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Elk in St Joe area of the panhandle of ID

gspman

gspman

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Oct 3, 2011
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My son and i are planning on a 1st time in the St Joe National Forest in the panhandle of ID. (Oct. 2020)
I have a good friend who owns property just out side of Santa, ID to set up camp.
I am hoping to find some help aquiring maps, advise. The game plan for now is get to my friends land, set up camp and do some scouting.
As i understand it it, some area's allow ATV's, some don't. Much logging in the area. I will have atv but just to get to a gate to hike in.
We used to hunt Tex creek in the SE area, but had a couple of bad seasons in a row, the last when the RME foundation and IDFG decided to burn down the mountain with napalm dropping helicopters on opening day of elk season.
That pretty much killed it for us.
So sorry for the longish post but any advise or assistance would be very welcome. The planning starts now for our trip from WI to ID.

Sincerly
Gspman AKA "Scott"
 
Well, ATV's are helpful for sure or a good 4x4 truck. In the winter road access is really dependent on snow level. My partner and I have had 3 late season hunts in the St. Joe Area with two successful hunts. The elk in that area have been making a comeback over the last 5 years from the wolf devastation of a decade ago. I live in Washington so it's not a place I have "extensive" boots on the ground scouting knowledge of but I have spent plenty of summers in the valley fishing and ATV riding. It is steep country and yes plenty of logging over the years. In Oct. it's cold and can be pretty miserable depending on the weather so if that is the time you plan on going prepare for that. Ton of good info on the Idaho fish and game site. Out of state OTC tags for the following year go on sale Oct 1st.
 
It’s worlds different that what you hunted in the Tex creek area. Plan for locals to be doing a ton of road hunting on atvs anywhere and everywhere they can, rain and/or snow and lots of timber. North Idaho doesn’t have much for elevation but it does have plenty of steep. The brush and timber makes covering country slow and a pain in the butt
 
I hunted that country a lot in the mid 90's and really enjoyed it but it did get frustrating at times. Steep and thick, my longest shot was 40 yards. ATV use and abuse was getting out of control back then, and I doubt its gotten any better today. If I went back there to hunt today, it would be with my bow.
 
Sorry for the late replies.
steep and thick is the rule, i have also heard get 2 miles from a trail and find the thickest nastiest stuff facing north...lol
So mostly still hunting ? Like jump shooting rabbits or stand hunting
 
gspman said:
My son and i are planning on a 1st time in the St Joe National Forest in the panhandle of ID. (Oct. 2020)
I have a good friend who owns property just out side of Santa, ID to set up camp.
I am hoping to find some help aquiring maps, advise. The game plan for now is get to my friends land, set up camp and do some scouting.
As i understand it it, some area's allow ATV's, some don't. Much logging in the area. I will have atv but just to get to a gate to hike in.
We used to hunt Tex creek in the SE area, but had a couple of bad seasons in a row, the last when the RME foundation and IDFG decided to burn down the mountain with napalm dropping helicopters on opening day of elk season.
That pretty much killed it for us.
So sorry for the longish post but any advise or assistance would be very welcome. The planning starts now for our trip from WI to ID.

Sincerly
Gspman AKA "Scott"
Click to expand...
How did it go last year?
 
Not trying to start an arguement but the forest use in northern WI & MN has put our game o. Hi alert and has interrupted normal feeding & travel patterns. Co 've tional sc outing a d stand placement are no longer effect e when whitetails become noctur al because of ex essive human activity which includes ca.meras set up o. Baits (illegalmost places) a d at. Use on every imaginable trail I including forest trails & logging roads. Some hi years have be one too lazy..there is no easy way without doing the work.
 
Iceman2010 said:
Archery hunting? Did you hear any bugling
Click to expand...
Rifle, but we were scouting in Archery season. The folks we met all said the same thing: very little bugling. Likely due to fires and wolves. They all had to spot the elk and then stalk them, but they usually would get into heavy timber and even at 10-15 yards, there was no clear shot.

Rifle was a lot of the same. No bugling. Lots of wolves howling. The 2 that did punch their tags were in the river basins, and the Elk just stepped into a clearing while they were there.
 
Lucky_Lep said:
Rifle, but we were scouting in Archery season. The folks we met all said the same thing: very little bugling. Likely due to fires and wolves. They all had to spot the elk and then stalk them, but they usually would get into heavy timber and even at 10-15 yards, there was no clear shot.

Rifle was a lot of the same. No bugling. Lots of wolves howling. The 2 that did punch their tags were in the river basins, and the Elk just stepped into a clearing while they were there.
Click to expand...
Did you see an wolves or lions
 
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