Out of State Hunters-Idaho

[cbiddle]

I hunted Idaho this September. I’m a non resident and I saw more residents breaking the rules than I’ve ever seen anywhere. 4 wheelers and side by sides on non motorized trails. Blew my mind. I even asked one guy if the trail was supposed to be non motorized playing it like I didn’t understand the rules or something and he told me to “Mind my own business”


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[kiddogy]

Y’all send me some coordinates for the locations of some Merriam turkeys in Idaho and I promise I won’t use a 4-wheeler to hunt them.

42.6
100.7

 

[kiddogy]

I hunted Idaho this September. I’m a non resident and I saw more residents breaking the rules than I’ve ever seen anywhere. 4 wheelers and side by sides on non motorized trails. Blew my mind. I even asked one guy if the trail was supposed to be non motorized playing it like I didn’t understand the rules or something and he told me to “Mind my own business”


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to be fair and balanced ,the ratio of res vs non res hunters breaking the laws is probably pretty equal.

Idaho like every other state has no shortage of local azz howels.

we can debate all day long but the simple truth is, the prices of tags are gonna continue to rise for res and non res alike . deal with it or find something else to do.

 

[308west]

I'm a Nebraska resident that hunts Idaho archery elk. Spent good money on tags the last couple years, which I'm not complaining about in the least. I'll pay to play, it's what I love doing. I've been roughly tracking the tag sales and you're right, selling out sooner and sooner for the last 3 years at least. This year sold out first week in August. On August first in state residents were allowed to purchase any remaining out of state elk tags. Just out of curiosity, can anyone really pinpoint why the out of state tags have gone so fast just within the last few years?

 

[kiddogy]

because the economy is good and people have money????????

 

[Wrench]

One thing to remember about access in Idaho is that they allow a motorcycle on hiking trails in a LOT of places.

The first year I hiked into the hills above the locsha I was a couple Mikes and tons of feet of vert up a nasty trail when a bike came up behind me.

He stopped and shut it off, I was pissed. He was super cool. He apologized for riding up on me and asked where I was headed so as to not screw that up for me. I asked why he was riding on a hiking trail. He told me to go back and read the fine print on the sign and get a use map of the area, because it is actually open to bikes.

Sure as hell....he was right. What I have found is it pays to do your research. Some timberland owners have no issues with motorized access, some prohibit it. The FS has use maps that will surprise people what is actually allowed.

A lot of the problems I see are HOW people hunt. I have been on many a road systems that penetrate several miles into the backcountry. These roads drive 10's of miles through prime elk country, but EVERYONE is hung up on a destination....be it the end of the road, or a trailhead.

My suggestion is to find a destination for yourself that is not a destination for others.

Look that map over and find that saddle with water and feed near by that has no trail to it, no parking near it.....Bushwack into a few of those that are 1-2 miles deep and I GUARANTEE that you can find solitude and elk. If you are in that 2-3 miles from a road, which is near impossible....you'll hear elk that don't know what pressure is.

Or hunt destinations and places that an at or bike can go and continue to get pissed off because someone took the easier route than you. Just know that elk will bed on shit you can't stand on. They'll run through shit you can't climb through.

Quit wasting time being pissed about the how they got there and just go hint where elk are and people are not. A side benefit of these areas is that if you in fact do run into a human, it's likely to be a quality hunter and I've yet to not have a great conversation with guys in the backcountry.

 

[Praxeus]

One thing to remember about access in Idaho is that they allow a motorcycle on hiking trails in a LOT of places.

The first year I hiked into the hills above the locsha I was a couple Mikes and tons of feet of vert up a nasty trail when a bike came up behind me.

He stopped and shut it off, I was pissed. He was super cool. He apologized for riding up on me and asked where I was headed so as to not screw that up for me. I asked why he was riding on a hiking trail. He told me to go back and read the fine print on the sign and get a use map of the area, because it is actually open to bikes.

Sure as hell....he was right. What I have found is it pays to do your research. Some timberland owners have no issues with motorized access, some prohibit it. The FS has use maps that will surprise people what is actually allowed.

A lot of the problems I see are HOW people hunt. I have been on many a road systems that penetrate several miles into the backcountry. These roads drive 10's of miles through prime elk country, but EVERYONE is hung up on a destination....be it the end of the road, or a trailhead.

My suggestion is to find a destination for yourself that is not a destination for others.

Look that map over and find that saddle with water and feed near by that has no trail to it, no parking near it.....Bushwack into a few of those that are 1-2 miles deep and I GUARANTEE that you can find solitude and elk. If you are in that 2-3 miles from a road, which is near impossible....you'll hear elk that don't know what pressure is.

Or hunt destinations and places that an at or bike can go and continue to get pissed off because someone took the easier route than you. Just know that elk will bed on shit you can't stand on. They'll run through shit you can't climb through.

