Idaho Long Range Hunting

[WeiserBucks]

If you hunt more than a few hundred yards from a road, this isn't a problem.

Nailed it.

 

[flyfisher117]

If you hunt more than a few hundred yards from a road, this isn't a problem.

This year I hunted a ridgeline, with a road in the bottom of the canyon. Range finder said my glassing spot to the road was maybe 800 yards. I sat there for hours watching does, fork and horns, and a mediocre 3 pt. All day the same 2 SxS patrolled said road driving up and down it every 20 min on the dot. Occasionally stopping to glass the hillside below me.

The deer didn’t care. They just sat there and enjoyed their lives.

Darkness came so I started down the face of the ridge to the road. Here comes the side by sides for one more pass. They saw me coming down so they stopped and watched me. I kicked a doe out of a hidey hole about 30 yards off the road. The next thing I know 9 dudes are crawling out of the 2 side by sides, hooting, hollering, and hog squallering “deeer deer deer deer!!!!!” I look at them and yell “it’s only a doe, don’t shoot me”

By the time I got down to the road they cooled down, and immediately ask “what’s up there?!” Confused I turn around look up to realize they could only see the top 1/5 of this hill side (where the deer didn’t live) they couldn’t see any of the deer.

I turned back and told them they should hike up and check it out. Immediately one says “eff that I ain’t hiking”.

I’m guessing the next day he was in the 208 hunter Facebook group blaming the lack of deer on outta staters, wolves, and F&G

The next day I hiked up the other side of the road and saw more 2 pts than I have ever seen in one day. My buddy also shot a 4 pt on the backside of the ridge I was on the previous day. The same 2 SXS just kept patrolling.

 

[peterk123]

If you hunt more than a few hundred yards from a road, this isn't a problem.

Truth. Was cutting a xmas tree last year up a hill, 100 yardss off the road. Decided to climb further up just to take a look. Hunters driving by every ten minutes. The runs I can across were worn hard. I kicked up six does too, maybe 200 yards from the road. It was steep so nobody goes there. I just laughed because the deer were literally beddded watching the trucks.

 

[SodakJay]

Not to thread hijack, but I’m curious about the weight restriction on rifles. What’s the rationale on that?

 

[Pescetism]

Not to thread hijack, but I’m curious about the weight restriction on rifles. What’s the rationale on that?

I've been told it's to keep people from shooting ELR at game with 50 BMG, Cheytacs, etc.

If that's wrong, I'd love to hear the actual answer.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

I doubt that would really do anything. You couldn't set the maximum any lower than 9x without making 90% of the scopes on the market verboten, and 9x is enough to reach you 900 to 1,000 yards on an elk sized target. The guy would probably prefer a little more of those ranges, but it's very doable.

Shooting targets is one thing, I don't like shooting targets past 200 yards without at least 16. But just getting the crosshairs lined up on center mass of an elk chest? Pfft.. it's never even occurred to me to dial the scopes up past minimum (3 or 4) until they are out past 250.