Idaho archery 37A

A

arik1

New member
Dec 13, 2018
56
Hello all,
New to the forum, hoping for a little guidance. Just got my 2019 archery elk tag for Idaho in the Lemhi zone. As of now, planning on hunting 37a. Does anyone have experience in this area and willing to give some pointers? I don't need secret spots or anything like that. More just a confidence boost that I made a decent choice.
 
Welcome to the forum arik1  :welcome:


I haven?t ever hunted there so unfortunately I?m not much help but maybe someone who has will chime in soon. Keep your research going and let us know what questions come up along the way  :upthumb:
 
Thanks! My main question about the area is, with how steep and kind of tight everything is, will there be as many elk there like there would probably be in an area with more open Meadows and wider draws and basins? I have other options in the Lemhi zone, but I was drawn to the number of hunters/success %/average elk size of 37a.
 
The stats didn't look that good to me. Not when I would be going in cold.
JMO​
 
Haven't checked back in a while, but it looks like maybe everyone is in the same boat as me. There were a few reasons I picked that zone, but I won't waste time trying to justify it. It is what it is now, and it's homework time! I've got one broader question now, regarding onX, and other mapping options. I'm seeing a lot of what looks like 2 track roads/trails on the map. Those can't ALL be driveable can they? If they were, it would be pretty tough to get any distance from them.
 
arik1 said:
Haven't checked back in a while, but it looks like maybe everyone is in the same boat as me. There were a few reasons I picked that zone, but I won't waste time trying to justify it. It is what it is now, and it's homework time! I've got one broader question now, regarding onX, and other mapping options. I'm seeing a lot of what looks like 2 track roads/trails on the map. Those can't ALL be driveable can they? If they were, it would be pretty tough to get any distance from them.
Click to expand...


I?m not familiar with the area at all, but is it national forest land? If so, you should be able to find their motor vehicle use map. Try to look it up based on which national forest area it is in. Those will show you which roads are accessible to which kind of vehicles.
 
Over here on the other side of Idaho, the FS has some roads that are closed all the time. Some that are open all the time and some that they close the 1st of Oct. at the end of Archery season. They don't reopen them until sometime in mid May. There are large pockets of State land that have a lot of old and new logging roads also. As well as the hogpog of BLM and Access Yes land. Some open to vehicles, some not. I've also found that the FS maps are not always the most accurate. And Onx does not always show all the skid roads and unmarked ones.
 
I got some of the FS maps downloaded last night and at least got a little better feel for things out there. May need to make a call or something for more info though. Anyone got a good general distance off the roads/trails a guy needs to go to distance himself from other hunters? I know public land you'll probably never get away from everyone, but I'll sure try. One other thing I've noticed, lots of trails, as in hiking/biking trails, should a person get some distance from those as wrll, or are they less travelled?
 
One mile off a road is typically a good start for escaping pressure. The hiking and biking trails depend on usage, so it might depend on how close to a major town you are, but it general you will probably want to avoid those as well.
 
That shouldn't be a problem. The plan as of now is to base camp somewhere and spend 2-3 days out at a time.
 
New question, as the elk hunters I know personally are giving me opposite answers. I'm guessing it will be the same on here as well, everyone has success in different ways and different places, so can't expect one solid answer. So maybe I'll treat it like a poll and see where most guys lean. The question: How high is too high in early September? A lot of the places I've looked at on onX and Google Earth are in that 8000-9000 range. I've got guys saying "no way", others saying "definitely". What do the Elk101 experts think?
 
If you?re asking if that altitude is too high for elk, the answer is definitely not. They can be much higher than that. But elevation is all relative based on the unit or area within a unit that you are hunting. There?s no hard and fast rule for elk and elevation. In early September you can find elk living above 12,000 feet and below 4,500 feet in Colorado.
 
The unit we hunt in Colorado, you start at 9k and hunt your way up. You?ll find elk wherever they want to be, not where you want them.
 
I've hunted unit 37 across the valley in the shadow of Mt. Borah.  This was in 2003 but I can't imagine much has changed.  We camped on the west fork of the Pehsimeroi River.  We didn't go to 37A but I've heard that it's pretty similar.  The terrain is rough, very high elevations and extremely steep. 


We were there for 10 days and glassed a lot of Elk but it was difficult to get within shooting distance.  They would sit towards the top of these large clearings up around 9000-9500 ft.  There were several mornings where we would move in on a bugling herd bull in the dark,  then first light would come and poof, the whole herd would be gone.  This is some of the steepest terrain in the state.  We saw plenty of Elk there but they are hard to reach and easily spooked.  That probably had more to do with the October rifle season than anything.  Lots of pressure from other hunters.


The rut and season should be much better in September for your bow hunt.  I'm not sure how they'll be behavioral wise, but if you put in the work in and get up high I'm sure you'll get some opportunities.  I'll be up in unit 6 for bow season this year with my brother and a few friends.  Good luck and enjoy the awesome country!
 
arik1 said:
Thanks! My main question about the area is, with how steep and kind of tight everything is, will there be as many elk there like there would probably be in an area with more open Meadows and wider draws and basins? I have other options in the Lemhi zone, but I was drawn to the number of hunters/success %/average elk size of 37a.
Click to expand...


There will be plenty of elk in the steep, nasty stuff! They know they can survive in those areas. From what I've experienced in these steep areas, the elk will come down low at night and feed/drink/rut and then they will start working their way back up the mountain at first lite. I'd try to find a good spot to get up high and glass. Let your eyes do the work. Find elk transitioning from those low feeding areas up to the higher bedding areas. See if they are doing it the same way each day and then slip in for the ambush.
 
Thanks guys. Love this forum. And glad I've already started getting in shape. Just hope I can get in shape enough by then.
 
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