Cow Elk hunting out of unit 76 in Montpelier,Idaho

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Tommyjohn53

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Bandera, Texas
Drew a Cow Tag for unit #76 out of Montpelier, Idaho. I have never hunted Elk before so I am open to any and all advice you guys have for anything that I might need. Will be carrying my Browning 24" X Bolt Hunter Long Range with a Leupold Mark 5HD 5x25x56 FFPR-1tm MOA . The rifles chambered for the 6.5 PRC
 
N facing slopes are dark in the afternoon and are great bed locations to come out from, just before dark. If you find a good drainage with fresh sign, show patience and keep and eye on it. I showed my wife this approach, while many ATVs scooted by, we kept an eye on the drainage. The solunar table said 8:30 - 10:30am was prime and at 9am, 5 heads come up the ravine and I nabbed my cow at 120 yards. Also, if you have to quarter one out of a crazy spot, keeping the hide intact between the two front quarters makes a very nice padded sling to carry both around your neck. Good luck
 
CO_Guy said:
N facing slopes are dark in the afternoon and are great bed locations to come out from, just before dark. If you find a good drainage with fresh sign, show patience and keep and eye on it. I showed my wife this approach, while many ATVs scooted by, we kept an eye on the drainage. The solunar table said 8:30 - 10:30am was prime and at 9am, 5 heads come up the ravine and I nabbed my cow at 120 yards. Also, if you have to quarter one out of a crazy spot, keeping the hide intact between the two front quarters makes a very nice padded sling to carry both around your neck. Good luck
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Awesome! Thanks so much! Hopefully I'll be able to harvest my first Elk!
 
CO_Guy said:
N facing slopes are dark in the afternoon and are great bed locations to come out from, just before dark. If you find a good drainage with fresh sign, show patience and keep and eye on it. I showed my wife this approach, while many ATVs scooted by, we kept an eye on the drainage. The solunar table said 8:30 - 10:30am was prime and at 9am, 5 heads come up the ravine and I nabbed my cow at 120 yards. Also, if you have to quarter one out of a crazy spot, keeping the hide intact between the two front quarters makes a very nice padded sling to carry both around your neck. Good luck
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With ticks this year.....no way...get all that skin off.....there will be hundreds of ticks on this critters...
 
26Reload said:
With ticks this year.....no way...get all that skin off.....there will be hundreds of ticks on this critters...
Click to expand...
My comment was more of a general tip. Of course, any area of infestation of any sort is a concern but I've used this method with caribou and elk and it is the most comfortable padded sling around.
 
Tommyjohn53 said:
Drew a Cow Tag for unit #76 out of Montpelier, Idaho. I have never hunted Elk before so I am open to any and all advice you guys have for anything that I might need. Will be carrying my Browning 24" X Bolt Hunter Long Range with a Leupold Mark 5HD 5x25x56 FFPR-1tm MOA . The rifles chambered for the 6.5 PRC
Click to expand...
Long shots out there 6.5prc should be ok keep shots under 500yds
 
Use a premium bullet 140 gr. or better. Google de-boning elk. I don't carry hide, head, or bone out of the wild. I put the meat in plastic bags, and put it in the shade. Cools the meat much faster than leaving the bone in. At camp, I have frozen milk jugs to cool it further without soaking the meat. If you have to leave it overnight, move it away from the gut pile, and don't leave it in the bottom where the coyotes and foxes like to roam. I put each bag in a separate spot. In Idaho, I'd carry bear spray, and be armed when you go back for the meat in the morning. I like shoulder shots because it tends to drop them in their tracks. There is enough meat on an elk, that you won't miss what you waste. A Berger bullet in the chest is drops them quickly too. Carry an elk call. The Hoochie Mama is pretty idiot proof. That's why I use it. It will usually stop them long enough for a shot. I used bipods for years, but now recommend shooting sticks. Lighter and more versatile for steep up or down hill shots. Lightweight boots will make the hiking easier. I recommend Merrels. I like to hunt relatively open country where I can sit on a high point at dawn and spot them. The best way I've found to get in shape is to walk with a pack. It builds up the same muscles you need for the hills. If you're from the flatlands look up altitude sickness. I drink about 70 oz. of water a day, even on December hunts here in NM. Bulls are usually lighter in color (more yellow) than cows. I use Endurox R4. It relieves muscle pain, and claims to increase endurance 10%. I swear by it. I make up a bottle and drink it for lunch, and another drink when I get back to camp. Enjoy.
 
Large amounts of private land in that area.
If you have Onyx maps I would look at it and start contacting some of them. If you don't have it I highly suggest you do. You'll want to focus on the hayfields. They feed at night in them and move up a first light to bed down in the timber. Depending on hunting pressure you can pattern them and make a play. This year is especially dry so that'll play into the game as time goes by. If it stays this dry till the season starts it'll be a different game. Water will be paramount. Again a lot of that is on private land.
Start researching and contacting land owners. Contact Idaho fish and Game. Some of the land owners give their info to get hunters to come on their property to hunt as the elk can eat quite a bit of crops.
Idaho has a program called Acces Yes with land owners. There's a bunch of them in that unit to start checking out.
Hope this helps
 
Last edited:
RH300UM said:
Large amounts of private land in that area.
If you have Onyx maps I would look at it and start contacting some of them. If you don't have it I highly suggest you do. You'll want to focus on the hayfields. They feed at night in them and move up a first light to bed down in the timber. Depending on hunting pressure you can pattern them and make a play. This year is especially dry so that'll play into the game as time goes by. If it stays this dry till the season starts it'll be a different game. Water will be paramount. Again a lot of that is on private land.
Start researching and contacting land owners. Contact Idaho fish and Game. Some of the land owners give their info to get hunters to come on their property to hunt as the elk can eat quite a bit of crops.
Idaho has a program called Acces Yes with land owners. There's a bunch of them in that unit to start checking out.
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Thank you very much!
 
Don't have a lot of advice going on my first elk hunting trip to Colorado this fall myself but have a great hunt and that country should be awesome
 

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