Idaho Deer Hunt

OP
I
Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
2,158
Feel free to reach out for anyone planning hunts in 2020. It’s best to describe what you’re looking for in a hunt, sleeping arrangement, fitness levels, and hunting experience. Lay out a little of your background and what you’re looking at and that really helps me respond.

My time is limited and getting more limited. I will keep this a small group for various reasonable At this point, I’ll help where I can and it may be pretty general and short. I get some satisfaction out of helping a few guys new to hunting or hunting Idaho. If it seems like a longer discussion might make sense, we can go back and forth more on the site or by phone or whatever. Unless I get a feel that someone is a high character person, I need to move on pretty quickly because I fear the effects of info sharing otherwise.

The times when it’s a solid win-win and a guy has hunted an area a few times are really nice. I’ve met some good dudes on here that are also skilled hunters. Residents seem to know what they’re doing more but not always and it’s mostly just because they’ve hunted areas more often and learned them.
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Messages
62
Location
Idaho
Feel free to reach out for anyone planning hunts in 2020. It’s best to describe what you’re looking for in a hunt, sleeping arrangement, fitness levels, and hunting experience. Lay out a little of your background and what you’re looking at and that really helps me respond.

My time is limited and getting more limited. I will keep this a small group for various reasonable At this point, I’ll help where I can and it may be pretty general and short. I get some satisfaction out of helping a few guys new to hunting or hunting Idaho. If it seems like a longer discussion might make sense, we can go back and forth more on the site or by phone or whatever. Unless I get a feel that someone is a high character person, I need to move on pretty quickly because I fear the effects of info sharing otherwise.

The times when it’s a solid win-win and a guy has hunted an area a few times are really nice. I’ve met some good dudes on here that are also skilled hunters. Residents seem to know what they’re doing more but not always and it’s mostly just because they’ve hunted areas more often and learned them.

I would really like to chat with you. Last year was my first chasing mulies (prior to that mostly whitetail). So far my experience with mulies, has been Lots of hunters and not a lot of deer. I mostly hunted out in the eastern side of the state in 60a and near palisades. I live in the west side of the state now. I have some experience I can share and maybe some to glean. Let me know if you would like to chat.
 
OP
I
Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
2,158
I would really like to chat with you. Last year was my first chasing mulies (prior to that mostly whitetail). So far my experience with mulies, has been Lots of hunters and not a lot of deer. I mostly hunted out in the eastern side of the state in 60a and near palisades. I live in the west side of the state now. I have some experience I can share and maybe some to glean. Let me know if you would like to chat.

Eastern Idaho is really down right now as I’ve said on here on a few occasions. You can pm if you’d like.
 

Doddse1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 22, 2020
Messages
101
Location
JBLM Washington
Feel free to reach out for anyone planning hunts in 2020. It’s best to describe what you’re looking for in a hunt, sleeping arrangement, fitness levels, and hunting experience. Lay out a little of your background and what you’re looking at and that really helps me respond.

My time is limited and getting more limited. I will keep this a small group for various reasonable At this point, I’ll help where I can and it may be pretty general and short. I get some satisfaction out of helping a few guys new to hunting or hunting Idaho. If it seems like a longer discussion might make sense, we can go back and forth more on the site or by phone or whatever. Unless I get a feel that someone is a high character person, I need to move on pretty quickly because I fear the effects of info sharing otherwise.

The times when it’s a solid win-win and a guy has hunted an area a few times are really nice. I’ve met some good dudes on here that are also skilled hunters. Residents seem to know what they’re doing more but not always and it’s mostly just because they’ve hunted areas more often and learned them.
Hey Idahohikker,
I appreciate your willingness to reach out and help dudes out that are considering a hunt in Idaho. I am new to this site and just starting to really dive into some of the forums regarding Elk and Mule deer. I am active duty military stationed at Lewis Mcchord in WA. Myself and two other buddies from my unit are planning a DIY late season rifle 5-7 day mule deer hunt and were thinking of unit 19/20. I reached out to fish and wildlife and they said Magruder corridor road can be sketchy in early November, but it all depends on the snow fall. I am very interested in maybe getting some guidance or recommendations as to if this is worth our time for a 5-7 day spike camp/late season hunt. Or if there may be other areas that have higher numbers. Now that I'm literally forced to be home, I can use this time to research and E-scout as much as I can until training for the next deployment starts. Hope yall are staying healthy and not too stir crazy. Planning these hunts is what is keeping me sane haha
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
30
Feel free to reach out for anyone planning hunts in 2020. It’s best to describe what you’re looking for in a hunt, sleeping arrangement, fitness levels, and hunting experience. Lay out a little of your background and what you’re looking at and that really helps me respond.

