Planning my fall elk trip. I made a point system based on the elk harvest reports from last season. The best zone I came up with was the selway zone, specifically units 17 and 16a. With that information I hopped on google earth and it looks a little thick, but not unreasonably. I prefer to climb high and glass, and my question is whether or not that's realistic in these units? Read on another forum that unit 17 won't provide any glassing opportunities. Thoughts? Anybody hunted that unit?
Idaho units 16a & 17
- Thread starter bardown
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HighWildFree
Well-known member
Are you picking these units solely on elk harvest? 17 is almost entirely Wilderness. I'm guessing based on your post that you've never spent time in the Bitterroots? I've spent a number of summers working in the B-root. It's not easy country.
406LIFE
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I'd suggest if you haven't been there to choose other areas. Like HWF said, it's not easy country.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
A lot fire activity in recent years has opened a lot of it up, some for the good, some for the bad. Some tough country to hunt, but there is worse. Not a bad unit choice to hunt if your up for it.
I've honestly never been to idaho, I'm just trying to figure things out as a first time elk hunter. My point system is based on hunter numbers, hunter success and percentage of mature bulls taken. With my system my top 5 units ended up being 37a, 20a, 17, 36 and 29. I realize these may not be the best units, but I figure it should get me into ballpark range of what should at the very least be decent. In terms of challenging terrain, that's not an issue. I'm a professional athlete so I'm always in top shape. Those units may very well not be where the most elk are, may not be where the biggest bulls are. But the system says (hopefully somewhat accurately) that these are the best units to find mature bulls and avoid other hunters. Again, this is just to get me into the right ballpark.
Idahoarcheryhunter
Well-known member
+ 1 the selway will make a man out of ya
ida homer
Well-known member
37A = draw hunt for rifle I'm pretty sure.
36 would be a good choice and basically OTC (we'll see this year it's changing). Also look at the Salmon Zone.
I too was drawn in by unit 20A, from the exact same thing that lured you in. I saw the stats on the fish and game site. They are skewed. The harvest stats are as good as they are in that unit because of the outfitters, horseback hunters and fly in hunters. I spent a week in that unit to only see one cow while every pack train of horses came out of there passing my camp with a nice rack. If it's your first elk hunt ever, skip 20A, you'll thank me later. You can't compete with horses or airplanes on foot.
36 would be a good choice and basically OTC (we'll see this year it's changing). Also look at the Salmon Zone.
I too was drawn in by unit 20A, from the exact same thing that lured you in. I saw the stats on the fish and game site. They are skewed. The harvest stats are as good as they are in that unit because of the outfitters, horseback hunters and fly in hunters. I spent a week in that unit to only see one cow while every pack train of horses came out of there passing my camp with a nice rack. If it's your first elk hunt ever, skip 20A, you'll thank me later. You can't compete with horses or airplanes on foot.
HighWildFree
Well-known member
For your first elk hunt you definitely need to be real with yourself about what you really want out of a hunt. Do you really need to come home with something or are you willing to come home with nothing or see nothing? It sounds like you want to get away from hunters but still have a good chance at an elk (a mature bull, none the less). That's what everyone wants and in reality hunts like that are few and far between in general units. For a first time elk hunter I would say those expectations are generally unrealistic. If I were you I would look for a place with high elk numbers and lots of public land. There's a reason units with lots of elk have lots of hunters.
I can't really help you with Idaho. You can still apply for a Montana license until the 15th
I can't really help you with Idaho. You can still apply for a Montana license until the 15th
I'm planning a September 2019 hunt in this area and I have done countless hours of research and it seems that very few people actually have been in the Bitterroots. I have a particular area picked out to hunt but I have a few questions about the road conditions and crossing a certain spot on the river.
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