Looking for help

[goinhuntn]

Hey guys,
Wondering if anyone can put me in the right direction for an archery elk hunt? Not looking for any honey holes just a starting point with possibility of a branch antlered bull. I have never hunted Idaho before , and looking to get my feet wet. I will be doing my homework, but just not sure where to start. I'm not sure how the draw works can anyone give me a little insite on draw vs otc. I'm not afraid to hike to get away from the crowds. I can exchange some info on Arizona. Thanks in advance

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Look in the Palisades area. Tex creek and Palisades zones. I've rifle hunted many times in these areas. It's been a few years since I hunted there but if you plan a trip there PM me and I'll give you some details.

 

[Musket Man]

Since you have to buy a hunting license anyways I would apply for a LE hunt and if you dont draw get an otc tag. Most LE hunts have steep draw odds but with a random draw you could draw any time. I would look for areas that havent been hit to hard by wolves and arent covered with roads so you can get away from other hunters. There are still some good otc hunts in Idaho but but the wolves have done alot of damage in some areas. Where are you coming from?

 

[goinhuntn]

Coming from California, but I am not from here so won't bring cali mentality. We are looking into moving to the Boise /Meridian area this summer.

 

[Musket Man]

i once lived on that planet too......LOL! I think there are some good hunts in that area but I dont know that country. I put in for 40 every year and never draw and will probably hunt the panhandle this year since its close to home.

 

[ivorytip]

if you end up in tex creek area i can run up there with ya and show ya around too. i wont show you my honey holes but i can show ya ikeepitcolds old honey holes haha jk, seriously though, i live close to there and would be happy to help out.

 

[blueboy59]

I hunt tex creek every year and each year there is less and less Elk no mater what the fish and game say the wolves are killing more and more elk . I keep hunting there only because I have hunted there 40 year , we don't see hardly any Deer and don't see Elk until it snows in November so I only hunt cow elk for the table late oct. and nov. . jeff

 

[IdahoSkies]

Archery hunting around the Boise/Meridian area is generally late (after rifle) season. Otherwise you need to go farther afield toward McCall or Stanley for a September archery hunt.

 

[lambeau]

If you haven't done so already, dig into the harvest statistics and get a feel for some of the better areas where harvest is good to above average, and not just for archery season. There are units where rifle hunts are controlled draw only but OTC for archery. Some of these rifle hunts have very good harvest stats for better than average bulls. OTC archery hunting in these same units can be very rewarding, and at a minimum you'll at least put yourself in an unit that has a decent population of elk which is half the battle.
And as MM said, if you know you're going to hunt OTC for sure you might as well put in for a controlled hunt elk and deer hunt, too. Some top notch hunts if you can be one of the lucky ones to draw.