Had at least 100 head of elk in my back yard tonight.

Pap

Another.

Mike
Very nice, it is great to see large game so close
Peter

Thanks for the treat Pap, how lucky are we that we have you. Many of us can only dream of this experience.

We have this herd almost all year. Except for about 3 months of snow, they are here either in our back yard or the neighbor's. A late draw in our unit for cow or bull is pretty much guarantee. I drew on the late whitetail buck deer this year, but not elk. The general hunt for bulls starts next week.

Pap

Mike

I echo Warren's words. I would love to live in such a great place with wildlife so close.
Magic!!

Yes, we are very lucky to live here in Garden Valley at The Village subdivision. A very small log home only subdivision, not in the timber, so no fire hazard. We have our own 30,000 gallon gravity feed water system with fire hydrant. Our HOA dues include all irrigation, mowing, and snow removal. I can throw a rock and hit the #12 T box of our Terrace Lakes Country Club, which also has a year round geothermal Olympic swimming pool. We have 2 rivers, the Middle Fork and South Fork of the Payette River. Fishing is fair, but the rafting is superb. Garden Valley is 50 miles from Boise and another 20 minutes to the airport. We are centrally located from 2 major ski areas, Brundage and Bogus. I have lived and worked in Idaho since 1969, and can't think of a better located place to live. Our home is at 3400 feet, so we do get snow from mid November to March. Snowmobile from my house for 60 miles in any direction if I want. For us, this is paradise. There are 11 cabins and 4 lots still for sale.
Pap

Hunt, fish, golf, & snowmobile in your back yard? Sign me up!

Wow!

Beautiful back yard!

Any Skeet Ranges near by?

Yes, the Garden Valley Sportsmans group developed a really nice rifle, pistol and skeet range complete with covered shooting areas. Its close to our grass airstrip. During the non snow seasons, they have skeet shooting every week.

Pap

How are the gun restrictions in Idaho?
The Californian's moved en mass to Colorado and they
Californicated Colorado with their restrictions.
Hard to believe that Colorado was once the "West"

Idaho does have a CCL permit, but also passed a no permit carry law. I still keep mine up and also have non resident AZ and UT permits which gives me reciprocity in 37 states. Most new pilgrims coming to Idaho are conservatives.
Pap

The land of the free.
Any magazine restrictions, waiting periods, background checks even for gifts to family or if you let a friend use your rifle for hunting, all the fun stuff we got in Colorado when the liberals took control of the legislature?

No restrictions at all. About the only thing close is, Boise used to have a gun show about every 2-3 months. There were 2 fire arm incidents, one inside and one outside, so no more guns shows at the Fair grounds. No one was hurt and both incidents were during unloading process. We now go to the Nampa shows.

Great to know.
Thanks Pap!

LOL, they have a grass landing strip too. You guys thought of everything

https://youtu.be/3kNdSpyIquo

Here's the approach.

Pap

Being a retired air traffic controller, perhaps I could get a job there. I could handle the pace, I think!!

Only part time availability Rod.

Rod
You didn't happen to Robert (Bob) Burns, also a retired Air Traffic Control Supervisor, by chance?

Pap

No Mike. I did not work in the USA. Canada for many years, the 13 years off shore.

That approach looks plenty exciting.

The Garden Valley strip is pretty tame compared to many of the back country strips. Ray Arnold is the king of the Idaho bush pilots.

https://youtu.be/mhhb43Cpnko

Here's a couple more. The Wilson Bar on the Main Salmon River, is interesting.

https://youtu.be/QHg4HdyE7wQ

Another. I've flown into most of these either going to forest fires or with Ray Arnold.
https://youtu.be/TBQbBcnQnN0

One more. I was a camp cook and guide out of Sulphur Creek Lodge in 93.

https://youtu.be/QOaOpT7xueg

Last one and probably the trickiest and most dangerous of all. Soldier Bar on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

https://youtu.be/3A2IH44ThTY

Mike,

In the last video, what are the black strips going across the runway?

Distance markers ??

Cool videos, thanks for sharing them..

Yes, distance so you know when you will drop into the canyon.

Pap

Here's the take off. Notice the strip is,curved and once in the air, a steep bank is required.

https://youtu.be/a79aTNrHYNo

Here is a video of landing at Lake Union in Seattle with a De Havilland Otter from YouTube.
We did that years ago in a Beaver.
What makes it exciting is that the boats have the right-of-way under USCG Rules of the Road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAP0LorxDrE
Takes experience to find the right path.

No room for pilot error or overshooting the landing Dave.

Beautiful fall evening shot from our deck.
Pap

Beautiful!

Certainly is a great view!

More visitors last night. More than 60 head total.

Pap

Well who's better than you Pap? Wish I could get that close.

What a view!!!

Not sure why when I post my pictures here lately, it turns them 45.

Pap

Are you using a smart phone?
Sometimes the picture rotates when it comes from a cell phone.
Not sure why.

Mike

And all the time, I thought your house was built on an angle/slope.

Seriously great photo.

More visitors this afternoon. About 50 head of elk. Love living in Garden Valley, Idaho.

Pap

Waiting for the day when I wake up and see something like that in the yard. I know they visit, not in daylight hours unfortunately. Must be fun watching them go about their business.

Mike
Are they as “friendly” when hunting season is open? I have never seen that many wild animals is such close proximity to houses/buildings!

They know that Pappy will clean off the snow.
Gives them a great place to eat and get their pictures taken.

I used to put out a big game feed block, but 50 elk eat it all up in one night. I can't afford them. They ate my prize sunflowers last fall, buggers. Over the past 17 years that we have lived here, we have harvested 12 elk. If we draw out, we always are lucky. Most have been taken less than a mile from home. Deer as well. Love living here.


Pap

Last night visitors. Picture taken from our living room window.

Pap

Something tells me they've been there before. We're seeing lots of deer out feeding too. It's been a tough winter on them.

There's about 70 head of elk here almost every day. They wander around from our adjacent golf course and our field. Still about a third of the herd from 2 years ago, down because of weather and wolves.

Pap

Must be nice, all I get here is squirrels, chipmunks,skunks,possums, feral cats, and the occasional wild turkey. Last fall, my dog was making all kinds of ruckus, wanting to go outside, let him out,he runs around back, I heard what I thought was a helicopter about to land in my driveway, 15-20 turkeys flew from the backyard to the maple tree in the front. Scared the living h*ll out of me, never knew they were that noisy when they flew.

More visitors tonight. They graze and then bed down for a while, then feed some more.

Pap

Had 3 young bucks out back this morning.

Pap

Pups.

Yep. Future big boys.

Pap