Quit wasting time being pissed about the how they got there and just go hint where elk are and people are not. A side benefit of these areas is that if you in fact do run into a human, it's likely to be a quality hunter and I've yet to not have a great conversation with guys in the backcountry.

Wrench- Very good stuff here. Cannot agree more. Idaho does have some wacky regs regarding motorcycles. In th CDA national forest, most of these are going to be 2 cycle....forget about hunting with that kind of racket. Nonetheless, your comments are spot on.

 

[BradG]

So I'm also an out-of-stater. In my experience which is limited because I get away from people. This year I ran into 3 people (the same 3 people i run into every year) total in 7 days hunting. Everyone is obeying the rules and everyone is kind and helpful.

 

[HookUp]

Did 5 days in a Idaho OTC unit. Saw 3 6x bulls lots of bugling and zero other hunters. Found an arrow so someone must be hunting other than me!

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Wrench- Very good stuff here. Cannot agree more. Idaho does have some wacky regs regarding motorcycles. In th CDA national forest, most of these are going to be 2 cycle....forget about hunting with that kind of racket. Nonetheless, your comments are spot on.

Riding a quarter out sure beats packing it out ; ) The only reason most of the trails around here are cleared of blow down is the guys on dirt bikes. The state does as much as they can, but we pick up the slack and help them out.

Edit: I would be rude to not mention the fact that a lot of non resident riders from Montana and Washington help clear the trails in the Panhandle.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

One thing to remember about access in Idaho is that they allow a motorcycle on hiking trails in a LOT of places.

The first year I hiked into the hills above the locsha I was a couple Mikes and tons of feet of vert up a nasty trail when a bike came up behind me.

He stopped and shut it off, I was pissed. He was super cool. He apologized for riding up on me and asked where I was headed so as to not screw that up for me. I asked why he was riding on a hiking trail. He told me to go back and read the fine print on the sign and get a use map of the area, because it is actually open to bikes.

Sure as hell....he was right. What I have found is it pays to do your research. Some timberland owners have no issues with motorized access, some prohibit it. The FS has use maps that will surprise people what is actually allowed.

A lot of the problems I see are HOW people hunt. I have been on many a road systems that penetrate several miles into the backcountry. These roads drive 10's of miles through prime elk country, but EVERYONE is hung up on a destination....be it the end of the road, or a trailhead.

My suggestion is to find a destination for yourself that is not a destination for others.

Look that map over and find that saddle with water and feed near by that has no trail to it, no parking near it.....Bushwack into a few of those that are 1-2 miles deep and I GUARANTEE that you can find solitude and elk. If you are in that 2-3 miles from a road, which is near impossible....you'll hear elk that don't know what pressure is.

Or hunt destinations and places that an at or bike can go and continue to get pissed off because someone took the easier route than you. Just know that elk will bed on shit you can't stand on. They'll run through shit you can't climb through.

Quit wasting time being pissed about the how they got there and just go hint where elk are and people are not. A side benefit of these areas is that if you in fact do run into a human, it's likely to be a quality hunter and I've yet to not have a great conversation with guys in the backcountry.

I always wonder if people who get on here and complain about bikes ever bothered to see if the trail was open to them or they just assumed since its single track it must be closed. Idaho has a lot of motorcycle trails and people will ride them from the spring through till the snow is to deep.

 

[BullElk]

I always wonder if people who get on here and complain about bikes ever bothered to see if the trail was open to them or they just assumed since its single track it must be closed. Idaho has a lot of motorcycle trails and people will ride them from the spring through till the snow is to deep.

Im going with a solid NO. they dont know the rules but someone rode past them so it must be illegal!

 

[Idaho Sandman]

I always wonder if people who get on here and complain about bikes ever bothered to see if the trail was open to them or they just assumed since its single track it must be closed. Idaho has a lot of motorcycle trails and people will ride them from the spring through till the snow is to deep.

Imma go with no as I’ve come up on hunters only to have them bitch at me for riding my motorcycle on a trail. They feel pretty silly after I show them the trail use map.

 

[bluetick78]

Riding a quarter out sure beats packing it out ; ) The only reason most of the trails around here are cleared of blow down is the guys on dirt bikes. The state does as much as they can, but we pick up the slack and help them out.

Edit: I would be rude to not mention the fact that a lot of non resident riders from Montana and Washington help clear the trails in the Panhandle.

This is something that most hunters don't know about. There's a lot of atv/utv/dirt bike clubs and organizations in Idaho that do a ton of volunteer work clearing trails. In one area I hunt, most of the trails would be a tangled mess of blowdown if the maintenance were left up to the Forest Service. I'm not a member of any off road organization, but I have friends who are. They always invite me to come help clear trails in the spring, and I always show up ready to work with a chain saw in hand. For those guys that show up on any particular trail on the opener, ready to hunt and leave, then throw a millenial tantrum when dirt bikes arrive, I say screw off. There's a good chance those guys on the bikes have invested several days every year owning the maintenance for that trail, and as a previous post pointed out, in some parts of this state there's a chance that multiple NR's had a hand in that. When it comes to NR hunter numbers that's one thing, but trail use is a much broader issue where most regular hunters play very little role in maintaining the resource, but are always the first to stir shit up if someone else is using "their" public spot.

