Idaho Unit 8A Whitetail

[2rocky]

do the bucks come lower in elevation when the rut kicks off

Not a big difference in elevation except for deep river canyons. Find does a mile from any road and there will be a buck with them.

 

[Matthew57]

I live in the unit. There is some old info posted, so here is the latest. Particularly with regard to access.

Honestly, I think most locals fill their meat tags by driving the roads. It's any whitetail until Dec 1st. Don't overlook a tasty doe at the end. The population is good Edit: The region was hit by EHD in 2021 and there has been a significant loss of whitetail population. and there are additional doe tags available in the controlled (draw) hunts every year.

There are logging operations in most areas of the Palouse zone this year. These will not hinder you, but you may need to have plans A-Z in hand and be flexible. Some of my best bucks have been taken off brand new clear cuts. The deer and elk don't get the memo to change their patterns right away.

TAGS:
There is no OTC "8A" tag per se. The WHITETAIL ONLY OTC tag is good in 8,8A,11,11A (and elsewhere) from 8/30-12/01, depending on your weapon of choice. The GENERAL OTC deer allows you to shoot Mule Deer or Whitetail, but only from 8/30-11/03. There are Mule Deer in the unit and you need be sure you have the right tag in your hand and know a muley from a whitetail.

There are wolves in the unit. Trappers have some success, most wolves that are shot are incidentals by deer and elk hunters. Remember that you do not have to check in a deer, but IDFG requires you to check a wolf at the Lewiston Office or in the field by an IDFG Conservation Officer. Before you arrive, call the Lewiston office at 208-799-5010. Ask to speak with CO Tony Imthurn. Introduce yourself and get his cell phone if he is willing. I send him OnX pins all season long from anything I think is sketchy in the field. I will not put his cell number out here on the forum. If you shoot a wolf, you can send him a pin of where he can check your animal.

There are mountain lions too, and the season is open. You are more likely to see Santa Clause, but they do respond to turkey and other calls. A good friend killed one in Unit 12 last year while deer hunting.

Remember that you can use your NR deer tag on any predator in Idaho, but you will be burning your deer tag. It is your choice if taking a cat or wolf would be a satisfying end to your deer hunt. If not, you do not want to burn your deer tag and you should buy a wolf tag.

You DO NOT need an Upland Game permit unless you are planning to hunt the 9 Idaho WMAs listed on page 12 of the IDFG Upland Game proclamation pamphlet. All the WMAs are in the southern part of the state. We kill forest grouse here with rocks, clubs, pellet guns, pistols, bows, sticks, spears, rifles, shotguns, etc. 4 per day, 8 in possession. You can also take hares, pheasant, and squirrel. Outside of the towns, the only squirrels you see will be Red Pine Squirrel. That's a lot killin' for not a lot of grillin'. You need a tag for fall turkey. There are lots of turkeys in the unit and they are any bird on the fall tag. ( Idaho requires a shotgun for turkeys)

Recent changes require you to keep the legs of grouse also. We used to just breast them out, but that is now considered wanton waste. But it is hard to beat a whole grouse on a stick over the campfire.

Be sure you print your tag at home in advance. They are not mailed out anymore. You get an e-mail from IDFG with the printable license. If you forget, you can go to Tri-State and request a lost license re-print, but there is a fee. Tri-State Outfitters is the place for any IDFG vendor needs. They do IDFG at Wal-Mart, but that means lines and such. I've known some to print it out in a hotel business center. Just having the image on your smart phone is not enough.

If you come through Moscow, stop at Tri-State and register for their Big Buck Contest. It's free and you could win a rifle.

CWD:
Idaho is still considered CWD free. However, make sure you check your home state regs on bringing game animal meat/parts back in from Idaho.
EDIT: Idaho is now a CWD state.

Due to CWD, Idaho no longer allows natural urine lure products, but they do allow synthetics. I have had zero luck with lures since that change. Just IMHO. They sell the natural still at Tri-State because it's legal in Washington. You are responsible to have the right stuff.

Access:
PotlatchDeltic opened several hundred thousands acres to walk in traffic to anyone with a valid IDFG hunting license.
You do need a permit for 14 days of camping on PoltatchDeltic property. You need an ATV access permit if you plan to use an ATV behind their gates. All signage restrictions apply even to those with the ATV permit.
Both permits are available on the PotlatchDeltic Recreation website.

Permission on private can be hard to get, but there is a lot of PotlatchDeltic, Bennett Lumber,Stimson Lumber, USFS, and State of Idaho ground. All allow walk-in hunting, but the University of Idaho Experimental Forest requires you to get a free permit for access. You have to choose only one of their units. All the UIEF ground is in Unit 8. For the last 6 years all the UIEF ground has been walk-in, day use, only. In OnX, the UIEF is labeled University of Idaho, rather than State of Idaho.

