Mule Deer units 45 and 52 around Gooding

[Grosventre357]

Hi guys, I'm wondering how healthy these mule deer units are doing after the fires a few years ago? I talked to a guy that was on a summer bear hunt a few years back around Gooding. He found a 37 inch mule deer dead head and a 32 inch mule deer dead head. Both bucks were charred from the fires and he left the antlers there. I'm not looking for any honey holes, I just want to know what unit is better for monster bucks 45 or 52 ? Thanks

 

[Weiserbucks]

Haven't you heard? All the deer in Idaho either died in a horrible winter, got eaten by predators or got shot by a non resident.

 

[JPblind]

Scout to find out. Do your homework.

 

[Lil_Fish]

There are still some really nice bucks in the area but are few.

 

[Cooper]

I’d pm duckoslayer, he is always cool with helping a non resident out, if not jpickett, would be my second pick

 

[elkboy32]

Your asking about draw units that give non-residents a 1-3% draw odds. Realistically your never hunting either of those units in your lifetime.......

 

[andrew12gauge]

Your asking about draw units that give non-residents a 1-3% draw odds. Realistically your never hunting either of those units in your lifetime.......

Not just nonresidents

 

[hawkbill]

The truth is that both units have been way over hunted and have many over lapping seasons. I see what is harvested out of both units every year. The fires had very little to do with destroying the Mule Deer herds. Over hunting and the fish and game issuing to many licenses. Good Luck

 

[fly4fish]

45 has much more winter range habitat and more deer. 2 of the last 5 winters have been very tough on the herd. I hunted with my bro in 52 this year during the muzzy hunt. Glassed nonstop for 6 days and didn't see a buck over 150, so he put on zero stalks and ate the tag. There were 2500 cow elk tags at the same time, so a lot of hunters all over the place. The muzzy hunt starts the day after the 75 rifle tags have left, so unless new bucks migrate in, all that's left is what they passed on. Nearly 100% of the unit is visible from a vehicle, so its a lot of driving and glassing out the window, which is good when its cold and seeing big bucks, but not good when trying to find a hidie hole. Walked a couple times only to run into cow elk hunters running all over on atvs.

 

[Mallards_Only]

What's funny is the guys who think they've found the "golden ticket" of deer zones and then come on a public forum begging for intel.

 

[Cooper]

What's funny is the guys who think they've found the "golden ticket" of deer zones and then come on a public forum begging for intel.

So your not gonna help him? You seem like a stand up down to earth guy who would be more than willing to help a non resident, maybe even share some porcupine stew

 

[GSJ]

Kurt Darner said 45 was the best mule deer area on earth...in 1979.
Its a legend that won’t die. Prolly a better Elk unit now.
Draw odds are garbage.

 

[hawkbill]

Your best chances are if you own a very large corn field in either unit, that’s how we hunt them now. The farmers run the show!