Northern Idaho Mulies.

[Tikka7mm]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on hunting Mule deer in the northern panhandle. I shot a spike two years ago for my first but now am trying to find something a little bigger. Spot and stalk doesn't really apply to the region so learning from YouTube doesn't do a whole lot. Would appreciate any tips, Thanks.

 

[robby denning]

I did a podcast/ book review on a guy who, among other places, hunts up there. I don't know him, make any money from his book, I just reviewed it because it was a good read with good experience. Link is to the podcast, I read a few highlights from the book.

Thread 'Blood in the Tracks: Book Review'

May 27, 2025

Blood in the Tracks: A Mule Deer Manifesto Review - Rokslide

Robby hosts this multi-topic episode, including a review of Jim Collyer's 2013 book: "Blood in the Tracks: A Mule Deer Manifesto," based on Jim's 40 years of mule deer hunting experience.

www.rokslide.com

• robby denning
• Replies: 12
• Forum: Rokcast

• 

 

[Tikka7mm]

Ordered, I really appreciate it.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

The Stuck n the Rut guys are very good at timber mulies. Watch some of there hunts.

Ken

 

[robby denning]

The Stuck n the Rut guys are very good at timber mulies. Watch some of there hunts.

Ken

agreed!

 

[Ross]

Put some cams out and start humping the steepest dark timber you can find. Then figure out their predominate elevation line they like to travel. During season find a band of does and check them routinely. Every one of my bucks in the panhandle and nwest Montana corner was checking and tending does, a few close to a dozen. Lastly, hunt every day if you can, as the most successful simply have more days afield in the right zone. A few over the decades in the dark jungles. The last one is my buddies, again tending and checking many does. I had gone by an hour prior and was sitting two hundred yards above watching several little bucks running around and he came into his group which had come in behind me. We have killed several in a little 1000 ft band. I’ve seen trail cam pics of a few pushing 200, but where they roam is often crazy.

 

[Tikka7mm]

Put some cams out and start humping the steepest dark timber you can find. Then figure out their predominate elevation line they like to travel. During season find a band of does and check them routinely. Every one of my bucks in the panhandle and nwest Montana corner was checking and tending does, a few close to a dozen. Lastly, hunt every day if you can, as the most successful simply have more days afield in the right zone. A few over the decades in the dark jungles. The last one is my buddies, again tending and checking many does. I had gone by an hour prior and was sitting two hundred yards above watching several little bucks running around and he came into his group which had come in behind me. We have killed several in a little 1000 ft band. I’ve seen trail cam pics of a few pushing 200, but where they roam is often crazy.

Really appreciate the advice.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would say your best advice is in this thread already. The book and stuck in the rut stuff is directly from that country. The post with all the big bucks, he obviously knows what he is doing. Study those three resources and put it into practice good things will happen I’m sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tikka7mm]

I would say your best advice is in this thread already. The book and stuck in the rut stuff is directly from that country. The post with all the big bucks, he obviously knows what he is doing. Study those three resources and put it into practice good things will happen I’m sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm going to start reading the book ASAP and plan on utilizing Ross's advice as best as I can. Hopefully this coming nov I'll report back some success!

 

[robby denning]

Put some cams out and start humping the steepest dark timber you can find. Then figure out their predominate elevation line they like to travel. During season find a band of does and check them routinely. Every one of my bucks in the panhandle and nwest Montana corner was checking and tending does, a few close to a dozen. Lastly, hunt every day if you can, as the most successful simply have more days afield in the right zone. A few over the decades in the dark jungles. The last one is my buddies, again tending and checking many does. I had gone by an hour prior and was sitting two hundred yards above watching several little bucks running around and he came into his group which had come in behind me. We have killed several in a little 1000 ft band. I’ve seen trail cam pics of a few pushing 200, but where they roam is often crazy.

this is the money post right here.

(I'm tempted to delete it, it's that good lol)

 

[robby denning]

I'm going to start reading the book ASAP and plan on utilizing Ross's advice as best as I can. Hopefully this coming nov I'll report back some success!

or lack of success is ok to report back too.

Wanna make Roksliders mad, start a thread like this, get great advice then ghost us. I'm sure you're not the type.

Good luck

 

[Ross]

I’m old and getting older every minute, may as well share things. Not the Honey Holes yet

 

[Tikka7mm]

or lack of success is ok to report back too.

Wanna make Roksliders mad, start a thread like this, get great advice then ghost us. I'm sure you're not the type.

Good luck

I'll make sure update either way. At least if I strike out on Mulies I still get a chance at whitetail.

 

[mtnbound]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on hunting Mule deer in the northern panhandle. I shot a spike two years ago for my first but now am trying to find something a little bigger. Spot and stalk doesn't really apply to the region so learning from YouTube doesn't do a whole lot. Would appreciate any tips, Thanks.

I assume you are rifle hunting, and with the season only 14 days long for Muley bucks, you need to spend the entire season in the woods, so you need to be prepared for November weather.

You have already found an area that had a buck, so I would start there. If you haven't started scouting already, you are behind. In addition to your eyes, get cameras out in that area and as many others as you can to confirm what's there. Build some mock scrapes for attraction to your camera traps. I don't worry about trying to pattern their movements; I want to confirm the area has what I'm looking for. Once the rut hits any pattern they had is pretty much gone. Obviously, pick your hunting areas based on the most Does and if you see any Bucks on camera.

The biggest tip I have for you after you have done your part with scouting is perseverance. Don't ******* give up.

The Muley population is not what it used to be, thanks to predators, including hunters, who continue to shoot Muley Does even though there is no season for them in the Panhandle. Unfortunately, every year I find Does and Bucks that were killed and left once the hunter realizes they killed the wrong animal and doesn't want to get caught with it. It's even more disheartening when you see the number of animals seized at F&G check posts from illegal harvests, and now there is CWD in the area as well.

You're targeting an animal in the panhandle that does exist, but is few and far between. Good luck to you.

 

[rking17]

I’ve seen a couple dandy’s over the past 10 years elk hunting and they are usually in the deepest darkest holes at high elevation.

 

[Huntnnw]

I assume you are rifle hunting, and with the season only 14 days long for Muley bucks, you need to spend the entire season in the woods, so you need to be prepared for November weather.

You have already found an area that had a buck, so I would start there. If you haven't started scouting already, you are behind. In addition to your eyes, get cameras out in that area and as many others as you can to confirm what's there. Build some mock scrapes for attraction to your camera traps. I don't worry about trying to pattern their movements; I want to confirm the area has what I'm looking for. Once the rut hits any pattern they had is pretty much gone. Obviously, pick your hunting areas based on the most Does and if you see any Bucks on camera.

The biggest tip I have for you after you have done your part with scouting is perseverance. Don't ******* give up.

The Muley population is not what it used to be, thanks to predators, including hunters, who continue to shoot Muley Does even though there is no season for them in the Panhandle. Unfortunately, every year I find Does and Bucks that were killed and left once the hunter realizes they killed the wrong animal and doesn't want to get caught with it. It's even more disheartening when you see the number of animals seized at F&G check posts from illegal harvests, and now there is CWD in the area as well.

You're targeting an animal in the panhandle that does exist, but is few and far between. Good luck to you.

unfortunately the dates they have in unit 1 means pretty much any summer scouting goes out the window as for finding deer then hunting them. I feel like its a disadvantage in that country to the guy who's willing to scout a lot in the summer. You can locate bucks in the summer and effectively hunt them if it opened Oct 10 like a lot of other units. Most of all of that high country by the 3rd or 4th week is vacated by the bucks and they are moving down some to the does.