Rookie looking for advice in Idaho Pioneer zone

[TheotherLA]

A friend and I are planning our first elk hunt during opening week of archery this fall. We are going to be backpacking in and I was hoping to see if anyone had any experience in this area. I have spent many hours on google earth looking for areas and I believe we have settled on 36A to hunt and would like to pick someone brain if I could. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[cohunter14]

Welcome to the site!  :welcome:


I've never hunted Idaho, so no help there, but hopefully someone will be able to chime in and help you out. Enjoy the addiction!

 

[DTP]

Welcome to the site!  :upthumb:

 

[TheotherLA]

Thanks guys, I have found a ton of helpful info on the forum. I am not looking forward to the 30 hour drive from South Louisiana but at least from the looks of it we shouldn't see too many people.

 

[87TT]

My advice would be to invest in a plane ticket and rent a car. Then make a trip up to scout before you are set on an area. Google earth is great but..........................

 

[TheotherLA]

My advice would be to invest in a plane ticket and rent a car. Then make a trip up to scout before you are set on an area. Google earth is great but..........................

I really wish that was an option. With my schedule working offshore in the oilfield I am already gone half the year and with also having a new born baby at home I think I am pushing the limits of being able to sleep in my bed when I told her I was leaving for 2 weeks to hunt elk this year.


We are planning to be mobile packing in but not going more than a days hike or so away from the truck so if we aren't seeing anything we can load up and move to plan b,c,d,e and so on. I know we wont really know what we are getting into until we have boots on the ground.  This year will be a learning experience for sure.

 

[publichunter1]

Sounds like you have a good plan. It definitely isn't a fun trip driving that far. I'm in MS and will only be going to central CO but anything 20-30 hours sucks. At least you have the dreams of elk dancing in your head on the way out there and hopefully great memories on the way home.

 

[TheotherLA]

I will be breaking that trip up into 2 by meeting my hunting partner in Odessa then leaving out from there the following day. I have never made a trip that long so I am sure we will be busted after. I am hoping we will be able to get there and go straight into hunting without our bodies hating us for it.

 

[corieblue]

Where at in Louisiana you from? I'm from Pierre Part but I live in Baton Rouge now. I'll be making my first elk hunt in that zone as well.

 

[Buglmin60]

Welcome, my son's and I hunted that area last year, we took two bulls and one of my boys passed several times because he was chasing a bigger bull. Pm me and we can get together on phone and chat

 

[TheotherLA]

Where at in Louisiana you from? I'm from Pierre Part but I live in Baton Rouge now. I'll be making my first elk hunt in that zone as well.

I'm just outside of Lafayette. When are you planning on going up there?

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[TheotherLA]

That's what I like to hear! Haha.

Welcome, my son's and I hunted that area last year, we took two bulls and one of my boys passed several times because he was chasing a bigger bull. Pm me and we can get together on phone and chat

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[dru.bishop73]

I'm from Gonzales, LA but live in Houston now.  I'm hunting Idaho this Fall for the first time too.  I would encourage you to consider flying and renting a vehicle.  Especially if you are planning on backpacking, you will be traveling light anyway.  No reason to have a truckload of gear if you can't carry it anyway. 

For me, From Houston it would be almost 30 hours drive if we never stoped for fuel, food or sleep.  So probably 35 to 40 hours, but let's just call it 30.  That is 60 hours of driving.  Or, I can catch a flight out of Bush and be standing in Idaho Falls 6 hours later.  90 minutes later of driving a rental and now I'm hunting.  That gives me 2-4 extra full days of hunting in the same trip and it's a no brainer for me. 

Also, I hate starting out a hunt beat down from a drive like that.  And, after a hard 9-12 days of hunting and camping, I just don't feel it's that safe to make a drive home like that.  Way too easy to turn a great experience into a terrible tragedy if someone nods off trying to drive all night. 

Best of Luck to you whatever you decide to do.  Let me know how it the hunt goes for you!



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[publichunter1]

:welcome:  from MS!