Semi-Live deer scouting trip. Somewhere in Idaho

[44hunter45]

I had the truck all packed but couldn’t get away from work until late.

A couple grocery stops and I was on my way. I coasted into Grangeville NomNom on fumes. I put 24 gallons in my 22 gallon tank.

It was full dark when I hit the USFS road and started climbing. In Idaho you have to be ready for anything on the Summer Solstice. I hit big wet snow about six miles in. By the time I found a place to get turned around it was already 2” deep and sticking. I had to cut a couple blowdowns to get enough to turn around.

I’ve just found and old grown over gated road to park. It gives me a flat spot in case I have to chain up in the morning to get out.

Dashboard panel says it is 34°F

 

[44hunter45]

Day two.
Spilled hot coffee in my lap and all over the truck console. That warmed me up.

Got back up on top and wished I had brought a chainsaw. I cut a few blowdowns off the road with my packer saw. Eventually hit stuff too big to keep going.
Dropped down and tried some other roads. Did a lot of bear glassing.
The closest thing to a bear.

Coming out about 10AM to hit another drainage and got into animals. Saw one WT Buck in velvet but he would not stand and pose.
Glassed elk on private.

Back down to the bottom and up another drainage.

 

[44hunter45]

Snowshoe hares all over the top of the unit

 

[44hunter45]

 

[44hunter45]

End of day two. Very productive day. I talked with a warden who gave me some key intel. I needed to be on the road I was on this morning and got turned back.
I came in from the other side and got within two miles from where I was stopped before. Good enough.

I could have gone around this but I would be tearing up the meadow. I will leave that to the UTVs.

I did not get a pic but saw a NICE buck right in the spot the CO said to scout.

Lots of drainages checked today. I set over 30 pins today.

This guy happened.

Actually in an area with a lot of meat poles in camping sites. I assume these will be full of locals in the fall. Traditional deer and elk camps. The CO says that not a lot of locals target deer. Deer are bycatch while elk hunting. I could get this elk tag OTC, but want to meat hunt early season near home. Then I can be focused in this tag.

Amazing county. I should have come here long ago. I have been in parts of it, but never dived deep.

I going to have to check my pins to remember where I saw this guy. I saw three first day bucks today and two last day bucks.
I remember now this pic is one of two “Montana Forkie” muley bucks hanging out together. They could not have cared less that I stopped and shot video and pics of them.



And so, to bed. More tomorrow.

 

[44hunter45]

Spent a rainy night in the woods and packed up to come home and dry out my gear. The way my summer looks, I do not think I will get the chance to do another live scouting trip.
I covered 75% of the unit. I am happy with the animals I saw and access. Crossed off a lot of the unit, which is important too.

The real secret to this hunt will be whether we get early or late snow. I need it to be late.

 

[44hunter45]

I'm pretty freakish about having my pickup cab neat and orderly. I should post this to the OCD stress thread.

 

[El Jason]

Looks normal. What’s the issue here?

Aaaaah, now I get it. Pop tarts. You’re missing pop tarts.

 

[44hunter45]

Looks normal. What’s the issue here?

Aaaaah, now I get it. Pop tarts. You’re missing pop tarts.

It's usually Franz chocolate Old Fashioned donuts for me.

 

[Jnasa]

I'm pretty freakish about having my pickup cab neat and orderly. I should post this to the OCD stress thread.

View attachment 375805

All bets are off for me on truck tidiness during hunting season or other outdoor trips.

 

[44hunter45]

All bets are off for me on truck tidiness during hunting season or other outdoor trips.

What is it about modern "safe" truck interiors that there is no place to hang a garbage bag? Like everyone else, all my carbohydrate and jerky wrappers end up in a growing pile on the floor. If I had taken a pic of the back seats...

Un-stuffed sleeping bag, 2 or three extra rifles in case I'm attacked by the revenge of the black bears, two Big Agnes tents (just in case), Coleman 2 burner, cast iron skillet, tackle box, fly fishing vest, fly boxes, rods, etc.

All this because I'm too lazy to dig out the rolling Rubber Maid bin in the back bed. The one with all my "real" camping gear in it.

 

[TheTone]

The difference in how clean I kept my pickup when I was young vs now is amazing. If it wash it twice a year I’m lucky. Come hunting season it’s basically a circuit of gear going in and out. My trecking poles were growing vegetation after they spent fall to spring in the bed of my truck

 

[44hunter45]

Last rant. USFS visitor's maps are a shadow of their former selves. I miss the slick ones. I suppose they were not environmentally friendly to print.

 

[Potsie]

Looks normal. What’s the issue here?

Aaaaah, now I get it. Pop tarts. You’re missing pop tarts.

And a box of raspberry filled powdered doughnuts on the dash.

 

[Potsie]

The difference in how clean I kept my pickup when I was young vs now is amazing. If it wash it twice a year I’m lucky. Come hunting season it’s basically a circuit of gear going in and out. My trecking poles were growing vegetation after they spent fall to spring in the bed of my truck

Speaking of science experiments, I pulled the car seats out of my truck last weekend and mucked out the back seat…

 

[noharleyyet]

"Dashboard panel says it is 34°F"

 

[44hunter45]

Speaking of science experiments, I pulled the car seats out of my truck last weekend and mucked out the back seat…

BTDT - Old dried milk and french fries. Deeper down it's Cheerios and Fruit Loops. A few mystery things with green fuzz growing on them. I had this truck less than a week before Miss T dumped a mocha in it. She was 12 or 13

You wanted heated/cooled seats, but they first time you hit the blue button each year it smells like an elk wallow.

 

[Elktrack]

BTDT - Old dried milk and french fries. Deeper down it's Cheerios and Fruit Loops. A few mystery things with green fuzz growing on them. I had this truck less than a week before Miss T dumped a mocha in it. She was 12 or 13

You wanted heated/cooled seats, but they first time you hit the blue button each year it smells like an elk wallow.

I never forget finding a chunk of a happy meal cheeseburger under a car seat that was several months old and not a speck of mold or deterioration on it. Other than being hard as petrified wood it still looked “edible “

 

[44hunter45]

Truck is packed and I’m off again. Two more drainages to check out.

 

[44hunter45]