Idaho Elk Hunt Report by Chris Matson

Hunter: Chris Matson
Date: October, 2015
Trip Taken: Idaho Wilderness Elk Hunt
Hunting Consultant: Russ Meyer

Idaho Elk Hunt

A long tough week that was very challenging yet very rewarding. I could not have scripted the trip any better. The Outfitter is very organized and knowledgeable. I highly recommend them for any type of hunt they offer.

I arrived the week after the opening of rifle elk hunting began and so the Bridger Forest had a lot of hunting pressure already applied to it. However, the guides (Tyler and Travis) worked hard from 3:00 am to 6:30 every day with me pushing our horses deep into the regional forests looking for elk. They spent hours every day trying to “push” elk out of dense timber areas to help me spot an opportunity. On the fifth day (Friday, October 23rd) I shot and harvested a 5×4 bull elk. The Idaho outfitter was an outstanding host. He offered up great food and clean upscale lodge accommodations. A terrific experience. I will be a repeat customer in the future.

Up every day at 3:00 am. On horseback at 4:00 am climbing steep rocky ridges in the dark pushing deep into the Bridger forest region. We glassed every day for hours and then when it got quiet we would set up “push” methods trying to get the elk to disperse from their bedded areas in the timber. On my fifth day after a two hour horseback ride and another hour of hiking steep ridges we glassed for a while for elk in the valley. We discovered a small migration of 10-12 elk moving through the trees across the valley.

My guide, at the time, was Travis who spotted a bull elk at 371 yards away around 9:15 am. I used my sticks, set up my Bergara 300 Win Mag and sent my first shot into his heart. Although he was about to go down I sent another few rounds into him to ensure a quick kill. We harvested him and rode out of the valley. We arrived back at the horse trailer and truck around 3:00 pm.

What would you like to see OUTDOORS INTERNATIONAL offer or do more of or do differently? Maybe sent out a quarterly email magazine link with updates in upcoming hunts that are available and hunting stories from the past.

Will you book another trip with Outdoors International in the future? Yes