OnX will show you everything you need in terms of access. Know how to download 5x5 mile offline maps. Cell coverage is spotty.

BTW - getting the UIEF permit has been difficult for me since face to face COVID restrictions on the U of I campus. E- mail Kassandra Townsend at "[email protected]" for that permit.

If you plan to walk/fish/hunt on Bennett Lumber property, you need to get the Sportsman's Courtesy Card. It is available at their Princeton,ID or Clarkston, WA mill offices. 7AM-4PM daily. It is free.
They state it is legal to drive on their un-gated roads, but if you set foot out of your vehicle, you are trespassing. Bennett allows no camping.

Tactics:
@Ben Long - Not much has changed since your Deary days. New clear cuts and all, but the strategies stay the same. The odds of getting a buck are good. Down from the glory days of the late 1990's, but good bucks are shot every year.

If you have time to scout, look for scrape lines and target areas where they cross open ground. Open ground may be as small as a logging road which they cross. I have scouted scrape lines through a mile of jungle and set up on the high side of a road crossing with good success. I think those small openings may give you a better chance at a daytime sighting.

Shots can be from 10 yards to 400 yards. I have rarely shot one past 100 yards. I have taken them with revolvers, muzzies, and rifles. I've missed too many with my bow. The Whitetail tag is good in 8A for Muzzle Loader from Dec2- Dec 14. Antlerless Only.

My son has had excellent luck rattling over the years. I don't have the patience for it. I have grunted in hot bucks.
That bruiser buck will magically be standing there on the edge at very last light if he shows up. Having said that, I have caught them cruising open ground.

If you are familiar with tree stand usage, you should bring it. In Idaho, an unoccupied tree stand on public land is open to use by anyone , regardless of who put it there. That does not mean there will not be an encounter with a pissed off tree stand owner. There are a few permanent ones out there, use at your own risk.

I have found WT bucks in farm fields and up high in the woods. Finding scrapes is key. The size of the scrape does not mean it was made by a big buck, but it may mean its more active.

Lures are allowed, baiting is not. No salt or grain baits. Attractant scents are OK.

Equipment rules:
Idaho does not allow any sight system or weapon attachment that projects light or laser toward the target. That means scopes with built-in rangefinders are illegal. Handheld rangefinders are fine, so long as you don't tape it to your weapon. Reflex (red dot) sights are fine. Illuminated reticles are fine. Spotlighting of "unprotected predators" is legal, with written permission, on private ground only.

If you stay on for Muzzle Loader, Idaho has pretty tight rules for weapons. Iron sights only (peep OK.), lead projectile, no sabots, exposed cap or flintlock. 209 primer systems illegal, projectile must be within .010" of bore diameter (patched ball ok), 45 Cal for Deer, 50 Cal for elk. More detail on the IDFG hunting page.

Fishing:
There are decent fishing opportunities through the Palouse region. With the exception of the Palouse River proper, most of it is small streams and a few Recreation District put and take lakes. . You are an hour from either the big lakes in the Coeur d'Alene system, or the Dworshak Reservoir and Clearwater River systems. Most areas are 6 trout per day. Read the regs.

COVID:
Rules change day to day. Bring your mask. You are fine out in the woods, but many businesses require a mask for service.

Required Permit summary:
Walk on access for Bennett Lumber or University of Idaho Experimental forest.
Camping or ATV access on PotlatchDeltic land.

Recommended Reading:
They came to Hunt. Recollections of a Whitetail Guide. - Jack M. Skille
Idaho's Greatest Whitetails. - Ryan Hatfield.

Both are on Amazon.

Feel free to PM me if I need to drill down on anything. Let me know where you are camped and I'll bring out beers.

I’m pretty sure the nonresident OTC whitetail tag is only good for a single unit, not multiple like the Palouse elk tag for example.

 

[44hunter45]

I’m pretty sure the nonresident OTC whitetail tag is only good for a single unit, not multiple like the Palouse elk tag for example.

My post was written before the change on December 1st, 2020, I have amended it.

White-tailed Deer Nonresident Tag Limits

Nonresident hunters are limited to their selected areas for deer (GMU) or elk (zone). ( More information ). 2024 White-tailed Deer Tags (Returns available in the next scheduled Returned Tag Sale) Tag Type Quota Available Tags for Regular Deer 14,000 SOLD OUT Reserved White-tailed Deer*...

idfg.idaho.gov

 

[Matthew57]

My post was written before the change on December 1st, 2020, I have amended it.

White-tailed Deer Nonresident Tag Limits

Nonresident hunters are limited to their selected areas for deer (GMU) or elk (zone). ( More information ). 2024 White-tailed Deer Tags (Returns available in the next scheduled Returned Tag Sale) Tag Type Quota Available Tags for Regular Deer 14,000 SOLD OUT Reserved White-tailed Deer*...

idfg.idaho.gov

Oh, I see. Thanks I had not noticed the date.

