Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Idaho unit 17

Anyone ever hunt unit 17 in Idaho?

I'm looking at several outfitters in the unit. They all say the same thing - steep, thick with some really nice bulls. Elevations seem reasonable - 7 -8,000 feet.

Any thoughts/experiences?

BWINTERS - "They all say the same thing - steep, thick with some really nice bulls."

Yep, those outfitters aren't kidding. I've hunted Unit 17, and there are good bulls in there. They have had some trouble with wolves, however, so be aware of that.

Also, if you're hunting in that country -- or almost any public area in Idaho's mountains-- make sure you are in good physical condition. On the topo maps, it only looks steep and rugged. Actually, it's worse than that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good luck.

L.W.

It is steep and rugged but beware..The Wolves have had a dramatic effect in the Selway and most of Central Idaho.There still taking some nice bulls.though.My buddy that does my RV work came down from Elk City where he lives the other day to help me with my furnace and said the Bow Hunters did excellant but the rifle hunters are suffering.The elk are hanging close into the ranches and get Idaho protection that way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good luck...Jayco

We have a name for that ----- A BITCH.

Hunted steep, rugged and high last year in Colorado. The steep rugged part is a bitch but with no oxygen its worserer. A lot worserer.

But the bulls they drag out of there every year makes the thought of it tolerable.

Any thoughts on other units areas to investigate? Units 1, 4, 6, and 17 produce alot of 6pt bulls and a high percentage of 6+pt bulls and percentage of bulls in overall take.

BWINTERS - "Any thoughts on other units areas to investigate? Units 1, 4, 6, ...."

That's the Panhandle and I've not hunted up there. A friend of mine who lives a couple houses down the street from me, killed a nice 6x5 bull up there last week. He and his father were hunting in the St. Joe N.F., northeast of Clarksia.

I imagine Logcutter knows a lot more about that Panhandle area than I.

L.W.

I booked a hunt in the Selway for 2007. If you can wait until next year, I will let you know.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I live in the Panhandle, unit 4 to be exact. Yep, there are some nice bulls, but the wolves are here too, and taking a big toll on the population. I wouldn't pay to hunt in Idaho if I didn't live here, try Montana.

Pond - If you don't mind my asking - who are you going with?

x - are the wolves that bad or are you keeping the elk to yourself <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Seriously, why not hunt in Idaho? It is one of two states that allow over the counter tags. I know MT has outfitter tags but at $1000 a pop.

The wolves are that bad. I have hunted here for 26 years, and in a lot of areas, I saw more wolf tracks than elk or deer tracks.

BWINTERS, Hunted in and around unit 17 for 25 years. What outfitters are you talking with? I spend a lot of time in the Selway because its so close and here is the skinny: The winter of 96-97 took out approx. 80% of the elk in the upper unit towards Moose creek. The wolves were introduced in 1995 and found their way into the Selway by the late 90's. Due to the winter kill and wolves the elk have had a struggle. Don't ask Idaho F&G because they won't tell you the facts and they want their money! Look at the harvest report Data and make your own conclusions. Jack O'Connor has stated its the roughest elk country in the USA and I wouldn't doubt it. The brush alone can eat you up it's so rough. I have lots of pictures of the country I can show you if you are still interested and a 7x9 bull taken out of meadow creek in 17 that scored 380 which I have mounted. It used to be elk heaven and until we can delist the wolves its going to be rough. F&G hasn't even tried to account for the wolves in 17 because of the remoteness. You can take a bull out of 17 but you will work for it. Gorgeous country and the fishing on the Selway is excellent. I can reccomend an outfitter friend if you are interested.

I hunt unit 36( The sawtooth mountain area) and all I saw this season were wolf tracks, lots of wolf tracks. Some elk sign, but no elk-typical for late season in central Idaho, it seems. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

waha - PM sent.

Thats a real drag. Do I understand that a pack of 16 was killed in northern ID earlier this year for livestock depradation? The whole pack? How do they know that the whole pack was killed? Sounds a bit fishy to me..................

Wolves are a real problem here.Most of it does not hit the papers.I wonder why?I talked to one guy of a party of 5 hunters who spent 10-days in the Selway and said he and his boy must have walked 75 miles and saw two Deer..Very unuusal for the area he was in.He came this way to bag a Bear.He said the Ranchers out of Darby Montana were ballistic about the Wolves following the Elk into there ranches and reccommended blasting any they say,not to kill.I ran into 5-Wolves last week at about 50 yards when I took a short walk to check on something, just driving the logging roads close to town...It wasn't expected and scared the daylights out of me as they were not intimidated by my presence at all and all I had was my 5-shootin 454 Casull.There Big..Really Big..King Husky comes to mind for these...

They are killing hunting dogs left and right in the headwaters of the St Joe/Selway and Frank Church Wildernesses plus the Gospal Hump, plus there down in the ranches dining on cattle/sheep and pets.

This is not a ploy to keep hunters away,it is simple fact that does not get published and I am sure people in the buisness might forget to mention such things. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jayco

Around my hunting areas I have talked to several people who have seen bull moose that the wolves got to. They said it wasnt a pretty site. At least one of them was still standing, but his back quarters were all chewed up. And no, there isn't ever anything in the papers about this.

BWinters,
I sent you a PM

Bwinters.. Pm sent.. I wasn't logged on before???

I have hunted the headwaters of the Selway for the last three years...one year in 17, and two years right across the boundry in unit 21. I can tell you from experience that the wolves are really a problem. They seem to run a circuit, and if the pack moves in, the elk move out and shut up. It can make for a long week. I probably won't be going back, and plan to stay away until the wolves are delisted. I had a pack of eight come within 30 yards of me this year, who were after some bulls that were bugling below me. Despite me and a buddy running at them and waving our arms, they weren't even phased. They just stared, then moved off and let the elk wind them (don't know why). After that, we didn't hear a bugle for five days. One of us eventually did get our elk, but it took a three hour ride in the morning, and a lot of searching.

It's beautiful country, and the elk are in there. You have to work hard and be in great shape. The wolves just add another level of difficulty that I have grown tired of.

Ok - lets open this up abit. Are there any good areas in Idaho that don't have a wolf problem? I picked 17 because it was rugged, remote, steep - hoping to get away from people but I ain't gonna go through the effort to get away from people but fight the wolves.

My goal is to find an area with a good odds of finding bulls and a decent chance at bigger bulls. I'm open to any/all suggestions on GMU and/or outfitters.

Thanks for all the input so far.

-- BW