Live Hunts - Idaho Archery Elk Hunt - September 7

Live Hunts - Idaho Archery Elk Hunt - September 7 - Day 2

September 7 - Day 2
Idaho Archery Elk Hunt

Friday A.M.
Woke up this morning to a very hard freeze. I'm hoping maybe this will get the bulls talking some.

I went to a different area this morning and walked for probably 2 hours before I found a little bit of fresh sign. Lots of good looking habitat, but if the elk haven't been there recently it's not much to get excited about. At about 8:30 I found a good vantage point, more to rest than anything else, as I figured any self-respecting elk would be bedded by now. I happened to glance at a high, scrubby-looking area and noticed the unmistakeable tan dot moving across the hillside. I whipped out my bino's, and even at the distance of more than a mile, identified the bull as a very good 6x6, probably in the 320+ range. He seemed to be alone, and in no hurry, just meandering slowly down toward the timber. About 5 minutes after he was out of sight another bull, equally as big, walked the same route behind him and disappeared also. It was interesting to note that there were no cows spotted. I'm guessing that means those bulls are pretty much NOT in the rut yet. I'm going to have to study my maps pretty hard this afternoon to see if there is a little less backbreaking way to get to where those bulls were. We'll give it a try tomorrow morning, hopefully.

I watched this area at first light, but no elk were visible

Zoomed way in, you can see in this photo
the first of 2 big bulls I saw this morning

Glassing, as usual

A beautiful stand of early-turning aspens

Friday P.M.
This evening was spent driving around to different areas with viewpoints where I could glass likely-looking elk areas. Unfortunately, I didn't see a single elk in almost 2 hours of glassing.

Elky areas, but no elk

The same
- Go to Day 3 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.

e-mail Joshua Flournoy

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