If you’re after a 350″+ 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 B&C bulls are taken. Our hunters continue to have great success year after year on mature bulls with our Idaho outfitters.

Why you should consider elk hunting in Idaho:

• Lots of good units with OTC tags. *Outfitter allocated tags can guarantee you a great tag in controlled units without drawing.
• Remote backcountry with little hunting pressure.
• Amazing archery hunting opportunities.
• Rifle rut hunts in some of the wilderness areas.
• Good combo options for mule deer, black bear, mountain lion and wolves.
• Solid drop hunt options.

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.

If you want a traditional, run and gun style archery elk hunt, it doesn’t get much better than Idaho. Unpressured bulls, OTC tags, lots of backcountry, 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.

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 utilize horses as much as possible, but will have some hiking to do along the way.

Run-and-Gun Style Bowhunting

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.

• Hunt: BHON2

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.

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.

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… and most likely you will get a shot. As you can see from the pictures, this outfitter takes some nice 300″+ bulls every year.

• This is a traditional “mountain man” style, horseback hunt.
• Tags are over the counter!
• Good combo hunt with mule deer.
• We have had hunters shoot wolves and mountain lions while on this hunt, so be sure to get those tags!
• This is not a long-range shooting affair. Classic locate and stalk hunting, expect shots of 300 yds or less.
• Hunt: IWC4