>If
>I told everyone that they
>would be lucky to see
>a three year old buck
>then everyone would be shooting
>our two year old deer
>and that's not good for
>the genetics or the health
>of the deer herd. That's
>really all I wanted to
>know, that and the general
>pattern of the deer herd
>at that time of year
>elevation wise and from the
>sounds of it most people
>that responded really have no
>clue because they haven't hunted
>it that time of year.....or
>they were elk hunting which
>is very different methodology in
>my experience.
I told you I have hunted that unit for years. I have had that tag two times. I have hunted both the little lost and the Big lost side. I killed a buck in the Big Lost side after hunting for 12 days. The second time I had the tag I didn't pull the trigger. I have hunted it many times in October with a rifle.
I didn't misunderstand what you were asking for at all. You wanted info on where and how to kill a 180 and no one answered. I couldn't tell you where to kill a 180 so I didn't answer.
I warned you of the number of other hunters so you knew what to expect. The last thing I like to see in a new area is a ton of people. I told you the truth. I also told you the truth that a lot of the private land in the Little Lost is sewn up by the Lost river hunting club. Getting permission to hunt a GOOD QUALITY river bottom is very unlikely but farmers have a language it is called the Benjamin's.
Everything I told you was the truth 100%. If that is meaningless then fine. I do hope you prove me wrong. I would LOVE to be proven wrong HONESTLY.
You talk about hunting elk and deer are vastly different. In some areas yes. On winter range there not so much. You will see, like BrianID said there is a reason that the hunt is easy to draw. He was exactly right.
Also add in that the closest gas station from the north end of the hunt is over an hour drive. Your talking a two hour drive just to get gas.
I am telling you these things so you know in advance. I am actually trying to help you. If you know up front then you won't let these things get you down when you realize that you traveled this far for a tag that not many want.
The competition is something you don't mind but you should. You see a small herd of deer and they will be up with the elk in higher elevation. Again because the unit doesn't get much snow, and it gets a TON of pressure. Deer don't actually know the difference between a deer hunter and a elk hunter.
You will be sneaking in on deer when a guy with the latest and greatest Remchester with a Nightforce scope will take a shot at the elk that are near the deer.
I tell you this because it happens!! There will be guys chasing elk with 4 wheelers and trucks across the flats near the farms, trying to get close for a shot.
There will be guys parked on every knob looking with spotting scopes.
Again don't misunderstand my points on this hunt. I am trying to give you honest input.
If you don't want that then take this because this is what you seem to want.
There are 180 class bucks walking through the streets of Howe. You can sit at one of the restaurants and watch them lip curl right out the window.
All you have to do is pull into a driveway of a farm and they will see your non resident plates and give you permission to hunt. Not one buck on the farms is under 180. If you shoot a buck smaller than this one you will be sorry.