Where to Start - How to Narrow to a Zone in Idaho Elk Hunting?

I'm looking for a some good advice to help narrow the search for a great Idaho elk hunt with rifle. A couple of my friends and I are planning an elk hunt for next year in Idaho. We're non-residents, and I'm hoping to get some general ideas to get us going.

A couple guys thought unit 27 would be interesting... I agree it would be an incredible hike, but also certain that I don't want to pack out an elk from the bottom of one of the fingers I've been looking at on the topo maps. At this point we're still really open to ideas, but would love to have any ideas/opinions you might have for us.

We're in decent shape and everyone knows that they need to be in better shape by this time next year. We're still trying to narrow our search for a good area. Our group would rather try to avoid the large crowds of people and get a little fresh air while we're in Idaho. We're planning to buy a canvas tent for the group and hike in a mile or two from the roads so we'll have a little jump on the road hunters.

Which zones (and units) would you recommend?
36b looks like a great place to find elk (and people).
27 looks like a great hike, but it's huge rough.
19/20 look like good options, have you hunted over there?
24 looks like the %success aren't great but it's a little easier to access.
66 looks like it has some great terrain and hunting, but it sounds like ALOT of other people think that too.
28 looks like it might be solid as well, but it's large and looks like a lot of people hunt there with less than stellar %success.
33,34,35,36 all look like they have good %success but I know Idaho has considered making them controlled so I'm not sure we'd get a tag.
Should we be looking at other areas?

Again, any advice would be great. If you have experience in any please share.
Thanks!!

Welcome to the forums.

Why do all the new ID hunters look to 27?

Tell us more of what kind of hunting you are looking to do, then we can advise accordingly.

Welcome to the forum. Is this your first elk hunt or your first in Idaho? When folks ask for all this information in thier first post it’s hard to send them the right direction if we don’t know anything about them or thier experience level.

27 is probably the last place I'd recommend. Hellish steep country, terrible roads, lots of hunters near roads, and low elk densities. Nonresidents think wilderness means more elk and that's not true in Idaho. The success rates are seriously inflated by the five outfitters hunting in the unit and all the horse pack in guys.

Sawtooth probably won't be an option, either controlled or too much demand to get a tag.

The other zones really aren't bad though. They all have decent elk numbers, better than the wilderness ones anyway.

Hard for people on a public forum to start listing units. There are many others that pick up on it. My advice is to look at harvest data. Talking to biologists will help but they give the same advice to everyone else. Don't be afraid to learn and not fill a tag.

Welcome to HT

Welcome aboard.

For your first year, don't get too gung-ho.

Idaho, for the majority, is BIG. Steeper, meaner, and more remote than you are expecting. With the exception of some southern areas, it's probably going to be anything but flat. The pack-out will be tough. The pack-in will be tough. Finding access points will be tough. Did I mention finding Elk?

My advice is to set your expectations accordingly. Have a back-up plan which involves a few nights in a hotel room, or Air B&B. Regardless of your physical condition, there's not much that can prepare you mentally for the challenges ahead.

Good-luck!
- Joseph