Deer??

Coyote_chaser · Oct 11, 2016

I have been burning the country up looking for deer and I have been surprised at the lack of deer that I am seeing. I mean glassing tons of good country, WAY back in and not seeing anything. I have seen more Moose than I have seen deer.... I have been in 66. I tried lower thinking I was too high, but saw one spike off the road on the way home. They are either holed up in the timber, or no deer....

Anyone else experiencing the same thing?

thewoodchopper · Oct 11, 2016

I ran into the same issue the last few days of scouting and then hunting. Im on unit 78 which I thought I would see ALOT better deer size than I have and better deer numbers. Seen a few smaller four points and does but even then for a draw unit it was pretty minimal. I think they are in the timber as well. I think it will all change with some cold weather and storms. Good luck man.

300stw · Oct 11, 2016

was in 43 last 2 days up real high near unit 44, never saw a deer,,,,, lots of blood on the hwy by hill city,,,

migration?

Foxbow · Oct 11, 2016

Would not surprise me
That deer herd is known to migrate early
The early fall weather this year could of had them moving already
U see any carcasses?

Coyote_chaser · Oct 11, 2016

I have only heard 3-5 shots in 1.5 days of hunting. I wore myself out the last two days, so gonna lay low for a few days and recoup!

twsnow18 · Oct 11, 2016

Similar to the last 2 years, I'm seeing lots and lots of deer in southern ID. Quite a few fawns and everything looks healthy.

Try some new spots or units, the numbers are solid right now.

IdaMatt · Oct 12, 2016

The deer are moving out of 43/44 and crossing the highway into 45. I've seen tons of deer moving across, I've come close to hitting deer each time driving that highway.....

elkboy32 · Oct 12, 2016

I think it all depends on the the zone you are hunting. I saw about 30 deer opening day and had 30" buck down by 8:15 in the morning. I talked to a buddy in SE Idaho and he reported lots of deer as well. He shot a 180" first light. They're out there, explore the timber or its time to scout some new country next summer....

huntin50 · Oct 12, 2016

Unit 76 is pathetic for deer. Family has a ranch on the unit. Hunted it for 25 years. Worse deer numbers ever. Last year 7 gut piles in one draw. Youth shooting everything. Two bucks and Zero does in 1 1/2 days of hunting. With very few does and fawns the hunting is going to suck for years to come.

IMO they need to discontinue shooting does for youth until the deer get to management number objectives in this unit. They need to pound the predators also.

The early weather may have contributed to some moving, but there were few does and fawn in the summer as well. I'm a little puzzled where are all the deer?

twsnow18 · Oct 12, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Oct-12-16 AT 05:15PM (MST)[p]I assume huntin50 also thinks that the wolves have eaten ALL of the elk as well...

Critters move and are not in the same draws year after year always. Times have changed and if your unwilling to adapt you simply won't see much.

Scout and try new areas and you will see why people are saying that it's been pretty good the last couple years. You'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner, thank me later.

Idahoron · Oct 12, 2016

>was in 43 last 2 days
>up real high near
>unit 44, never saw a
>deer,,,,, lots of blood on
>the hwy by hill city,,,
>
>
>migration?

I was in 43 from Sept 30th to October 9th. It was snowing and raining off and on until the 6th. Over the course of the week I saw the majority of the deer move down about 1000 foot in elevation. I was camped at 6800 foot and had deer literally in camp. By the end of the week they were 8 miles away and 1000 foot lower. I also saw the blood spots on the highway. Yes the migration is on.

huntin50 · Oct 13, 2016

Matt,

Consider some facts. Family owns a large ranch in the unit. Not only have we hunted it for the past 25 years we run cattle on unit 76. We are out there during fawn season, June through the first part of November. We also talk with other hunters and ranchers.

Please answer some questions.

Have you hunted unit 76 the past couple years? Have you been in the unit this summer or fall? Slug creek? Diamond creek? Dry Valley?

Deer numbers are pathetic. I hear coyotes every night. Cougars are often on trail cams. I have years of experience finding deer on the unit. I know many of the best places to find them. Where they have been the past 25 years. Some of the property is private with little hunting pressure.

There are very few deer. I hunt in several states, spend a lot of time behind glass.Other years the first two days of the hunt we would see 40-50 deer. We saw two small bucks and Zero does/fawns.

There should be NO DOE hunting on this unit.

What are your answers.

Thanks.

Deerlove · Oct 13, 2016

Can't argue with that, we have youth hunting a 10 and at the mentor price for NR's. Leave the does alone.

brymoore · Oct 13, 2016

>Matt,
>
>Consider some facts. Family owns
>a large ranch in the
>unit. Not only have we
>hunted it for the past
>25 years we run cattle
>on unit 76. We
>are out there during fawn
>season, June through the first
>part of November. We
>also talk with other hunters
>and ranchers.
>
>Please answer some questions.
>
>Have you hunted unit 76 the
>past couple years? Have you
>been in the unit this
>summer or fall? Slug
>creek? Diamond creek? Dry Valley?
>
>
>Deer numbers are pathetic. I hear
>coyotes every night. Cougars
>are often on trail cams.
>I have years of experience
>finding deer on the unit.
> I know many of
>the best places to find
>them. Where they have been
>the past 25 years.
>Some of the property is
>private with little hunting pressure.
>
>
>There are very few deer.
>I hunt in several states,
>spend a lot of time
>behind glass.Other years the first
>two days of the hunt
>we would see 40-50 deer.
> We saw two small
>bucks and Zero does/fawns.
>
>There should be NO DOE hunting
>on this unit.
>
>What are your answers.
>
>Thanks.

