Unit 76 Help

[hilltop]

I was hoping one of you would be willing to give me some advice about this unit, I have a Malad tag right now but I'm looking at trading it in for a general tag. I have been scouting numerous times this summer and I haven't seen any buck's on public property that I would want to shoot. I know it's against the hunter code to ask for help but any ideas would be a great help, I was just hoping for a starting point or a good spot with high ground that I can glass from. If any of you have an elk tag for this unit we can swap info.


Thanks for any help
Jason

 

[huntin50]

I have seen a few small bucks in 76. No shooters yet. Malad area has some great genetics. Good luck where ever you go.

 

[BrianID]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-20-14 AT 12:34PM (MST)[p]Sounds like you have already been putting in the work but unfortunately there is a very low percentage of mature bucks in SE Idaho.

Unless you scout out a buck you want to hunt in 76 or like the longer season in 76, I would recommend you hold onto your 73 tag. The grass is always greener somewhere else. Since the archery season is already open it may also not even be possible to exchange your unit 73 tag for a general season tag. If you didn't purchase an archery permit, the F&G may still let you exchange your tag but I wouldn't count on it. There are a lot of places to hunt in 73. Try scouting some new areas before the season opens and I think you have a reasonable chance of turning up some 160" bucks and possibly something bigger.

You could always buy a 2nd deer tag. Personally I think the F&G selling 2nd tags is terrible management and one of the reasons why there are not as many mature mule deer in Idaho general season units. That is a whole other topic, so I'll just stop there.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do. In unit 73 and the general seasons units in SE Idaho, very few bucks live long enough to grow big antlers. If you want to kill a mature buck on public land in SE Idaho, you have to get lucky or put in a lot of work.

 

[hilltop]

Thanks Brian, we did end up exchanging our permits, if I would have had one buck we could have set up on I would have kept the tag. But I'm out of time and moneys is tight so I'll just have to work a general unit over and hopefully turn up a good buck. The thing with Montpelier is I only found a few good spots to glass from, but we did see some bucks, nothing big but some good ones for the two younger kids going with us. Next year I'll have more time and a better idea where to start. Thanks again for the help.