Attn South Eastern Idaho hunters....

[Mike Orton]

Has anyone elk hunted the Challis May or Patterson area, or the Pahsimeroi River Valley?  Zone 37/37a..... Looks like September will find me hunting in the Challis National Forest and I'm looking for any intell possible....

[Mike Orton]

TTT for the evening read...

[3Under]

Mike,
My son lives in the Pocatello area. I've visited him and his family every year for the last 9 years but never have gone hunting
(Yet!!That gotta change!)  

[Mike Orton]

Larry, partner we need to do a reality check here....life goes by & moments are lost, opportunities squandered.....partner Idaho is an over the counter elk tag.  Go visit your kid, go walk in God's back yard, experience elk hunting in the Rockies, it does not matter if you score a kill or not, what matters is that you were there....

Listen to the whisper: the Rockies are calling

Have you ever seen a grave marker that said "I wished I worked more in my life"

End of reality check.  You're dismissed

[Nate Steen .]

Mike,  
the Patterson, May, and the Pahsimeroi valley is quite open, lots of sagebrush, etc., a big valley between big mountain ranges that get a lot of snow on them in the winter.  Closer to Challis there is more timber, albeit in patches.  Be prepared to be warm in September with cool nights.  A lot of glassing is in order.  There are a few ranches in the Pahsimeroi valley, and you could get lucky and find elk moving from the hills into the fields and do some ambushing.  Past Challis up towards Salmon the terrain is steeper, rockier, rougher and tough hunting.  Do a google earth to see how the terrain lies.  Light colored clothing is good.
Nate.

[Mike Orton]

Thanks Nate.  Much appreciated!

Does anyone else have direct first hand knowledge having hunted this zone 37/37a before?  I know my Guru is out there....

[House]

Mike,
Have hunted 37A for about 6 years now, and pulled some elk out of there.  Access is the most difficult part, discounting the goat-faced cliffs.  Very steep, rugged country looks to me more like big muley country...but the elk are definately in there.  The area I hunt is quite open at the lower elevations, say 6500 to 8000 feet other than the creek bottoms covered in cottonwoods.  Then from 8000 to about 9500 quite a bit of timber, after that you're in goat country.  Often can catch the elk first or last light in the open sage heading back into the cottonwoods or timber and try to put the move on them.
Good luck to you PM me if I can help you further

Travis

[Mike Orton]

Thanks Travis.  Exactly what I wanted to know.