 

[Customweld]

If it weren't for some of the dedicated bike riders, a big percentage of the trail systems (non wilderness obviously) would be impassable.

 

[Raghornkiller]

Nonresident tags are capped.Idaho population growth is exploding.I think you guys should start bitching about too many residents.Ive hunted twice in a zone that gets bitched about most and being used to Colorado I couldn't believe how few people I saw during archery season.Im sure it sucks compared to what it used to be but you cant expect it to stay like that forever.

 

[ForrestHorsehunter]

I'm with you Steve. I don't seem to have "too much" trouble with people. I do my research and seek tough terrain to get away from the crowds, but i do still run into people, mostly residents. They seem to be the ones that are have motorized vehicles where they shouldn't be. I've seen this for years. I think that has a lot to do with where I hunt though. I've taken some friends from out of state in some easier to hunt areas that are more densely populated. Most out of state guys have been welcoming seem to follow the regs. There's bad apples of both types though. I see a lot of residents with the attitude that they can do whatever they want.

It all comes down to respect. Respect the land and respect your fellow hunters. Remember non-res hunters are why you have cheap tags.

My outlook on hunter numbers is that it's just a reality we live with. The elk won't disappear because of this. Regulations are in place to keep this from happening. Stop whining about it and step your game up. If you are presented with more of a challenge, work harder and prove yourself. So many people want the easy way out and don't want to push themselves mentally and physically. So when they get on the mountain and are faced with a challenge they can't handle it and want to make excuses on why they can't get it done. Never looking at themselves as the problem.


Focus on going where people won't. Have multiple back up plans. Be more prepared for season physically. Keep a positive attitude and hit it hard. You'll make it happen if you do. I get it done every year with no problem (and so do my friends), and the more challenges I face the more satisfaction I get out of the hunt and myself. Make changes, change your perspective and you'll have a much more enjoyable time.

 

[jetsled]

I'm with you Steve. I don't seem to have "too much" trouble with people. I do my research and seek tough terrain to get away from the crowds, but i do still run into people, mostly residents. They seem to be the ones that are have motorized vehicles where they shouldn't be. I've seen this for years. I think that has a lot to do with where I hunt though. I've taken some friends from out of state in some easier to hunt areas that are more densely populated. Most out of state guys have been welcoming seem to follow the regs. There's bad apples of both types though. I see a lot of residents with the attitude that they can do whatever they want.

It all comes down to respect. Respect the land and respect your fellow hunters. Remember non-res hunters are why you have cheap tags.

My outlook on hunter numbers is that it's just a reality we live with. The elk won't disappear because of this. Regulations are in place to keep this from happening. Stop whining about it and step your game up. If you are presented with more of a challenge, work harder and prove yourself. So many people want the easy way out and don't want to push themselves mentally and physically. So when they get on the mountain and are faced with a challenge they can't handle it and want to make excuses on why they can't get it done. Never looking at themselves as the problem.


Focus on going where people won't. Have multiple back up plans. Be more prepared for season physically. Keep a positive attitude and hit it hard. You'll make it happen if you do. I get it done every year with no problem (and so do my friends), and the more challenges I face the more satisfaction I get out of the hunt and myself. Make changes, change your perspective and you'll have a much more enjoyable time.

^^^^This is why residents cant stand the NR mentality. Most of the NR guys I've met on the mountain are good guys, if you could change your perception that WE NEED your money from these tags and the WE NEED your money in our small towns it would get you a lot farther. It's a huge pet peeve of a lot of residents. Because in reality you need us, as in the state of Idaho and the buy in from its residents than we need you. The major changes in residents perception of NR hunters is exactly what started the ball rolling on capped zone restrictions and more focus on NR hunters by F&G.

 

[wasatchcomm]

I've hunted idaho for the past decade as well
i love idaho

I've moved around so i can see all the areas

I've seen both the good and the bad, from both res and non res

i like hunting in areas where motor vehicles are allowed. it attracts the guys that have these and they never get to far from them...

im a friendly guy and i will be nice to anyone,, thats the human thing to do...

everyone should be that way, what good is to be a A$$ to someone no matter what state they are from.

 

[Gulfgoose]

im a friendly guy and i will be nice to anyone,, thats the human thing to do...

everyone should be that way, what good is to be a A$$ to someone no matter what state they are from.

BINGO!! We're all in it for the same thing. Why ruin your day by getting all worked up about where someone is from? Treat everybody with respect and you'll have a better day and hunt.
We have WAY bigger issues in the hunting world than where in the world someone calls home.