Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Idaho Middle Fork Area 27

I PM'd this to a few of you that I had chatted with prior to this hunt, but I wanted to share this info with everyone else in case they were considering using this area. I'm pretty sure I'll stick with Colorado in the future instead... but about my Idaho Area 27 Elk hunt. I just got home tonight. The guys were definitely right about it being rugged territory. I averaged 8-10 miles per day on foot (in addition to the days I rode mules 5-15 miles to new areas to hunt). We setup a basecamp near lower pistol lake and rode to new area's and spike camped to look for sign. (over 4 days I averaged 33 miles on my gps--foot miles and 2000 ft of elevation climb and then decent per day). To say I hunted hard was an understatement.
The habitat was great looked like it should be full of elk. Sign was lacking though. Scat I found was weeks old, very few tracks even, none fresh.
The last few days I found some fresh tracks near the boarder with area 25, those tracks had wolf tracks mixed in with them. I assumed the wolves were pressuring them and kept them moving. The last day of the hunt I covered 9.6 miles solo on foot (4 of that was before daybreak) while the others went another way. I encountered 1 bull very early but couldn't get him into the clear for a clean shot opportunity, he would bugle with me for a few minutes before taking his cows and disappearing).
Honestly I don't think they should be selling tags for this area....lol The wolves didn't even have much presence there because I beleive they've cleaned the area out. Just thought I would share.

I don't know about the wolves, but interesting nonetheless. I hunted that country hard for three successive years (with a couple of local residents) in the early 1980s and my experiences mirrored yours almost exactly. I have never had a hankering to go back. Thought that things might have improved...

Hunted 27 last year when the temps were excruciating, on top of the elevation issues and steep terrain. Saw old Elk scat from early in the year and a few wolf tracks. Deer were far and few between (primarily because of the temps) We were in the Seafoam area and hunted up to Pinyon Peak. I do know for a fact that Elk were near Pinyon Peak 2 years ago as one of our hunting party downed a nice Bull in '09. I personally think the Elk migrate through 27 on their way to 25, 26 and 28 now.

I hunted the unit two years ago in October. I saw elk every day. Dad and I tagged out on day two and spent the rest of the week deer hunting.

How'd the deer hunt go?

I have not hunted Unit 27 but my neighbor, a hunter, two doors down the street from me, hunts it every year. He has killed a bull for the past five years I've known him. He is about 38 or so and stays in good shape.

I do know there are plenty of wolves in that area.

L.W.

Poor. Forkies and basket racks. I've seen some monsters in the same area previously but you need weather to push them out of the mountains and into the river front breaks.

Thanks, been wanting to do a combo up there

Sorry your trip didn't result with an elk on the ground but that's hunting

If you hunted during the last week or two the weather sure didn't help you any.

There are elk in that area for sure.

I still had a great trip... no regrets. I hunted hard and did my part.