Idaho unit 28

[Michigan6x7]

HI I will be hunting elk and mule deer in unit 28 in the napias creek drainage. Has anyone hunted this area? I have not hunted this area before. Any information would be appreciated. I will be there for the october 15 hunt.

 

[shortmag]

You've chosen a grand elk area. Hunt hard and you will get a nice bull. It is a bit on the steep side but flattens out towards the top. Some burns in the area should provide lush groceries. Good Luck.

 

[Michigan6x7]

Shortmag thank you for your reply. I took my first elk in Michigan this past August a nice 6x7. I am looking forward to my hunt in Idaho. Is there a lot of hunting pressure in this area? Also what areas in the drainage are best?

 

[MikeLonsford]

My Dad and I will be hunting unit 28 starting the 15th also. We are from WA. I talked to a game biologist and a few people that have been hunting there in the past. I'm still hoping to hook up with a guy from work's father in law that grew up in Challis and lived there for 50 years. We will be in the Panther Creek drainage but from there are unsure and it is a big area. Have a few places picked to start, but will have to wait and see what the areas look like in person before we start hunting. Good Luck to you.

Mike

 

[shortmag]

Because it is a general bull hunt, there will be pressure. It will be variable and area specific. Be prepared to move around as pressure, wolves and weather will obviously cause elk to move. I've got my nephew from Wisconsin coming out for that hunt and I feel confident that with effort he'll kill something.
There's better units in Idaho but it just takes one bull.........

 

[MikeLonsford]

How did anyone fare thus far in this hunt? My Dad and I saw more fresh wolf sign than elk sign the first couple of days. Heard the wolves, saw tracks and scat. Only saw a few elk in a week of trying. If I had another few seconds or another 20-30 yards in front of the only bull I saw, I think I'd of had a nice 6 point. My Dad saw one other branched bull, again with no shot opportunity, we saw only 2 deer in the whole week. I was very dissappointed with the number of animals we saw. We tried very hard and for that I can leave knowing I hunted as hard as I could and it just wasn't meant to be. We hunted up and down, far off roads in thick and thin woods and found most sign at the tops of steep ridges or in the creeks at the bottom. Was very discouraged to see how much impact the wolves seem to have and no mention of it from any of the bioloigsts or rangers I talked to ahead of time. When you spend a lot of money for an out of state tag it would be nice to get all of the info rather than only the good news. I did see two 6 points in truckbeds along with 3 other bulls but did not hear or see much success. Most we talked to said it was getting real bad due to the wolves. Wondering about any others opinions. Sounds like in the past people expected to see 30 to 40 elk a day. Oh well maybe we were a couple years too late. Anyhow we had fun being in the Great Outdoors. Idaho and Montana are very beautiful sections of the country!

Good Luck if your still hunting! I'd love another week to try.

Mike

 

[Bozeman]

The wolves are great aren't they? I'd like to drop a few in central park and see how the easterners like them. We just had a anti hunt article in the New York times on our Montana bison hunt. It really sucks that people far from the scene and issues can have such a huge impact on our way of life out west.

 

[shortmag]

Wolves are NOT impacting elk populations. They are altering behavior. This unit is over objective. Youth late season hunts were added to this unit as well as additional cow harvest. The wolf whiners are full of manure. Also, more quality bucks were harvested in this unit than in a lot of years. That said, I've been assured that Idaho will whack wolves in a controlled manner when it gets management authority.

 

[Bozeman]

He didn't say the wolves were killing the elk, he noted that he saw lots of wolf sign and few elk. To say they aren't eating elk is a joke. They have to eat and they aren't vegitarians. Your right in your statement that wolves are altering behavior. Sure call me a wolf whiner when I go to an area I've hunted for 15 years and the elk have balled up and headed to the valley floor for the safety of open areas. Call me a whiner because the elk don't bugle a fraction of the amount they used too. I am a son of a biologist so I understand the ecological aspect of all this, but you can't be surprised when people express frustration as a result of the re-introduction of this particular predator.

I'm not sure who re-assured you of the fact that they will get whacked. The reality is that outsiders are making the decisions that affect our lives. I surely wouldn't have any reasonble say on how the subways work or should be run in New York, so they shouldn't be able to influence whether we hunt wolves, bison, elk.....

