Picking Brains on Selway Zone Early October Hunt 8-10 days!!

[ndbuck09]

steep, steep. also hiking off trail on the steep terrain is a lot different than on a trail, especially a trail in applachia compared to that area. And on the trails around there, you'll contend with guys on horseback hunting basically the trail systems.

 

[Gaines033]

Just out of curiosity why did you pick the Selway to hunt and why didn’t you get the tag to hunt during September?

Thank you for your continued response regarding the actual hunting of elk! To be honest we got on the hunt late and B tags were sold out, there were still B tags available in other areas but we decided based on some of the statistics we decided that there are animals here we just have to put in the time and grit to find the dang things (aware of the advantage horseback's/outfitters have). The prospect of running up on a big mule deer, black bear or wolf was also pretty convincing as well. The other reasons are just that early October lined up pretty well in our calendars and kind of like I said before we were definitely intrigued by the landscape and wanted to make it more of an all around adventure than just solely hunting (although that is #1 priority). Just seems like an awesome place to get wrapped up in and potentially coming out with some game meat!

 

[Gaines033]

You will have company...good-looking areas within hiking distance from the Magruder will be full of folks doing just as you are. (And even more if posted on the internet.) This does sound like a way for you and your dad to get started though; it's really the only way to figure out what's going on. You are certain to have a backcountry experience and see some cool country so long as you check the weather and drive carefully.

Definitely going to be careful driving and if it gets too hairy plan on ditching the truck and resuming on the ATVs. What are the best ways to get updates on incoming weather/road conditions and such? Radio? I can't imagine relying on cell service.

 

[P Carter]

Inreach or NOAA radio would be my suggestion.

 

[sneaky]

Definitely going to be careful driving and if it gets too hairy plan on ditching the truck and resuming on the ATVs. What are the best ways to get updates on incoming weather/road conditions and such? Radio? I can't imagine relying on cell service.

You won't have any cell service. An InReach is a wise investment. Bring chains for all 4 wheels, shovel, recovery gear. We're not trying to discourage you, we just want you to understand that harvest stats in that zone are HEAVILY skewed by outfitters.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[whuppinstick]

Definitely going to be careful driving and if it gets too hairy plan on ditching the truck and resuming on the ATVs. What are the best ways to get updates on incoming weather/road conditions and such? Radio? I can't imagine relying on cell service.

You won't need to worry about sketchy road conditions in early October. Snow might fall on the pass but probably not enough to lock you in. That road is clear to Paradise until November 18th so you should be fine.

There's a lot of pessimism in this thread and for good reason. Many guys every year think "big wilderness area = lots of pockets to find a big elk/deer". It's a logical thought process and I have fallen victim to it. Unfortunately it doesn't take into account that the Selway and Frank backcountry don't have great mineral content or forage and they have a predator balance that heavily favors the animals with claws. But you can get it done. For each of the last two years I have killed bulls 10+ miles in (from a road or an airstrip, I will not say) and packed them out alone without losing any meat. That takes 6-8 days depending on how quickly you can get to a trail. It obviously helps with more guys but you'll burn years worth of friendship capital and you may never see them in Idaho again.

There are not deer or elk in most of the spots you have e-scouted. You'll have to put on a lot of miles or get lucky. You will have less competition from other hunters during October, but you'll also have a harder time finding bulls since the breeding is mostly done. On big mule deer, you have a better chance of hitting one on the drive in than shooting one. In the six years I've been hunting back there (10+ days each in September and November) I have seen two bucks over 170 and killed neither of them. There are 140-155 bucks available in November, but they are very hard to find before that.

So here's my advice: keep getting in shape, forget about a big mule deer, cross your fingers for a nice bear (this is your most attainable goal), and hunt hard for elk but have zero expectations. Enjoy the adventure of your backcountry hunt and maintain your optimism, but don't buy an extra freezer yet.

 

[freddyG]

You will have some stories to tell, and get some excercise at minimum. The bear tag will be the easiest to fill, but it will take some work. There are wolves there, but finding them isn’t easy. The deer and elk tag will be very difficult to fill. There is so much rough country there, it’s just tough to cover much of it. I live an hour away from there, and except for Bear, I wouldn’t even think about buying a tag for that unit because of the super low success rates. Good luck, and update this thread after the hunt.

