Rate this deer country

[Paul in Idaho]

In a recent post I talked about how my desert hunting background is causing problems for me as I try to hunt central Idaho.

Here are some photos from where I hunted last week. Please post your thoughts about the quality of this area for holding bucks. They weren't there last week, but I found a lot of indication deer live there part of the year. Possibly just winter range, as I found one good matched set of sheds plus a single smaller 4-point antler

This area was in the 6000-7000+ elevation range, surrounded by ridges that went up around 9,000 feet. There was a large creek within a mile of each of these photos, with aspens and poplars around it and in the lower draws.

 

[sreekers]

You need to be higher, especially with a lack of snow. Those higher ridges are where i would concentrate.

 

[utah400elk]

it looks good to me but... Deer are a lot like elk in that they are where you find them. I have spent many days huntigngreat looking area and never saw an animal. I have also walked through grass that is 5 inches tall and jumped a 180 class buck from a two foot depression. This particular situation was in eastern Wyoming but I have found similar situations in Utah and Colorado.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Nice shed's. Check that area again on a year with some weather.

 

[Oak]

I know nothing about hunting mule deer, but I'm curious what camera you used to take the photos with the information recorded on them? I assume it's a GPS unit with integrated camera.

 

[ida homer]

+1 on deer are where you find them. 70% of the elk are in 30% of elk country, and that's seeming to be true with deer now too. Especially in our heavily hunted OTC units in idaho, between that and the predators I have found great looking areas that are gameless. But I have also found awesome numbers in odd looking country. I'd reccommend higher until we get some weather (forecast sucks), I was seeing small bucks and does at 7-8k yesterday not far from Boise.

 

[idnative1948]

And at less than 5500-6200 less than two hours from BOI to the NW. Go figure

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Thanks all. Next year I'll go higher unless a lot of snow pushes them down to the 7k' range.

twsnow18 - I have been watching the forecast with disbelief. I wonder if a storm will arrive before hunting season ends.

Oak - I took those photos with my iPhone, using an app called Theodolite. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/theodolite/id339393884

 

[idnative1948]

Forecast does not look good for a storm any time soon. But, we know that weather can change in an hour in the NW.

 

[huntbux]

Every deer I found this year was above 7000 ft here in Nevada. I was hunting mainly the high country but in the lower areas I looked I didn't find much.

 

[MTpubliclander]

Sheds might mean your too low but I really couldn't tell ya. I would say if an evening of glassing produces nothing then try higher for now, or go to an area that you feel more comfortable with.