Idaho Unit 28 Late Archery Deer

zach_c

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
152
Location
Boise, ID
I am a resident, however I have never stepped foot in this unit nor have I even seen the area. I have 4 days or so to hunt coming up soon. I know the rut is mostly over and that deer are on winter range and skittish. I know the terrain is steep, weather can be frigid, and that roads can be bad or impassable. I am well prepared for all that in experience and gear. I typically backpack hunt and have a hot tent.

I am only targeting bucks with a bow and I like to glass. I understand the Salmon River breaks and possibly Panther Creek areas are where to start, along with south and west facing slopes typical for late season. Is it better just to focus on the 15 miles above and below the hills west of the town of Salmon? Is it worth the extra drive over to Panther Creek area? Is heading into the wilderness area near Panther Creek an advantage ? Just looking to narrow things down a bit so I am not spinning my wheels on figuring out where to go and wasting valuable time off and hunting time.
 

mike.adams.467

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2016
Messages
262
If you are between Salmon and North Fork you will likely have to either cross the River or cross private property to access public ground. I would go downstream from North Fork.


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Joined
Jun 28, 2021
Messages
13
@zach_c I just joined the forum so really late on the reply. Was your hunt in 2020 or planning for 2021? I spent some time in 2019 around unit 28. mike.adams.467 is correct on the access. From North Fork to Panther creek the access from the river is very limited. Also limited from North Fork to south to Salmon. On day one of our hunt we did drive to Panther Creek but just scouted for access points from the truck. We were there for the general season rifle hunt so this road had a lot of traffic. Plenty of room off Panther creek, with parking at trail heads good. Parking along the road a bit tight in the first 7-8 miles going north to south. The Salmon area, right within the immediate Salmon town had "easier" access, so of course that meant more hunters. Designated camping spots were pretty full but most pressure was right near the roads. We found most of our deer in the heavy timber using "whitetail" tactics as the season had been open for a few days. 5 bucks seen with 200 man hours. We stopped counting does/fawns around 200. So lots of game for these eastern hunters, but bucks were scarce. We were (are) rookie western hunters so I'm sure buck sightings for the more experienced would be higher.
 
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zach_c

zach_c

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
152
Location
Boise, ID
I did hunt in 2020 mid/late Dec for ~5 days. Spent several days in Panther creek area packed in several miles. Snow was a challenge as elevation increased. Most of the deer I did find (not many) were all up in the snow. Also hunted above town and did see a few deer but snow was crunchy in this area and made it impossible to stalk the smaller buck I did see there. I'll have to think twice before doing that hunt again.
 
Joined
Jun 28, 2021
Messages
13
I did hunt in 2020 mid/late Dec for ~5 days. Spent several days in Panther creek area packed in several miles. Snow was a challenge as elevation increased. Most of the deer I did find (not many) were all up in the snow. Also hunted above town and did see a few deer but snow was crunchy in this area and made it impossible to stalk the smaller buck I did see there. I'll have to think twice before doing that hunt again.
zach_c it sounds like our game sightings were consistent. We are committed to trying it again this fall still. I have an elk tag as well, so I may concentrate on that species
 
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