 

[CavemantheHunter]

It is tough country with low elk/deer densities that can turn dangerous if you're not prepared. That being said, utilize the above information to set yourself up for success. I started hunting the unit two seasons ago with the same intentions of you, "get away from people, explore beautiful country, and enjoy the backcountry." I started getting discouraged about my tag choice after reviewing past threads with people claiming the country is impossible to hunt. That being said, in the last two years between my father and I, we have taken four bucks and three bulls out of the unit, on DIY non-guided hunts. Should have been four bulls but a miss occurred. We hunt hard, we go deep, we have horrible packouts, but we have a lot of fun and a lot of success.

My biggest two pieces of advice: 1) Be prepared to have your butt kicked by the terrain and/or the weather. 2) Make sure you have multiple areas picked out to hunt. If the elk aren't in an area, get out and try another because they are extremely spotty, but you can find them.

And come back and share your hunt on this thread.

 

[sneaky]

It is tough country with low elk/deer densities that can turn dangerous if you're not prepared. That being said, utilize the above information to set yourself up for success. I started hunting the unit two seasons ago with the same intentions of you, "get away from people, explore beautiful country, and enjoy the backcountry." I started getting discouraged about my tag choice after reviewing past threads with people claiming the country is impossible to hunt. That being said, in the last two years between my father and I, we have taken four bucks and three bulls out of the unit, on DIY non-guided hunts. Should have been four bulls but a miss occurred. We hunt hard, we go deep, we have horrible packouts, but we have a lot of fun and a lot of success.

My biggest two pieces of advice: 1) Be prepared to have your butt kicked by the terrain and/or the weather. 2) Make sure you have multiple areas picked out to hunt. If the elk aren't in an area, get out and try another because they are extremely spotty, but you can find them.

And come back and share your hunt on this thread.

Congrats to you guys, but you are definitely the exception to the rule in the Selway.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Gaines033]

It is tough country with low elk/deer densities that can turn dangerous if you're not prepared. That being said, utilize the above information to set yourself up for success. I started hunting the unit two seasons ago with the same intentions of you, "get away from people, explore beautiful country, and enjoy the backcountry." I started getting discouraged about my tag choice after reviewing past threads with people claiming the country is impossible to hunt. That being said, in the last two years between my father and I, we have taken four bucks and three bulls out of the unit, on DIY non-guided hunts. Should have been four bulls but a miss occurred. We hunt hard, we go deep, we have horrible packouts, but we have a lot of fun and a lot of success.

My biggest two pieces of advice: 1) Be prepared to have your butt kicked by the terrain and/or the weather. 2) Make sure you have multiple areas picked out to hunt. If the elk aren't in an area, get out and try another because they are extremely spotty, but you can find them.

And come back and share your hunt on this thread.

Awesome and congrats on filling those tags! We plan on having boots to the ground most of the trip but how long do you give a spot before you decide its time to move on? Say you glass in the morning with no turn up would you suggest packing up and hiking/looking for sign until you get to an evening glassing location and continue to do that on the days? I assume during the day most are going to be bedded with the occasional shuffle but maybe try and glass them while their bedded? The last thing I want to do is bump them out of their bed and into the next state. If i'm in an area with fresh sign I should probably sit on it and glass/listen for a while? Sorry that's a ton of questions.

 

[Gaines033]

You will have some stories to tell, and get some excercise at minimum. The bear tag will be the easiest to fill, but it will take some work. There are wolves there, but finding them isn’t easy. The deer and elk tag will be very difficult to fill. There is so much rough country there, it’s just tough to cover much of it. I live an hour away from there, and except for Bear, I wouldn’t even think about buying a tag for that unit because of the super low success rates. Good luck, and update this thread after the hunt.

Thank you and will do. We will at least have some good pictures of the landscape and maybe even a few trout!

 

[Gaines033]

You won't need to worry about sketchy road conditions in early October. Snow might fall on the pass but probably not enough to lock you in. That road is clear to Paradise until November 18th so you should be fine.

There's a lot of pessimism in this thread and for good reason. Many guys every year think "big wilderness area = lots of pockets to find a big elk/deer". It's a logical thought process and I have fallen victim to it. Unfortunately it doesn't take into account that the Selway and Frank backcountry don't have great mineral content or forage and they have a predator balance that heavily favors the animals with claws. But you can get it done. For each of the last two years I have killed bulls 10+ miles in (from a road or an airstrip, I will not say) and packed them out alone without losing any meat. That takes 6-8 days depending on how quickly you can get to a trail. It obviously helps with more guys but you'll burn years worth of friendship capital and you may never see them in Idaho again.

