17 Below Zero at Idaho Falls

[robby denning]

High was-1 yesterday, but looks like Alamosa has that beat.

Belly-deep, the bucks are mostly in bachelor herds again. A few are "around" the does, but I think they're just in the same vicinity as they aren't showing interest in them. I have seen bucks chasing does in January but it's pretty rare.

Mike, the buck in the pic was a small-bodied deer and appeared young to me.

 

[VANDAL]

Looks real young...stud genetics. Looks like a fawn with 210" of antler

Great pic.

 

[Nick Muche]

Robby,

Do you ever see big bucks in with does and smaller bucks this time of year? It seems like the ones here in MT go off away from the rest of the herd.

My observations over the past 2 weeks of scouting nearly every day have been a bit different than Robby's. I have been seeing several very nice bucks - 180" plus and they have all been intermingled with sizeable herds. Even this past weekend on a 5-7 mile Saturday morning hike in the cold weather of central Idaho I saw several bucks that were with a pile of does. However, I did find one group of bucks, 14 total, mostly small with the biggest being a 140", all by themselves with zero does nearby. The biggest bucks I have seen so far have been with other deer, small bucks and large groups of doe's and fawns.

I love this time of year. It really puts all the "There are no decent bucks around" into perspective and gives a guy plenty of "ammo" to tell the naysayers otherwise!

 

[2rocky]

[video=youtube_share;W6DgZXm_QzU]http://youtu.be/W6DgZXm_QzU[/video]

 

[robby denning]

I love this time of year. It really puts all the "There are no decent bucks around" into perspective and gives a guy plenty of "ammo" to tell the naysayers otherwise!

That's right

 

[Muledeerhunter]

That is a really nice buck. I will retire to Wy or Idaho, but buy a condo in Phoenix for the winter, lol. I don't think my California blood can take -17, lol.