First visit to Idaho

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azfisherman

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I just want to get some feedback on Idaho. I am from Az and went on my first out of state hunt in the sawtooth region this year. It was a real disappointment for me. I saw 2 elk , heard a few , got some to call and come in to about 100yrds but never saw them. They weren't calling at all. I was in the dead wood area.? Is anyone familiar with this area and the normal results it gives. I spoke to some hunters that normally hunt there and they said it was really bad and not normal. The game and fish guys simply blamed it on the wolves. I never heard any wolves. Only saw some tracks near the lake that was very low. Did see lots of fresh bear activity though. You really couldn't walk through the forest like you can in AZ as it obviously isn't used in the same manner as ours is. Is that a normal for Idaho , was just in a bad region, as no one I spoke to was successful, or ?? Thoughts?
Azfisherman
 
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azfisherman said:
I just want to get some feedback on Idaho. I am from Az and went on my first out of state hunt in the sawtooth region this year. It was a real disappointment for me. I saw 2 elk , heard a few , got some to call and come in to about 100yrds but never saw them. They weren't calling at all. I was in the dead wood area.? Is anyone familiar with this area and the normal results it gives. I spoke to some hunters that normally hunt there and they said it was really bad and not normal. The game and fish guys simply blamed it on the wolves. I never heard any wolves. Only saw some tracks near the lake that was very low. Did see lots of fresh bear activity though. You really couldn't walk through the forest like you can in AZ as it obviously isn't used in the same manner as ours is. Is that a normal for Idaho , was just in a bad region, as no one I spoke to was successful, or ?? Thoughts?
Azfisherman
Click to expand...

I took a 6x7 out of there in 1978 on Oct.2 up on top of the east side of the Deadwood drainage, between the lake and Yellow Pine. I can't believe someone would be asking about that area after all these years. No doubt, things have changed up there. But as I recall, they were hard to find that year as well. Elk are where you find them. Here today, and usually gone tomorrow.
 
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I agree My Sawtooth Unit sucks. I'd never come back if I were you. I'd tell your friends not to come back either. Start a Massive Email campaign if ya would. The wolves ate all the elk in there :D

... OK, All Smart Alec post Aside, I'll answer ya now :p

That unit has seen a decline in the last little bit.Be it some wolves or over hunting or whatever. There are better units in Idaho that a guy paying out of state fees should probably hunt. For as much work as we put in the bulls we get out of there actually suck, but I know there are good ones in there, just harder to find.

That being said, I hunt there every year. There is a lot of realestate in that unit and it's fairly close to home so I keep going back. Keep checking in as I'm going up Sat for the firsttime this year for Deer opener. 15th opens Elk. We should get some Raghorn Pics up real soon !!
 
azfisherman said:
I just want to get some feedback on Idaho. I am from Az and went on my first out of state hunt in the sawtooth region this year. It was a real disappointment for me. I saw 2 elk , heard a few , got some to call and come in to about 100yrds but never saw them. You really couldn't walk through the forest like you can in AZ as it obviously isn't used in the same manner as ours is. Is that a normal for Idaho , was just in a bad region, as no one I spoke to was successful, or ?? Thoughts?
Azfisherman
Click to expand...

I can only tell you not to compare September elk hunts in AZ to most states (UT and sometimes NM being exceptions.) We are spoiled in AZ when it comes to archery elk and early rifle hunts.
 
Yup, that area sucks, would be one of the last on my list of places to go.....I spend all winter up there and the wintering grounds in the payette river drainage are looking like ghost towns anymore, if you knew how many bulls F@G counted up there, you would'nt even buy a tag.
 
GatoMan said:
Yup, that area sucks, would be one of the last on my list of places to go.....I spend all winter up there and the wintering grounds in the payette river drainage are looking like ghost towns anymore, if you knew how many bulls F@G counted up there, you would'nt even buy a tag.
Click to expand...

If that's true you're breaking my heart. That bull I got up there in '78 is the only bull I've ever bagged. I was a young man then and full of spit. I still cherish the memory of that Oct. day.
I just looked at aerial photos of the area and it looks to have many more roads now than back then... too bad. We packed in on horseback about 5 miles to find the elk that day. Best I can tell, I could probably drive almost to where I bagged that elk. Probably lots of places like that nowadays...
 
It's not a First come limited tag area. I stood in line opening night to buy a tag jsut in case it sold out fast. There were 12 guys in front of me and I was worried I wouldn't get a tag. That being said, First day 400 of the 2,000 tags were sold and it took over 5 weeks for the rest to be sold. I'm still planning on getting "lucky" though even with no Elk in there ...
 
I'm with Bio, I've hunted the area (pre-wolf) with great success, first bull I ever called in was there, I hunted it last in 03 NOTHING. I went to 3 area I had killed elk and nothing I won't be back
 
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