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Salmon area

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Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 23, 2018 •  [Post 1]

I was wondering if anyone knows what the weather is like around the salmon, idaho area, like end of Oct to the beginning of November? Hoping to visit that area end of May. Heard its very beautiful country, good fishing too! Also need a great place to camp with my 21ft travel trailer. Thanks
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 23, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Shooter, there is snow usually until about the 4th of July in the higher country. You can get snow there anytime after about mid October. A trailer there in October is fine, but I would be prepared to move out quickly if the weather forecast was indicating a strong storm was approaching. Carry tire chains with you in May and October and don't try to get through any snow drifts, or what remains in shaded areas.
I am judging from what I know from the Oregon side of the Snake, but they should be very similar.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 23, 2018 •  [Post 3]

Thank you for the information, I'm hopping In May to get to Know the area and get maps!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 23, 2018 •  [Post 4]

I should have mentioned to have a shovel with you in May. My guess would be that you can get around up to about 3,000 feet elevation by about mid May. Carry mosquito repellant with you too through mid Summer. Without the repellant you will feel like you need a blood transfusion, especially if you are out in the evening.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Does therma cell work. For mosquitoes? Thank. You for your knowledge! I'm looking forward to seeing this. Country .
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 6]

I’ve spent lots of time just north of there near Sula Montana. The last week of October and the 3 weeks or so following that are a very transitional period. It’s not what I’d call winter yet. That will be official by Thanksgiving. But it can snow. Likely the snow won’t be excessive and roads shouldn’t be more than the road crews can handle and most forest roads will be kept open by hunters. I can remember one year where the last week of October was the coldest of the entire seasons but I can remember more years where we ran around in a long sleeve base layer during the day. Basically you truly do need to hope for the best but be prepared for a little if the worst but nothing extreme :D . It’s a nice time of year if you’re cold blooded. If you were from say Arizona or Texas you might consider it winter I suppose.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Joe makes a good point. For most years you are alright with minimal equipment in October. I have seen open winters where you could still drive around in early January. These are exceptions.

As Joe said, I would park my trailer along a well traveled gravel or paved road. Never bet on Forest Service road crews coming out. I know of more trailers left over the winter than times the F.S. plowed roads for hunters escaping a sudden deep snow.

It was a surreal experience hiking in about two miles with dad to pick up his personal tools and other belongings. His stuff was on the logging yarder with a 100 foot steel tower. A heavy snow came over the weekend, so the yarder, loader and other equipment were left on the landing for the winter. That happened in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon about 1963. A person might wonder why they did not finish, or at least move the equipment. Well. It costs a lot of money to take the tower down, and move it out on a lowboy. Same with the dozer and the loader, and you can't find and set chokers on logs buried under waist deep snow.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I usually run a little warmer than most, I love the smell of the pines, juniper! I'm so excited as since my dad passed 5 years ago us cousins havnt hunted together! Being this is a new area in going to check it out in person, maybe fish some. Last year was pretty stressful. I really need time in the woods. Is there wolves, grizzly? What's the nearest camp ground to unit 21?
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Again I can only relate to the west side of the Snake River in that area, but there are wolves in the Wallowa Mountains. They were reported to have come from Idaho. If you don't get enough good campground information here, remember you can call the Forest Service. In February you should get a lot of good information, as they wait for Spring to come again.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Swede I think you are talking about a different Salmon. The one I think she’s asking about is right on route 93 south of Missoula and the Bitterroot.

Wolves yes grizzlies no.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 11]

You are right. I figured it to be somewhere between highway 95 (Riggins) and the Bitterroot Range. I know that is a lot of territory, but weather is weather, and using the same precaution applies pretty much universally in that part of the country.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 12]

It's unit 21, 21A, 36B I. Will have family(cousins) my husband didn't like hunting. I pray ill find hank! Bull of my dreams in one of these units! For Christmas my husband bought my tags & license, he isn't a complete party pooper! And would be proud of what ever I can bring home. Thanks guys your really nice men!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Lefty » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 13]

My wifes hunted 21's . Ive bear hunted there. A buddy was raised north of Shoup( yep not much there). Weather can be both extremes . Last year guys were snowmobiling into bear baits over Memorial day. Ive been ATV'in in 4 ft of snow at the same time, and ATVing 2500 ft above the Valley in April. There are a couple FS campgrounds near Shoup , cheap I think they are only $5.00.There are a handfull fo decent roads but most get steep quick. Panther Creek is generally easy to travel, a few places with FS roads that take off from the bottom,..
If your up there in May you may as well get a bear tag!
Hit the hotpools up Panther Creek,.. best check to see what others are wear/doing if you have kids along :oops: Bring a gold pan too!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Lefty » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 14]

Did I mention there are a lot of bear in the area 8-)
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Lefty » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 15]

Indian Summer wrote:Swede I think you are talking about a different Salmon. The one I think she’s asking about is right on route 93 south of Missoula and the Bitterroot.
Wolves yes grizzlies no.

