« Back to Outdoors Homepage

Outdoors


Unit 76 Deer & Elk Preview

Posted on: August 27, 2007

By
Dave Langston

This looks to be a good year for deer hunters and elk numbers should still be at all time highs. Unit 76 near Soda Springs is a top bet for hunters to down a bull or cow during the archery season and large bucks also tend to make their home in this area.

According to Idaho Fish and Game (208)-232-4703 P.R. spokesperson Jennifer Jackson, elk are at all time highs across the board. “We have more elk in the state than anytime before, this year should be a fantastic one for elk hunters,” she says. Jennifer did say that deer numbers are holding stable but only time will tell for their recovery. “We will see what condition they are going into the fall, that is a critical time,” she adds.

Unit 76 offers elk hunters an archery season starting August 30th and ending September 30th for the 2007 season. Only rifle hunters who have drawn on a controlled hunt may hunt this area for elk. Buck and doe season begins August 30th and ends September 30th for archers and rifle hunters can take a buck October 10th – October 31st.

Local Soda Spring hunter’s reports bulls already holding in the 8 mile area. This looks to be the place to score on a trophy and also meat for the table.

Another good bet is the Diamond Creek area for both bulls and bucks. Last year I had seven different bulls working in front of me with at least 30 cows and calves during the archery season. We hunted the Blackfoot river area and day after day these same bulls worked this area screaming, and we worked them into a crazed frenzy. I did manage to arrow a cow at 25 yards.

Here’s a tip hunting this unit, elk are holing up in the willows along the river system. This can be tough hunting but offers archers extreme hunting at its best. Setting up and cow calling seems to be the most productive system. Walking this maze of willows is tough even with a fresh trail. You can literally walk up on a bull and your busted before you can notch and arrow.

If you do decide to walk the maze you can tip the odds in your favor by glassing from an advantage point and planning your stalk. Last year I was able to view three bulls lying while I made a quiet stalk on each of them. It was tough but I did manage to get into a few exciting situations face to face.

Most of this area is rolling hills and aspens mixed with pines. A decoy of a cow elk is a top bet silhouetted near the tree line. By using the decoy in tandem with a cow call, your odds have increased two fold dropping an elk this year. Most of your local outdoor retailers or pro-shops carry these.

Want to take a huge buck this year? Unit 76 is also a top bet but expect to hunt hard and concentrate in the top half of the higher mountainous range.

Share This

post this at del.icio.us post this at Digg post this at Technorati post this at Newsvine post this at Ma.gnolia post this at Reddit post this at Fark post this at Yahoo! my web post this at Netscape post this at StumbleUpon


Your Comments

Commenting is closed for this article.

About Dave Langston

Outdoor writer Dave Langston resides in Chubbuck. He grew up in the Midwest and south fishing and hunting across the country.

... more About Dave Langston >>

Video Interviews

  • Visiting the Crow’s Nest Ranch -December 07, 07

    The Western States Sportsman crew recently paid a visit to the Crow’s Nest Ranch near Mackay, ID to hunt pheasant and chukar. We had a great hunt there hunting the wild chukar that roost on the mountain above the ranch as well as the pheasant that the operators of the ranch raise for hunting.

  • Juniper Mountian Ranch -November 30, 07

    This is a special episode of the Western States Sportsman. Come with us as we venture to Juniper Mountain Ranch in Idaho and test out products new for 2007 and 2008.