Nonresident Predator Hunting

[idahohikker]

Posted here because the elk forum gets more traffic I believe. Nonresidents ask about elk hunting in Idaho way more than predator hunting. Elk tags are getting more sparse in the West. Predator populations are thriving. Residents would be more willing to help nonresidents coming here to help the elk rather than just take one home. Why don’t nonresidents start to focus just a little bit on intentional predator hunting?

I’m happy to provide some general info to nonresidents looking to bear, wolf, or lion hunt in Idaho. Cheap tags. No tag quota I’m aware of. Lots of public land to get after it. There are many other residents who know more than me who I bet would help also. Other western states have good predator hunting options to consider.

First suggestion for all the guys wanting to hunt the Frank but have no clue the elk numbers there are in the tank: do a fly in hunt in the late fall, winter, early spring and hunt predators back there. The Panhandle is a destination place for bear and wolf hunting with some strong densities up there. The southern desert units have a lot of lions. So many options.

 

[Jacob_Outdoors]

I’ve had an interest in bear hunting Idaho for several years. I also enjoy bear hunting my home state and waiting for the snow to melt off in Idaho sometimes creates a conflict between the two hunts.

I’ve also found that some people aren’t as willing to share predator spots as others. Which, like you, I find funny. I’ve always been very willing to share any predator hunting spots I can, we all benefit from the success. I’ll be packing a wolf tag when I deer hunt Idaho this year and won’t hesitate at the opportunity to take one, same for bear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WannabeHunter]

We are very interested in any and all hunting opportunities that take us to new terrain.
Like you mentioned we are coming out west for an Elk hunt this year, but are very open to bear/wolf hunting in the future. Would you mind if after this elk season I could reach out about future opportunities?

 

[idahohikker]

We are very interested in any and all hunting opportunities that take us to new terrain.
Like you mentioned we are coming out west for an Elk hunt this year, but are very open to bear/wolf hunting in the future. Would you mind if after this elk season I could reach out about future opportunities?

Sure.

Having a tag in your pocket during elk season is fine and well. Intentional predator hunting is where much of the success and benefit to the herds lies. There’s always going to be elk hunters shooting a few predators. We need a movement towards predator hunting the rest of the year to kill more predators and keep things in balance. Get yours!

 

[LostArra]

Even a bounty in some elk recovery areas?

State Of Idaho Funds Controversial Wolf Bounty Program

If you kill a wolf in Idaho, your effort might be worth $1,000. A nonprofit in North Idaho covers costs for hunters and trappers who successfully harvest…

www.boisestatepublicradio.org

The hunt success rate must be pretty low or the number of wolf hunters, resident and non resident, must be low. What's the annual harvest, 200-300? Are most non-res wolf tags sold as an add on to elk hunters?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Joe Schmo]

Done it. Doing it.
But then again I'm just a NR so what does that make me...like 3/5 of a hunter?

 

[Btaylor]

Posted here because the elk forum gets more traffic I believe. Nonresidents ask about elk hunting in Idaho way more than predator hunting. Elk tags are getting more sparse in the West. Predator populations are thriving. Residents would be more willing to help nonresidents coming here to help the elk rather than just take one home. Why don’t nonresidents start to focus just a little bit on intentional predator hunting?

I’m happy to provide some general info to nonresidents looking to bear, wolf, or lion hunt in Idaho. Cheap tags. No tag quota I’m aware of. Lots of public land to get after it. There are many other residents who know more than me who I bet would help also. Other western states have good predator hunting options to consider.

First suggestion for all the guys wanting to hunt the Frank but have no clue the elk numbers there are in the tank: do a fly in hunt in the late fall, winter, early spring and hunt predators back there. The Panhandle is a destination place for bear and wolf hunting with some strong densities up there. The southern desert units have a lot of lions. So many options.

If you can convince my wife that a freezer full of wolf meat would be as good or better than a freezer full of elk, I'll come get two tags.

