Hunt Introduction
This hunt takes place in central Idaho, roughly between Salmon and Idaho Falls. It is a self-guided hunt on National Forest, which is public land. It's my first hunt in Idaho - and it's always exciting hunting a new area, as if elk hunting alone wasn't exciting enough! We're (my family and I) camping out in a wall tent, and I will be coming back to camp each night. I've done a lot of research trying to find a new good place to go, as the area I hunt in Colorado has become more crowded each year. I decided on Idaho, and narrowed it down to a particular unit (which will have to remain un-named for the time being) in the central part of the state. Biologists and Forest Service officials have told me there are good numbers of average 5 and 6 point bulls in this unit, with the definite chance to run into a really big bull. This area is completely limited and draw-only for rifle hunters, so the bull:cow ratio is good and the bulls have had a chance to get big. This will probably be a semi-live hunt, updated every 2 or3 days because of the remoteness of my location and the lack of a close phone line.
Thursday A.M.
Our first night in camp we were kept awake half the night because of the noise of pouring rain on our tent tarp. Upon waking in the morning, we discovered that there had also been a skiff of snow that had dusted the landscape. It continued to snow off and on throughout the morning, but it didn't stick except at higher elevation.
Checking out an open area between 2 thick forests
A pretty good rub
Doing some more glassing
I started out this morning checking out an area I found while scouting that looked good. I walked up a long, steep, open area between 2 thick forests, and did some cow calling. I didn't get any response. I took off into the woods on one side looking for fresh sign. I did find some fresh dung here and there, but not enough to get me real excited. I stalked slowly through the timber for several hours without seeing or hearing any elk. I'm not a big fan of stalking blind for elk through dark timber. I prefer to either call them in, or spot and stalk them from distance. I went back to camp planning to come back and glass the open area again from the other side of the valley at dusk.
The beautiful effects of the mountain snow storm
Thursday P.M.
This evening I spent the last hour of dark glassing the open area I spoke of finding on this morning's hunt. Unfortunately, I did not see any elk. I talked to some locals in town today when I went in to get a flat tire fixed (what fun!), and the general consensus was that because of the unusually dry year, the elk aren't as visible as usual, and aren't talking much either. Tomorrow I am going to check out a new area I saw from the road that looks pretty good.
The local welcoming committee came out to meet us
on our way back from town
Just another pretty snow scene
The open area I hunted this morning
seen from a higher perspective
One more pretty scenery shot
- Go to Day 2 of the Hunt -
Trip Notes
This hunt takes place in central Idaho, roughly between Salmon and Idaho Falls. It is a self-guided hunt on National Forest, which is public land. It's my first hunt in Idaho - and it's always exciting hunting a new area. My pre-hunt research helped me to decide on hunting Idaho, and narrowed it down to a particular unit (which will have to remain un-named for the time being) in the central part of the state. Biologists and Forest Service officials have told me there are good numbers of average 5 and 6 point bulls in this unit, with the definite chance to run into a really big bull. This area is completely limited and draw-only for rifle hunters, so the bull:cow ratio is good and the bulls have had a chance to get big.
Equipment
I'm shooting a Martin Jaguar bow, set at 72 lbs. Arrows are 29-inch Easton 3-60 ACC's, with Wasp 125 gr. 3-blade SST Hammer broadheads. Depending on the terrain, I'm wearing almost exclusively Predator camoflauge. I have Fall Gray, Spring Green, Fall Brown, and Evolution with me on the trip, and will probably use all of them. Predator is awesome, and particularly in the Rocky Mountain West. I've also got a new Master Guide backpack made by Crooked Horn Outfitters that I'm eager to try out.
Equipment
This section is to tell you about some equipment that I've used extensively and highly recommend. I'm not a paid representative of any hunting product manufacturer, so these are honest-to-goodness reviews of quality equipment. In case you're interested in trying out some of this equipment for yourself, I've made links to places on the Internet where you can buy them at good prices. Just click on the photo or the name of the product.
 
Bausch & Lomb® 7x42 Binoculars
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I've had a pair of B&L 7x42 Discoverer's for 5 years and have given them a real beating in a large variety of climates and conditions. I am very impressed with the overall quality. Compared side by side with Swarovski Binoculars in the field, the only noticeable difference was the price. They will cost you about $500 less than Swarovski's.
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Garmin® GPS 12
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Buying a Garmin GPS 12 was one of the best purchases I ever made. It has so many uses, and is so easy to use. In unfamiliar hunting areas, just mark your vehicle, hunt anywhere you want, and at the end of the day, get back to your vehicle with no problem. It's also great for marking downed animals to return to later. My GPS goes with me on EVERY hunting outing.
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Wasp Hammer SST 125 Gr. Broadheads
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I've used probably 10 different makes and models of broadheads in the last 10 years. The Wasp SST Hammer is the best Fixed, Replaceable blade broadhead I've ever used. I used to use Thunderheads, and took several animals with them. On a friends recommendation, however, I tried the Wasp. That was 2 years and a dozen or so animals ago, and I haven't tried another broadhead since. The Wasp has given me better blood trails, by far, than any of the other heads I've tried. They are tough, penetrate well (complete pass-throughs on all but one animal) and fly great. What more could you ask?
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Double Bull Titan I.C.E. Blind
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There is no question that hunting from my Titan blind has made my success rate as a bowhunter much higher. The Predator Deception pattern fairly melts into the brush. I've shot animals less than 5 yards from the blind. Also the best thing for Turkey Bowhunters since the Box Call. Light, very portable, strong, and conceals movement very well. Great for increasing the amount of time you spend in the woods.
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Olympus D-450 Zoom Digital Camera
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If you're interested in getting a very high-quality Digital Camera, the Olympus D-450 or one of it's successors is a great choice. I've had my D-450 for about 3 years now, and have taken all of the photos for all my Live Hunts with this camera. It's not cheap, but this is one instance where you definitely get what you pay for. I highly recommend this camera.
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e-mail Joshua Flournoy
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