I
ID_Paul
Guest
For the past few years I have been hunting Idaho's Sawtooth Zone during the muzzleloader antlerless season.
I see that the IDFG is proposing capping the Sawtooth general hunt to 1500 hunters and reducing the muzz hunt from unlimited down to just 50 tags, due to poor elk numbers in the area.
Since hearing that news I have been trying to decide what to do this year. Given what I saw last year in the area, the move to severely cut elk hunting there doesn't surprise me much. I saw fewer elk than ever, and wolf tracks everywhere I went.
So, now I am trying to decide if I want to keep hunting the same zone, or try to find somewhere the elk herds are in better shape.
On one hand, the Sawtooth zone is fairly close to home, so I am more likely to be able to scout more and make more than 1 hunting trip if needed. I wonder how bad the elk counts are. Would my extra time be wasted?
If there is a unit still remaining with good elk numbers, I wonder if it would be enough better to make up for having to learn a new area and possibly drive longer?
What are you guys thinking for this season?
I see that the IDFG is proposing capping the Sawtooth general hunt to 1500 hunters and reducing the muzz hunt from unlimited down to just 50 tags, due to poor elk numbers in the area.
Since hearing that news I have been trying to decide what to do this year. Given what I saw last year in the area, the move to severely cut elk hunting there doesn't surprise me much. I saw fewer elk than ever, and wolf tracks everywhere I went.
So, now I am trying to decide if I want to keep hunting the same zone, or try to find somewhere the elk herds are in better shape.
On one hand, the Sawtooth zone is fairly close to home, so I am more likely to be able to scout more and make more than 1 hunting trip if needed. I wonder how bad the elk counts are. Would my extra time be wasted?
If there is a unit still remaining with good elk numbers, I wonder if it would be enough better to make up for having to learn a new area and possibly drive longer?
What are you guys thinking for this season?