My time is limited and getting more limited. I will keep this a small group for various reasonable At this point, I’ll help where I can and it may be pretty general and short. I get some satisfaction out of helping a few guys new to hunting or hunting Idaho. If it seems like a longer discussion might make sense, we can go back and forth more on the site or by phone or whatever. Unless I get a feel that someone is a high character person, I need to move on pretty quickly because I fear the effects of info sharing otherwise.

The times when it’s a solid win-win and a guy has hunted an area a few times are really nice. I’ve met some good dudes on here that are also skilled hunters. Residents seem to know what they’re doing more but not always and it’s mostly just because they’ve hunted areas more often and learned them.
Appreciate the offering, new to site, haven’t quite popped my cherry to be able to PM yet or I would shoot you a message. Hunted around Stanley two years before the tags became a drag race to get. Hunted out of Harpster with my dads family. Hunted the Selway unit in November a couple times, have the tag right now be interesting to see what happens. My brother and I sent our tags out with the fish and wildlife’s approval to switch to pioneer unit A tag cause we wanted to check out that country for deer. What better way to do it than chase elk and look for deer along the way. I have some ideas of where I want to hunt and I think I have kind of narrowed it down to a unit but wouldn’t mind someone to bounce some ideas off of.
 

sneaky

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
10,119
Location
ID
Appreciate the offering, new to site, haven’t quite popped my cherry to be able to PM yet or I would shoot you a message. Hunted around Stanley two years before the tags became a drag race to get. Hunted out of Harpster with my dads family. Hunted the Selway unit in November a couple times, have the tag right now be interesting to see what happens. My brother and I sent our tags out with the fish and wildlife’s approval to switch to pioneer unit A tag cause we wanted to check out that country for deer. What better way to do it than chase elk and look for deer along the way. I have some ideas of where I want to hunt and I think I have kind of narrowed it down to a unit but wouldn’t mind someone to bounce some ideas off of.
Deer numbers are down in Pioneer zone. This winter was mild, but you can't undo several bad winters in a row with one good winter. Pioneer gets a ton of pressure, good luck.

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caleb_22

FNG
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
14
Hey guys, if anyone is hunting deer in 19, 20, 20a, 27, 28, 36a, 36b, 37a, 39, 43, 48, 49, 50, 66, 69, 76 Id be happy to chat with you about your plans and potentially share what my buddies or I are finding in the units or what I’ve gathered from scouting via PM. I talk to a lot of guys and enjoy keeping tabs on what’s happening. It’s especially helpful for primarily deer hunters to connect with guys who are more elk hunters like myself.

PM only. Some nonresidents or newer Idaho residents have great plans and others not so much between places that are obvious and will be overrun with hunters and places where you’d get snowed in, etc. haha I’ve heard it all now on here.

The nonresident tags in Idaho are about sold out now so I feel like I’m probably not directing anyone to Idaho by posting this late in the game.
What do I have to do to be able to send PM's?
 

Roofer1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
234
Location
WI
Needed an adventure, plugged in OTC mule deer tags to google, Idaho showed up, bought a tag. In good (flatlander) shape, am OK doing solo overnights, and am aware of my personal limitations. Would be fine with a lower percentage chance on a mule deer for a higher percentage of solitude. Have dug around this site and several other for quite some time and it's hard to figure how crowded areas actually are. That said, seems to be a lot of discussion about pressure and seeing a lot of other hunters. What is the consensus on "a lot" of other hunters?? As a reference I grew up hunting Wisconsin's gun deer season on northern public land, anyone who has seen the "orange army" will know what I mean.
 
Joined
Mar 8, 2020
Messages
11
I’m going to do a new post. I’m generally fairly willing to help but I don’t want people trying to PM me on their first day on the site.
If you are still offering, I'd love to run my plan by you. This October will be my first DIY out of state hunt. I've got a resident buddy that I'm going to be hunting the first three or four days with, but then he has to go back to work. If I haven't tagged out by the time he leaves I was planning on going in deep for four more days with my backpack (he is not is as good physical shape as me and wants to day hunt while he is there). Having never been to the area I'd love to talk about the terrain of the areas I've map scouted and perhaps more importantly, the weather. Based in my research it seems like the weather in Idaho can be unpredictable in October. I don't have enough posts yet to PM (I'm usually more of a lurker), but if you are willing to PM me I'd greatly appreciate it.

