Idaho rifle Elk 2019 ?s

[fnf01]

Hi all newbie here looking for any help you would be willing to give. I understand the common resistance to giving out hard-earned knowledge to people who have not done their fair share of research yet and I fully get that. In addition, I’m not asking for anyone’s honey hole just general guidance. If you’d rather send a PM by all means. Thanks to anyone who keeps reading.

Where I’m starting from.
My hunting partner and me are dead set on an elk hunt for 2019 (time to get in shape, then get in shape more). We’ll be coming out from WI, so limited to no opportunity to actually get out there to scout. We’ve narrowed it down to Idaho, 2019, rifle, OTC, antlered, 7-10days afield. We were thinking September but looks like the only units that fit are mid-late October. I'm a little worried because of the weather and accessibility concerns later in year for a couple green horns. If I'm mistaken about that and a later Oct-Nov hunt is feasible please let us know. We’d like a nice bull (wouldn’t we all) and are trying to find a unit with good odds to “stack the deck” and hopefully at least see something but understand the odds and would be satisfied to just spend time in the beauty of nature gaining experience for our next trip out. We are planning to hike a couple miles in (no horses, no bikes, no atv) and setting a camp to then hike from. We do not want to truck camp hunt. However we have basically no hiking or back country experience as of yet (that’s why 2019 not 2018). So we have a lot of very probably stupid sounding questions I can’t even find others on the internet asking, I’ll get to those lol.

What I’ve found:
Using the IDFG hunt planner for the last couple weeks and going through the data I had triumphantly declared the SAWTOOTH ZONE Units 35/36 was what we were gonna do!!!! WRONG!!! Sawtooth is transitioning to a controlled zone for 2019 according to IDFG. So next I declared UNIT 27 was our target!!!! WRONG AGAIN!!! According to basically everyone The Frank is a beast you don’t challenge your first time out, and it seems the stats are skewed upwards by fly-in hunters (So Middlefork is out). For brevity sake I can tell you I’ve crossed off Panhandle, Selway, Dworshak, Bear River, Sawtooth, Lolo, Palouse zones. If your curious why I can share.

I’m looking at Weiser River, Elk City, McCall, Tex Creek, Palisades in order of least likely to most. But I’ve been seeing a lot about the Salmon Zone with looks like the front runner, I’m looking hard at Unit 21. Again I can go into detail on why but basically its accessibility and proximity to us.

Any feedback if I’m on the right track or missed something big?

Now for the stupid questions. On the interactive IDFG map center, there are lots of different roads/paths, if it’s a “Jeep” path does that mean just general 4x4 truck can use it? Once you get to the end Where are you parking?? Just pick a spot off the road and leave it? What are you doing with your cooler while in the field (theft a concern?)? The word “Drainage”? I’ve looked up definitions, pictures tried to find spots on maps of what people mean when they say “Panther creek drainage” but it’s not making any sense to this Midwesterner. Isn’t the whole length of the creek a “drainage” for the mountains around it? I’m lost lol. I’ll ask someone at IDFG also but if only one of us is going to actually be pulling the trigger does the other need a license if they are just there to observe/help pack out? And carrying a side arm & bear spray or just bear spray? And finally bugs, are mosquitos a thing in ID during an elk hunt? Ticks? lol?

Thanks if you read that whole thing!

 

[elkhnter]

Well, wow. If you’re going to hunt for a bull in Idaho with a rifle, it’s going to be in October. The units you picked on the west side are steep (for us flatlanders) and heavy timber. I hunted McCall a few years back in September. It’s was in the 90s then woke up to 3” of snow, but had the same thing one year around Ashton.
The University of Elk Hunting at ELK101 is a great resource. The Elknut app is the best to learn the sounds elk make. Find your local RMEF banquet and volunteer to help out. Some great guys and gals there.
Get in shape, both physically and mentally. You can get by with decent whitetail equipment, but DO NOT skimp on boots.
I’m looking at Tex Creek in 2019, maybe we’ll run into each other.

 

[20YardShot]

I agree with elkhnter, you picked some difficult units as far as terrain goes. I have taken 6 elk out of Idaho and would recommend units 5 or 10a/10b in that order.

 

[Haneydew]

Selway and middle fork offer mid September rifle hunt and deer season opens the same day. Elk is bull only and deer is either sex. You can also harvest a black bear, a wolf or a mountain lion with a deer tag. This is the Hunt I'm planning in 2019. And I'm planning a 5 day scouting/ backpacking trip this August to look at some areas I've been looking at on the maps. I'm leaning on the selway zone heavily for a few reasons. There are some folks on here with some good advice, good luck.

 

[JeremyA]

Just an input. I am in Southern Colorado. When hunted last year I was able to have a camper to set as my base camp. My hunting partner and I covered 85 miles of terrain and ate tag soup in the end. We were on the elk all most everyday. Weather was just not in our favor.

That being said. We had a crew that base-camped up the road from us that were from out of state. They walked the roads in their midwestern orange jumpsuits waiting to see something in the meadows by the roads.

The biggest thing you can do that will help you, regardless of the state you are hunting is get on Google Earth look at the terrain. Find an app or map the shows contour lines. I am originally from PA. If you understand the terrain before you get there you will better understand how to hunt. You want to be off the road but you want to be safe as well. Being in shape and willing to stay in the hunt is the biggest part of hunting in the west. Don’t give up and enjoy everyday even in the worst conditions. Good luck.

 

[fnf01]

Thanks for the input! Elkhnter I've come to the realization that a mid October hunt is probably in the cards. I was/am still a little worried about weather, especially snow and getting the truck out mostly. I'll look into your suggestions, the research has just begun, and I'm already looking at boots. Question for boots are most using insulated boots or uninsulated for an oct in ID? 20yard I'll take a look at those thanks. Jeremy I'm fine with tag soup I've made peace with that I'm going as much for time in the outdoors as for an elk. But honestly I'd be pretty disappointed to not see some elk and am preparing to get off the roads in in there to maximize my chance.