Idaho Mule Deer Winter Kill

[Broomd]

Reality check.....

 

[Joe Schmo]

I should’ve spent last summer dead head hunting but I was trying to keep a positive attitude...

 

[JLH208]

I should’ve spent last summer dead head hunting but I was trying to keep a positive attitude...

Both deer in the snow were found on a late archery deer hunt, the elk and the largest buck were found on our bear hunt. I know what you mean. I have friends who did stumble on several others, but it does sound strange to go "deadhead hunting" that is a reality check.


- Jesse

 

[Mulyhuntr]

Anybody look at the success numbers for 2017 yet? I hunted 36A and 36B and didn't see a single buck. 36B went from 57.9% in 2016 to 20.9% in 2017 and 36A went from 50.2% in 2016 to 18.7% in 2017. Makes me feel a little better about my hunt...

 

[ORHunter]

Pretty sobering #' s. Those fall right in line with the units I hunted.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[Broomd]

Wow. Thanks for posting that latest info. I was talking with a neighbor about this recently and honestly neither of us had seen the current numbers.
And it puts the "aww, these doomsayers are just guys wanting to discourage and keep you out of their area" comments in real and honest perspective. Those guys showed themselves to be complete idiots.

The numbers are dire and it is and was always about the muley herd.

 

[Muley Buck]

Yep, I was up there too last July scouting and in October, mule deer hunting. Admittedly, it was difficult to find deer both times. I did still manage to find two bucks a couple days prior to season and I did end up taking one of them. But it was most definitely slim pickins out there. I also talked with enough local folks that shared the same sentiment. I had a realistic idea of what it would be like due to my scout trip. I don't regret any of it though, I had a great time in beautiful country. What more could a guy ask for?

 

[JustHunt]

I looked at the harvest stats last night, and woooowwww.... A lot of the deer harvest stats were lower than general ELK unit successes. Even archery elk harvest odds are higher.

And to be completely honest, I think these numbers are somewhat inflated... No way did I see 1 out of every 5 guys (in the units that had 20%+ success) kill a deer. But I wouldn't argue it either.

I laugh now, thinking back to the reports I read last summer on the IDFG website saying that mule deer numbers were only "slightly" below average after the winter. I think they could have used a more appropriate word.

 

[Joe Schmo]

There were a few days that we saw 100+ does and zero bucks...

 

[bluetick78]

I usually have a good hard laugh at the IDF&G mule deer hunting forecast prior to hunting season. Last year, after some pretty intense and largely unsuccessful summer scouting, I actually felt ashamed that "my" state agency was just straight up lying to sell tags. I encountered more non-resident hunters last year than I ever have before, and the first question was always the same. "Is there any deer at all around here?" I honestly felt bad for some of these guys that had spent several hundred dollars on tags and licenses, and untold thousands on gear and the trip itself, along with countless hours e-scouting, only to arrive and hunt hard with an extremely small possibility of success. It's been an easier winter this year, but that only equates to more fawns and potentially a few more yearling bucks on the mountain.

 

[elkguide]

Glad to read these in the field results to help me feel like I haven't lost all of my ability to find deer in Idaho. Two years ago on the morning drive to our favorite hunting area, we counted the deer that we saw in the headlights one morning and got to 85. This year the most we saw in several mornings was 5. Found many deer carcasses and even a 6 point bull without really trying to hunt bones. After hunting twice as many days and seeing less than 1/4 of the deer I saw previously, I was fortunate to take a small buck as a "jerky donor" but that just made for some really good but wicked expensive jerky.

I've already received my second mailing from IDF&G telling me what a great year it's going to be so I should buy my non-resident license early and get in on the super hunt drawings.

What do you guys think?

 

[Broomd]

Elkguide, you probably already know what most here think.

It's shameful that the state allowed tags to even be sold last year in some units. And as was mentioned, this has been a milder Winter, thank God; that should help the yearlings & forkies to fill the void from the '17 die off if hunters allow that to actually happen. It's obvious that Idaho F&G doesn't GAS and is motivated by tag sales.

 

[Idahohillboy]

Elkguide, you probably already know what most here think.

It's shameful that the state allowed tags to even be sold last year in some units. And as was mentioned, this has been a milder Winter, thank God; that should help the yearlings & forkies to fill the void from the '17 die off if hunters allow that to actually happen. It's obvious that Idaho F&G doesn't GAS and is motivated by tag sales.

Yup what he said I saw no good bucks in my South Central units. The far South units I saw some decents bucks. But it was bleak.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Joe Schmo]

I wrote a lengthy email and spoke to a bio in the region I/we hunt. It is good to voice your opinion and the local bios are our conduit to making changes in specific units. If you just complain and make no effort to reach out...you will get exactly what you deserve from your state game agency.

 

[wyo2track]

For you Idaho resident muley gurus, why does ID F&G allow hunters to purchase two buck tags? Seems after a devastating winter like last year game managers would be much more conservative? I live in Region H in Wyoming and hunt G & H so I seen the winter first hand last year.

 

[robby denning]

I wrote a lengthy email and spoke to a bio in the region I/we hunt. It is good to voice your opinion and the local bios are our conduit to making changes in specific units. If you just complain and make no effort to reach out...you will get exactly what you deserve from your state game agency.

Very true


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OG DramaLlama]

I wrote a lengthy email and spoke to a bio in the region I/we hunt. It is good to voice your opinion and the local bios are our conduit to making changes in specific units. If you just complain and make no effort to reach out...you will get exactly what you deserve from your state game agency.

100% agree. I call the regional biologist every year to give them my experience.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Idahohillboy]

For you Idaho resident muley gurus, why does ID F&G allow hunters to purchase two buck tags? Seems after a devastating winter like last year game managers would be much more conservative? I live in Region H in Wyoming and hunt G & H so I seen the winter first hand last year.

Idaho likes money. I like the two tags however could have forgone it last year n this year for the sake of the heard.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[pumatom]

Glad to read these in the field results to help me feel like I haven't lost all of my ability to find deer in Idaho. Two years ago on the morning drive to our favorite hunting area, we counted the deer that we saw in the headlights one morning and got to 85. This year the most we saw in several mornings was 5. Found many deer carcasses and even a 6 point bull without really trying to hunt bones. After hunting twice as many days and seeing less than 1/4 of the deer I saw previously, I was fortunate to take a small buck as a "jerky donor" but that just made for some really good but wicked expensive jerky.

I've already received my second mailing from IDF&G telling me what a great year it's going to be so I should buy my non-resident license early and get in on the super hunt drawings.

What do you guys think?

The fish and game guys second job is used car salesman

 

[freebird]

I hunted unit 40 late buck hunt and seen lots of nice bucks. But didn’t fill my tag. It was my most enjoyable hunt ever and I have hunted since 1974.