Intro and Advice

chrisinmd
New Member

Posts: 5

Intro and Advice Jun 7, 2013 4:21:18 GMT -8

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Post by chrisinmd on Jun 7, 2013 4:21:18 GMT -8

Hello Everyone,

My name is Chris Byers and I live in Maryland, but please don't hold that against me! I am 46 years old, have worked for the US Army as a civilian biologist/chemist for 23 years, have 3 kids, and I have been a Hunter Safety Instructor for the State of Maryland for the last 5 years. I bowhunt 90% of my time in the field and have had good success over the years with our eastern Whitetails. A friend of mine and I have finally decided that we can't wait until we are too old to climb the Rockies and are traveling west to hunt elk this fall. We are planning on coming to Idaho the last 2 weeks of September and attempting a DIY bowhunt. I run and lift most everyday so I am in decent enough shape, except all this happens at around 12 ft above sealevel close by the Chesapeake Bay so I expect the elevation to kick my butt!

We have mostly leaned toward the Diamond Creek Zone. We are definetly planning on hiking in a few miles, because we dont want crowds. I would like it to be a hunt that shows off Idaho and the West, which to me would be mostly free of people and ATV's. And a decent chance to get into some elk if we hunt hard.

My question is, can we get that at Diamond Creek? My worry is from the maps there seems like lots of access but dont know if that translates into crowds. And being from the congested East Coast what constitutes crowds in Idaho? Seeing 1-2 other hunters a day?

I like the description of the Pioneer Zone, but that topo map scares me! And Google Earth shows a landscape very different than what is in Diamond Creek Zone.

Any pointers or suggestions that you can share would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for all the questions from an out-of-state elk noob. and I love the website and the new forum!

Thanks in advance.

Chris in MD
byersfam5@gmail.com

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 118

Intro and Advice Jun 7, 2013 6:10:12 GMT -8

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Post by Admin on Jun 7, 2013 6:10:12 GMT -8

Chris, I think you have the Diamond Creek Zone pretty well nailed. There are a lot of access points because there's a ton of roads back in there. Key in on the areas that have the greatest distance between roads, and scout them out on Google Earth and take notes. If you have a handful or two of really good looking places, it might pay to stay mobile, and use your two weeks to figure out how to get away from crowds and find the elk.

Crowds. Crowds don't necessarily mean you're going to have an unsuccessful hunt. The thing about the DC Zone is that you just have to expect that there will very possibly be other folks hunting the same drainage as you. It doesn't mean that you'll ever see them, but you might hear them that time of year bugling. The other hunters in the area are just something you have to manage.

The bottom line is that the DC Zone is great elk habitat, and you will love spending time back in there.

Hope you get some answers from some other guys. Either way, keep asking your questions, and we'll do our best to help. Good luck in your planning, and thanks for joining the forum!

chrisinmd
New Member

Posts: 5

Intro and Advice Jun 10, 2013 15:58:47 GMT -8

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Post by chrisinmd on Jun 10, 2013 15:58:47 GMT -8

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate the advice. I keep looking more and more at the Pioneer Zone. What looks like very limited access as far as I can tell, but miles and miles of roadless country. Rugged as hell looking on Google Earth and probably 10 times that in real-life. I was looking at some publications put out by Fish and Game called "ELK HUNTING IN IDAHO: UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF HUNTERS. In my mind it put Pioneer Zone out front with the lack of other hunters seen and still has decent success rate when compared to the Diamond Creek Zone.

I have another couple of very basic questions:

1. A question about hunting in the back country. How far away from water do you usually make your camp? Do you make camp down in the valleys close to the water or up higher where you can glass the surrounding country?

2. Can you park in one unit to gain access/hunt in the next unit over?

Thanks in advance. I am sure it wont be the last of my questions!

Chris

pursuitoutdoors
New Member

Posts: 27

Intro and Advice Jun 10, 2013 20:06:36 GMT -8

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Post by pursuitoutdoors on Jun 10, 2013 20:06:36 GMT -8

Chris,

Feel free to email me directly and I will help you in every way possible - pursuitoutdoors@gmail.com. More than happy to help, I greatly respect your preferred hunting style and methods.

As for the Diamond Creek zone, it certainly has seen it's share of roads and significant amounts of ATV traffic, but as mentioned above - there is a healthy elk herd there. Here's my two cents - if you're going to come all the way across the country for a true backcountry experience with some great elk hunting, I would say look to the either the Pioneer Zone or the Salmon Zone. Email me and I'll give you some specifics! I'm excited for you!

For the setting up camp - I try to make camp within a quarter mile of camp. Given the terrain I'm usually in, that can get exhausting! I always make camp within a 15 - 20 minute hike of a good glassing location or high vantage point. Wind determines my camp location as well, so I try to be mindful of where the elk are likely to be given the surrounding habitat and thermal shifts. Generally my camps end up on small benches below ridge tops. Good vantage points are the most important aspect of camp placement IMO.

You can certainly park anywhere to gain access to another unit, and carry your hunting equipment from one unit to the other while holding a tag for the other zone, no problem there at all.

I'm excited for you! Keep me in the loop, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Jared

Post by chrisinmd on Jun 7, 2013 4:21:18 GMT -8

Post by Admin on Jun 7, 2013 6:10:12 GMT -8

Post by chrisinmd on Jun 10, 2013 15:58:47 GMT -8

Post by pursuitoutdoors on Jun 10, 2013 20:06:36 GMT -8

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