 

[MikeLonsford]

My main complaint is that for my first ever out of state ($$$)hunt I was trying to pick an area where we would be successful, I tried to do my research but was unsuccessful about finding out about the wolves in this area (and the hunting pressure they add). Like I said, I still had an opportunity, but it was not the same opportunity I was led to believe I'd find in this area. This area has limited archery pressure and the deer season is only slightly earlier than the elk, I just didn't know the wolves were providing hunting pressure 365 days a year. I haven't met a person saying this is good deer area, they have told me it was good south in 36B (which I believe looking through that area) and also 21 and 21A but 28 has always been mainly elk run areas. That being said I bought my deer tag too hoping to come across one. I only heard of two deer getting shot the week I was there. One was a two point, the other got eaten by wolves while hung in a tree, no joke. I saw lots of deer in town, just none in the woods, but we were concentrating on elk habitat and areas, we did see some deer sign. This thread isn't to "bash" wolves I'm just curious about others experiences in this unit to see if between my experiences and those of others if I would pay the money and hunt there again in the future. Good Luck to All!

Mike

 

[eweikum338]

I have hunted units 21 & 28 for the past 25 years. I personaly saw wolves in unit 21 in 1983. Thats prior to when they say they were reintroduced.
To say wolves are not effecting the Elk popualtions is rediculous in my opinion. I won't even waste my gas to hunt unit 21 again. The wolves have absolutely ruined that unit for Elk and Deer. Are there still Elk and Deer in unit 21? Sure there are, but not of the numbers there once was.
Unit 28 is an excellent area for big Elk. But, the Jurano wolf pack is taking it's toll. Last season I heard a pack of wolves kill an Elk within 1/2 mile of my camp at night. It was the most grueling sound I have ever heard. The wolves were eating that Elk while it was still alive.
Pressure in unit 28 has increased dramatically in the past 10 years. There are a lot of Elk hunters who like unit 28.
The Napias creek area is really good. Hunt the edges of the burns near the ridge tops and you will score.
Sorry for the late post, I just didn't see this one in time.

 

[Michigan6x7]

Thank You to all that replied. Our group had a great time hunting we harvested 1 bull and 2 deer. I personally did not harvest anything I passed on 2 spike bulls while waiting for the herd bull. I also passed on a good bull because of a bad shot angle.
I passed on approx 12 small bucks mainly 2x2s We hicked 3 to 5 miles in away from roads to find animals. I did not see any wolves or signs of wolves. Lots of hunters in spots. This was the toughest country I have had the privlage of hunting. I will Return.

Question Is the last week of the elk season better or worse???

 

[MikeLonsford]

Michigan,
If you don't mind my asking, did you end up hunting the Napias area? We didn't ever check it out. We were on much more the south end of the unit. To start we hunted mainly around Morgan Creek Summit / Black Mountain, one day around Moyer Creek and the rest was along a few creek drainages near Duck Peak (an area on the way to the Yellowjacket area off Porphry Rd). All looked like good areas, it was just trying to be there when the elk were. We only saw elk around the last area and concentrated there. On the way in we drove through Deep Creek and Cobalt, those areas looked fine and I heard of some success around Cobalt. The areas east of there towards Salmon looked like very thick unhuntable woods (mind you this was from the moving car). On the way in there were a large number of camps there (Williams Creek Summit?), on the way out we saw 4. I never came across another hunter as I was hunting except one day two guys follwed me down a closed road for about 1 mile before I dropped into a canyon at daybreak. Almost intimidating such big country and noone around. How many hunters in your group? Just me and my dad in ours. Glad to hear of your success, may it continue on any more hunts this year!

Mike

 

[idahoelkinstructor]

ShortMag, I am just wondering what dream world do you live in. Where do you and your wolf loven friends get this info. I grew up hunting in and around central Idaho, to say wolves are not a problem is a very stupid statement that only a idiot would say. Oh yea in case you don't already know as far as I am concerned every dang one of these dogs need to be shot or killed, legal or not. Same goes for the grizzly IMO. One last thing if you honestly believe what you posted I dare you to walk down town in Salmon Idaho and announce that wolves don't affect the elk population. Just let me know when you are going to do it so I can come see a good whoppin. Be careful though you might walk away being a Super Short Mag.

 

[Pappabull]

Hey Idahoelkinstructor does ShortMag qualify to be a plumber in your book?

 

[300Winnie]

>Be careful though
>you might walk away being
>a Super Short Mag.

That's a classic. ROTFLMBO

 

[shortmag]

The data and recent management changes in specifically unit28 speak for themselves. No dream, no wolf lovin', no whoppin, just the facts. Please read the words that stimulated this response again. Responses have read into my statement more emotional statements than was written. Some real good bulls have come out of the unit. The elk population is enjoying encouraging trends......kind of like an Ultra Mag.