Idaho Elk Hunting Opportunities » Outdoors International

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. Every year a few Boone and Crockett bulls are taken. Our hunters continue to have great success year after year on mature bulls with our Idaho outfitters.

Russ Meyer, co-owner of OUTDOORS INTERNATIONAL with a great Idaho archery elk.

If hunting elk in Idaho is something you’d like to do, be sure to contact us.

Reasons to consider elk hunting in Idaho:

Idaho is blessed with lots of good units with over-the-counter tags.
We have access to outfitter allocated tags can guarantee you a great tag in controlled units without drawing.
Remote backcountry with little hunting pressure.
Amazing archery elk hunting opportunities.
Rifle rut hunts in some of the wilderness areas.
Good combo options for mule deer, black bear, mountain lion and wolves.
Did you know that in Idaho your deer tag can be used for a mountain lion or black bear?
We have some solid drop hunt options in Idaho as well.

(208) 991-4868

Outfitter: BHON2

September Archery Elk Hunts in Idaho

Idaho some excellent OTC bow hunts with the potential for solid, mature 5×5 and 6×6 bulls…and sometimes a real whopper!

OI client, Jay Cox with his Idaho archery bull.

OUTDOORS INTERNATIONAL client, Jay Cox with his Idaho archery bull.

If you want a traditional, run and gun style archery elk hunt, it doesn’t get much better than 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. Contact us if you’re interested in an elk hunt.

Access into the hunting area is most often by horseback, but some 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.

Run-and-Gun Style Bowhunting is Fun!

Usually you will be hunting the “run and gun” style ,where you’ll be covering country and calling to 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.

Outfitters: IWC4, WMO1

Frank Church Wilderness Elk Hunting

Traditional, Frank Church Wilderness elk hunting in Idaho. We can guarantee that you will see game on this hunt… and most likely you will get a shot at a bull.

Packing out an elk out of the Frank Church

Hunters packing an elk out of Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness area.

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. Be prepared to see all types of game on this hunt, and you should get a mule deer tag, because “the Frank” has some whoppers.

What these wilderness elk hunts offer is a true “Mountain Man experience”.

This traditional, horseback style hunt in the beautiful Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho has been considered by many of our hunters as the hunt of their lifetime. These are true Frank Church wilderness elk hunts. No roads, no cars, no power lines in an area that spans 280+/- square miles. This camp is VERY REMOTE, and our outfitter does an amazing job of running it. It’s as luxury as it gets for this type of backcountry hunt.

This is a traditional “mountain man” style, remote horseback hunt.
You’ll be staying in wall camps, sometimes “spiking out”.
Due to the remote nature of this wilderness hunt, elk tags are over the counter.
Great combo hunt. Be sure to get a mule deer tag. We have had hunters shoot wolves and mountain lions while on this hunt, so be sure to get those tags as well!
Contact us for pricing and availability for this great hunt.

Here the wildlife has rarely before seen man, it feels as though you have stepped back in time.

Hunt the rut in September, or combo with mule deer in October and November.

On these Frank Church wilderness elk hunts, your over-the-counter tags can be used anytime between mid-September and mid-November. September through early October is a cool time to hunt elk. The Frank Church wilderness area is one of the rare units where you can hunt elk during the rut with your rifle. 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’ll see lots of wild game! This is a great combo hunt.

We can guarantee that you will see game on this hunt…bighorn sheep, 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.

Each day in the backcountry will start early with a hardy, camp chef prepared breakfast while the wranglers and guides prepare the horses for the days hunt. Days will consist of horseback riding and hiking covering ground in search of game as well as glassing. Time of season will dictate the style of hunting whether it be pursuing bugling bulls in the early season or gaining elevation to glass for rutting mule deer bucks in the late season. After each day hunters will return to the deluxe tent camp for another world class home cooked meal while sharing stories before turning in for another exciting day on the mountain!