You'll have service in Stanley proper, that's about it. There are a lot of issues you can run into besides injuries. A flat tire or 2, stuck in a snow drift, sliding off the road etc. During hunting season I highly recommend chains, tow strap, shovel and an axe or saw. i always have an axe or saw in my truck, it sucks heading back and finding a new deadfall across the road.
When I go back to hunt I'm bringing everything but the kitchen sink. I have some time to try to get prepared for this. That's a whole other can of worms though, I have read some horror stories in my research and I hope I never have to post one anytime soon!
I'll echo what alot of guys have already said. I've spent a good bit of time backpacking to alpine lakes all around Stanley. See deer every once in a while, probably seen 1 decent buck in the last few years and that's covering alot of miles. But the Sawtooths are an amazing place and if your committed then I say go for it!
I'm trying to stay committed to hunt this area, but the facts you guys are laying out is making me think twice. I'll have a better feel once I get out there for myself.
I will chime back in here and say if you want a real good time, bring a fishing rod with some trout flies/spinners, and hike back into one of the higher lakes...you wont regret it! Super fun stuff.
Truth be told, I enjoy fishing more than hunting in most cases. I was considering bringing a pole, but many of my poles are 1 piece, maybe I'll buy a cheapy at a sporting goods store when I'm in Boise. I told myself I wouldn't fish because I wanted to cover more ground. You're right though, I know I wont regret it.
Few deer, many yuppies/granolas. Scout after deer get hard horned.
That one hurt a little. I'm almost used to seeing little to no deer while hunting, but the addition of yuppies and granolas is like twisting the knife. I would have liked to get out a little later in the year, seems like they would be easier to spot once the velvet is gone. I wanted to be considerate of the bow hunters that could be in the area. Not that anyone owns the woods and I know there's a lot of land, but I just felt it was unnecessary for me to be stomping around the woods and mountains with little to no direction while there's guys out there trying to hunt. I might sound like a dummy, but that was my reasoning for end of August.
Listen to the Idaho guys. There are very few deer up there compared to other parts of the state. You will drive by mule deer on the side of the road well before you get to unit 36. Draw an east-west line through Atlanta, Id. The best mule deer hunting and the largest numbers of mule deer live south of that line. Also, I picked Atlanta as a random landmark. I'm not suggesting you hunt around Atlanta.
Also, I wouldn't get too worked up about hunting around other guys. If it's general season and there are mule deer around you will probably have other people around you. Just the way it is here with general tags. Everybody pretty much knows where the animals are. At least you won't have to look at a sea of orange - nobody wears it because it's not required. It will just be a sea of First Lite and Sitka
I'm glad I have some Idaho natives that are helping out here. Thanks for putting it into perspective for me, although I've been doing research for months I wouldn't find something like out this without the help of someone familiar with the area.
I knew I wouldn't be alone out there, but I didn't want to pick a zone that's home to 10,000+ hunters like unit 39 for example (i know this is on the extreme end). Looks like I'm getting some new camo for my trip!
The east west line of Atlanta is somewhat arbitrary. The areas with low deer densities are rocky areas in central Idaho with balolith soils, documented by biologists to be poor deer feed that stunts growth and limits deer numbers. This poor deer habitat exists in the Sawtooth range, Frank Church, White Clouds, and Selway. Basically the backpackers dreams with high elevation areas with lots of pretty rocks to admire. The Weiser and McCall zones northwest of the line have some spots with higher numbers than what is in the Sawtooths as do parts of the Salmon Zone, Pioneer Zone, Lemhi Zone. Lots of places in Idaho have deer numbers that beat the Sawtooths because its a low barrier to exceed. It just comes down to habitat ultimately and habitat quality differs throughout the state. But you’re right that typically southern Idaho has better habitat than much of that rocky central part of the state—it also has a lot of the rifle controlled deer hunts. Just my .02.
I think I get the idea you guys are putting out there as far as "the line" goes. Thanks for the helpful info! I don't think I would have found this on my own.
