My Own Private Idaho

T Bone

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Jan 8, 2001
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Location
West Slope, CO
My family and I have been hunting the same drainage in South Central Idaho for 42 years.

We've made some amazing memories in there.

The deer herd is in bad shape. By far the lowest numbers we've ever seen in there.

We still managed to fill the freezer, laugh, and turn another page of life.

Used my grandpa's Remington 721 that I had punched out to 9.3x62. It worked fine.
 

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My family and I have been hunting the same drainage in South Central Idaho for 42 years.

We've made some amazing memories in there.

The deer herd is in bad shape. By far the lowest numbers we've ever seen in there.

We still managed to fill the freezer, laugh, and turn another page of life.

Used my grandpa's Remington 721 that I had punched out to 9.3x62. It worked fine.
I contracted adult-onset hunting syndrome and I've only been hunting in Idaho for 4 years, mainly near Mountain Home/Ketchum areas. In these last 4 years, the mule deer herds seem to be struggling more each year. It's been tough to try and figure out how and where the populations are decent enough to take myself and my boys. Do you think Idaho is just over hunted?

In 42 years, what has your family seen happening?
 
IMO, Idaho's days of General Season tags are numbered.

As mentioned earlier, drought, over-grazing, illegal ATV use all play a part.
 
Good job filling the freezer!

It’s isolated pockets that were decimated from the 2 previous brutal winters. If you remember the snotel snowpack %’s from that year, some areas were at 95% of normal and some were over 170%. Which is not normal. Typically it is more uniform throughout the state, and fair to break the state out into 3 sections for snowpack / weather.

We are still seeing 75-100 deer (+/- 10 bucks) per day in 2 of our OTC spots. A couple 4x4‘s per day. My hunting buddy saw very strong fawn numbers on Friday. Where as I know some accomplished hunters that have struggled to find any deer at all this year. Isolated pockets it seems.

IMO, things are looking promising pending a 3rd straight mild winter. It’s not all doom and gloom, at least in our areas.

Promising winter, but not for my late season buck tag. Hopefully this weather pattern holds for the decimated areas throughout the state.
 

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IMO, Idaho's days of General Season tags are numbered.

As mentioned earlier, drought, over-grazing, illegal ATV use all play a part.
Winter a couple years back was unkind as well. Congrats on filling the freezer and making more memories.

My pard in ID, whom almost always gets a decent buck is still looking for one. Just hasn't turned up anything worthwhile.
 
I'm seriously considering heading north to try and fill my tag with a whitetail. I've been out quite a bit this fall and between the crowds and weather, have only seen a handful of does. I always seem to find elk though.
 
Sitka Gear Turkey Tool Belt

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