McCall B tag going solo

[BrokeTrapDad]

I know I know here comes the idiot wanting free advise so here I go....

Headed up this year with an Elk Tag this will be my first Idaho Elk Hunt and looking for any constructive advise and NOOO not looking for your honey hole just maybe some trail head ideas and suggestions maybe camp spots?? Any locals want a partner I will be well equipped and will have camp on my back and thinking I might invest in a E bike ????

 

[jdf]

Trailheads on map of area

 

[fowladdict]

I know I know here comes the idiot wanting free advise so here I go....

Headed up this year with an Elk Tag this will be my first Idaho Elk Hunt and looking for any constructive advise and NOOO not looking for your honey hole just maybe some trail head ideas and suggestions maybe camp spots?? Any locals want a partner I will be well equipped and will have camp on my back and thinking I might invest in a E bike ??

Leave the bike at home. I believe E-bikes are restricted to trails and roads that currently allow motorized use.
Suggestion for McCall Zone is to have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and probably and E and an F. Be willing to move your camp often until you find elk. Beautiful country, tough hunt.

 

[Irrelevant]

Stay away from trailheads...

 

[BackofBeyond]

Leave the bike at home. I believe E-bikes are restricted to trails and roads that currently allow motorized use.
Suggestion for McCall Zone is to have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and probably and E and an F. Be willing to move your camp often until you find elk. Beautiful country, tough hunt.

^^^This^^^

Be ready to get very far away from roads and established trails.

 

[brymoore]

I only have honey holes.

 

[BrokeTrapDad]

Leave the bike at home. I believe E-bikes are restricted to trails and roads that currently allow motorized use.
Suggestion for McCall Zone is to have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and probably and E and an F. Be willing to move your camp often until you find elk. Beautiful country, tough hunt.

appreciate the advise I have no problem being mobile and welcome the tough...

 

[BrokeTrapDad]

I only have honey holes.

hmmmm Ill leave this alone hahahaha

 

[JLS]

I have no problem being mobile and welcome the tough...

That’s good, because that country can humble you.

 

[fowladdict]

appreciate the advise I have no problem being mobile and welcome the tough...

Hope to hear your report back on how you do.

 

[Nambaster]

This is an unlimited tag hunt. So a lot of residents will be out hunting it. You also might see more Washington State plates than Idaho plates in this hunt. The Washington State guys are usually very friendly and willing to spill their guts when it comes to hunt info. I would start by looking at the Idaho Fish and Game website to see the unit by unit harvest ratios. You will find that specific units in the zone have a higher harvest ratio.

From my experience, this zone has a lot of elk. It also has lots of hunters. Some areas have small groups of wandering elk that get kicked around during the hunt. I know of a few areas where the elk gather in large numbers never to be disturbed by a soul. Those elk are safe from anyone due to the distance and effort it would take to harvest them.

I have to admit defeat. I hunted this zone 2 years ago and ate tag soup. I saw lots and lots of elk, but they were shuffling between trees. Picking out a bull in moving groups resulted in withdrawn opportunities.

If you aren’t scared of heights or falling to your death, four wheel drive and an Ebike might make logistics a little easier. Roads get washed out. Some appear on mapping software that have been closed for years. Be patient with other drivers when it come to playing cliff side chicken on the steep roads. Be willing to back up for others to pass.

Bring a chainsaw because trees fall across roads all the time and getting blocked on your way home can really get you in a pickle.

 

[BrokeTrapDad]

Hope to hear your report back on how you do.

Thank you I will be sure to

 

[BrokeTrapDad]

This is an unlimited tag hunt. So a lot of residents will be out hunting it. You also might see more Washington State plates than Idaho plates in this hunt. The Washington State guys are usually very friendly and willing to spill their guts when it comes to hunt info. I would start by looking at the Idaho Fish and Game website to see the unit by unit harvest ratios. You will find that specific units in the zone have a higher harvest ratio.

From my experience, this zone has a lot of elk. It also has lots of hunters. Some areas have small groups of wandering elk that get kicked around during the hunt. I know of a few areas where the elk gather in large numbers never to be disturbed by a soul. Those elk are safe from anyone due to the distance and effort it would take to harvest them.

I have to admit defeat. I hunted this zone 2 years ago and ate tag soup. I saw lots and lots of elk, but they were shuffling between trees. Picking out a bull in moving groups resulted in withdrawn opportunities.

If you aren’t scared of heights or falling to your death, four wheel drive and an Ebike might make logistics a little easier. Roads get washed out. Some appear on mapping software that have been closed for years. Be patient with other drivers when it come to playing cliff side chicken on the steep roads. Be willing to back up for others to pass.

Bring a chainsaw because trees fall across roads all the time and getting blocked on your way home can really get you in a pickle.

much appreciated I have to admit heights I DO have an issue with so that is a little worrisome to be honest I urghhhhhhh ... Hard work and putting in miles etc etc doesnt scare me but heights are an issue for sure F*&$

 

[BrokeTrapDad]

If anybody has info on packers to call if Elk down and need help getting it out I would like to have a few numbers handy just incase

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Good luck this is a tough hunt! Still hunt the thick azz timber!
Matt

 

[BAKPAKR]

Have you ever packed out an elk solo? If not, I would recommend that you limit your e-scouting to areas pretty close to where you can legally travel with your vehicle of choice. In my limited experience, elk packing is much more fun “not solo.”

 

[sureshotshane]

You've been given some good advice. To reiterate, there are elk and there are hunters. The McCall zone is huge, I've only been in a small portion of it. The elk seem to know exactly where the roads and trails are, it's also my opinion that they know where someone could see them from roads or trails. There is always the stupid bull but I've never been so lucky. I'm always blown away when someone has a whole bull elk in the back of the pickup.

An ATV, SxS, or E-bike could be very helpful in this unit. Not to use to get back to places others aren't (because there will be others if there is a road), but so you could shuttle yourself up hill to your vehicle. There are a ton of good hunts in this zone where you can leave a vehicle at the bottom of the hill and drive up (like way up, could be miles) and take a finger ridge off the mountain to the rig at the bottom, rinse repeat.

 

[idelkslayer]

If anybody has info on packers to call if Elk down and need help getting it out I would like to have a few numbers handy just incase

The only business that can legally help you pack out an elk in Idaho is the outfitter that is licensed for the specific area you are hunting. From what I hear, most outfitters won't pack meat because it is not cost effective for them or they are too busy with guiding clients.

A friend, acquaintance, or another hunter can assist you in packing out your elk but they cannot charge you for the service.

 

[Nambaster]

There is a Homedepot in McCall.…. Just saying….

If you drive slow with your truck in the morning, you might be able to pick up a few willing individuals to assist in certain “improvements”.

if you had a few extra pack frame backpacks you could do a lot of
”home improvement”

I would be sure to have plenty of water and electrolytes for your “home improvement” crew.

 

[44hunter45]

Have you ever packed out an elk solo? If not, I would recommend that you limit your e-scouting to areas pretty close to where you can legally travel with your vehicle of choice. In my limited experience, elk packing is much more fun “not solo.”

It is my suspision that elk hunters, as a demographic, have a higher incidence of sciatica than any other group.