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Rob5589

WKR
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
6,299
Location
N CA
If you are still offering, I'd love to run my plan by you. This October will be my first DIY out of state hunt. I've got a resident buddy that I'm going to be hunting the first three or four days with, but then he has to go back to work. If I haven't tagged out by the time he leaves I was planning on going in deep for four more days with my backpack (he is not is as good physical shape as me and wants to day hunt while he is there). Having never been to the area I'd love to talk about the terrain of the areas I've map scouted and perhaps more importantly, the weather. Based in my research it seems like the weather in Idaho can be unpredictable in October. I don't have enough posts yet to PM (I'm usually more of a lurker), but if you are willing to PM me I'd greatly appreciate it.

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk
17,18,19 we got snow in Sept. I'd expect it in October.
 

Miboy86

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
123
Needed an adventure, plugged in OTC mule deer tags to google, Idaho showed up, bought a tag. In good (flatlander) shape, am OK doing solo overnights, and am aware of my personal limitations. Would be fine with a lower percentage chance on a mule deer for a higher percentage of solitude. Have dug around this site and several other for quite some time and it's hard to figure how crowded areas actually are. That said, seems to be a lot of discussion about pressure and seeing a lot of other hunters. What is the consensus on "a lot" of other hunters?? As a reference I grew up hunting Wisconsin's gun deer season on northern public land, anyone who has seen the "orange army" will know what I mean.
I'm from Michigan so I know all about the orange army on public as well, in my limited experience outwest I would equate the road hunters/crowded in units like 49 with the orange army of the Midwest woods in the fact they yeah there might be alot of hunters but most ain't far off the road or trail. Once I went over 3 miles In I think we only seen one other hunter that deep.
 
Joined
Mar 8, 2020
Messages
11
I'm from Michigan so I know all about the orange army on public as well, in my limited experience outwest I would equate the road hunters/crowded in units like 49 with the orange army of the Midwest woods in the fact they yeah there might be alot of hunters but most ain't far off the road or trail. Once I went over 3 miles In I think we only seen one other hunter that deep.
Did you have a hard time finding places to get that far off the roads and ATV trails? I've been map scouting 49 and nearby areas and I can't find a ton of areas like that, and a lot of what I do find looks to be pretty steep country.

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Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Messages
75
Location
Idaho
I drew out on the 1038 Mule deer hunt in Unit 50. Going to start getting familiar with the unit this weekend might go for a drive with the family. I'm pretty excited to get that tag. Monday I'm going to pick up a better spotting scope so I can glass better than just binos. Any advice is appreciated.
 

goatsie

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 23, 2020
Messages
156
Any insight on unit 25, warm lake area? I have been hunting just south of Yellow Pine.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2016
Messages
2
I drew the November rifle in unit 50 on a mistake by fish and game. Never hunted it and have only driven through it a couple times. Not sure how to private message on here but I have a lot of knowledge about some of the other units you posted.

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sneaky

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
10,119
Location
ID
I drew the November rifle in unit 50 on a mistake by fish and game. Never hunted it and have only driven through it a couple times. Not sure how to private message on here but I have a lot of knowledge about some of the other units you posted.

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What mistake did Fish and Game make?

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Joined
Jul 30, 2016
Messages
2
What mistake did Fish and Game make?

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I was trying to hunt desert bucks in velvet 1078 and they put it in as 1038. I made the mistake of not checking. Works out I guess, much better hunt. Just scrambling to learn all I can about 50 now.

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brow7634

FNG
Joined
Jul 15, 2020
Messages
1
Hey guys, if anyone is hunting deer in 19, 20, 20a, 27, 28, 36a, 36b, 37a, 39, 43, 48, 49, 50, 66, 69, 76 Id be happy to chat with you about your plans and potentially share what my buddies or I are finding in the units or what I’ve gathered from scouting via PM. I talk to a lot of guys and enjoy keeping tabs on what’s happening. It’s especially helpful for primarily deer hunters to connect with guys who are more elk hunters like myself.

PM only. Some nonresidents or newer Idaho residents have great plans and others not so much between places that are obvious and will be overrun with hunters and places where you’d get snowed in, etc. haha I’ve heard it all now on here.

The nonresident tags in Idaho are about sold out now so I feel like I’m probably not directing anyone to Idaho by posting this late in the game.
I cant figure out how to do a PM. I am bringing my son over for our first time in idaho. we wanna do a backpack hunt in unit 19 in Mid october. Is this unit snowed in by that time. How best to access this unit on foot. From my onX research and looking at Go Hunt it appears to be a successful unit? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
 
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