Lets Talk Idaho

[Pwells10]

@Pwells10

Do you think the decline is a management issue or just the bad winters and predation? Or maybe a combination of everything? Definitely let us know how both hunts go!

I think it's a little of all. People will shoot the first yearling they see but then say not the biggest but meat in the freezer ect, the cat population is outrageous, wolves are moving in, winter in 17' was awful, last winter was great so we have an influx of 2points and everyone is killing them. From the winter of 17' it killed fawns and older bucks, now we dont have the old bucks and 3/4 year olds. Just my guess. Need to have a 3point min and capped tags in certain units. Or turn a few units into draw and open archery tags for 3-4 years.

 

[blacktail sniper]

I’m from California. Last year was my first year big game hunting. But I learned quick that remoteness and all day consistent effort equals eventual success. All general season/OTC bucks throughout the west. View attachment 227684View attachment 227685View attachment 227686View attachment 227687

Dam must have been pulling some dam good tags too to kill that many bucks in 2 years congrats!! Is that a HCA rifle i see?

 

[IDNate]

Haven't hunted mule deer in other states so I can only speak from Idaho experience. Your time scouting before the season opens is invaluable to determine the true quality and number of deer in an area. I have found drainages with 20+ bucks during the summer that seem devoid of deer once the season opens. The bucks were still in the drainage (or close by), they just hunkered down from the enormous amount of pressure that comes with the general season. When you spend enough time in an area, you can sense the change hunting pressure brings just like the deer.

That being said, you also have to understand your deer herd and how far they migrate to the winter range. You can spend all the time in the world scouting bucks in some units in Idaho during the summer and those deer are already headed for the winter range by the time rifle season opens.

 

[sagebuster]

like IDNate says above, scouting early and often pays more benefits in the long run than you can possibly imagine. Not only can you get a first-hand view of the deer herd in your chosen area, but you can become intimately familiar with the lay of the land. In Idaho, that's important, because by the first week of the general season, that high country you scouted in Summer is gonna look sparse and by the middle of October, when we typically get snow above the 7,000 ft level, the bulk of the deer herd will be on the move. Hunker down over your Onx and plot their likely route to their Winter range. You'll find them somewhere between summer range and there. That, in most units, represents a lot of country. By Halloween, the pre-rut will be on. I've seen bucks at 8,000 ft on the first of October and by Halloween I've seen the same bucks at the 5,000 ft level, chasing does. The last week of October, the general season, I'm starting at the upper limits of Winter range and hunting up from there, until I find un-pressured groups of does. Bucks will be around. As for finding a wall hanger among them...well...they're as rare as wolverines or even Bigfoot. Doesn't really matter what state your in.

 

[ID_Matt]

IDNate and Sagebuster made some good points about the transitions from summer range to winter range. If you find bucks in scouting that are a long ways from winter range, chances are they might be moving out come October. Whereas if you find some close to winter range, they could hang out there well in to November. I am a resident and it took me a solid 5 years or more of hard hunting to feel like I somewhat had a grasp on where deer hang out and when. I still find myself baffled sometimes.

 

[def90]

I was just in the Boise area last weekend and was doing some fishing on the South Fork of the Boise below Anderson Res. There must have been 40 different groups of hunters along the 4 mile stretch of river that I drove along, all of them glassing up the sides of the canyon. I can't see how any of them could have been successful.

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

This will be the third general Idaho tag I have bought and in those three years of hunting, I figure I've spent a total of 15 or 16 full days on the mountain. Aside from a handful of forkies, I have seen ONLY TWO BUCKS. I killed one of them (a two-year-old 3 point). Now, that being said, I've never claimed to be one of the greats when it comes to killing big bucks, but Lord knows I try. I grew up out west and have hunted deer in 1-3 states every year for the last decade. I have killed two bucks right at that 170" mark and a handful of two and three-year-old deer that don't score anything. I can hike like a SOB and I always thought I could glass with the best of them. Now Idaho has me questioning everything

