Caribou Gear

What to ask your area wildlife biologist

Heff

Heff

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Southern Idaho
I am a new hunter and hoping to do some archery elk hunting this year. I hear many people say that they ask wildlife biologists questions regarding the area they plan to hunt in. I am unsure where to even begin the questioning. Does anyone have some thoughts on where to begin and what to ask? What other resources do you all use to gain the best idea of where or how to hunt? I am in southern Idaho and counting on one of two places to hunt: The most southern part of Idaho or up by Stanley. If i don't draw then OTC tag it will be. Any insight to help this newbie out is greatly appreciated. -Heff
 
I've asked a biologist point blank, "Where can I find elk?" The info he gave me was pretty general but still helpful. When I figure out if I drew a particular unit, I'll give the biologist a call and ask him about herd movement and ask him about specific locations I've found on maps and get his feedback. Use whatever knowledge you have to form a hunt plan, and share it with a biologist for feedback. Remember, the biologist has a vested interest in you having a positive experience, so don't be afraid of asking for honey holes. They probably won't actually give you THAT specific info, but they want you to have a positive experience and will give you enough info for that to happen. The more people paying for hunting licenses, the more secure a biologists job is. If you're new to the hunting game, just say so. "Help!" is a viable question.
 
Become a student of your game.

Ask about preferred food sources, migration routes and seasonal tendencies.

Ask about access points and which ones are most heavily used. Ask about how drought will affect movements and distribution. Ask about hunting pressure. Ask about population trends and bull to cow ratios. Be honest about what you want out of the hunt, and ask them if certain areas would fit what your expectations are.
 
Great advice above. I'll add that if you're going to ask about locations, I've found that if I ask specifically about certain locations and make it obvious that I've put in some time behind a map, I'm more likely to get good pointers about better locations to go. Definitely don't call until you've spent a good amount of time learning area names and formulating a basic hunting plan. If you can give that information to a biologist they can more easily help you out. Good luck!
 
This is the best way to introduce yourself I've seen yet. Kudos. We see a lot of unit specific new here no time to scout stuff. Which is fine, but stick around and be a part of the forum. With that, before I'd give a biologist a call I'd learn the animal a little. Knowing a little bit of the lingo might help.

It doesn't sound like you've decided on a unit. You have to know what kind of hunt you want. Do you want a camp hunt...or hike in and bivy hunt. Understand your limitations. What do you want out of the hunt? When you know that, it'll help when you do go to talk to someone.

Access, pressure, herd size, importance of water (is it abundant?)

Once you've talked to the biologist and are out there. Never underestimate local knowledge. Lots of guys arent hunting your season but are willing to share tidbits. One of the best places I've "found", the information came from a gas station attendant that was a local farmer. He said take a look at this mesa. It gets overlooked but as soon as labor day comes all the atv traffic pushes the animals a south and west. He was well tipped.
 
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Listen to Randy's podcast that came out over the weekend.

It is a Q&A podcast and one of the Q's was about this. Essentially, they suggest to demonstrate to the biologist that you've done your homework but stating the specific areas you're looking to hunt within the unit and then ask specifics like whether there are particular habits of the animals or if it gets a lot of hunting pressure, etc. There's more info than that so you should give it a listening.
 
JLS said:
Become a student of your game.

Ask about preferred food sources, migration routes and seasonal tendencies.

Ask about access points and which ones are most heavily used. Ask about how drought will affect movements and distribution. Ask about hunting pressure. Ask about population trends and bull to cow ratios. Be honest about what you want out of the hunt, and ask them if certain areas would fit what your expectations are.
Click to expand...

Awesome post. Thanks for being so willing to share.
 
utahminer said:
Awesome post. Thanks for being so willing to share.
Click to expand...

Thank you, and you are more than welcome. Too many folks ask "where" to go instead of asking "why" would I go there. Learning to understand why you are finding elk in the places you are will help you on those outlier years when things are weird, and it will also help you when you go somewhere new and hunt.

It can also help you understand why an area can be so good during archery season, but devoid of elk during the rifle season or vice versa.
 
I would like to add that when speaking to an areas biologist I ask if he knows a game officer or district ranger I should talk to.
Wardens and rangers can have invaluable information on an area. Particularly for access and camp sites.

Good luck!
 
JLS said:
Become a student of your game.

Ask about preferred food sources, migration routes and seasonal tendencies.

Ask about access points and which ones are most heavily used. Ask about how drought will affect movements and distribution. Ask about hunting pressure. Ask about population trends and bull to cow ratios. Be honest about what you want out of the hunt, and ask them if certain areas would fit what your expectations are.
Click to expand...

This....I'd also rephrase "be a student of their game", most folks like talking about some of the nuances of their job. When you get asked the detailed questions that shows you have a genuine interest in what they do, they're more willing to share.