Heard there was one this year somewhere near Shoup
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 16]

Shooter: I assure you, I did not shoot Hank last September while I was hunting with RJ and friends north of there. Hank is still around, but he is shy and tricky. Sometimes he is known to pose for a picture on a game camera. Best wishes and let up know how things progress.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 24, 2018 •  [Post 17]

The last road to the west as you head north is worth checking out. We used to come in behind the Lost Trail ski area hunting the Montana sise and it was good hunting. Keep in mind that these days that is Montana unit 250 which has very few permits so it’s like hunting adjacent yo a game refuge. There have been some big bulls in there. Also after October 20 the Montana season opens so the canyons to the east can have rolling into them from pressure in the Bighole Valley side. Best of luck to you shooter!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 25, 2018 •  [Post 18]

Now im excited! I've never got a bear! Good thinking! Hot springs sound good to, thank you, you guys are so helpful! I've only got a cow so far and it was a draw in Washington. I plan on going early to deer hunt too! I've been blessed to retire early, so I have lots of time, if my body stays fit. Should I buy maps from FS or f&game? I have onx maps too, but I'm used to paper maps
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 25, 2018 •  [Post 19]

Indian summer are you talking north of Allan mountain?
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 20]

lilshootergirl wrote:Indian summer are you talking north of Allan mountain?

Yes.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Lefty » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 21]

lilshootergirl wrote:Now im excited! I've never got a bear! Good thinking! Hot springs sound good to, thank you, you guys are so helpful! I've only got a cow so far and it was a draw in Washington. I plan on going early to deer hunt too! I've been blessed to retire early, so I have lots of time, if my body stays fit. Should I buy maps from FS or f&game? I have onx maps too, but I'm used to paper maps

https://idfg.idaho.gov/ifwis/huntplanner/mapcenter/
a wonderful site!!

If your body falls apart get a disabled pass and ATV where ever! My 89 year old FIL did that this year so he could ATV in on closed trails,.. then had o enlist my nephew to pack out the meat
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Re: Salmon area

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 22]

lilshootergirl wrote: Should I buy maps from FS or f&game? I have onx maps too, but I'm used to paper maps


Shooter, contact Ed from Game Planner Maps (sponsor here). He offers the best hard copy hunting maps out there. Also, you can receive a version of the custom map you order that can be used on your smart phone. Additionally, you can browse his site and use it just like you would AcmeMapper, CalTopo, GoogleEarth, etc. Don't get no better than that ;).

http://www.gameplannermaps.com/
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 23]

Even if you have good maps from another source, I would go into the F&G office and F.S. office and talk to some folks and see if you can get some pointers on good places to hunt. The more specific you are on what you want to hunt the better the feed back will be. Things like "I am after Old Hank" are great, but things like I don't have horses, and will have to pack out everything on my own, I have a travel trailer, I want to hunt an area with lower than average hunter numbers, etc. all help.
By asking from a couple of sources, you may find some overlap on recommended spots. You can ask the second place you visit about some spot(s) the other recommended. :D I like asking field going people too if practical. I prefer the timber and range techs best. As a side benefit, some field techs like to answer questions as they are not asked about much.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 24]

One thing I have learned. Is to have a plan B. C, D IN PLACE. Its a 13 hour drive for me! I have a dream and the only way it's going to come true is research, hike hard and keep the wind in my face! And of course ask people who have been there and done that! :D all this research should point in the right direction. Love the people on this site!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 25]

lilshootergirl wrote:One thing I have learned. Is to have a plan B. C, D IN PLACE. Its a 13 hour drive for me! I have a dream and the only way it's going to come true is research, hike hard and keep the wind in my face! And of course ask people who have been there and done that! :D all this research should point in the right direction. Love the people on this site!

Man you have the right attitude! For some reason I have a really good feeling about your hunt. It keeps crossing my mind at work. Stay mobile until you have a reason to slow down. Not to contradict Swede but I’ve never known a Forest Service person who knew the first thing about elk hunting and fish and game folks just the same. Stick with your good old fellow hunters. If I asked anyone it would be meat processors or taxidermists. They stand to make money if you are successful.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Joe Schmo » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 26]

Indian Summer wrote:I’ve never known a Forest Service person who knew the first thing about elk hunting and fish and game folks just the same.