So tell me about what your Idaho experience is like. Am I not as good as I think I am at finding bucks or is Idaho really that tough on the general? Harvest stats are 25%+ and typically about one out of three of those is a 4 point. I'm 1 for 3 and it was a three point so definitely subpar. Robby has always said spend two or three seasons in a unit before moving on but it's hard to commit to a unit if you can't even find a single buck. I have jumped around quite a bit (two units in SE Idaho and two units in central Idaho)

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was, wear out the pockets of your pants before the soles of your boots. That being said, I hike a long ways before I sit for a long time. I went from 4 tags a year to 1 tag per year and I focused on finding the biggest buck I can and then really spending those last couple weeks in august learning everything about him. That’s when it all started consistently happening for me. Since 2013 I’ve killed one or two bucks every year over 175-180. Most of my bucks are in that 180 category. The one or two tags I got every year are general season bottom of the barrel type hunts. It takes time though. You’ve got to sink your mind into the mountain and feel the area. I know it sounds hippyish but big bucks require you to go further than thinking or hiking can get you. I spent 58 mornings and evenings starting in May and looked over 173 different bucks that were bigger than a forky by August 17th. I went after the biggest buck I found and gathered recon till the archery opener. I didn’t see him for the first 11 days of the hunt. I found him on the 10th of September and killed him. I wanted to quit. I wanted to hunt a lesser buck. But I knew if I shot a younger deer with still great genetics , I wouldn’t be growing as a public land predator. I stuck with it and when all was said and done I left the mountain with the best buck I’ve taken. I grew and I believe he is 6+ years old. (He has been a 170 type buck for the last three years) best thing I ever did for my own happiness in hunting big mule deer.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I was just in the Boise area last weekend and was doing some fishing on the South Fork of the Boise below Anderson Res. There must have been 40 different groups of hunters along the 4 mile stretch of river that I drove along, all of them glassing up the sides of the canyon. I can't see how any of them could have been successful.

I am extremely familiar with that area... and I can almost guarantee all they saw were doe...that area is an absolute zoo come Oct 10th and all they will ever find there are 2year old and under deer.
Hope you had some luck on a beautiful stretch of river though.

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

I am extremely familiar with that area... and I can almost guarantee all they saw were doe...that area is an absolute zoo come Oct 10th and all they will ever find there are 2year old and under deer.
Hope you had some luck on a beautiful stretch of river though.

There are older age class deer in every Idaho unit. A positive mind set, some grit, and a ton of effort will find those heavy bodied nasty rare pig ole buckerooskis! They may be rare but they are there.

 

[downthepipe]

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was, wear out the pockets of your pants before the soles of your boots. That being said, I hike a long ways before I sit for a long time. I went from 4 tags a year to 1 tag per year and I focused on finding the biggest buck I can and then really spending those last couple weeks in august learning everything about him. That’s when it all started consistently happening for me. Since 2013 I’ve killed one or two bucks every year over 175-180. Most of my bucks are in that 180 category. The one or two tags I got every year are general season bottom of the barrel type hunts. It takes time though. You’ve got to sink your mind into the mountain and feel the area. I know it sounds hippyish but big bucks require you to go further than thinking or hiking can get you. I spent 58 mornings and evenings starting in May and looked over 173 different bucks that were bigger than a forky by August 17th. I went after the biggest buck I found and gathered recon till the archery opener. I didn’t see him for the first 11 days of the hunt. I found him on the 10th of September and killed him. I wanted to quit. I wanted to hunt a lesser buck. But I knew if I shot a younger deer with still great genetics , I wouldn’t be growing as a public land predator. I stuck with it and when all was said and done I left the mountain with the best buck I’ve taken. I grew and I believe he is 6+ years old. (He has been a 170 type buck for the last three years) best thing I ever did for my own happiness in hunting big mule deer.

Moral of the story - if you work a M-F day job, you are behind the curve.

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

Moral of the story - if you work a M-F day job, you are behind the curve.

Couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you really want it, throw everything else out the window and go get it done. Also... find a wife that also loves big deer or you’ll probably end up divorced haha

 

[HuntInWild88]

There are older age class deer in every Idaho unit. A positive mind set, some grit, and a ton of effort will find those heavy bodied nasty rare pig ole buckerooskis! They may be rare but they are there.

Oh there are definitely older class deer in that unit... but the specific 4 mile stretch in this unit he is talking about does not hold older bucks. Not during rifle season at least. I know when you can find older deer there.. its not during hunting season..like I said I am extremely familiar with this area.. I spend well over 100 days a year on that stretch of river.

 

[IDNate]

You can scout with a M-F job and a family but you have to get creative. Try to camp in the area you hunt in the summer with your family and get up early to hike somewhere and glass then head back to the family for the day. Also try to take off early on a Friday afternoon in the summer or early fall and get to your area before dark to glass, bivy out, glass again in the morning then head home to keep the family happy for the weekend.

A lot of it comes down to how bad you want it. I know a lot of guys that want to kill a big buck but don’t put it in the extra effort scouting (me included some years).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

Oh there are definitely older class deer in that unit... but the specific 4 mile stretch in this unit he is talking about does not hold older bucks. Not during rifle season at least. I know when you can find older deer there.. its not during hunting season..like I said I am extremely familiar with this area.. I spend well over 100 days a year on that stretch of river.

I see what your saying now!

 

[Dioni A]

I've killed a bunch of my biggest bucks middle of the day. Also Idaho got hammered a few years ago and deer numbers are tanked. The harvest statistics although likely accurate don't tell the whole story either. A handful of guys are killing most the big bucks. Anyone can do it, but it takes a lot of well directed effort to work yourself into that handful of ultra successful hunters.

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

I've killed a bunch of my biggest bucks middle of the day. Also Idaho got hammered a few years ago and deer numbers are tanked. The harvest statistics although likely accurate don't tell the whole story either. A handful of guys are killing most the big bucks. Anyone can do it, but it takes a lot of well directed effort to work yourself into that handful of ultra successful hunters.

Well said my friend.

 

[Block]

16 days for 2 bucks spotter is NOT good.. you need to cover More ground.. FIND EM.. no matter what unit or even what state,,, 2 bucks a DAY should be the minimum average... Don't be afraid to EAT SHIT!!! those who cling to the tiny half ass bit of success they’ve had or stay on the spots where they’ve seen a few deer and don’t have the guts to just adventure and search,,, won’t ever find much real success

 

[ThinkLeicaBuck]

16 days for 2 bucks spotter is NOT good.. you need to cover More ground.. FIND EM.. no matter what unit or even what state,,, 2 bucks a DAY should be the minimum average... Don't be afraid to EAT SHIT!!! those who cling to the tiny half ass bit of success they’ve had or stay on the spots where they’ve seen a few deer and don’t have the guts to just adventure and search,,, won’t ever find much real success

Agreed.

 

[Stroke250]

Without reading every post, glassing, boots miles and time in the field is what it boils down too(luck is needed as well). My two buddies and I all filled our rare unit 40 tags with decent bucks. It was a lot of scouting and a lot of glassing.

 

[huntnful]

I've killed a bunch of my biggest bucks middle of the day. Also Idaho got hammered a few years ago and deer numbers are tanked. The harvest statistics although likely accurate don't tell the whole story either. A handful of guys are killing most the big bucks. Anyone can do it, but it takes a lot of well directed effort to work yourself into that handful of ultra successful hunters.

16 days for 2 bucks spotter is NOT good.. you need to cover More ground.. FIND EM.. no matter what unit or even what state,,, 2 bucks a DAY should be the minimum average... Don't be afraid to EAT SHIT!!! those who cling to the tiny half ass bit of success they’ve had or stay on the spots where they’ve seen a few deer and don’t have the guts to just adventure and search,,, won’t ever find much real success

I'll be damned is these aren't straight FACTS. Even though I went 5 days in NM and never saw a buck, so now I feel personally attacked by this :/ hahahaha.