One of the biggest problems is the fur market went to crap and there is little motivation for chasing fur bearers. We have the same problem in the eastern states but it is coyotes, coon, fox, possums hogs etc. They work on the turkeys pretty hard, work on the fawns and in the case of hogs either out compete deer and turkeys for food or just out right destroy habitat. IT's less talked about because deer numbers are so drastically higher than elk numbers but the problem is the same, populations are way high and mostly unchecked. Wolf, coyote, bear, lion, coons, etc are viewed more or less as the garbage nobody wants to mess with and every state I have hunted has its fair share. I just dont see a plea for non-residents to come clean up your trash gaining much traction when wont even clean up our own in our resident states.

Maybe one of these days an Instafluencer will start a crusade that will bring along the bandwagon to help.

 

[Btaylor]

Done it. Doing it.
But then again I'm just a NR so what does that make me...like 3/5 of a hunter?

Depends on how many followers you have I think. You might not make 3

 

[Afhunter1]

You need trappers. Hunters suck at predator control.

A newb/bad hunter makes predator control even harder. An educated coyote or wolf is a far worse problem. When they are dumb a smart hunter will kill a few but educate your pack a few times and Randy Anderson is gonna get skunked.

Having NR's blunder around blowing howlers every 5 min is not gonna achieve what you are after trust me.

 

[idahohikker]

Done it. Doing it.
But then again I'm just a NR so what does that make me...like 3/5 of a hunter?

That makes you 3x a nonresident hunter if you’re actively working on predator control. Awesome. It’s uncommon.

 

[idahohikker]

You need trappers. Hunters suck at predator control.

A newb/bad hunter makes predator control even harder. An educated coyote or wolf is a far worse problem. When they are dumb a smart hunter will kill a few but educate your pack a few times and Randy Anderson is gonna get skunked.

Having NR's blunder around blowing howlers every 5 min is not gonna achieve what you are after trust me.

Good point. But there are some good nonresident hunters I’ve spoken with who could do some damage if they applied their just some amount of their efforts to intentionally hunt predators.

 

[mitchellbk]

Do any of the charters for hire fly into wilderness areas during winter? I've read of some airstrips that are possible to fly into with skis, but not sure if you need to know a pilot personally for that sort of adventure or what.

 

[Afhunter1]

I assure you I can stack fur with the best of em and I would love to but I don't have the time to do it. If I was wealthy and retired I'd take you up on this offer and take you out with me. We'd have a blast.

 

[idahohikker]

Do any of the charters for hire fly into wilderness areas during winter? I've read of some airstrips that are possible to fly into with skis, but not sure if you need to know a pilot personally for that sort of adventure or what.

I’m not positive on that. I know some flights take place. The charters have to watch the weather closely. Late fall and early spring they do for sure and you have animals congregating on winter range where predator hunting is more effective.

Some guys did a float and ski trip last year in the Frank that I saw video from. Total bad a****.

 

[idahohikker]

@Ryan Avery What about a predator hunting Rokslide photo contest that runs through the fall or winter. Might get some dudes after it.

 

[Ross]

It is all about time for us all only so much available and trapping being the best opportunity to get wolves as evidenced by data the fish and game used to keep if did not have to work be all over it

 

[Joe Schmo]

I'll betcha that for every NR that does predator hunt in da ho there's 5 R's that DON'T

 

[idahohikker]

I'll betcha that for every NR that does predator hunt in da ho there's 5 R's that DON'T

Just about every serious resident hunter I know, and there’s many of them, predator hunts. For every 5 nonresidents on here that I talk to maybe 1 is doing any kind of intentional predator hunting.

 

[menhaden_man]

Buddy and I will be hunting the Salmon OTC rifle this fall and both of us would gladly tag down on a cougar or even the right sized bear. We both have wolf tags. We’ve both killed 30+ deer with bows, black powder and rifle, so would be tickled stacking a big cat instead.

Any tips for areas to focus on predators in these units (36, 28, 21) or techniques would be very much appreciated. I’ll have my call and Grendel in tow. Just point me in the right direction!

 

[ScreamingPotato]

No interest in bear or lion, but I'll kill the hell out of a wolf if given the chance. That's a long distance trip just for that though.