That's a bit much
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 27]

When I worked with the Forest Service, about half of the men hunted big game. Usually that included elk. Only a few of the women hunted. The largest present of the hunters were the field going employees.
I don't know if being a hunter matters as much as learning what they are seeing and where. Many of the employees including the non hunters would give information on where they saw elk and where they were concentrated. You could get ten answers from ten employees, and they could all be right. It is just a place to start. It is not the place to finish.
I still go and talk to them. Often I came away with one good tip on where I could find the elk. I also ask about the cattle grazing schedule and numbers, forest activities and if and where they are generally seeing the elk. It usually doesn't take long to figure out who isn't interested in helping you, so you can be polite and move on. As a first time hunter in the area, Shooter can ask about camp places with good ingress and egress to recommended hunting areas.
When I worked for the F.S. I would circle some spots on a map where you could have a better than average chance to find elk. I found the F&G people were just as helpful.
I was happy to help, and had no issue with telling people where they could do well hunting. F&G issues tags to keep the numbers of elk at the management objective level. There is no advantage in offering bad information. That would just increase the number of hunters if it really worked.
As far as hunter prowess goes, I would say they were about average or maybe a little better, but that was just because they usually knew the area very well.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby wawhitey » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 28]

Joe Schmo wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:I’ve never known a Forest Service person who knew the first thing about elk hunting and fish and game folks just the same.

That's a bit much


Hes not usfs, but the elk killingest guy i know is a dnr guy. I want to say hes killed 6 branch antlered bulls in the last 8 years. Its somewhere in that ballpark anyway. Thats a spectacular track record here in my neck of the woods, where the elk are few and far between.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 29]

That game planner map shows so much detail, impressive, thanks. Yes I tend to be mobile shared to sit still, unless I'm stalking! Weather dosnt bother me, snow does excite me, makes tracking easier.. ill be ordering maps soon, so ill have some plans in place! If you guys want to meet me and have coffee your more than welcome to stop by. :?:
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Elkhunttoo » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 30]

Question for you Indian summer? What does a persons job have anything to do with how good of a hunter a person is?

Lots of years ago I worked trail crew for a summer job in high school with the forest service. We saw elk and deer almost daily. Some of the forest service workers were great hunters, some were poor hunters and some were non hunters. If it's me, and I want hunting advise for a place to go, a forest service worker that doesn't hunt but spends 30 hours a week in the unit I am going to hunt is going to give me way more information then any taxidermists around. Lots of taxidermists love hunting and will swap stories with the best of them, but I don't know any that are going to tell me the "actual" place they last saw a good bull. Most of the taxidermist I know are also shed hunters and stand to make money if you aren't successful just the same. I know great hunters that are construction workers, Electrition's, school teachers, engineers, plumbers, biologist....
I also know a lot of guys that love hunting but aren't great hunters that have the same jobs....one thing has know correlation with the other in my opinion. Heck, about 10 years ago a few days before I was leaving hunting a guy from the gas company came to the house to look at our furnace. When he got to our basement and saw my stuff sitting there the hunting stories came rolling out. According to him he had killed around 30 elk with his bow (I couldn't prove him wrong) but if he was speaking the truth I don't care what profession he is in, 30 elk with a bow is impressive.


All of that said, yes I would call the forest service and the game department to check on a unit instead of calling the gas department to ask if anyone hunts and for places they have seen elk while at work ;)
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 26, 2018 •  [Post 31]

The first excellent elk hunter I ran into that I knew quite well was a long time F.S. employee. He spent a lot of time scouting, but attributed all of his success to luck.
Another fellow I knew, but less well, was the head of the county road department. He claimed it was just luck too.
A third, that had many huge bulls mounted in his home is/was a full time federal hunter. He is hard to pick any information out of, but on occasion would give a good tip. He used only a bugle when calling. It was a bite and blow Power Bugle.
The people I know of that are consistently successful killing elk, scout a lot, study elk habits, and spend the maximum time out hunting. Their job can help by accommodating or supplementing their hunting passion.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 27, 2018 •  [Post 32]

I hunt with my beloved 308! I love the way it shoots, the recoil! And its just my size for a 5ft women, boy it wasn't easy to find one with a 24" barrel. I've. Pulled back on a bow once and its too hard, I had surgery on it years ago. I still am able too get pretty close to deer & elk without being detected! I guess I love sneaking through the woods. :lol: thanks again for a the places & people to talk too!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 27, 2018 •  [Post 33]

When you are 5'0" and weigh nothing do you leave tracks or fairy dust? Do you feel a kick when your 308 fires? :lol:
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Indian Summer » 02 27, 2018 •  [Post 34]

