Good unit for high country muleys?

[MichaelJ]

Already done with my 2011 ID buck tag, so am researching what to do for next year. I wasn't crazy about hunting the lowlands this year for deer, and have been wanting to do an early high country rifle or archery (if the deer density is good enough)muley hunt. We are heading back to the breaks of the Salmon early Nov for my huntin partner. Have though of hitting up some of those units for the early rifle hunt. Have also thought of trying to put in for the 39 early hunt but have heard thats a tough hunt unless you get lucky with a lot of scouting and find a single buck to focus on.

What do you guys think? What unit would you look for an early backpack archery and early backpack rifle hunt? We aren't scared to head in 5-10 miles on foot and climb some elevation... I just want to have a realistic chance of finding a 180" or better muley!

Mike

 

[beavis14]

I just want to have a realistic chance of finding a 180" or better muley!


don't we all...........

 

[MichaelJ]

Just trying to maximize that opportunity by doing my own research... I'd be happy for opportunities at 160" deer with potential for bigger. Kind of coming with the mind set of making your own luck by hard work and preparation. Just trying to get a start with what units would be best to look at.

Mike

 

[Waterdogs]

When you find out would you let me know as well? I want to shoot a 180 or bigger with a drop tine.

 

[MTQuivers]

I shot a 179" buck in Idaho 2 years ago on a general unit. There are a few around but not many. I have hunted some of the units in Southern Idaho and they all have a few in the 160-185 class but you have to hike to find them. I don't want to post units on the web but if you get away from the roads Idaho has some great genetics and a few good deer to be had. I am heading up this friday to try and find another one myself. Should be fun

Jason Yates
Basin Archery Shop
http://www.basinarcheryshop.com
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[Pre64]

You need to start hunting in July.

 

[MichaelJ]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-20-11 AT 09:28AM (MST)[p]Thanks for the constructive replies fellas. I've thrown out some helpful PM's to most guys asking about a few of the units I know well. Figured I'd hope to get one or two of the same... guess not.

Mike

 

[Yoyak]

I killed a buck of that caliber this year in a general unit which I don't care to mention, as I don't want any more competition. What I can tell you is you need to start looking in July or early August at the latest. If I had to guess I would say I found over 100 bucks this summer and only a few were over 180. And don't kid yourself about 5-10 miles in, thats tough to do, I don't care how good of shape you are in Idaho's high country is steep and rugged and 5 miles will kick your ass if you ever have to pack something out; especially solo with all your overnight gear (the way I hunt). Its really pretty tough to find a spot 5 miles in. Usually if you find a spot 5 miles in there is a road or trail coming in from the other side that is 3 miles. It sounds like you are willing to work, so if you are willing to scout your tail off you'll find something good...Good luck!
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[greatbasin]

In the mountain units, alot of the really deep spots will be covered by outfitters and DIY guys with pack strings.

I would look for places not as far from the roads that people either pass through on their way in to set up camp or where it's too steep and nasty to want to take horses and mules.

Good luck!

 

[MichaelJ]

Thank you Yoyak... I have hunted one of the early units last year but we hunted it late and we killed a smaller basket buck 4 miles back in (kind of on a trail). 4 miles wasn't so bad, but we had 2600' elevation gain in the first two miles for the pack out which obviously sucked. I know there's a lot of backpackers that hit the high country trails pretty hard in one unit for sure. Our plan is to use an established trail and then try to bushwack our way to a remote basin or two or get on a ridgeline to try and cover a lot of ground. I know that scouting is going to be the key thing here. I also know that high country hunters are the hardest to get info from. That info is very hard earned and more competition is never a good thing, especially for an OTC hunt.

I'm more looking for info on what units to stay away from. There's only a handful available OTC early hunts, and while I believe I know which one or two I'd like to focus on, any friendly advice is much appreciated. I know there's some guys that cruise this forum with awesome experience in these units but keep to themselves pretty good.

Mike

 

[MichaelJ]

MTQuivers, good luck I hope you find that monster you're looking for!

Greatbasin, solid advice. I can easily see people passing over a basin holding deer because it doesn't have the typical deer look to it.

