spotnstalkID
Active Member
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- 339
Ran into an unfortunate situation this year. My dad and I were planning on hunting our same old place up in unit 26 this year. It opens for elk and deer Sept 15th (He was only going to hunt deer/bear). I went up there last weekend for one last scouting trip before the hunt starts and found there was a fire burning within a few miles and you could faintly smell and see smoke wherever you went. The woods were dead with animals. Just three weeks before there was game everywhere, this trip/weekend I didn't see a single animal. It sucked. Pretty big fire from what I understand. Not seeing a single animal last weekend, I'm surely not going to take him there for our hunt.
Problem is that my dad is coming over from Washington and took that week off from work to do so. Unfortunately he can't change that week for another week in October so we are going up to the Selway areas (units 16A, 17, 19 & 20) as they are the only other areas that are open for deer beginning that day, Sept. 15th. I have hunted around Elk City (unit 15) a little bit, but have never been into the Selway units. We are basically going in blind. We are going up on Sunday and will have 4 days to look around and scout before the season even opens and will be there for about 10 days total. I have looked at every map I can get my hands on, I've contacted the biologist out of the fish and game office up there, but honestly it wasn't much help, and I spoke with another friend that hunted moose up there but that was several years ago so I didn't get alot from him. I feel I've done my homework (for as little time as I've had to plan this)and the only other source of information I knew to try was to see if anybody on this site would be willing to help. If anybody has any info they wouldn't mind sharring, I'd greatly appreciate it. My dad will have a deer tag and his bear tag. He is the type that if he can come out of it with a small/average buck and a good chance at a bear he'd be as happy with the hunt as most of us at this site would be with a 30" muley. Not looking for anybody's secret area, just if anybody knows an area that may hold an opportunity for him to take an animal, all the information I can gather before we head out is much appreciated.
As of now I plan on going up around the Dixie area and scouting the hills around there. We'll also travel the road that leads into Montana to see if we see anything around there worth hunting, but if anybody has any advice to other areas up there I'd love to hear them.
We'll have a great time either way I'm sure, but an opportunity at some success in the field would make the trip all that much more memorable. Pisses me off to have to change plans so late in the game, but I definitely don't feel comfortable having him spend all the money to come over here to hunt as a non-res and then taking him to an area that I didn't even see a single animal last weekend.
Just out of curiosity, anybody know how much a fire can immediately effect an area? We have been up there several times over the Summer and saw alot of game. I was excited about this upcoming season, but when we were up there last weekend I litterally saw zero animals. It was frustrating. The fire was a ways away, but we could definitely smell it from where we were and usually hunt. Do most animals move out at the frist smell of smoke? I'm guessing that's the case after what I saw this past weekend. Anybody else have any info on this?? Just curious.
Thanks in advance!
Jaxon
Problem is that my dad is coming over from Washington and took that week off from work to do so. Unfortunately he can't change that week for another week in October so we are going up to the Selway areas (units 16A, 17, 19 & 20) as they are the only other areas that are open for deer beginning that day, Sept. 15th. I have hunted around Elk City (unit 15) a little bit, but have never been into the Selway units. We are basically going in blind. We are going up on Sunday and will have 4 days to look around and scout before the season even opens and will be there for about 10 days total. I have looked at every map I can get my hands on, I've contacted the biologist out of the fish and game office up there, but honestly it wasn't much help, and I spoke with another friend that hunted moose up there but that was several years ago so I didn't get alot from him. I feel I've done my homework (for as little time as I've had to plan this)and the only other source of information I knew to try was to see if anybody on this site would be willing to help. If anybody has any info they wouldn't mind sharring, I'd greatly appreciate it. My dad will have a deer tag and his bear tag. He is the type that if he can come out of it with a small/average buck and a good chance at a bear he'd be as happy with the hunt as most of us at this site would be with a 30" muley. Not looking for anybody's secret area, just if anybody knows an area that may hold an opportunity for him to take an animal, all the information I can gather before we head out is much appreciated.
As of now I plan on going up around the Dixie area and scouting the hills around there. We'll also travel the road that leads into Montana to see if we see anything around there worth hunting, but if anybody has any advice to other areas up there I'd love to hear them.
We'll have a great time either way I'm sure, but an opportunity at some success in the field would make the trip all that much more memorable. Pisses me off to have to change plans so late in the game, but I definitely don't feel comfortable having him spend all the money to come over here to hunt as a non-res and then taking him to an area that I didn't even see a single animal last weekend.
Just out of curiosity, anybody know how much a fire can immediately effect an area? We have been up there several times over the Summer and saw alot of game. I was excited about this upcoming season, but when we were up there last weekend I litterally saw zero animals. It was frustrating. The fire was a ways away, but we could definitely smell it from where we were and usually hunt. Do most animals move out at the frist smell of smoke? I'm guessing that's the case after what I saw this past weekend. Anybody else have any info on this?? Just curious.
Thanks in advance!
Jaxon
