Unit 57 Muzzleloader Hunt

Katkrazy · Jul 7, 2018

Drew the early November hunt. 1st deer tag I've drawn in 19 years and I never miss applying. Haha.
Anyway, I have lived in Idaho my whole life (45). My buddy has hunted a bit in the area years ago but I never have.
I searched here and it looks like the last good post was 2009-2011 and the consensus was the deer population was down with 160-170 bucks being upper end
Has it gotten better or worse? What class bucks would be ?top end? in this unit now?
Any tips, or info is appreciated.
PM me

orion23 · Jul 11, 2018

im curious as well, i have the early (oct 5) rifle tag.

im going to scout and try to bang one on the opener. Good luck on your hunt.

Travis

idhunters · Jul 11, 2018

Its been a while since I hunted that unit, but the genetics are certainly there for a big bucks. I don't think its a very high density unit, and there is a bunch of high, steep timbered country. The biggest bucks we saw, however, were lower in the unit. Check the east side Access Yes area or the thick juniper patches. There were certainly bucks bigger than 160 in the area.

Foxbow · Jul 12, 2018

I live near the unit
Never had the tag
That unit has 190"bucks
Old timers around here talk highly of it

jjhunter · Jul 13, 2018

I hunted it a little bit in 2014 on the late muzzy hunt. Ended up killing my buck in 55. My partner shot his buck in 57, though. We never saw a buck over 175? in 57. Mostly 160? type bucks with the does. It looks like big buck country and I'm sure there are a few around.

We came in from the South end of the unit. Lotsa good country. Don?t over look the burns (cheat grass country).

Rhansen1 · Jul 13, 2018

I would think that hunt is super weather dependent I believe it starts the day after the rifle ends. It's not a huge mountain but if you get some rutting activity I think it could be a really fun hunt.
But I would not hold out for a 190 if I had the tag.

Katkrazy · Jul 25, 2018

Thanks to all who replied. We are headed down there in a couple weeks. Not so much to look for sign or deer, but to put some miles on the ATVs and get the lay of the land.
Anyone else with past knowledge of the unit willing to PM me, please do so.

Katkrazy · Oct 22, 2018

Anyone been out in this unit so far? We have scouted and have possible private land access. Anyone with info? I'm getting excited for a Nov hunt.

sray · Oct 22, 2018

>Anyone been out in this unit
>so far? We have scouted
>and have possible private land
>access. Anyone with info? I'm
>getting excited for a Nov
>hunt.

Pm sent

orion23 · Nov 1, 2018

just got back from the rifle hunt. it was brutal. seeing lots of deer, maybe 70/ day but no quality bucks at all. few small 4 points but nothing i wanted to shoot. hopefully the muzzleloader hunt brings out the big ones, because i know the rifle hunters didnt shoot them all.
Travis