Mike

 

[208JBB]

I've had good luck finding good bucks in 39 early, but like was said earlier you need to start in July, and when you find a good one you have to stay with him. I would even say bump him and see where he goes. Treat scouting like hunting and stay with a buck over several nights.

One of the best ways to find a good area is to start with G.earth and look for all the areas that are above tree line. That should narrow it down quite a bit for ya.

If that doesn't work, go to Nevada, or Utah. I did.

 

[MichaelJ]

I've been using G.earth for a few years now, love that program to scouting areas during the winter!

208JBB, I hear what your saying. Thats kinda what I was hearing about 39. You find a specific buck and set your goal on him and stay with him all summer. And sorry "Pre64" I took your comment as sarcasm about actually hunting in July not scouting. We always get out atleast twice for scouting trips during the summer. Usually take a 2 day trip in July and again in early august when the bucks are still out in the open and we can get a better look at their horns. Would like to get out more but a new job this year didn't allow that for myself.

My roommate from college last year has hunted 39 for a few years and has seen some mashers in there at 8000' even in October. If I could guarantee atleast two or three scouting trips to that unit a summer I would probably try hard for the early rifle tag. But with the way work is it most likely won't happen until two or three years out.

I'll go ahead and ask a specific unit question, don't expect much response. But has anybody hunted unit nineteen early? I know a lot of guys hit it late from the river in jetboats, but there looks to be some decent high country up there???

Mike

 

[greatbasin]

>In the mountain units, alot of
>the really deep spots will
>be covered by outfitters and
>DIY guys with pack strings.
>
>
>I would look for places not
>as far from the roads
>that people either pass through
>on their way in to
>set up camp or where
>it's too steep and nasty
>to want to take horses
>and mules.
>
>Good luck!

When I say "not as far", it's all relative.

I have found that in the steep stuff 1-2 miles can be a whole 'nother world to lots of hikers, and not far enough to the horse people. Often over looked and/or under hunted.

 

[Pre64]

I envy you the time to do that. I'd love to start that early. Price of gas don't help much either. I spent 100 bucks on fuel to go scout last week.

 

[muleymaster]

Im with Yoyak on the scouting early and hard! I started scouting as soon as the antlers were big enough to tell what they will be by season. I hunt the deep back country and we started by just going. no destination in mind other than finding a spot.

another thing to keep in mind with 180+ archery deer in Idaho is they are few and far in between. We will see smaller bucks all over but there are few bucks that hit that High mark. most of which are extremely hard to stalk.

I also have several "bowls" i call them, that i watch often. Keeping a wide range of area under watch not only increases your chances of finding a bruiser but you never know what may move in. so keeping tabs on a buck or monitoring an area often is KEY.

Its expensive and a lot of work! But its what i love to do, its not all about killing a toad, its about being out there, the hunt, the pursuit. Good luck!!!

here is a link to some Idaho Muleys i videoed this preseason. Just click my name and view other videos. Thanks!

 

[IDmuleyman]

Not to disagree with what has already been said but IMO the key to finding deer is willingness to put the time in glassing. Yes pre-season scouting will greatly increase your odds at patterning deer before the season but at the same time some of the bigger bucks just flat out change their patterns before season even opens... I was watching a 175ish 3x4 for all of august basically and the week before season he was nowhere to be found... Kind of expected that, but it still shocks me from time to time lol. Needless to say I'm sure he's still in that basin somewhere but I got the resta the week to try n get my lope tag filled so deer have been put on hold for the time being... But back on topic, I had never stepped foot into unit 47 until the season opened and I still turned up a couple good bucks. Atleast 3 in the 170-180" range and many others around 150- 160 and was able to see where they were feeding and bedding and I pay that off to my willingness to sit behind my glass all day and google earth for good starting points lol. And no they ain't high country bucks but IMO I would think it takes much the same tactic/s... Maybe not, what would I know?? Goodluck to you on your quest!

 

[MichaelJ]

I agree that being willing to glass for hours on end is a huge part of being successful. But you can glass for hours on end in an area where there aren't any 170"+ deer and still fail to turn any up.

