Elk hunting 2018.

[11P&Y]

Anyone want to go to Idaho this fall for a DIY hunt?

 

[Dallasdave]

Is that not a draw state?

 

[LARGO9]

My buddy just had a herd of 25 elk show up in his yard yesterday with 3 big bulls, he lives in Idaho up in the mountains

 

[11P&Y]

It is a draw state. Put in for the rifle draw and go the second week of October. If not drawn, we go the last week of Sept with bow instead. Plenty of elk and mule deer where we go

 

[Dallasdave]

You flying or driving up?

 

[hseII]

It is a draw state. Put in for the rifle draw and go the second week of October. If not drawn, we go the last week of Sept with bow instead. Plenty of elk and mule deer where we go

I don’t do Bows but what would it entail if drawn?

 

[11P&Y]

You flying or driving up?

Depends. If drawn for rifle, definitely driving as the odds of getting a shot on a bull are nearly 100%. If i do not get drawn and have nobody else going, probably fly as the odds of getting a shot on a bull with a bow are about 50%. Bow tags are either sex though and cows are nearly 100% chance at a shot....problem is if you can make the shot or not. I personally do not have a desire to bring home a cow elk this trip as i am not hurting for meat as i was in previous years.

 

[11P&Y]

I don’t do Bows but what would it entail if drawn?

Getting drawn is the hard part. chances per person are about 7% in the area i know well. Chances go up with how many apply together. If there is 4 of us applying together, the chances are around 28%. Once drawn, the hunting license is 155, the tag is 416 and if you want to buy a Mule Deer tag, that's 301. If we drive, we can camp for free, or if you wish, there is a small Inn that's 60 a night. Food is whatever you want, however there is only one restaurant in town, which happens to also be the only bar. The nearest town with a small general store/grocery store which would be about 1/10 the size of a Kroger is 60 miles away. The nearest actual grocery store would be 2 1/2 hours away.

Problem with applying is that the State of Idaho requires you to buy a license in order to apply. Therefore, you buy a 155 dollar license and then spend another 14.75 for the application fee. You do not get any of this back. This is why i just decide that if i do not get drawn, i chalk up the 170 total as the application fee or i decide to go with a bow if not drawn for rifle.

Incidentally, Wolf tags are 32 dollars and Bear and Lion tags are 186, but if you buy a deer tag, you can shoot a bear or lion with the deer tag, but then cant shoot the deer. Last year i had an antelope tag and a wolf tag. I shot my antelope two hours into the first day and then hunted wolves two days and fished the remainder of the time. I saw two wolves which i tracked in the snow from a gut pile, but they dropped over a ridge and i was not about to climb down into the bowl since there was about 20 inches of snow and i was 3 miles from the truck. I did see a lion on a mule deer kill but did not have a tag to shoot the lion or else it would be at the taxidermist right now. That big lion was only 40 yards away and growling at me. Some scary stuff right there being by myself but what an experience.

 

[hseII]

Getting drawn is the hard part. chances per person are about 7% in the area i know well. Chances go up with how many apply together. If there is 4 of us applying together, the chances are around 28%. Once drawn, the hunting license is 155, the tag is 416 and if you want to buy a Mule Deer tag, that's 301. If we drive, we can camp for free, or if you wish, there is a small Inn that's 60 a night. Food is whatever you want, however there is only one restaurant in town, which happens to also be the only bar. The nearest town with a small general store/grocery store which would be about 1/10 the size of a Kroger is 60 miles away. The nearest actual grocery store would be 2 1/2 hours away.

Problem with applying is that the State of Idaho requires you to buy a license in order to apply. Therefore, you buy a 155 dollar license and then spend another 14.75 for the application fee. You do not get any of this back. This is why i just decide that if i do not get drawn, i chalk up the 170 total as the application fee or i decide to go with a bow if not drawn for rifle.

Incidentally, Wolf tags are 32 dollars and Bear and Lion tags are 186, but if you buy a deer tag, you can shoot a bear or lion with the deer tag, but then cant shoot the deer. Last year i had an antelope tag and a wolf tag. I shot my antelope two hours into the first day and then hunted wolves two days and fished the remainder of the time. I saw two wolves which i tracked in the snow from a gut pile, but they dropped over a ridge and i was not about to climb down into the bowl since there was about 20 inches of snow and i was 3 miles from the truck. I did see a lion on a mule deer kill but did not have a tag to shoot the lion or else it would be at the taxidermist right now. That big lion was only 40 yards away and growling at me. Some scary stuff right there being by myself but what an experience.

Offline scent to hunting compadre.

 

[Bear44]

What kind of condition do you need to be in to do this hunt? I'm in pretty good shape, but that's for a 60 year old, so...

Also, it sounds like the bow tag is a sure thing if not drawn for rifle. Is that correct?