As an example in the corporate tax world April 15th means nothing it's for individuals, but mosts people asked me about April 15th when they found out I did taxes. I'd explain the difference as they just wanted to make small talk. But, if someone asked me what my thoughts were on repatriation of off-shore earnings, my thoughts on the deductibility of stock transactions, or if eliminating bonus depreciation in favor of a lower tax rate would benefit the economy then I knew they meant business and I could geek out with them.
 
jryoung said:
This....I'd also rephrase "be a student of their game", most folks like talking about some of the nuances of their job. When you get asked the detailed questions that shows you have a genuine interest in what they do, they're more willing to share.

As an example in the corporate tax world April 15th means nothing it's for individuals, but mosts people asked me about April 15th when they found out I did taxes. I'd explain the difference as they just wanted to make small talk. But, if someone asked me what my thoughts were on repatriation of off-shore earnings, my thoughts on the deductibility of stock transactions, or if eliminating bonus depreciation in favor of a lower tax rate would benefit the economy then I knew they meant business and I could geek out with them.
Click to expand...

Yes. Have specific areas identified, and specific concerns or benefits identified with each. I've called about two different areas and got really vague info until I got down to the nitty gritty, "do you know if the phlox are still green in the wet areas on the north slopes?" "It looks like there are three well defined camping areas up Johnson creek, any idea if they get used much?"
 
I usually ask how many stupid phone calls they get a year asking where to find an animal, and how many they tell BS info, just to stop the pestering.

There is a wealth of information available on-line anymore. As mentioned above, worry less about exactly where, but ask about what type of habitat they use during the time of the year you'll be there.
 
Thanks everyone! Those are great thoughts. I have a much better idea of where to begin now, on a map and on the animal. Appreciate everyone helping this newbie! -Heff
 
Since I'm one of those folks who gets to field calls from hunters, here's what comes to mind...

First, especially if you are a newbie, don't be afraid to ask "dumb" questions. We want you to be successful and have an enjoyable experience. A lot of people these days didn't grow up doing this stuff so we recognize that the learning curve is steeper for some people than others.

However, if you ask vague questions you will get vague answers. If you ask "where in Unit x should I go?" I'm going to tell you the same 3 or 4 places I tell everyone else who asks the same question. I simply don't have time to plan everyone's hunt and come up with unique, custom recommendations for all the people asking the same thing. But if you've done some research and can ask more specific questions, you'll get much more specific and useful information. Help me help you by giving me something to work with.

Any questions about the animals, their habits, life history, food sources, response to recent weather events, etc would be reasonable questions. Honestly, talking hunting with hunters is usually one of the most fun parts of the job. Don't be afraid to get to know the biologists.

Good luck!
 
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I've had a couple different experiences with the MT FWP (all still good!). Three years ago, I called about a district in general and had amazing help. The biologist understood it was my first year hunting at all and trying to jump right into Archery. He gave me a couple drainages to look into and some tips that were helpful to me at the time. Last year I called a different biologist about a unit closer to home. I had much more detailed questions and after a few of them, the biologist opened up more and pointed me in a totally different direction.

I still can't find the elk but you definitely get more out when you put more in.
 
As a biologist that has to answer the phone once a month. I welcome any good thoughtful question. Its a nice brake from loads of nuance wildlife calls. Just please read the regs first. Most hunting questions i get are written out in the regs and online. Dont hesitate to call. I would bet that biologist of the day running the phone wouldn't mind talking hunting. I like when ppl call about deer management.
 
I have had great luck talking to biologists but first I have already decided what units and done some research on where I wanted to start my initial scouting. I'm not sure about other states but Nevada has Hunter Information Sheets for each units that are a great place to start. Then call and be honest. I have said I have never hunted here but in researching the area I was wondering about X place. It starts the conversation and shows you've put some thought into the area. The first time I was headed up to scout Jarbidge I called ahead to the Elko office and while the biologist wasn't there, another NDOW employee was who knew the area really well so I stopped, brought in my maps, and he gave me some great advice. Not only about the animals but access and camping spots. Everyone I have ever talked to has been super helpful.
 
So I have a related question for the biologists on this forum. Seeing as how you get frequent phone calls requesting vague information, and a mpre thought out and detailed series of questions woulf likely take even more time to communicate, would it be more convenient if hunters were to email you? Say, with specific questions and maybe a map highlighting the areas more specifically? I would always rather have a conversation personally but recognize that may not always be the most efficient way of communicating....
 
Highground said:
So I have a related question for the biologists on this forum. Seeing as how you get frequent phone calls requesting vague information, and a mpre thought out and detailed series of questions woulf likely take even more time to communicate, would it be more convenient if hunters were to email you? Say, with specific questions and maybe a map highlighting the areas more specifically? I would always rather have a conversation personally but recognize that may not always be the most efficient way of communicating....
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's a necessity to use email if they are in the middle of their survey periods. I played phone tag with a biologist in Elko for about three weeks, so I finally just emailed him. I detailed very explicitly what my goals were for the hunt (solitude, scenery, quality of deer, number of deer, opportunity for multiple stalks a day, etc.). I then presented him with two different hunt plans I formulated based on my research. We emailed back and forth and I ultimately opted for a plan that was different from the initial two I sent him. I posed very specific questions, and I got very direct and specific answers back.
 
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