Idaho Elk Hunting Trips

Idaho has some spectacular elk hunting opportunities, and our hunters continue to have great success year after year with our Idaho elk hunting outfitters. If you’re after a 350+ inch bull, you’ll probably be disappointed in Idaho elk hunting, but it does hold a good number of solid mature bulls, and every season a few lucky hunters take a Boone and Crockett bulls.

Idaho has wilderness rifle elk hunts during the rut in September!

Not only can you hunt with your bow, but our Idaho Wilderness outfitters offer rifle elk hunts during the rut. That’s right, for those not interested in the challenge of trying to harvest the great wapiti with stick and string can still hunt during the rut in September with their rifle!

Get in shape for a better experience.

Idaho has earned a reputation for being steep and rugged, these hunts should be taken seriously as any mountain hunt, and can be physically difficult so it would be in your best interest to be in elk shape! However, our outfitters have still been able to accommodate most hunters as their guides are experts in their crafts and the horses are gentle and well broke.

Typical daily schedule on our Idaho elk hunting trips.

On the guided elk hunts, you can expect to wake up early to a hearty camp style breakfast prepared by your camp cook. After breakfast hunters and guides will prepare for departure for the day on horseback or on foot, season and camp location dependent. Be prepared to hike here and there as well as ride the horses to and from hunting areas every day.

Hunting tactics vary across the entire season, as the earliest archery hunt starts at the end of August, and the last hunt going till mid November. Tactics are adjusted accordingly to most effectively harvest intended game.

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idaho Elk Hunting lodges

A hunting lodge offers a perfect blend of comfort and adventure for those seeking a top-tier hunting experience in the wilds of Idaho.

Nestled in breathtaking landscapes, these lodges provide access to some of the best elk hunting grounds in the state, with expert guides ready to help you track trophy bulls. Whether you’re hunting in the rugged backcountry or near the stunning river valleys, Idaho elk hunting lodges ensure you have a warm, cozy place to return to after a long day in the field, complete with delicious meals and all the amenities for a memorable hunting trip.

We book for a number of different elk hunting lodges in Idaho with options ranging from ranch hunts to fly-in wilderness hunts.

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Get ready for a true “Mountain Man Experience” on our Idaho elk hunting trips in the wilderness.

These are traditional, horseback style hunts in Idaho’s vast wilderness areas. These camps are VERY REMOTE, and our outfitters do an amazing job of running them. You’ll be staying in comfortable wall tents with wood stoves, typically with only two hunters per tent so there will be plenty of space. Sometimes you might hunt out of spike camps, or camps away from the main camp. It’s as luxury as it gets for this type of backcountry hunt.

Idaho wilderness areas are some of the few places left where you can truly leave civilization behind.

There are no roads, no cars, no power lines and not many people. Since it’s so remote, these are some the rare areas where you can hunt elk during the rut with your rifle and have a decent chance at a mule deer. Later in the season, the mule deer hunting gets better, so it also makes for a fun combo hunt.

Frank Church Wilderness Elk Hunting

This is a great traditional, horseback wilderness elk hunt with plenty of game and very few people. Success rates for 5-6 point bulls are high on this Frank Church wilderness elk hunting trip. You won’t see many other hunters on this Frank Church wilderness elk hunting trip, because it’s remote country to say the least. You’ll fly into a backcountry airstrip where you will be picked up by the outfitter on horseback. From there you will ride into base camp to begin your Idaho wilderness elk hunt.

• Hunt elk with your rifle during the rut!
• Hunts are  on a 7-day schedule with 5 full days of hunting.
• Harvesting 5 and 6-point bulls ranging from 200-300-inches, and often 300+
• This is a traditional “mountain man” style, horseback elk hunt.
• This is not a long-range shooting affair. Expect shots of 300 yds or less.
• Elk tags are over the counter!
• Be sure to get a deer tag, because you’ll also have a decent chance at a good mule deer. Later in the season, the mule deer hunting gets better, so it also makes for a fun combo hunt.

You should see lots of wild game in The Frank Church Wilderness

We can almost guarantee that you will see game on this hunt. Here the wildlife has rarely before seen man, it feels as though you have stepped back in time. You could see bighorn sheep, black bear, mountain lion, mule deer, and be sure to have a wolf tag in your pocket! Most likely you will get a shot at a bull, and as you can see from the pictures, these outfitters take some nice 300+ inch bulls every year.

Ask us about a Frank Church wilderness elk hunt

Selway Wilderness Elk Hunting

Experience the Ultimate Guided Idaho Elk Hunting in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

This is an unforgettable guided elk hunt in the rugged and scenic Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, where you’ll be targeting mature bulls in some of the most remote and awe-inspiring locations. With guaranteed allocated tags, this is your chance to experience a great Idaho elk hunting experience.

Your experienced guides will have local knowledge of the area and elk behavior, providing you with the best possible chance for a successful hunt. As one of the few places that permit rifle hunting during the rut, this is a rare and exhilarating hunting experience.

Hunters can also customize their adventure by adding tags for other game, such as deer, bear, or wolf, giving you the possibility of a combo hunt. The season kicks off in September and continues through mid-November, and each season has its pros and cons. Be warned however, this is tough country and it will not be easy. Are you up for the challenge?

Ask us about a Selway wilderness elk hunt

Archery Elk Hunting in Idaho

If you want a traditional, run and gun style archery elk hunt, it doesn’t get much better than archery elk hunting in Idaho. Unpressured bulls, over-the-counter tags, lots of backcountry and wilderness, and a good number of mature bulls…Idaho’s where it’s at, but be in shape. Idaho has (justifiably) earned a reputation for being steep and rugged, these hunts should be taken seriously as any mountain hunt, and can be physically difficult.

• Archery elk hunting in Idaho takes place during the month of September.
• Guaranteed tags (when applied for by application deadlines)
• A few DIY drop camps for archery elk are also available.
• 200-280 inch 5×5’s and 6×6’s, with the occasional 300+ inch bull can be expected.
• Comfortable wall tent camps
• All hunts are 7 days. 5 full hunt days with 2 days for pack in/out.

Run-and-Gun style bowhunting is fun, and Idaho elk hunting is tailor made for that!

If you get into elk, this can be the most fun you’ve ever had. Usually you will be hunting the “run and gun” style, where you’ll be covering country and calling to locate bulls. Sometimes, if you’re in more open country, ambush hunting works well. Also, because of pre-scouting, outfitters can sometimes set you up over wallows in a treestand, if conditions merit that.

In Idaho, access into the hunting area is most often by horseback, but some elk hunts are from ATV’s.

A typical hunt day starts around 4 am with breakfast, while guides catch and saddle horses. With a short 45 min to 1 hour horse ride, you’ll arrive where you’ll be hunting for the day just before daylight. At that point you’ll  start covering country on foot, putting out some bugles to locate a bull to set up on. You’ll typically utilize horses as much as possible, but will have some hiking to do along the way.

Our clients who have gone archery elk hunting in Idaho with this outfitter have had great success. Contact us if you’re interested.

Ask us about an Idaho elk hunt

Book Your Idaho Elk Hunt

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