Idaho Middle Fork Tag 20a, 26 & 27 (Help)

[Maxxis31]

I have been a lurking member here for two years but this is my first thread and first post.

First a little about myself;

I am 32 years old and married with two boys 5 & 8 years old. I was born in Lagrande Oregon and raised in North Powder. I still live in North Powder and so do my parents and grand parents. I have been hunting every since I can remember. My first buck I shot when I was 12 was a white tail that scored 148 1/8 and was #8 in Oregon at the time. My biggest passion besides my wife and kids is elk hunting, I have killed dozens of cows and spikes but have only killed one decent branch bull. My wife also hunts and killed her fist deer the year before last.

I moved to Washington for work about 8 years ago. I only lived there for a couple years before i was able to find a good job back home. I started archery hunting elk a few years ago because of the points system and will probably never hunt another elk with a rifle here in Oregon.

This year my Christmas present from my wife is a Middle fork zone B tag for 2015. I am not 100% sure where I will be hunting yet or if I will have a hunting partner. Either way it should be a good adventure and hunt but I am sure i will be going because I already have the tag.

If anyone has hunted the Frank Church and has any advice it would be very much appreciated. This will be my first trip hunting out of state and I will be taking the first two weeks of the season off. The spot I am thinking of hunting is about 7500-9500 feet.

I have a little info on the hunt but don't want to put all of my eggs in one basket. I will have two full weeks to find a bull and buck to shoot. I plan on being mobile so if I am not getting into elk I can pack up and move locations. I am really looking for suggestions on where the elk tend to hang or possibly places to avoid due to large amounts of people or lack of animals. More specific information is also welcome. I am sure it will be a very awesome hunt and I have a good part of a year to gather as much info as possible to hopefully up my odds on a successful hunt.

If its anything like the wilderness hunting i have done here in Oregon I would expect to see very few does and a high percentage of the bucks I see should be mature bucks. Same with elk, I will be looking for small groups of elk that are isolated to small areas with good feed and water, but the bulls hopefully will be larger on average then the bulls in the lower country around the farm ground.

I bought the deer tag so I will be able to change tactics if the elk aren't bugling yet. I would love to kill a big old high country buck so I will be actively looking for both while I am out.

Any help or tips would be greatly appreciate.

PM's Welcome

Thanks in advance for your time

 

[Reggie]

I hunted the Middle Fork this September with some success. Its hard, steep, and few elk but its doable if you are willing to do the work. PM sent with some detail

 

[idaho elk hunter]

I have hunted it for many years in the past. A burn went through unit 36 3 years ago which should make it outstanding hunting this year. I have not hunted it for the last 7 years but I do fly over it quite often to go to the Smiley creek lodge to have Breakfast with the rest of the flying club. We are seeing a comeback in the elk population. Check out the Crystal Creek area and Beaver Creek. Winamucca creek is also a good spot.. No motorized vehicles allowed of the road

 

[Maxxis31]

That's good to here. Thanks for the info it is encouraging to here the elk numbers are coming back.

I have hunted it for many years in the past. A burn went through unit 36 3 years ago which should make it outstanding hunting this year. I have not hunted it for the last 7 years but I do fly over it quite often to go to the Smiley creek lodge to have Breakfast with the rest of the flying club. We are seeing a comeback in the elk population. Check out the Crystal Creek area and Beaver Creek. Winamucca creek is also a good spot.. No motorized vehicles allowed of the road

 

[mustang58]

I hunted the Middle Fork 2 yrs ago and was disappointed in the elk numbers. I was on top up Cabin Cr. about 5 miles below the Flying B. I rode for 7 days straight and saw 18 elk total; not one bull. Seemed to be wolves everywhere. Deer numbers were pretty good and bucks too but no big bucks. Small 4 points were the biggest we saw. This is the same place that the Fish and Game had the wolfer working a year ago.

 

[Maxxis31]

I hunted the Middle Fork 2 yrs ago and was disappointed in the elk numbers. I was on top up Cabin Cr. about 5 miles below the Flying B. I rode for 7 days straight and saw 18 elk total; not one bull. Seemed to be wolves everywhere. Deer numbers were pretty good and bucks too but no big bucks. Small 4 points were the biggest we saw. This is the same place that the Fish and Game had the wolfer working a year ago.

Thanks for the insight. I hope I have a little better luck than you guys did

 

[Maxxis31]

TTT

 

[mustang58]

I am hearing that there are a few elk in the breaks along the rivers. However not much on top where there used to be ample elk. This makes sense as wolves are the problem.

 

[Maxxis31]

I hope to get out on the breaks some. I would imagine there are some decent muleys out there also.

 

[Brianc74]

My brother in law has hunted that area for 50 years. He hunts that unit for 5 wks a year from Sept 15 - Oct 7th and again in Nov.. BLM calls him for trail updates 3-5 times a year do to how much time he spends in the back country every year in that area. He does not even take a rifle anymore, just a TC pistol for bear and Lion hunting. WOLf aswell. We states the elk population in 10% of what it was 15 years ago in his opinion. The hunting will be hard, but could be rewarding.
Brian

 

[Maxxis31]

​

My brother in law has hunted that area for 50 years. He hunts that unit for 5 wks a year from Sept 15 - Oct 7th and again in Nov.. BLM calls him for trail updates 3-5 times a year do to how much time he spends in the back country every year in that area. He does not even take a rifle anymore, just a TC pistol for bear and Lion hunting. WOLf aswell. We states the elk population in 10% of what it was 15 years ago in his opinion. The hunting will be hard, but could be rewarding.
Brian

Thanks for the input, hopefully I can find part of that 10%. I am sure it will be rewarding either way.

 

[jammer300]

I just scrolled thru the harvest reports for 20A archery elk from 2009 thru 2013 ( they don't have harvest reports out yet for 2014) and the number of archery hunters was between 1 and 3 each year and only one reported killing an elk in that time span. Yes there was that big burn that did go thru there a few years ago so maybe that will help improve things this year. I don't know if you have searched thru the hunt planner on the Idaho fish and game website, but I think it really helps when looking into hunting new areas. I don't hunt those units and looking back at just the few years I did, the harvest reports look very small.

 

[Maxxis31]

I just scrolled thru the harvest reports for 20A archery elk from 2009 thru 2013 ( they don't have harvest reports out yet for 2014) and the number of archery hunters was between 1 and 3 each year and only one reported killing an elk in that time span. Yes there was that big burn that did go thru there a few years ago so maybe that will help improve things this year. I don't know if you have searched thru the hunt planner on the Idaho fish and game website, but I think it really helps when looking into hunting new areas. I don't hunt those units and looking back at just the few years I did, the harvest reports look very small.

I have looked through the planner quite extensively. I am pretty sure most people rifle hunt the unit instead of archery hunt it since it is any weapon during Sept. The stats look pretty promising 25% success with 50% 6pt + pretty constantly.

I will be taking a rifle that will be capable of 800 yards shoots pretty effortlessly. I believe if i can find elk I should be able to close the distance enough to make a shot under 500 yards easy enough though.