There are not deer or elk in most of the spots you have e-scouted. You'll have to put on a lot of miles or get lucky. You will have less competition from other hunters during October, but you'll also have a harder time finding bulls since the breeding is mostly done. On big mule deer, you have a better chance of hitting one on the drive in than shooting one. In the six years I've been hunting back there (10+ days each in September and November) I have seen two bucks over 170 and killed neither of them. There are 140-155 bucks available in November, but they are very hard to find before that.

So here's my advice: keep getting in shape, forget about a big mule deer, cross your fingers for a nice bear (this is your most attainable goal), and hunt hard for elk but have zero expectations. Enjoy the adventure of your backcountry hunt and maintain your optimism, but don't buy an extra freezer yet.

Thank you for the reply and information, I have researched about the mineral not supporting huge antlered Elk, whitetail or mules but coming from the east coast any mule deer will be a cool encounter. Why do you reckon they are so hard to find before their rut? We have some pretty tall basins and such to check out so I hear that they like that right there at that alpine line. Also whats your thoughts on not holding animals in the area that i've scouted? you think most hunters will have been in that area just because of the accessibility?

 

[whuppinstick]

Thank you for the reply and information, I have researched about the mineral not supporting huge antlered Elk, whitetail or mules but coming from the east coast any mule deer will be a cool encounter. Why do you reckon they are so hard to find before their rut? We have some pretty tall basins and such to check out so I hear that they like that right there at that alpine line. Also whats your thoughts on not holding animals in the area that i've scouted? you think most hunters will have been in that area just because of the accessibility?

I think a combination of there not being a high population of mule deer along with being outside the rut (think how hard it is to find a big whitetail in early October where you are) and the predators is why you may not see a good mule deer. But if you're okay shooting a 2-3-pt you'll probably find one.

The reason I said there probably aren't animals in most of the areas you have e-scouted is just because there aren't many animals. I can and have found a dozen places online that look amazing and maybe they even are in person, but there just aren't enough elk to inhabit them. Here's an example of my experience over the last six years of Septembers (about 10 days each season):
2014: had a 5-pt walk into camp the day before season midday, never saw an elk during season, heard one bugle.
2015-2017: did not see or hear an elk
2018 saw a flash of one cow
2019: saw two bulls, shot one small six-point that was quietly bugling just before dusk.

This is anecdotal, of course. You may have better luck and I hope you do. The Selway is a special place even if you don't get anything.

 

[CavemantheHunter]

Awesome and congrats on filling those tags! We plan on having boots to the ground most of the trip but how long do you give a spot before you decide its time to move on? Say you glass in the morning with no turn up would you suggest packing up and hiking/looking for sign until you get to an evening glassing location and continue to do that on the days? I assume during the day most are going to be bedded with the occasional shuffle but maybe try and glass them while their bedded? The last thing I want to do is bump them out of their bed and into the next state. If i'm in an area with fresh sign I should probably sit on it and glass/listen for a while? Sorry that's a ton of questions.

You won't be able to fully grasp the size of the country until you hike up your first ridge. If you're truly hunting off the beaten path (roads), then you are going to be committed to multiple days in each location before moving. It will take a minimum of 1/2 day just to hike into a spot to set up camp, and another solid day of hiking/hunting before deciding if it's a go/no go, and then another 1/2 day to get out before starting to your next location. The elk in that unit are where they are and they aren't where they aren't. There isn't a ton of rhyme of reason, other than location of wolves and water. In looking at a map or Google Earth, you would think there should be a herd in every canyon, but there just isn't. With a week to hunt, I would say you have a potential opportunity to mob into three separate areas, should each prove elk-less. But you could very well wear yourselves out packing in/out and hiking that rugged terrain for 8+ days straight before even getting the opportunity to put a shot on an elk and then start the multiple day packout. In my mind, that is why the unit is so challenging and has so many horror stories. It just takes so long and so much energy to get into a spot before you even start hunting. And if there aren't any elk in there, then you just wasted 1/3 of your trip on a fruitless spot. If you get in on fresh sign early, I would recommend hanging tight on that spot and working it hard, but be advised if you push the herd, you will most likely never see them again since they'll go down and over the next ridge, which would take a day plus just to get to.

I understand the negative connotations with the unit and don't disagree in the least. I've been discouraged many days in that unit, pushing your body through either 80+ degree heat or 2+ feet of snow and deadfall while coming on more wolf sign than elk. But, that's what makes it all the more rewarding when you do succeed and have to kill yourself with some of the toughest packouts possible.

Good luck and be sure to share your stories, whether successful or not!