Got back last week from a HOT 4 days of getting humbled in SE Idaho. Beautiful country, but could not dig the deer or elk out of anywhere. I want to give a quick day by day recap and compare notes with any of you who have spent time in this part of the state, and ask for suggestions on tactics from any of you who have been able to tag out here.
Let me preface this by saying that this was only my second year hunting this area. First year was a 3 day trip in 2021. I passed on several smaller bucks the first day, Did not see anything the second day, and the evening of my last day spotted one nice buck, and (3) nice bulls up in the basin where I started out hunting this year. I will say that there is still a lot for me to learn about this area, and the unit.
- Day 1 - got in about 2 miles, glassed some amazing looking country between 7500 and 8400 ft in elevation. First light was slow. Mid morning, caught a glimpse of the rear end of a wide buck walking over a hill to a broken up hillside. I figured he was heading to bed over there, so hiked 2 miles up and around to where I could glass that hillside from about 1100 yards. I spent the afternoon/evening behind the glass picking apart the bowl that he'd dropped into, and didn't ever turn him back up.
- Day 2 - Started the day where I had spent the previous afternoon/evening, hoping that i'd be able to find that buck again. Did not see a single deer or elk. Did see a few bears. Moved across the top of the bowl that I'd seen the buck in and spent the afternoon/evening glassing the surrounding area. Again, not a single deer or elk.
- Day 3 - Moved to a different drainage, about 15 miles away. This area was steeper and higher than area #1. Started hiking at 8800' and got to the first glassing knob at 9200'. No movement during the morning, and relocated about a mile - ended up roughly at the 9000' elevation for the afternoon/evening. Saw one nice bull moose, a cow moose with a calf, and a couple of coyotes. No deer or elk.
- Day 4 - Returned to area #1, and hunted the area from a different access point. I did still hunt through the pines on the other side of where i'd seen the buck on day #1, but did not see any fresh sign, or deer.
Looking back, I think I should have gotten more aggressive with that buck on day #1, and stayed in the area where I saw him. I also think I could have been more productive working through the pines, instead of behind the glass.
I would welcome any additional perspectives that you guys have. I.E. would you have relocated more? Stuck it out in one drainage? Moved higher, lower? Glassed in the morning, still hunted the rest of the day?
Thanks guys.
Let me preface this by saying that this was only my second year hunting this area. First year was a 3 day trip in 2021. I passed on several smaller bucks the first day, Did not see anything the second day, and the evening of my last day spotted one nice buck, and (3) nice bulls up in the basin where I started out hunting this year. I will say that there is still a lot for me to learn about this area, and the unit.
- Day 1 - got in about 2 miles, glassed some amazing looking country between 7500 and 8400 ft in elevation. First light was slow. Mid morning, caught a glimpse of the rear end of a wide buck walking over a hill to a broken up hillside. I figured he was heading to bed over there, so hiked 2 miles up and around to where I could glass that hillside from about 1100 yards. I spent the afternoon/evening behind the glass picking apart the bowl that he'd dropped into, and didn't ever turn him back up.
- Day 2 - Started the day where I had spent the previous afternoon/evening, hoping that i'd be able to find that buck again. Did not see a single deer or elk. Did see a few bears. Moved across the top of the bowl that I'd seen the buck in and spent the afternoon/evening glassing the surrounding area. Again, not a single deer or elk.
- Day 3 - Moved to a different drainage, about 15 miles away. This area was steeper and higher than area #1. Started hiking at 8800' and got to the first glassing knob at 9200'. No movement during the morning, and relocated about a mile - ended up roughly at the 9000' elevation for the afternoon/evening. Saw one nice bull moose, a cow moose with a calf, and a couple of coyotes. No deer or elk.
- Day 4 - Returned to area #1, and hunted the area from a different access point. I did still hunt through the pines on the other side of where i'd seen the buck on day #1, but did not see any fresh sign, or deer.
Looking back, I think I should have gotten more aggressive with that buck on day #1, and stayed in the area where I saw him. I also think I could have been more productive working through the pines, instead of behind the glass.
I would welcome any additional perspectives that you guys have. I.E. would you have relocated more? Stuck it out in one drainage? Moved higher, lower? Glassed in the morning, still hunted the rest of the day?
Thanks guys.
