Idaho 48/49 general rifle

[mlucashr]

I appreciate all the responses. I have been looking further from Boise. Any opinions on 73,66,76, or any of the other south eastern units. I don't mind seeing people but it sounds like there is no place to hide in the other units. You guys are great and I appreciate the help. Sorry to be one of these guys coming from out of state and making it more crowded. I'm just always looking for another place to hunt. Ultimately I feel like I'm 2 decades late and working against the odds. But again thanks for the info.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tmull1]

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the quick responses. I was wondering if first lite and meat eater had an effect on that area. Wasn't real hard to figure out where they could have been on those episodes based on the access of the country. Well shoot. I'll take a look at unit 50. Not looking for any honey holes but any other regions/units you guys would consider pointing me towards besides 50? Much appreciated, we live in some crazy times of fancy gear and tv shows. Woods are crowded, but I'm not giving up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey guys, first post but been on here for a bit reading all the great info.

3 of us are headed to Idaho next year for rifle deer. We hope. Looking at units 48 or 49 right now and accumulating all the info I can. I like to be prepared, a couple of scouting trips will take place this summer but as you all know trying to narrow down a unit can be hard not being from the area. We are experienced and in good shape, good glass, good equipment, and always up for a challenge. We are by no means trophy hunters but a couple of 4 points would make us very happy (not worried about counting inches). We would like to backpack this hunt but are open to any type as long as we can find a little space and not see 10 other hunters per day. We are from Oregon and used to large crowds but trying to escape that somewhat. We know Idaho is steep...so we can get that out of the way.

So I guess questions?

Would you even bother with these units?
How busy do these areas get?
If hunting hard is it out of the question to shoot a couple of good deer?
If not one of these units, what units would you suggest if your willing?

Any help is much appreciated. These questions get asked all the time so I apologize for the redundant topics but we'd really like to expand our reach on places to hunt and country to see. Thanks again.

Hey Mark, how did this end up working out for you? thinking about doing the same and agreed with a lot of what you said. not looking for a trophy but just an area to have a shot at getting into some deer or at least some wilderness. did you happen to find any luck?

 

[jmcd22]

Hey Mark, how did this end up working out for you? thinking about doing the same and agreed with a lot of what you said. not looking for a trophy but just an area to have a shot at getting into some deer or at least some wilderness. did you happen to find any luck?

I would take a look at how the last few winters have gone in this area before getting a plan put together. Not sure where you'd be traveling from but traveling a long distance to an area that has been hammered two out of the last three years wouldn't be worth it in my opinion. I'm not saying you won't see a thing, just that I strongly suggest looking elsewhere if getting into deer is your objective. There are a few threads around here and the elk section that have some pretty revealing pictures of the winter of 2016 and again in 2018. This year has been exceptionally mild though...and I haven't been up there since September so things may be different.

It is a beautiful area and you likely wouldn't be disappointed if you've never been up there. Definitely bring your fly rod.

Oh and it is also worth mentioning with everything going on, that area is currently the worst hit area in the state by this virus. My hope is that things subside well before hunting season but with how small of an area it is and their limited resources, you could have a lack of necessities if this thing drags on through the fall.

Hate to be the doom and gloom type but that area really needs to recover from those winters. If you do go, good luck and have fun...and don't forget your fly rod if you fly fish!

 

[tmull1]

I would take a look at how the last few winters have gone in this area before getting a plan put together. Not sure where you'd be traveling from but traveling a long distance to an area that has been hammered two out of the last three years wouldn't be worth it in my opinion. I'm not saying you won't see a thing, just that I strongly suggest looking elsewhere if getting into deer is your objective. There are a few threads around here and the elk section that have some pretty revealing pictures of the winter of 2016 and again in 2018. This year has been exceptionally mild though...and I haven't been up there since September so things may be different.

It is a beautiful area and you likely wouldn't be disappointed if you've never been up there. Definitely bring your fly rod.

Oh and it is also worth mentioning with everything going on, that area is currently the worst hit area in the state by this virus. My hope is that things subside well before hunting season but with how small of an area it is and their limited resources, you could have a lack of necessities if this thing drags on through the fall.

Hate to be the doom and gloom type but that area really needs to recover from those winters. If you do go, good luck and have fun...and don't forget your fly rod if you fly fish!

do you have any thought on an area that you would recommend? I know people are leary on doing that but I am not looking for honey holes. Just maybe a unit I can get a tag and at least be in an area that has deer populations lol

 

[idahohikker]

do you have any thought on an area that you would recommend? I know people are leary on doing that but I am not looking for honey holes. Just maybe a unit I can get a tag and at least be in an area that has deer populations lol

I would recommend reading everything you can on the fish and game website and calling bios. That will give you the info on populations you’re seeking. Learning how mule deer live in pressures environments and how to find them is what will make you successful. Jmcd or I could tell you where we’ve seen mature bucks in Idaho and that doesn’t mean much of anything until you learn mule deer.

 

[tmull1]

I would recommend reading everything you can on the fish and game website and calling bios. That will give you the info on populations you’re seeking. Learning how mule deer live in pressures environments and how to find them is what will make you successful. Jmcd or I could tell you where we’ve seen mature bucks in Idaho and that doesn’t mean much of anything until you learn mule deer.

Yeah I have been doing a lot of research and do every year. I have hunted Muleys in Montana I am just looking for info should I have to do something different If i don't draw. I have read a lot of stuff on the units that say they are all road hunters are busted with atvs so I guess I was looking for more units that might be more remote or less pressured. Not looking for details on someones big buck honey hole.

 

[idahohikker]

Yeah I have been doing a lot of research and do every year. I have hunted Muleys in Montana I am just looking for info should I have to do something different If i don't draw. I have read a lot of stuff on the units that say they are all road hunters are busted with atvs so I guess I was looking for more units that might be more remote or less pressured. Not looking for details on someones big buck honey hole.

You won’t hear much on units that is helpful here. Do the research in the locations mentioned. Learn mule deer by buying the books written by Robby Denning and David Long.

 

[jmcd22]

do you have any thought on an area that you would recommend? I know people are leary on doing that but I am not looking for honey holes. Just maybe a unit I can get a tag and at least be in an area that has deer populations lol

Tags are easy to come by in Idaho...you can hunt most units with the OTC tag. I would tell you to pick a unit and go but seeing as how I just told you to be cautious about the units you're looking at, that might seem like useless info at this point.

I don't get into specifics and I try not to post actual units on the forum but what I can tell you is that central Idaho got rocked in 16 and 18 along with southeastern Idaho. I've only hunted that part of the state once so I can only comment on what I read from others on the forum. If I had to give you an area that might be a good place to go...I would tell you to maybe look at units west of there. I live over here but don't hunt it often. Most on here try to find units that aren't packed with other hunters but there is usually a reason those units are packed. If getting into deer is your goal and you'd be happy with any legal buck, maybe some of the units that have higher hunter numbers is the way to go. Just have to work a little harder to hike further than Joe Blow. Good luck!

 

[tmull1]

do you have any thought on an area that you would recommend? I know people are leary on doing that but I am not looking for honey holes. Just maybe a unit I can get a tag and at least be in an area that has deer populations lol

thank you for the information. I will do more research like recommended.

maybe this is something easier to answer. thoughts on Heated tents? A lot of them have no floors and I have always wondered how that works if you are in the dirt or snow and have a stove in there doesnt it turn into a mess?