 

[cmartynn]

I live in the unit. There is some old info posted, so here is the latest. Particularly with regard to access.

Honestly, I think most locals fill their meat tags by driving the roads. It's any whitetail until Dec 1st. Don't overlook a tasty doe at the end. The population is good Edit: The region was hit by EHD in 2021 and there has been a significant loss of whitetail population. and there are additional doe tags available in the controlled (draw) hunts every year.

There are logging operations in most areas of the Palouse zone this year. These will not hinder you, but you may need to have plans A-Z in hand and be flexible. Some of my best bucks have been taken off brand new clear cuts. The deer and elk don't get the memo to change their patterns right away.

TAGS:
There is no OTC "8A" tag per se. The WHITETAIL ONLY OTC tag is good in 8,8A,11,11A (and elsewhere) from 8/30-12/01, depending on your weapon of choice. EDIT: As of Dec 1st 2020 - Non-resident deer tags are GMU specific. The GENERAL OTC deer allows you to shoot Mule Deer or Whitetail, but only from 8/30-11/03. There are Mule Deer in the unit and you need be sure you have the right tag in your hand and know a muley from a whitetail.

There are wolves in the unit. Trappers have some success, most wolves that are shot are incidentals by deer and elk hunters. Remember that you do not have to check in a deer, but IDFG requires you to check a wolf at the Lewiston Office or in the field by an IDFG Conservation Officer. Before you arrive, call the Lewiston office at 208-799-5010. Ask to speak with CO Tony Imthurn. Introduce yourself and get his cell phone if he is willing. I send him OnX pins all season long from anything I think is sketchy in the field. I will not put his cell number out here on the forum. If you shoot a wolf, you can send him a pin of where he can check your animal.

There are mountain lions too, and the season is open. You are more likely to see Santa Clause, but they do respond to turkey and other calls. A good friend killed one in Unit 12 last year while deer hunting.

Remember that you can use your NR deer tag on any predator in Idaho, but you will be burning your deer tag. It is your choice if taking a cat or wolf would be a satisfying end to your deer hunt. If not, you do not want to burn your deer tag and you should buy a wolf tag.

You DO NOT need an Upland Game permit unless you are planning to hunt the 9 Idaho WMAs listed on page 12 of the IDFG Upland Game proclamation pamphlet. All the WMAs are in the southern part of the state. We kill forest grouse here with rocks, clubs, pellet guns, pistols, bows, sticks, spears, rifles, shotguns, etc. 4 per day, 8 in possession. You can also take hares, pheasant, and squirrel. Outside of the towns, the only squirrels you see will be Red Pine Squirrel. That's a lot killin' for not a lot of grillin'. You need a tag for fall turkey. There are lots of turkeys in the unit and they are any bird on the fall tag. ( Idaho requires a shotgun for turkeys)

Recent changes require you to keep the legs of grouse also. We used to just breast them out, but that is now considered wanton waste. But it is hard to beat a whole grouse on a stick over the campfire.

Be sure you print your tag at home in advance. They are not mailed out anymore. You get an e-mail from IDFG with the printable license. If you forget, you can go to Tri-State and request a lost license re-print, but there is a fee. Tri-State Outfitters is the place for any IDFG vendor needs. They do IDFG at Wal-Mart, but that means lines and such. I've known some to print it out in a hotel business center. Just having the image on your smart phone is not enough.

If you come through Moscow, stop at Tri-State and register for their Big Buck Contest. It's free and you could win a rifle.

CWD:
Idaho is still considered CWD free. However, make sure you check your home state regs on bringing game animal meat/parts back in from Idaho.
EDIT: Idaho is now a CWD state.

Due to CWD, Idaho no longer allows natural urine lure products, but they do allow synthetics. I have had zero luck with lures since that change. Just IMHO. They sell the natural still at Tri-State because it's legal in Washington. You are responsible to have the right stuff.

Access:
PotlatchDeltic opened several hundred thousands acres to walk in traffic to anyone with a valid IDFG hunting license.
You do need a permit for 14 days of camping on PoltatchDeltic property. You need an ATV access permit if you plan to use an ATV behind their gates. All signage restrictions apply even to those with the ATV permit.
Both permits are available on the PotlatchDeltic Recreation website.

Permission on private can be hard to get, but there is a lot of PotlatchDeltic, Bennett Lumber,Stimson Lumber, USFS, and State of Idaho ground. All allow walk-in hunting, but the University of Idaho Experimental Forest requires you to get a free permit for access. You have to choose only one of their units. All the UIEF ground is in Unit 8. For the last 6 years all the UIEF ground has been walk-in, day use, only. In OnX, the UIEF is labeled University of Idaho, rather than State of Idaho.

