The largest breed of elk resides here in northwestern Montana and the Idaho panhandle. The elk herds are residential and do not migrate in or out of our area. On elk, deer and moose hunts bring at least three large duffle bags in which to transport your meat home. RIFLE ELK AND DEER HUNTS Rifle elk season starts October 10th in Idaho and the fourth Sunday in October in Montana. During rifle season in Idaho we are also able to employ bugling and stalking methods because we are catching the elk in the tail end of the rut. Rifle season in Montana is mainly stalking. Our success rate for rifle elk runs about 40%. This average is based on the ability of the clients and their preferences. Some guys pass on anything less than a 6 or 7-point bull. Others just plain miss! We are in a "brow tine bulls" only area. We find this to greatly improve the quality of mature bulls. . Our success for deer runs about 85%. We have both white- tail and mule deer. The mule-deer rut earlier than the whitetail in our area, so if you are interested in a mulie buck, comes earlier, and whitetail later. The deer and the elk use the same terrain, so we are able to hunt both at the same time, with no need to go to another area. We have some very respectable bucks here, definitely Boone and Crocket class. During rifle season the weather conditions make heavier wool pants necessary. Polar fleece also works well this time of year. Please leave your Gortex rain gear at home! Gortex is noisy in the woods and elk are very good at hearing. Medium to heavy weight wool pants, a lightweight wool shirt-jacket (buffalo plaid in Cabelas), a chamois or flannel shirt, a T-shirt and wool socks. Dress in layers. State law, and we require you wear 400 square inches of florescent orange material during the rifle season. We suggest a vest of soft mesh material, not nylon or polyester because they are noisy in the woods. All clothing should be of material that is quiet in the brush. Boots with an air-bob sole design are a must for our type of terrain. Insulated, all rubber constructed boots with an air-bob sole work best. Bring at least two pair of sturdy weatherproof boots. Boot dryers, if you have them, are also very helpful. Now for those of you that wonder, we do a lot of rifle elk hunting, and we are very successful, but we don’t do a rifle report because, if you miss with a rifle, what is your excuse? ARCHERY ELK We specialize in archery elk hunting. We are very proud of our ability to bugle in the big groaner bulls, sometimes to within 15 or 20 feet. It's an experience archers never forget! Our average success in archery season has run anywhere from 30% to 50% depending on the ability and condition of the guy with the bow. Idaho archery season begins August 30th; Montana usually begins the first Saturday in September. We are concentrating on elk hunting and the elk are in the rut during this season. The deer are not in the rut so we are not conducting archery deer hunts during this time. This year’s archery reports are in this brochure, for more reports you can go to our website, click on reports, and find reports from 1996 through the current year there. During archery season, we employ bugling techniques and stalking. We start the hunt early (before daylight) in the morning, and hunt until the action stops. (The bulls quit talking) Then if you haven’t had enough for the day, we will take you out again in the evening. Since the weather is generally warm, lightweight wool pants work best during archery season, usually you can find the right weight fairly inexpensively at army surplus stores. You need to wear clothing that doesn’t make noise in brush. A chamois cloth or similar quiet fabric, camo shirt and a camo T-shirt and wool socks. Dress in layers. Bring two pair of well broken in hiking boots, preferably with the air-bob sole. We recommend an all rubber-un-insulated boot with an air-bob sole for archery. BLACK BEAR HUNTS We conduct the majority of our bear hunts in Montana. Spring bear season starts April 15th in and runs until May 15th. There are a good number of bear in our area. Since our winters are sometimes long, and the snowmelt is late, we have you come as late in the spring as possible, enabling us to access the areas. The larger bear also come out later in the spring. Spotting and stalking are the main methods used in this hunt. We utilize closed roads, open brush fields and natural feeding habitats to hunt for black bear. We do not use bait, and we do not have the black fly problem found in other areas. You will be fully guided during the hunt and not left in a tree stand somewhere for hours. We are fortunate to have all color phases of black bear in our area. There are black, brown, cinnamon, blond, and black with a white v marking. Success on the bear runs 90% kill with about 110% shooting. Normally lightweight wool or polar fleece is fine for this time of year. You do need to wear fluorescent orange during this hunt. MOOSE, SHEEP AND GOAT HUNTS Moose, sheep and goat hunt permits are on a drawing basis. We have many of the species in our area, but not many draw for the permits. Should you be so lucky as to draw a moose, sheep or goat hunt permit, we will be happy to discuss details of this hunt with you.
Wayne Hill Outfitting |