Idaho high country hunt help

[fireman9500]

Hello,
This is my first post but I have been lurking for over a year I recon.
My name is Chris and Im addicted to hunting mule deer.
I know that I have a problem but I cant stop.

So here is my dilemma. I have not hunted them with a bow and really want to shoot one in velvet this year. I have scouted quite a few places here is Idaho that have recently burned, as in scorched earth, not going to regrow for years burned.
I have worn out a mousepad looking at google earth and read everything that I can get my hands. I have also spent the last 3 weeks pounding dirt in with no luck in locating a decent amount of deer. I have been focusing my efforts at 7000-9000ft. Im thinking that I should be looking higher now. Im going to go fly over the area above Yellowpine for those that know the area and see what I find. Should I be focusing on higher basins? I only have a few days left now so any help with be appreciated!
Here are a couple bucks to prove that Im not a total idiot when it comes to the ghostly deer, just need a bump in the right direction.

the only halfway decent sized buck I have found in the area that I have been looking that has not burned.

 

[Rizzy]

Looks like your doing fine, nice Buck. I think your elevations are good, I'm usually at 6000-9000 too. There is a lot of places for deer to go in that area so they are spread out, don't expect to find multiple groups of Bucks in one day. Personally, if I find one Buck a day in those kinds of areas I'm happy. I haven't seen groups of Bucks out in open basins like you would see in non-Wolf, Quota hunt type of states. Seems that we have mostly timber Bucks over here. I'm probably looking in the some of the wrong places though. It's been a marginal year for antler growth, so don't expect a lot of big Bucks.

 

[fire arrow]

I bet you don't want to look out side your state, but it wouldn't hurt. CO, and NV are two good states where you could pull a tag every year or other year. Your guys biggest problem area the damn mountain monsters. They have change all the rules when it comes to big game. But with that being said, don't give up and keep at it.