i hadnt hunted md in idaho for 10 years but was able to get back this year. my mindset was spend the first 3-4 days putting on as many miles and covering as much area as i could to narrow down my search, focus my time. if i had found a buck that was reasonable, obviously you kill it, but with never being in the unit before im a fan of covering ground. have to keep in mind, all areas require different hunt tactics. some you can glass from long distances, some you need to get in there and still hunt(my favorite and most successful way to hunt) and some you can stay on the road( seems to work for some people). be flexible on where youre at and understand your personal limitations.
day 3 of the hunt i found an area i felt a good buck would be and told myself if the action started up, thats where id be. low deer numbers until this point, but im not worried about seeing 1000 deer, its nice but not a requirement. i just need to see one. day 5 i went back into that hole and killed a 8x5 at 148 yards off hand. grunting like crazy and on the trail i thought he would be on. part of it was luck(God), but part of it was knowing and understanding sign, marking off spots NOT to spend time in and focusing where i thought they would be. its a mental challenge some days, and i was totally fine eating a tag. i think that has to be in your brain before you step foot, what are your expectations and are you ok eating a tag. get that figured out and the rest is just hunting. enjoy the time and absolutely beautiful views
day 3 of the hunt i found an area i felt a good buck would be and told myself if the action started up, thats where id be. low deer numbers until this point, but im not worried about seeing 1000 deer, its nice but not a requirement. i just need to see one. day 5 i went back into that hole and killed a 8x5 at 148 yards off hand. grunting like crazy and on the trail i thought he would be on. part of it was luck(God), but part of it was knowing and understanding sign, marking off spots NOT to spend time in and focusing where i thought they would be. its a mental challenge some days, and i was totally fine eating a tag. i think that has to be in your brain before you step foot, what are your expectations and are you ok eating a tag. get that figured out and the rest is just hunting. enjoy the time and absolutely beautiful views
