Hoping someone could fill me in about deer and elk hunting in this Idaho unit. Terrain, trophy potential, animal densities, etc...

Thanks in advance!
Erich

I can't tell you about the game situation now, but the terrain, particularly in the eastern part, is some kind of rugged. It includes part of the Sawtooth Wilderness Area which is a a massive rock range full of 10K peaks. Google it to see some pics. The western part isn't as high and rugged, but it's still full of steep, rocky mountains. It's largely forested but there are open sagebrush areas, too.

Here's a couple photos of part of it that I stole off the web.

I am curious why your asking about just unit 35?Idaho Elk hunting is now done by zones and that unit falls into the Sawtooth Zone/Units/33/34/35 and unit 36.So if you get the tag,you can hunt all four zones..

Jayco

If you want to talk about 36, I can tell you all about it. Avoid it except for camera hunting for scenery. No elk. No deer. I think even the wolves have moved out looking for their chow elsewhere. I hunted 6 days in there this fall and only heard 1 or 2 shots. We saw a few elk, but darn few. We didn't see a single deer. However, this is on the other side of the wilderness area from 35 so game numbers could be considerably different.

Thinking about doing a drop-camp with an outfitter based in unit 35....just trying to do some homework on the area.

Thanks guys and keep them coming!
Erich

Density isn't very high, at about 2.4 elk/sq mi. Hunter density isn't that bad at about 1.5 per sq mi of public land. Trophy potential isn't very good, or Idaho has no idea how many elk are really there, or they don't survey the hunters well because I came up with 100% of the available bulls being harvested. Success is fairly poor. I rate it 56th out of 85 general units.

That whole area- 36, 35, etc. are not good elk hunting areas these days, IMO.

I'm thinking you have your answer and now perhaps it's time to look for another option.

Best of luck to ya! And I'd encourage you to be doubly careful about drop camps.

Dober

That area was never a great Elk area in my opinion.I used to hunt around it all the time as in Grandjean packing back in towards Grahm and Atlanta.I worked in the Deadwood/Scott Mountain area for two years driving and camping through all of it..The only way we could get in and out in the winter was from the Stanley end.There are Elk but there are better places to hunt them in my opinion,even now with the wolves.

As for Drop Camps..They usually take you to there last stand leaving the good places for there other clients.They scout it out prior to and know where the Elk are or were prior to hunting season and save the best for the high dollar clients..Again my opinion from an outfitter.

If I was wanting to hunt Idaho,I would go to North Idaho up in the panhandle not below the I-90.

Good luck..Jayco