My comments are based on extensive experience working hand in hand with the Forest Service and Fish Wildlife and Park in region 2 of western Montana. OBVIOUSLY this can vary. Perhaps greatly. In that area there was only one employee from either of those organizations that hunted. He was a FWP biologist. He was a great guy! As a matter of fact all of the people I worked with were awesome people and I consider some of them to be personal friends. My Forest Service permit administrator is on my list of personal references. The biologist only hunted grouse with his bird dog. It was more about the time spent outdoors with his furry companion than actually killing anything. The only other thing FWP did in the Southern Bitterroot was law enforcement and run the game check station. I spoke with many of them over the years. They might ask a few random questions but none ever expressed much of an interest in hunting. The Forest Service employees were bonafide tree huggers. They cringed when we discussed hunting which isn’t actually a part of the business they handle. Several of them told me that they didn’t necessarily disapprove of hunting but they did feel sorry for the animals. They did oppose wolf hunting. If they did by chance know where some elk hung out they certainly wouldn’t tell someone who hoped to shoot one.

Every meat processor and taxidermist I’ve ever met was happy to talk about hunting for hours. Also.... a pit stop at a local tavern is sometimes not a bad idea. I killed my first bull using a map drawn on a bar napkin from an old timer that didn’t hunt anymore. He drew a small bull in one spot and I was shocked to kill a bull exactly where he drew it.... 12 miles from the truck. True story. To be honest I don’t know if he ever worked for fish and game or the USFS. :D
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 02 28, 2018 •  [Post 35]

I don't feel a kick from my 308, I feel the power that comes from the muzzell! I've shot a few other calibers and love the 308. I've worked a few different loads and it seems to shot best from 180 grain, Sierra but. Don't like the soft point, they dent easly, I shoot a great group at 400 yards, am very confident with that distance, I feel that's far enough!! I shoot all year with my 22, starlings!! They sure make a mess of the other birds nest, they fly away when I step outside. Pretty smart. I practice a lot. I hit a target with my Smith&wesson 38special at a 100 yards! That was fun!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 02 28, 2018 •  [Post 36]

My favorite hunting caliber is 308 W. It is not the hardest hitting, but I don't care. I like to shoot it and it will do the job when I hit where I am supposed to.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 03 01, 2018 •  [Post 37]

I've drop a cow elk at 350 yards im sure a bull will drop too! I love everything about my Remington, I used a Nikon mil dot, but use the dots as good over, yea I can buy a new scope, but why, the set up I have I know how it hits! I'm not into new fabs, nothing fancy. You don't need fancy if you know where horrible hits and your confident in your gun, I have my Dads model 700 rem. 30-06 it dosnt't fit me, so I gave it to my daughter. Its amazing no matter how old a gun gets it still gets the job done
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Joe Schmo » 03 02, 2018 •  [Post 38]

IDFG employees exist for only one reason, they love living and working and exploring Idaho. They're always hiking into here, camping there, exploring this or that...just enjoying Idaho. They will know where elk are...whether they tell you, that's another story. I'm talking about the folks that you'd see out in the field...if you do. And if/when you do, I would talk to every one of em!! As far as who you might call on the phone to ask about hunting, possibly Greg Painter, I would have a bunch of specific info at your fingertips. The answer will likely be "there are elk there" or "there could be elk there" maybe even "there aren't elk there". I would ask something to the effect of "could I find elk on the south facing side of the south fork of whatnot creek?" or ask about specific ridges.
For your hunt, pick out 16 spots and be prepared to move spots, I advise against packing into an area that you've never been to. Stick and move stick and mooooove!!
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Re: Salmon area

Postby Swede » 03 02, 2018 •  [Post 39]

Joe your experience is the same as mine. The key is good specific questions. "Garbage in garbage out" as the say.
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Re: Salmon area

Postby lilshootergirl » 03 04, 2018 •  [Post 40]

Joe, looking at your photo, I'm not sure no one can top that beautiful bull you got! That's my dream, when that dream has come true, I'd like to hunt antelope! Hear there good eating, until all my hunting dreams all come true! Hopefully my body can keep going! I do have a 500Suzuki, that is a great help. Thanks guys your true gentalmen, I hope to bump into you this season, I have onx map so I can give my location in case I want to thank you personally. :D
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Re: Salmon area

Postby elkstalker » 03 05, 2018 •  [Post 41]

I hunted those units this year and saw plenty of elk if you're willing to work for them. I harvested a bull and had numerous close encounters. That country is super steep, but elk to be had, especially if you can wait until snow falls and pushes them out of the real high country. If you have specific questions about units, access, etc. send me a PM and I'd be happy to talk it over with ya. Bring chains if you are hunting late in the season, the roads are steep and can be rough and icy after the snow begins to fall.
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