefit my family, meat in the freezer, food etc, or do I want to spends $1000s to waste an animal. My wife for one would probably divorce me if I pitched that idea to her.

Yes I’m fully aware that there are benefits to predator hunting and things like that, but people are inherently selfish and when spending a lot of their time and money they want to benefit themselves more than anything, I would say this is especially true for an out of state hunter. It’s human nature. It’s not always right.

Now I live in Utah now and will maybe get into some predator hunting out there if I can link up with someone that will benefit, maybe they eat cat or dog or something idk. Idaho ain’t far and if I start hunting up there maybe I’ll link up with OP and do some predator hunting if he would be down for it.


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if my family was counting on me for meat from elk they would be vegans. If meat in the freezer is that big of a concern i would say the grocery store or a nice white tail hunt over feeders would be a way better option. Its not killing some thing to waste sell the fur make some gas money. We were getting 55-70 dollars a coyote last year. I dont know what wolves sell for and not eating mountain lion you are really missing out.

 

[brettdunn7]

if my family was counting on me for meat from elk they would be vegans. If meat in the freezer is that big of a concern i would say the grocery store or a nice white tail hunt over feeders would be a way better option. Its not killing some thing to waste sell the fur make some gas money. We were getting 55-70 dollars a coyote last year. I dont know what wolves sell for and not eating mountain lion you are really missing out.

So I saw a mountain lion hunt with meateater and it did seem interesting. It’s the whole cat thing I don’t think I could get over lol. I’m sure if someone cooked some up I may actually try it. Also I grew up whitetail hunting and it ain’t as easy as you make it out to be. I enjoy hunting. Can’t buy game meat at the market. I hunt resident to keep cost low and the meat gained from game will produce more for my money than what the grocery store will.

I was simply giving another point of view. I don’t hunt out of state unless it was going up to Kentucky to hunt my brothers farm before he passed away last year. That was more about spending time with family than it was the hunting though so it was well worth it. Plus their NR fees are cheap.

The fur thing may be something to look into. It wasn’t until maybe I year ago that I realized that kind of thing still happened.

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[idahohikker]

if my family was counting on me for meat from elk they would be vegans. If meat in the freezer is that big of a concern i would say the grocery store or a nice white tail hunt over feeders would be a way better option. Its not killing some thing to waste sell the fur make some gas money. We were getting 55-70 dollars a coyote last year. I dont know what wolves sell for and not eating mountain lion you are really missing out.

Haha I need meat to feed my family but I hunt across the country. Yeah so that $2000 for your trip would buy a lot of filet mignon.

 

[KurtR]

So I saw a mountain lion hunt with meateater and it did seem interesting. It’s the whole cat thing I don’t think I could get over lol. I’m sure if someone cooked some up I may actually try it. Also I grew up whitetail hunting and it ain’t as easy as you make it out to be. I enjoy hunting. Can’t buy game meat at the market. I hunt resident to keep cost low and the meat gained from game will produce more for my money than what the grocery store will.

I was simply giving another point of view. I don’t hunt out of state unless it was going up to Kentucky to hunt my brothers farm before he passed away last year. That was more about spending time with family than it was the hunting though so it was well worth it. Plus their NR fees are cheap.


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whitetail hunting is way easier than elk hunting. I have been elk hunting 3 years and killed nothing i have shot multiple deer every year since i was 12 i am 40 now. If you like hunting try predator hunting it will make you way better hunter in general.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

if my family was counting on me for meat from elk they would be vegans. If meat in the freezer is that big of a concern i would say the grocery store or a nice white tail hunt over feeders would be a way better option. Its not killing some thing to waste sell the fur make some gas money. We were getting 55-70 dollars a coyote last year. I dont know what wolves sell for and not eating mountain lion you are really missing out.

I think he was more along the lines of saying his wife isn't going to let him hunt out of state unless it's an animal that she likes to eat. lol

 

[brettdunn7]

whitetail hunting is way easier than elk hunting. I have been elk hunting 3 years and killed nothing i have shot multiple deer every year since i was 12 i am 40 now. If you like hunting try predator hunting it will make you way better hunter in general.

I’m sure it is. I’ve been whitetail hunting since I was 4 with my dad. I’m 34 now. There have been many seasons I have not filled a tag and we always had bait out. A lot of times and especially when pressure increases they went nocturnal because they had an easy food source and knew exactly where to go for it. I just moved to Utah. Will hopefully be going out with a buddy soon to do some elk hunting, I won’t be getting a tag this year. This will be a learning year.

Now what I may do is see about NR tags for predator, I don’t qualify yet for resident license. That may be fun and as you said would probably help me learn the land and hunting techniques for western hunting maybe.


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[Yellowhammer]

How about a big annual Rokslide wolf hunt party put on by area locals with some assistance in setup and methods? I bet if you and some locals got together you could make it happen and get a good following going.

I agree, annual rokslide predator hunt would get participation and would be a good way make some new friends.