Idaho has no guide requirement for nonresidents, even in wilderness. You can hunt the Frank Church or the Selway on your own if you’re up for it. But Idaho elk country is some of the steepest and most remote in the West, and many zones have few roads. How you get in, and how you get an elk out, shapes every Idaho hunt.

The three options at a glance

	DIY	Drop camp	Fully guided
Who finds the elk	You	You	Your guide
Camp and gear	You bring everything	Outfitter provides camp, you bring personal gear and often food	Outfitter provides everything
Getting in and out	You drive, hike, or charter a flight	Outfitter packs you in by horse, mule, or plane	Outfitter handles it
Packing out an elk	You	Outfitter, at the end of the hunt or on check-ins	Outfitter
Typical cost (beyond license)	Lowest	About $2,500–$4,000 per hunter	About $7,000–$11,000
Best for	Fit, experienced hunters	Backcountry hunters on a budget	First-timers, short trips, wilderness

DIY: hunting on your own

Pros: Low cost and huge amounts of public land. Idaho’s national forests cover much of the central and northern parts of the state, and the general tag lets you roam an entire zone.

Cons: The terrain. Canyons drop thousands of feet, and an elk killed at the bottom of a drainage can take days to pack out. Many road-accessible areas get heavy pressure, and the Motorized Hunting Rule limits motor vehicle use in many units.

DIY works best if you:

• Are in excellent shape and can handle steep climbs with a loaded pack
• Pick a zone and tag that fit your weapon (A tag for archery, B tag for rifle in most zones)
• Scout with maps and, ideally, in person
• Have a partner and a pack-out plan, or line up an outfitter’s pack-out service ahead of time

Drop camp: the middle ground

An outfitter packs you and a furnished camp into the backcountry by horse or mule. In the Frank Church, many trips start with a small plane to a backcountry airstrip. You hunt on your own, and the outfitter packs out your elk.

Pros: You get deep into country most hunters never see, at a fraction of the cost of a guided hunt.

Cons: You still have to find elk, and help can be days away. Many drop camps don’t include food or cooking gear.

Ask before you book a drop camp:

• What’s in camp, and do I bring my own food?
• How far from the trailhead or airstrip?
• How do you pack out elk, and is there an extra charge to fly out meat?
• What happens in an emergency?

Fully guided: the highest odds

Idaho outfitters run everything from roadside base camps to week-long horseback and spike-camp trips in the wilderness. Many offer combination hunts where you can also carry a deer, bear, mountain lion, or wolf tag.

Pros: The best odds in hard country, full logistics, and often access to tags set aside for outfitters.

Cons: It’s the most expensive option, and good outfitters book early. With the new December tag drawing, you’ll want to book before you apply.

Questions to ask any Idaho elk outfitter

1. Are you licensed? Idaho outfitters and guides must be licensed by the state’s Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. Ask for the license number.
2. Do you have a permit for the land you hunt? Outfitters on national forest land need a Forest Service special use permit, and each operates in assigned areas.
3. Which zones and tags do you hunt? Should I apply for an A or B tag, or a controlled hunt?
4. Do you have outfitter-allocated tags? If so, how do I get one?
5. What were your success and opportunity rates the last few years?
6. How many hunters per guide?
7. What’s included, and what costs extra? Air taxi, game flights, sales tax, Forest Service fees, meat care.
8. What’s your deposit and refund policy if I don’t draw?
9. Can I talk to past clients?

So which should you choose?

• First elk hunt or limited time? Go guided.
• Want the wilderness experience on a budget? A drop camp.
• Fit, experienced, and have time to scout? DIY, ideally in a zone you’ve studied hard.

Related: How Idaho draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Idaho Elk Hunting Guide · Cost of an Idaho elk hunt · General elk tags and zones

License and tag information is from Idaho Fish and Game for 2026. Confirm current requirements in the IDFG Big Game Seasons and Rules before you book.