Lets Talk Idaho

[thehuntbum]

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)

 

[Pacific_Fork]

15 days on the mountain is nothing, with all due respect. Try north of 40 days including scouting, if you can’t find mature bucks after that then most likely you’re doing something or many things wrong. Persistence, patients, and luck all come into play. I took two 4-5 year old Cali good bucks this year because of spending weeks in the field. Last year I got a 4 1/2 year old buck in Idaho in 1 day of hunting and scouting total. That was luck meeting up with my preparation, California was persistence and patience.

 

[thehuntbum]

Okay, so scouting and more days in the field? I have always spent my scouting days looking for archery bucks in a different state and I really have to spend more time looking in other areas. 15 days might be nothing in the grand scheme of things but you give me 15 days anywhere and I guarantee I'll turn up at least a couple mature bucks. That's the disconnect I think. I just haven't found any. Anybody else got ideas or pointers?

 

[Customweld]

I can't speak to SE Idaho, but can give you my 2 cents in SW Idaho. 2 back to back winters in '17 and '18, with an almost 100 percent fawn mortality and pushing 50 percent adult mortality put a extraordinary hurt on the population . A substantial increase of new resident hunters, a giant increase in folks in the outdoors in general and unlimited youth doe tags. Winter ground degradation and destruction due to new growth. There are still some good bucks out there, but they are getting rare.

 

[HuntInWild88]

I've struggled in idaho as well the first few years I lived here.. I was seeing 100's of does and 2year old and under bucks..it got me thinking well. Maybe there just aren't any mature bucks around because they all get killed as 2 year olds.. im from the east and on public land thats how it mostly is... however I have realized.. the big bucks won't be around the does and 2 year olds... so if your only seeing does and two year olds you need to find somewhere else.. somewhere with less people.. if it looks like deer should be there and your not seeing any then you might be close to where the big one hide.. I can spend days in the same basin without seeing a single deer before finding a mature buck. They don't call them the grey ghosts for no reason. There have been times where If I don't spot them before they bed ill never find them.

 

[huntnful]

Just went deep into the OTC Idaho backcountry for the first time last week. Very few bucks, but I glassed these bucks bedded at 540 yards on day 3. We doubled on them when they stood up. Went high, hunted hard, changed locations and glassed all day with 18X binos. The packout was 14 miles.

 

[Brianb3]

General seasons in October are tough. Where they are in August they will generally be there in October.

Scout.

Know where buck will be pushed during general.

Sit n glass don’t hike to find bucks. Hike to find a place to look for bucks.

I personally wouldn’t be jumping from unit to unit trying to find a buck. I would have stayed in one unit for three years and tried to figure it out. Getting better each year. Shot gun approach shot gun results.

Hunting is hard. That’s what makes it fun.


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[thehuntbum]

Thank you for the replies! One day I will have it figured out. It's just killing to see a group of guys go out and go 5 for 5 on mature bucks and post all about it.

the big bucks won't be around the does and 2 year olds... so if your only seeing does and two year olds you need to find somewhere else..

@HuntInWild88 Are they around elk? I can find elk everywhere I go it seems like. A couple of pretty decent bulls too. Last weekend I was in a pretty remote area. There was a llama camp and a horse camp in a four or five mile square area. I sat and talked with the old boy with horses and he had a bunch of stories of the bucks and bulls he'd pulled out of that area, but he'd been hunting it since the 90's.

@huntnful Nice work man!! I wasn't 14 miles haha that's a long damn ways! Where are you from? Do you typically punch mule deer tags on bucks like that?

 

[thehuntbum]

@Brianb3

Well said. I think scouting and sticking to one unit are the two biggest detriments to my success. How long did it take you to start finding and killing bucks in Idaho?

 

[Pwells10]

Being a resident, I get texts and pics every year of the monsters that come out from that year. I can say ive only seen 4 bucks that have been worth while, 1) high 150s, 2) 185, 3) 165ish and 4) 215-220. Other than that nothing but 2 and 3pts killed this season. Between the cat numbers and amount of hunters killing small bucks I'm afraid its started to run down hill. My dad drew a stellar rifle tag, top 3 in the state in my opinion. And that 185 buck is the only good one taken that ive seen so far. This unit is known for 200+ bucks. I'm afraid with this winter comong this season it'll be even worse next. I was lucky enough to draw a great muzzy tag the last 2 weeks of November so I can get a better pic of how the bucks are doing during then.

 

[huntnful]

Thank you for the replies! One day I will have it figured out. It's just killing to see a group of guys go out and go 5 for 5 on mature bucks and post all about it.

@huntnful Nice work man!! I wasn't 14 miles haha that's a long damn ways! Where are you from? Do you typically punch mule deer tags on bucks like that?

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.

 

[thehuntbum]

@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!

 

[Brianb3]

We’ve done pretty well because we started hunting it a few years back when it was better. But last year was our best year and it was post all the SW winter kill. Deer are coming back. We saw plenty on yearlings and 2.5 yo bucks this year. It’s funny a lot of the deer we kill are a result of being patient and letting the opportunity come to us.

Hard work is not negotiable but not forcing it is equally as important . And getting the little things right will help emensly

Be to your spot before light
Glass till last light
Binos on a tripod
Pic apart every bush and tree
Know where your winds going.
Don’t ridge line your self
Know when it’s a shot you have time or if it has to happen quickly. Be prepared

This doesn’t ever get talked about but take 100s of shots outta your gun. Know where that SOB is going to hit. Know the wind. Know your limit. And practice in positions and shooting from the rests you’ll have available in the field.

Don’t squander the one shot you may get. Practice open hand shots to 100. Know if your going to injure an animal or not at that distance and don’t take it if you know you will.


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[huntnful]

Brian nailed every aspect of what I do also. Don’t forget the shooting part. When that buck stood up at 540 yards, I knew he wasn’t walking off that hillside wounded.

 

[thehuntbum]

How many deer do you guys find between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM? I have sat and glassed all day like that but I very seldom find anything. I will pick country apart with a spotter on a tripod. I run 15x50s everywhere but I've just never been able to sit behind them on a tripod picking stuff apart when I've got an 85mm spotter sitting right there.

 

[huntnful]

How many deer do you guys find between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM? I have sat and glassed all day like that but I very seldom find anything. I will pick country apart with a spotter on a tripod. I run 15x50s everywhere but I've just never been able to sit behind them on a tripod picking stuff apart when I've got an 85mm spotter sitting right there.

I never glass with a spotter. I just use mine to verify what I find with binos. Two eyes seem to pick up features much better than one eye behind a higher magnification. I regularly find bedded bucks between those hours. These Idaho bucks we killed, I glassed up bedded at 3:00pm.

 

[Brianb3]

I’ve killed as many bucks between 10-2 as 6n6


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[huntnful]

This is how I spotted him at 540 yards with 18x56 binos. I’ll never leave home without them.

 

[thehuntbum]

@LONE HUNTER

I've killed 9 bucks and only 3 of them have died between 9 and 5. Two of those were dumb luck that I bumped into walking to or from a glassing point. Only one did I glass up in his bed and shoot him where he laid. So I guess more than anything it's how I'm hunting these areas, not necessarily the area that I'm hunting that's bad.

 

[thehuntbum]

I think that's really why I started this thread. I just wanted the validation that came from somebody saying that Idaho is a tough hunt. I'll probably try to sneak out for a couple more days next weekend then I'm hoping to hunt the late archery as well.