Where did you receive you wildlife management degree?

twsnow18 · Oct 13, 2016

Greg,

Your post points right back to my original statement - "Try other units besides 76, you'll thank me later." And you will.

If you don't adapt, your not gonna have much fun. Different units have upswings and downswings year to year.

But to generalize "The hunting is going to suck for years to come," in Southern ID is weak and quite simply not the truth. Hopefully you have better luck the rest of the season.

huntin50 · Oct 13, 2016

So the answer is try other units and not try to fix the problem??

We have some great mule deer country to hunt in 76. We have a nice warm ranch house to stay in. There are a few good bucks around. We work cattle in the middle of the day. We have shot some nice bucks in the past. We don't need to fight the crowds so much with private ground. We were helping our boys and hoping for a good hunt for them.

I don't have a wildlife degree, but have been involved with sportsmen groups for many years and worked with the DWR. There is a problem. Elk numbers are down also in the unit, compared to 5-10 years ago.

To make things better, you first need to understand there is a problem. Anyone else hunt 76 for deer? How was the hunting? We need to talk with the biologist and DWR IMO.

runamuk · Oct 13, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Oct-13-16 AT 03:52PM (MST)[p]Unit 44 is loaded with Deer, its nothin to see 30 to 50 bucks a day, seein' several damn nice bucks also.
(Yea I know its not the same as general season, just sayin")
None of em have moved out either, I'm still seeing many of the same bucks in the same drainages that were there in early September, the bachelor groups have been breaking up since around the 1st week of October but they're still right where they were a month ago.
Been staying focused on one particular buck I'm finding him pretty much everyday in the same area, only problem is he doesn't show till a few minutes before sunset and always to far away to make a play on him before dark.

Been glassing up several decent bucks in 43, but haven't been out since general season opened, so no idea whats going on there now.

We have this big storm moving in and I'm going to be up in unit 36 for the next week helping a buddy from Alaska get an Elk.
Man its going to be hard to focus on Elk when I oughta be out hunting deer............

huntfishall1 · Oct 14, 2016

Was out from Saturday through Thursday. Saw a total of 2 deer, both bucks, took one of them on Thursday, a 5x4. I've never seen many deer where I was hunting. I think there are more there that just don't come out into open to feed.

Every unit is different. I used to hunt a unit in southeast part of state, saw many more deer and genetics are phenomenal, saw biggest bucks ever there. But the number of other hunters ruined the quality of hunt for me personally. So I moved to another part of state.

With all that said my opinion is many units have suitable habitat for Lots more deer and elk. Not sure what the solution is at this point. I wonder if factors other than hunting harvest have a bigger role in controlling the population numbers? Predators, winter, roads and vehicles, etc.?

IdahoInfidel · Oct 15, 2016

Opening day of 45 muzzleloader hunt. Not seeing many deer saw two 4 pts pretty small though. did a lot of scouting just seems like deer numbers are low in the area right now. Hoping by the end of the hunt well see some more deer.

destroyer350 · Oct 18, 2016

50 it's deer utopia, pointless arguing on this site, these guys see a couple of 150-160 inch bucks a year and everything is right with the world. F&G know exactly what their doing and their counts are perfect, all is well!!

huntin50 · Oct 19, 2016

I heard the ID fish and game just sold last week 500 doe permits ,where SE ID deer winter, including unit 76. Any truth?

Deer numbers are piss poor in 66 and 76 this year, especially with 3 pretty good winters in a row.

Coyote_chaser · Oct 19, 2016

Saw 1 buck and 1 doe. 6 bull moose and one cow. Where are the deer??? WTF

anadavid25 · Oct 20, 2016

Not sure where your hunting at in 66 but we seen lots of deer. My bro killed a two point. My dad killed the 4x5. I got the 4x4. all in 66.

tworivers · Oct 21, 2016

You punk Jerry on his two point pic?

Nice bucks.. RIP Lil Bro' "Huntnfever"

anadavid25 · Oct 21, 2016

HAHAHA... Nope just didnt get a pic of Jerry's deer.. Dad got a few with jerry and his little boy standing next to the deer but I haven't seen them yet.. How bout you guys?

tworivers · Oct 22, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Oct-23-16 AT 00:41AM (MST)[p]Whitetail tag for me, so jumping nice big mulies..... Bob P's kid got one five by five, decent one, and the really big ones the other cousins have missed.

RIP Lil Bro' "Huntnfever"