how did Idaho 45 muzzles do ??

steelheader

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Just wanted to know how things went in this unit. Its the first time in 8 years we haven't had a muzzle or rifle tag in the family. We are tired of seeing 11/2 and 21/2 year old bucks, want to get back in to some action next year. Let me know if you had the early west side hunt or the later east side. Thanks Scott
 
Steelheader,

My buddy and I drew the later East side. We camped just North of the Bennett Hills sign. Put a lot of miles on our boots over two weekends - total eight days. We both hunted with flintlocks - his a .50 Lancaster (custom) and mine a .54 Lyman GPR. He shot a small buck. I missed twice. The first on a small forked horn but the second...
I saw the second one when I missed the forky. Guessed he was around 26", 4x4 with about a 6" dropper on the right beam. I watched where he and his harem went, with the forky. My buddy's son and I followed them over a ridge and into a half bowl. They ended up in a slide area - no cover to sneak. We watched the big guy chase the forky away from the harem into some quakies and he layed down in some sage so that the forky couldn't get back to the girls. After watching, crab walking to cover and sneaking around the back side of the bowl's ridge (2 1/2 hrs) I was above them and had about a 110 yards shot on the 4x4. I heard the ball sing off into the blue - shot a little low, grazed a large rock in front of him. Never touched him. Watched them top over a higher ridge and let them go for the day. My buddy saw him a couple of days later in another wicked slide around the ridge from where we last saw him. It was my last trek out, so maybe he will be there next year.

We saw quite a few bucks. Most were three point. I saw a really nice 4x4, around 30" wide on a rim above me - 250 yards and no way to get to him as he was standing, watching us. He was a beautiful buck on the skyline. We didn't run into many hunters.
There were only a handful of camps and most were travelling the road on four wheelers to wherever they were hunting. I did talk to a F&G CO that had a nice non-typical 6x5 head in his truck. A couple of trad. muzzleloader hunters were stalking on him when a guy with a center fire rifle took him out from under them. They called the CAP line and reported him. The CO cited him and took the deer as there was no open season except trad. muzzleloader.

I went a bit long but I hope that it answered your question. Do you know if this trad. muzzleloader hunt will rotate to Unit 52 next year? We are already discussing what to apply for.

Ray
 
Ray I dont know if it will rotate. If they stick to the plan they told me two years ago it should, but take that for what its worth. Did you guys ever try davis mtn, out past the towers? my 12year old son drew a rifle tag last year and missed a toad, the year before that my buddy missed another with his mz. I just love to hunt this area. we may start putting in for elk there also, we saw several nice bulls. Well thanks for letting me know. good luck, Scott
 
Scott,

We hunted North and South of the road out to Davis Mtn. That is where the CO took that non-typical from the poacher. We saw a few elk and a brown phase black bear. The bear was South of the road probably 3 miles down a draw (near the T where that road drops down to the North; has signs that show Davis Mtn. to the East) that eventually hits another creek that goes back to the Hill City Rd. He stopped around 100 yards away and I didn't like the idea of a round ball at that range and no back up gun. I had a tag and if I was closer I would have liked to fill it. Lots of scat in that area.

I hope your son gets another opportunity to hunt there. It was my first time to hunt it. I have only been here two years having moved down from the Grangeville area.

Ray
 
Ray, take a look in the new trophy hunter mag. youth sec. it has him and his buck in it. We moved over by king hill, he made a great shot. not the biggest in the unit, but not bad when your 12 and your first deer. it took me until after high school to shoot one like that. Scott
 
We saw guys in there on the eastern side (muzzy only) hunting and shooting with rifles. One guy jumped out of his truck and blasted 7 times at a nice little 22" 4x4, don't think he ever hit it. Good area, sure wish the weather would have been colder. We took some great bucks, especially when you consider we got them with traditional muzzy's!

We saw a wolf, a pack of about 25 coyotes, and bear scat everywhere!
 

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