Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Anyone hunt Idaho Unit 4/4a in the Panhandle?

I'm looking to set up an elk camp with my Dad and brother. My Dad and I hunted elk when I was a teenager and my brother has never hunted with us.

I miss elk hunting dearly as there is nothing like it, and I'm more likely to win Mega Millions than get a Tule Tag here in Californistan. Not to mention, elk camp is a special time spent with family and friends.

My Dad now lives in Bonners Ferry ID, my brother just outside Seattle and me here in CA. I've been browsing the forum, searching for information, ideas and areas of where to go. I've taken that info and weighed it against where I believe my dad can reasonably get to this summer and do some scouting. What I came up with is areas 4/4a.

My Dad is also interested in the St. Joe's area (just south of I-90) I believe it is area 6/7 as he use to hunt there as a kid himself all the time.

If anyone has any advice we'd sure appreciate it. Given our locations it's just not feasable to scout an extraordinary amount this summer so I'm trying to narrow our prospective areas and focus our efforts.

We're open to other suggestions as well for hunting in ID.

Thanks for your time.

I hunted units 6 - 7 back in 2006. We stayed in Avery for nine days. The most beautiful country. No luck. It was two weeks after the season opening. We saw some game at the wrong time of day(getting dark and too far away). That country is the most rugged place I've ever hunted.
I would still like to return and hunt there again one day.
We hunted 25 miles up and down along the St. Joe's.
There's so many places to choose, and so little time.

I've hunted Unit 6/7 in the mountains near Snow Peak southeast of Avery for 10 years or so along with a friend who's hunted there for over 20 years.

I can't compare where we hunt with unit 4/4a because I've never hunted 4/4a, but I can tell you that the elk population is diminished SEVERELY in the area I hunt. This fall there was NO bugling, No sign, and essentially NO elk in an area we've seen and taken elk regularly - though sporadically in the past. I saw only one elk - a bull 600 yards up a ridge that responded to my cow call. I didn't take the shot I had because I just wasn't certain of the distance (didn't have time to range it) and there was no second shot possible - he was moving into timber.

The population in the 6/7 area we hunt has been declining every year for the last 4 years. The cause seems to be a combination of severe winters (which are fact) and possibly wolves, which are anectodal. According to everyone we've encountered hunting the area wolves have affected the elk population though there is no hard evidence to support this.

We have seen no wolves or wolf sign in the area we hunt and we've talked to only one person who believes he's actually seen a wolf there (but that was in an area we should have been able to find sign.)

It does seem plausible that the impact of the wolves may be occurring on the wintering grounds the Wieppe Prairie area. But again no conclusive information/evidence. Others may have better information.

If your father lives in the Bonners Ferry area I'd have him concentrate on the 4/4a area and try to scout some areas close to him. I just don't think it's worth the time in Unit 6/7. We're probably going to hunt elsewhere next year.

That's some great country up there.I used to live and work out of St.Maries and at that time the Calder to Avery area was excellent with less pressure than Avery on up.Also liked the loop creek area but my friends in Wallace and Kellogg always had good luck back before the Wolf.

Around and above Bonners Ferry is another good place but you have to know the area or someone who does.Certain places in North Idaho get heavy,I mean heavy hunting traffic.I always came back to Central Idaho to do my hunting if I could get the time off but now with the Wolf and the damage already done,it's a crap shoot to where to go...

Find the Wolves in packs,not the singles, and you will find Elk.

Jayco

logcutter we thought about the Bonner's area since it is close to my Dad but traffic was a concern. This past year he hunted with a friend who just wanted the leave the house on 4-wheelers each morning and putter around the roads. After talking to my Dad I could tell he was a little upset with that method which has prompted me to make this happen. You may get an elk that way, but that's not elk hunting and it certainly isn't elk camp.

I'll just quote the Les Schwab tire guy on Elk hunting now in Idaho."There turning back into a plains game thanks to the Wolf". They are..Hanging out next to the Ranches for protection and believe me,they get it!There are a few back in but nothing close to a few years ago yet right out of town on some of the larger ranches they roam in large numbers on private land.

This year was the first in about 5 years I got to hunt and it was an eye opener.I spent 3 weeks way back in and did see Elk but they are all herded up late in October hanging together for protection..Few Satellites and alot of Cows but that is the way it is now..

People I know in Whitebird and on the Salmon River where they usually winter saw them all year long in herds all bunched up.They never left.Cows and Bulls are running together all year long..Like the Wolf,once in a while you catch something other than a herd Bull on it's own.That's the way it is around here in Central Idaho anyway.

Jayco