Idaho Opener

[Dannyboy21]

Well, our season up north kicks off on Sunday. I'm heading out Saturday evening to see what kind of shenanigans I can get into. I wish you all the best! Hunt hard, stay safe and take care of your fellow hunters! "We only get so many opening days in our lifetime"

 

[ribo451]

Good luck. I’m hoping to get out for a few days starting Tuesday. A guy I know said he heard bulls bugling yesterday. Weather looks good for archery hunting too. I’m not anywhere near prepared for the season to start yet but excited to get out.

 

[Ilelkhntr]

Headed out this Friday, not getting too excited until after the holiday weekend.
Good luck and be safe.

 

[cohunter14]

Good luck everyone!

 

[ribo451]

Anyone have any reports? I got out twice. Wednesday there was someone where I wanted to go so I went to an area nearby that I have been looking at online for years. I need to make more time to scout these places I’ve been wanting to hunt. There was elk sign almost immediately. I saw a bunch of deer but didn’t see any elk. I did quite a bit of calling. Mostly low key herd talk stuff because it’s so early. I got to a spot where heavy trails went in two directions so I called from there and bulls answered me from both directions. The wind got really swirly and I couldn’t hear over it. I waited till it calmed down and then went after the bull that was in the direction that worked better for the wind but never heard anything else. I did find an active wallow.

Thursday I hiked 12 miles in a different area and found some tracks but that was it. My parents were in a different spot on the back of the same mountain and saw 5 cows with a small bull and called a different small bull in to 40 yards but the wind swirled and he was gone.

 

[ribo451]

The wallow I found.

 

[Dannyboy21]

My early season report thus far : Two full days in the field, two evenings after work in the field (two different areas).

• Found one bull with cows, I could get him to respond to cow calls but the closest I could get to him was 100 yards and never could see him. Followed him and his girls around for two days when I wasn't soaking wet. They outsmarted me repeatedly but I didn't bust them.
• Yesterday evening hunt, called a small rag horn into 59 yards with a quartering to shot (aka no shot for me). Bigger bull was in the area however he started trying to wind me, so I backed out. Cows were in the area as well

Not a ton of bugling from what I've seen but there is some if you get close. I think bulls are heating up a bit now... May take a few days off as i'm getting sick...

• So far I only know of one tag out up here

 

[Dannyboy21]

The wallow I found.

dang that looks great! good find

 

[cohunter14]

Sounds like a good start! I'm living vicariously through you all right now. I won't be out until later this month.

 

[ribo451]

I’ve been out the last two days. First day there were crows active in one area. They were still there when I hiked out so I’m guessing someone got an animal in that drainage. I called a lot and didn’t hear anything. Then as I was sneaking through the woods and calling I walked right into a herd of elk. I had a wide open shot at an elk at 35 yards but I couldn’t see it’s head and it’s bulls only. She eventually winded me and I saw it was a cow as she left. The rest of the herd went with her. I’m assuming the herd bull was what got shot in there because it seems really odd that a bull wouldn’t say or do something when I bugled my way right into the herd.

The next day (today) I went to a different place and was into fresh elk sign immediately and heard two bugles. I couldn’t pinpoint where they were and wasn’t able to locate them or get them to say anything else. My parents are going there tomorrow. I’m heading to a different location tomorrow and then I have to do non hunting related things for a few days.

 

[Ilelkhntr]

Idaho was good tonight!