Unit 23 deer

live2farm · May 9, 2011

LAST EDITED ON May-09-11 AT 05:43PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-09-11 AT 03:31?PM (MST)

Anyone know much about the deer in Unit 23. Are they few and far between? Looks like the success percentage is kinda low. Even in the controlled late hunt for 2010 it didnt look like the success was all that great. Looks like there are tons of people hunting it too.

idahonative · May 9, 2011

Winterkill in that area (22, 23, 31, 32, 32A) is the worst in a couple of decades (this is straight from IDFG.) Not good news, at least for awhile.

SonofMike · May 9, 2011

That's a hard one for me to swollow. the deer herds this winter in 32 and 32a didn't look that bad to me and most of the deer look good and healthy. Makes me wonder ware the f&g are getting there info. That's just my opinion though.

springbear · May 10, 2011

LAST EDITED ON May-10-11 AT 10:52AM (MST)[p]I hunted elk in September in 23 two years ago. We some deer. I would say we saw deer most every day. Never saw anything "big". I would think of it as a Fun hunt, but would not have real high expectations. There is some real big country in the Rapid River drainage, and I would not be at all suprised if more than a few big Mulies AND whitetails call it home.

As a side note, I do not know how the winter kill in 23 was on that side of things. However I would be suprised if it was significant. There is very good winter range for most of that unit. The Salmon River and Snake River are "easy" to get to from most of that unit. So even considering a pretty good snow year, the critters should have been able to get out of it. Now this wet spring, exteneded winter might be having an impact on fawns.

OLDHORNHUNTER · May 10, 2011

again F&G with a head ups their azz claim I am in 31 & 32 almost every weekend & they are full of crap...32 according to F&G winters around 15000 to 20000 deer yearly last 4 times I rode dirt bikes in 32 we saw maybe 20 or 30 dead deer & that was in like 30 miles of riding area..& most of the dead ones had died within the last few months... so heres my ?? to F&G if there was so much die off why havent they reduced the tag or at least put these units to draw only to let the recover ?????

live2farm · May 10, 2011

Springbear I sent you a pm.

gooseslayer · May 10, 2011

OLDHORNHUNTER, Fun and Games will never turn 32, 32A, or 39 into strictly draw units, they are their main "money makers" units close to big cities that are easily accessable with forked horns galore for people to kill. I have talked to a handfull of F&G persons about making 32 four point or larger and they told me that the bucks would start maturing at three points.....make any sense?

huntfish714 · May 10, 2011

ok either i skimmed the wrong sections or someone has severe dislexia... 23 deer is a great way to fill a freezer, have kids or wives present, or fun. you just got to know where to go. don't over look any spot this unit will surprise you! i hunt it every year and pass on tons of deer daily. a lot of 120 140 and smaller with seeing atleast a couple monsters but haven't stuck a giant yet. plenty of does oh ya i hunt archery. seems opening week is awesome then slows dramatically. the whitetail were on the rise again with some dandys but that was before winter. although ill agree with springbear on the plentiful winter grounds along the main rivers. they should just now be getting back into their grounds with the odd weather can't wait to check it out. pm for specifics. ill eventually find it. good luck!

live2farm · May 10, 2011

huntfish714 I sent you a pm

gooseslayer · May 10, 2011

Sorry, last fall was tough finding a mature whitey buck even on private ground, quite a few little guys and a few does, just have to hit it hard. I see more muleys on the north and east edges of the valley but that is just me. If you are looking for a toad don't bother unless you can draw the late tag.

BPKHunter · May 10, 2011

>again F&G with a head ups
>their azz claim I am
>in 31 & 32 almost
>every weekend & they are
>full of crap...32 according to
>F&G winters around 15000 to
>20000 deer yearly last 4
>times I rode dirt bikes
>in 32 we saw maybe
>20 or 30 dead deer
>& that was in like
>30 miles of riding area..&
>most of the dead ones
>had died within the last
>few months... so heres my
>?? to F&G if there
>was so much die off
>why havent they reduced the
>tag or at least put
>these units to draw only
>to let the recover ?????
>

Fish and Game has reduced the doe tags and I think they re meeting to discuss reducing them more. Someone correct me here if I am wrong on meeting again.

It might be a good idea to not ride motorcycles through their wintering grounds. I know many areas, like Danskin, have closure dates, but you don't need regulations to know when to give deer struggling to get out of winter effects a break.

huntfish714 · May 10, 2011

live2farm pmd ya back. screeslider also pmd ya back also on the Bear hunt

springbear · May 11, 2011

Some pictures of unit 23 in September.

beavis14 · May 11, 2011

very cool pics . thanks for sharing

live2farm · May 11, 2011

some big country, awesome pics, thanks for posting them

OLDHORNHUNTER · May 12, 2011

BPKHunter 1st off ruducing the # of doe tags does nothing...2nd there are damn few mature bucks in 31 32 or 32a seems if there were more does hence more oppurtunity for them to be bred ...& 3rd where I ride & 1000s of others do also is BLM & when I ride the deer have already moved off this winter range at least 2 months prior...

lip_curl · May 13, 2011

i was in the drainage in pic #2 on 9/11/01. i had 6 bulls bugling at once the next morning. the last two times i bugled down in that hole in the last two years, all that answered was wolves. just plain sad....

BPKHunter · May 14, 2011

We camp north of McCall every July since 2004 and see quite a few bucks, especially whitetails. I spent a few falls trying to find out where all those bucks went by Oct 10. What I found is that when the first snowflakes fall in late Sept, they all bomb down those big drainages toward the Salmon River.

Now I have never tried to hunt them farther down and moved on to other places in SW Idaho, but the bucks exist because I see them every summer.

matt4695 · May 14, 2011

Yup, typical central Idaho country. Makes getting a good buck out of the thick timber a real challenge,,,, but they are there.

Loner · May 15, 2011

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9 or 10 year old white tail taken not far from those pictures. Inside spread is nearly 13 inches! LOL Taken incidentally while elk hunting. I worked at the Fish Hatchery many years ago and ended up going back and hunting that country many years. I was pretty hard headed, but have finally realized I was working way too hard for way too little. If there is somebody consistently pulling good bucks out of that country i would love to talk to him.

Ryan