Moscow ID???

[MichaelJ]

Hey guys I'm a new transfer student to the University of Idaho majoring in Rangeland Ecology and Management. Loving it here so far! I'm interested in getting out and scouting for any Muleys and/or elk around here so when I get my residency next fall I have a head start. Looking for GENERAL areas (IE: not honey holes, I love to scout) if you got any ideas I'd much appreciate it. Thanks!

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces

 

[idhunters]

Congrats on attending a fine institution. Go Vandals!

Weren't you working on tanning hides a while ago?

As far as hunting you are in whitetail country. I don't think I ever saw a muley buck while I was up there. A few muley does around Elk River.

If you really want to hunt muleys you need to look at the controlled hunt in unit 11 which is south of Lewiston along the Snake River. Thats a good one. Open areas with good mule deer populations would be either way north or south by Riggins along the Salmon river breaks.

Don't overlook the whiteys in the Clearwater Natl forest. Elk-go east to Elk River and hunt around Dworschak. Bowhunting is really good there.

Have fun!

 

[springbear]

I spent my time at the U of I as well. Finished up with a Wildlife degree in 97.

I had lots of luck finding permission around there. Knock on some doors and you should get it. Not sure where your are from, but if your are not a "local" country boy, I would not advertize it when talking to the land owners.. Just make sure you close the gates you open, and don't drive accross the fields even if you think you can. Just walk. help them out if you see cows or down fence. You will be able to hunt there any time you want to. You know the drill.

I do not remember all the names of the places I used to hunt. However, the canyons out by Troy are good. Little Potlatch Creek out by Kendrick. There are elk in most all of that country that has any amount of timber or brushy draws in it.
I picked up a whitetail shed antler off the UI expermental forest that was over 80 inches... with some broken tips!!! That is a pretty dang big buck.

Not much in the way of Mulies close by. There are some in the breaks of the Clearwater River. I don't hutn it anymore so I am not sure if it is a draw or not.

I also did very good on bears hunting in the spring around there. Mostly up by Potlatch and out past Harvard. Turkey hunting is very good as well.

good luck.

 

[MichaelJ]

>I spent my time at the
>U of I as well.
>Finished up with a Wildlife
>degree in 97.
>
>I had lots of luck finding
>permission around there. Knock on
>some doors and you should
>get it. Not sure
>where your are from, but
>if your are not a
>"local" country boy, I would
>not advertize it when talking
>to the land owners.. Just
>make sure you close the
>gates you open, and don't
>drive accross the fields even
>if you think you can.
>Just walk. help them
>out if you see cows
>or down fence. You will
>be able to hunt there
>any time you want to.
>You know the drill.
>
>I do not remember all the
>names of the places I
>used to hunt. However, the
>canyons out by Troy are
>good. Little Potlatch Creek out
>by Kendrick. There are
>elk in most all of
>that country that has any
>amount of timber or brushy
>draws in it.
>I picked up a whitetail shed
>antler off the UI expermental
>forest that was over 80
>inches... with some broken tips!!!
>That is a pretty dang
>big buck.
>
>Not much in the way of
>Mulies close by. There are
>some in the breaks of
>the Clearwater River. I don't
>hutn it anymore so I
>am not sure if it
>is a draw or not.
>
>
>I also did very good on
>bears hunting in the spring
>around there. Mostly up by
>Potlatch and out past Harvard.
>Turkey hunting is very good
>as well.
>
>good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I have heard that as long as you say your a student at the U and am looking to put some meat in the freezer most people will let you hunt on their land as long as you follow the unwritten rules like you've stated above. I think big game for me is not doable this year due to lack of money, but I am planning a trip for the weekend to head north of Troy to see if I can get into some bulls just for the hell of it. I'm packing light and planning to be out friday evening through sunday mid day... The weather has been cool lately and I'm hoping that the bulls are starting to talk.

I'd also like to get into some whitetails but honestly don't like the idea of hunting the open farm grounds, I'd like to get up into the timber and big canyons. I'm used to hunting the Glacier Peak Wilderness in my homestate of WA (I'm from Wenatchee) and can't get enough of the backcountry...
I'm heading back home on the 17th to do the high hunt with my brother and have a great area scouted... Not much can compare to chasing high country muleys!

And yep I have tanned a few hides, but it was more out of boyish curiousity and boredom than anything! lol I haven't done that for a year or 3 now.

I would love to plan a trip out to Dworshak! Though it seems like there's a ton of roads in that country, how far away from the resevoir should I concentrate scouting??? Thanks again guys, I'm sure looking forward to it!

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces

 

[idhunters]

Don't let the roads fool you. These are whitetails, not muleys. That country is so thick it doesn't matter.

Find a closed road that leads to a regenerated clear cut. Also, that stuff to the east of you is far from open farm country, is public land and full of elk and whitetails.

One of the biggest bucks I have seen was standing in the middle of the clearwater river, on public land, in the middle of the day (after we killed 2 small bucks).

 

[MichaelJ]

Sweet stuff man thanks! I've been going over my gear for the last 3 days and I have my pack all packed and sitting next to my door waiting for the end of class tomorrow! I'm carrying my whole camp on my back. My only worry is water. I've got my backcountry setup with me (hammock and super light gear) and am carrying a 100 oz water bladder full, along with a full nalgene bottle and a full gatorade bottle... Taking my water filter so hopefully I can find a good source to filter out of. With all my water and food I'm right around 38 lbs I think. Not to bad...

Any news on how the rut is coming? Bulls start talking yet? I've got all my calls and taking my camera, hope to get into some good bulls possibly! I figure if I can get into a good area I might head back for sheds this spring. I got lots of time so it should be fun!

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces

 

[idhunters]

Haven't been out looking at elk (and haven't been to N. Idaho for a "few" years)but we always had the best luck on bulls the last week of season.

Seems that the rut really gets going then.

 

[Abomb]

You are getting good info on that area. As far as elk talking yet, they have been fairly quiet. We found three bulls this Friday but all they would do is grunt once or twice then shut up. We put moves on all of them and could not get them to commit. Wait until the 3rd and 4th weeks, it will be game on!!! You live in HUGE Whitey country!

 

[MichaelJ]

Well guys the trip was a bust... lol I drove up one road, to find a gate at the bottom, drove up another to find a second gate, found a 3rd gated road but this one you could unlock it, but it said foot access only. So I parked the truck and hiked back in there a few miles... You weren't kidding that country is SUPER thick and I wasn't too crazy about being so close to some roads and I could hardly find a place to use my binos. I was there for a few hours when a couple trucks came cruising up the road illegally (as far as I know) and then a few fourwheelers were on the backside of the mountain I was on. I did find a small 4 point whitey shed but ended up coming out early yesterday morning.... I didn't see an animal the whole trip but did see some other sign. I think I'm going to check out the Chief Joseph areas for elk or maybe out by Dwowshak. I hear there's a lot of elk down there and it'd be nice to get into some different country...

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces

 

[Abomb]

Michael; I do all my scouting using Google Earth. Just download it and go to work with a map and it. Every area I have found using it I have found Elk. This has been a huge tool for me moving into new country.

 

[MichaelJ]

Abomb,
Already been using it for a while now, its a great tool thats for sure, but while I'm here at college I only have a laptop for a computer and so I can't utilize the 3D features, only scan like looking at a regular topo map. I really need to get a mouse setup lol.

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces

 

[CHW]

The south hills south of Burly you could find some nice deer