If I was hunting in an area where I'd scouted a few deer in the 175-180" range, I'd be much more likely to pass up any 160" deer during the hunt. While if I hadn't scouted, that 160" buck would be a whole heckuva lot more tempting. Scouting has to purposes to me. To find out what an areas potential is and what the top 5% of bucks are gonna be, and to find that specific buck to try and keep tabs on. Not to mention its a lot of fun not having to pack out meat the first few trips!

Mike

 

[Yoyak]

19 specific... I know some guys kill some nice deer off the river in Nov...IF we get a lot of snow. Otherwise I think it can be pretty difficult. But those bucks have to come from somewhere so you'd think you can find them early up high. However, you may need horses to get into that higher country, and expect a small city of elk hunter on horses. I've heard that everyone hunts the tops of the ridges and is afraid to drop elevation down to the river, so it gets kinda crowded on top. Hunting the breaks could produce if no one else is willing to drop in there, but not sure because I've never done it. Also Sept 15th is a difficult time to find buck IMO because most are polished and ghostly grey, and some of the big guys might have already gone solo, so you can't count on spotting their retarded little brothers to find them.

 

[BPKHunter]

Aren't those big bucks amazing. You see the big bucks that come out of some of the late hunts in the general unit areas or just on the wintering ground after the late hunt is over. Look at some of the bucks that come out of 39 to winter, but see how few are killed during the early hunt. Unit 32 and 32a also. They really know how to evade.

Spent some time in 44 for fun and for a friend who has a tag. That place is just miles from gen unit area and is crawling with bucks. I didn't say crawling with 180 bucks, but just to find a quantity of deer in 39 early isn't easy.

Wish I was young again!

 

[HUNTNNW]

I learned a very valuable lesson hunting this year in Idaho for high country Muleys... Farther isnt always better..when i pulled up where I was to camp there was 30 horse trailers this year..one thing I quickly realized was nobody was camped up there or hunting where camp was.. I had all my gear to bivy in and was the original plan as I soon realized there was more pressure 5 miles in than right of the main road!... needless to say I was seeing over 20 bucks a day off a road and not a hunter in sight!!!

 

[IDshooter695]

Try iron mtn unit 43, steel mtn unit 39 both may hold a 180" class buck. The burn areas of 39 hold some decent bucks year round but there is areas in them where a buck can be without ever being seen,but they are there and just might make a mistake and show themselves. Good luck!

 

[IDshooter695]

>Im with Yoyak on the scouting
>early and hard! I started
>scouting as soon as the
>antlers were big enough to
>tell what they will be
>by season. I hunt the
>deep back country and we
>started by just going. no
>destination in mind other than
>finding a spot.
>
>another thing to keep in mind
>with 180+ archery deer in
>Idaho is they are few
>and far in between. We
>will see smaller bucks all
>over but there are few
>bucks that hit that High
>mark. most of which are
>extremely hard to stalk.
>
>I also have several "bowls" i
>call them, that i watch
>often. Keeping a wide range
>of area under watch not
>only increases your chances of
>finding a bruiser but you
>never know what may move
>in. so keeping tabs on
>a buck or monitoring an
>area often is KEY.
>
>Its expensive and a lot of
>work! But its what i
>love to do, its not
>all about killing a toad,
>its about being out there,
>the hunt, the pursuit. Good
>luck!!!
>
>here is a link to some
>Idaho Muleys i videoed this
>preseason. Just click my name
>and view other videos. Thanks!
>
>
>

He is looking for a general unit buck. These bucks were in a draw unit: unit 44.

 

[MichaelJ]

Thanks for the advice IDShooter! *thumbs up*
Mike

 

[muleymaster]

actually 90 percent of those videos are general bucks in different areas!!! i have WWWAAAAAYYYYY more video im not willing to post of bucks in some various draw units as well but i have put in hundreds of hours and hundreds of miles and dont want to give away my and my friends areas. so, that being said, those are almost all general bucks, watch the preseason video and i even state that.

 

[Yoyak]

90% of people don't realize how good the general hunt can be, because they aren't willing to scout harder than they hunt. I hope it stays that way because 10% that do their homework is already too many people.

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