near Challlis Id

E

elkliver

Active Member
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170
anyone on here willing to answer some non hunting area questions? Im one of those annoying non-residents heading to the great state of Idaho for archery season. I've pretty well pinpointed where im going to be hunting and just wanting some info about closest Gas, Water, ice, showers, horse feed, etc. along with a couple of questions about access points.

I appreciate any assistance.

Charlie.
 
Sounds a lot like hunting related questions to me. Sorry, don't hunt much in that part of the state. Too many out-of-staters ?. Good luck, less than 4 weeks until the season opens.
 
You know, I used to feel the same way about non residents... once I started hunting several other states i realized that true hunters are good folks no matter where you are. You will still have slob yahoos driving around not making a great impression no matter here you are but true hunters are usually good folk. Yes I can figure out the easiest place to get gas on my own. No need to divulge such top secret info.
 
By your handle I guess that you are hunting elk? What unit tag did you draw or otc tag did you purchase? Challis, Mackay, Arco, and Stanley all have rooms, food, fuel and ice for your successful hunt.
Places to camp, they are all over. Campgrounds, or N.F.
One word of advice, unless you are a champion elk caller, leave it at home.
 
Mostly 36a. Its looking like challis because I'm guessing clayton doesn't have anything. Will Challis have horse feed/pellets?

Occasional cow call would be my specialty!!
 
We have pellets there is a Feedstore in Challis Cow call to stop your elk will work just fine
 
That unit does seem to draw a lot of attention from out of state. Most guys that go in there are not ready for the terrain or weather. A bugle seems to be the best way to find the other hunters ;)
 
I get what jetsled is saying. I have nothing against non Resident guys, but it is hard to watch your spot get more crowded every year. Your favorite spots filled with other guys and just wondering how many new guys will be in your area. Seeing your spots named on public forums where anyone in the world can read them is just another bonus. I never realized how good it was 20 years ago when I learned it on my own. That said I hope you have good luck and I hope I don't run into you up high.
 
Point well said... Probably more tactful than my previous post no doubt. With the explosion of social media and the internet its turned every waterfall, secluded fishing spot, backcountry crag, and or hunting area into a one touch process with detailed directions on how to get there. Really, really wearing on a lot of us in these areas.
 
Could not agree more. If we ever had an EMF attack and the grid went down, 99.95% of the entitlement generation would be dead in a week without access to their phones, computers, and social media to tell them how to live and survive.
 
I know some of the posts above come off stern and selfish, but the crowds are getting ridiculous. Call me sour grapes, but hear me out.

I think Randy Newberg, Corey Jacobsen and some of the other personalities are making it way too easy. Randy is literally posting videos on youtube of random units and talking through exactly what to look for when google earth scouting. He does his elk application videos where he walks you through exactly how to apply in each state, where to enter your credit card info, which points to buy and so on.

A bunch of guys on Randy's own forum, HuntTalk, were beating him down for blowing up SE MT and literally showing GPS coordinates and maps on what to look for in the easier to draw units (deer and lopes) in that corner of MT. Corey is selling an entire series on "how to" to call elk, how to setup your tent, how to tie your boots and how to blow up your pad. There are hundreds of gutless method videos on youtube.

Don't think we are negative naysayers. We still get into plenty of animals every year, the last 2 years were some of the best deer hunting I've personally experienced. The last 5 years has been overall fantastic elk hunting in many units. We've been lucky to kill a few good bucks and bulls, and have some truly fantastic ones get away or outsmart us.

Last year I found a place on google earth with a 3800' climb that was no where near a road or any type of trail. No foot trails, no horse trails, no old dirtbike trails, no skid roads and truly limited access.

It took me 7 hours to hike up into that basin in 90 degree temps during August scouting. The next morning a guy comes waltzing right into my camp as I'm glassing. Was your typical Utard and had the entire new matching KUIU set head to toe. He had only had 1 elk tag in his life. He saw my truck at the bottom.

He had heard about the unit on the forums and had done his research. Kudos to him for putting in the effort, the time, the research and boots on the ground. I can't fault him, as he certainly worked for it and put a lot of money and effort into going scouting a state away.

I've got 3 or 4 instances like this over the past 2 years.

But it's just way too easy with social media, forums and the internet to learn. It's taking the fun out of it honestly. If someone can't figure out how to filter water, how to set up their tent or how to blow a cow call, then jesus.

I'm not saying don't usher in new hunters. But let them want it and let them learn a little on their own. All in the name of a dollar...
 
Elkliver, Unfortunately you have found out that we as non residents are forbidden to ask for information in a unit that has a bazilion tags. Its our fault that Idaho fish and game gives out that many tags to non residents. Every single good hunter has lost a honey hole to other people over the last 20 years due to the digital age. I have lost deer, elk and most often duck honey holes but have just learned to deal with it. Honestly makes me work harder and go farther than the next guy. The same people who complain about the digital age are here posting on the very same subject just bringing more attention to the topic at hand. Go out there and have a great time and enjoy the beautiful country.
P.S. We too will be not too far from you next month packing in with a few horses anywhere from 1-15 miles.
Good luck and personal messenger seems to be the best way to communicate via forums for info.
 
I live in Idaho and hunt near the area mentioned. I rarely if ever run into anyone. All the Idaho guys just drive around on UTV's and complain about how the wolves have killed all the elk. And the hunting has been fantastic.

I hunt lots of states so I have no problems helping people.
 
Idaho is big country, so many folds and areas where nobody goes.
Best hunting spot's i've found are where the animals go when everyone is staggered up and in the steep and deep, forested, ect....
I.e.
that would never hold a herd of ___________


I love the challenge of outwitting game and other hunters. I've had spots blown wide open,scouted animals moved out but a few years of "crowds" wolves, no game and it's back to normal operating mode.







89864ralphie.jpg
RIP Lil Bro' "Huntnfever"
 
I live in Challis. PM me and we can talk. The killer Bs are the worst for crowding the hills, but mostly roads. We are all NR at one point.
 
I once had someone post my favorite area with a google map with the pin in it for where they killed their elk. So i can understand where some folks are coming from. I really appreciate the folks who were kind enough to answer some basic questions and thank you for the PMs. as i mentioned above... there are alot of good folks out there. Good luck to everyone.
 
There is a place where I absolutely loved to hunt. It was only 3 miles off a main road and the horse hunters would push the elk out of the deep country on the other side of the ridge. There were always big bulls in there.... Until someone started videoing their hunts in there. After a few successful years of kills on camera with wide angle shots, now that area is over run with boot traffic. It wasn't named on the videos and he didn't do it on purpose, but the outcome was not great for the rest of us.

Before the vieos and internet that unit was published in a few magazines and it seemed like everyone from Washington was running around. Then a few years later it was 90% California plates.

Now on the flip side of that. All those guys who are new to the area just hiked around and got beat up by the mountains. They usually go home within 4 days and are not seen again.

I love my time in the mountains even if I have to outsmart the elk and the people.
 
In the instance above, the guy spent $500, drove 8 hours round trip and hiked his brains out to get up there to scout. That's awesome, he put in the time, money and effort to do it right.

I feel like the internet is taking some of the fun out of it for us though. With how accessible everything is. I'm guilty as well, when we hunt out of state.
 
Elkliver, it's not yours or any non-residents fault for overcrowding in Idaho. The IDFW lets out way too many OTC tags. So really they are to blame if residents think the woods are full of hunters. I don't live in Idaho but still think they have too many tags available! The residents will have to live with it until there is a massive change.

Good luck on your hunt!
 

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