OnX will show you everything you need in terms of access. Know how to download 5x5 mile offline maps. Cell coverage is spotty.

BTW - getting the UIEF permit has been difficult for me since face to face COVID restrictions on the U of I campus. E- mail Kassandra Townsend at "[email protected]" for that permit.

If you plan to walk/fish/hunt on Bennett Lumber property, you need to get the Sportsman's Courtesy Card. It is available at their Princeton,ID or Clarkston, WA mill offices. 7AM-4PM daily. It is free.
They state it is legal to drive on their un-gated roads, but if you set foot out of your vehicle, you are trespassing. Bennett allows no camping.

Tactics:
@Ben Long - Not much has changed since your Deary days. New clear cuts and all, but the strategies stay the same. The odds of getting a buck are good. Down from the glory days of the late 1990's, but good bucks are shot every year.

If you have time to scout, look for scrape lines and target areas where they cross open ground. Open ground may be as small as a logging road which they cross. I have scouted scrape lines through a mile of jungle and set up on the high side of a road crossing with good success. I think those small openings may give you a better chance at a daytime sighting.

Shots can be from 10 yards to 400 yards. I have rarely shot one past 100 yards. I have taken them with revolvers, muzzies, and rifles. I've missed too many with my bow. The Whitetail tag is good in 8A for Muzzle Loader from Dec2- Dec 14. Antlerless Only.

My son has had excellent luck rattling over the years. I don't have the patience for it. I have grunted in hot bucks.
That bruiser buck will magically be standing there on the edge at very last light if he shows up. Having said that, I have caught them cruising open ground.

If you are familiar with tree stand usage, you should bring it. In Idaho, an unoccupied tree stand on public land is open to use by anyone , regardless of who put it there. That does not mean there will not be an encounter with a pissed off tree stand owner. There are a few permanent ones out there, use at your own risk.

I have found WT bucks in farm fields and up high in the woods. Finding scrapes is key. The size of the scrape does not mean it was made by a big buck, but it may mean its more active.

Lures are allowed, baiting is not. No salt or grain baits. Attractant scents are OK.

Equipment rules:
Idaho does not allow any sight system or weapon attachment that projects light or laser toward the target. That means scopes with built-in rangefinders are illegal. Handheld rangefinders are fine, so long as you don't tape it to your weapon. Reflex (red dot) sights are fine. Illuminated reticles are fine. Spotlighting of "unprotected predators" is legal, with written permission, on private ground only.

If you stay on for Muzzle Loader, Idaho has pretty tight rules for weapons. Iron sights only (peep OK.), lead projectile, no sabots, exposed cap or flintlock. 209 primer systems illegal, projectile must be within .010" of bore diameter (patched ball ok), 45 Cal for Deer, 50 Cal for elk. More detail on the IDFG hunting page.

Fishing:
There are decent fishing opportunities through the Palouse region. With the exception of the Palouse River proper, most of it is small streams and a few Recreation District put and take lakes. . You are an hour from either the big lakes in the Coeur d'Alene system, or the Dworshak Reservoir and Clearwater River systems. Most areas are 6 trout per day. Read the regs.

COVID:
Rules change day to day. Bring your mask. You are fine out in the woods, but many businesses require a mask for service.

Required Permit summary:
Walk on access for Bennett Lumber or University of Idaho Experimental forest.
Camping or ATV access on PotlatchDeltic land.

Recommended Reading:
They came to Hunt. Recollections of a Whitetail Guide. - Jack M. Skille
Idaho's Greatest Whitetails. - Ryan Hatfield.

Both are on Amazon.

Feel free to PM me if I need to drill down on anything. Let me know where you are camped and I'll bring out beers.

Thanks for the info! I'm looking at trying to get a non-resident deer and elk tag in Idaho this year and do the December 1 online thing. Even if I am in the back I figured I would probably still be able to pick up a whitetail only tag and 8A has a lot of tags for non-residents. Do you have any other recommendations for whitetail units in Idaho? I live in Missoula so going over Highway 12 I am closest to units 10 and 12. I know those are super thick but I have seen decent bucks in there while hiking.

 

[44hunter45]

Thanks for the info! I'm looking at trying to get a non-resident deer and elk tag in Idaho this year and do the December 1 online thing. Even if I am in the back I figured I would probably still be able to pick up a whitetail only tag and 8A has a lot of tags for non-residents. Do you have any other recommendations for whitetail units in Idaho? I live in Missoula so going over Highway 12 I am closest to units 10 and 12. I know those are super thick but I have seen decent bucks in there while hiking.

10 and 12 are excellent Whitetail units. Don't overlook 16. It is not all that much farther to 3 rivers.

 

[TheTone]

10 and 12 are excellent Whitetail units. Don't overlook 16. It is not all that much farther to 3 rivers.

I’ll echo this. You would be driving by hunting just as good as what you would be heading to