Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

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The Idaho elk population is in a good position entering the 2017 season. The winter was a hard one, but elk are hardy. The elk winter kill was not substantial. None of the limited entry hunts saw notable tag allocation declines, and some were increased.

If seeking a 350” bull, the options are narrow. Although several Boone and Crockett bulls are harvested each year, it is less than other states. Most of the big bull units are in the southern Idaho desert bordering Nevada and Utah or along the borders with Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming.

1. Owyhee Unit 40 is along the Oregon border southwest of Boise. Public land access is superb at 83%, and the terrain is not physically challenging. Harvest success has averaged 57% but every single one of the bulls taken the past three seasons has been at least six points.
The rifle season opens while the rut is ongoing. The bow hunt is also one of the top choices. Harvest success has been high for a bow area, at over 50% the past three seasons. Every bull taken during this time has been a six point or better.

The Idaho Deer application deadline is June 5th. If you have put off your research, I’ve put together a little last minute cheat sheet to get you up to speed. The past winter was hard on the deer herds. Snowfall in most areas was well above average. Fawn mortality has been extremely high in some areas. In response Fish and Game eliminated antlerless general season hunts in the following units: 48, 49, 52, 66A, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78. What this means is there will be a gap in the age class of the deer going forward, and in the 4-6 year old group it will be harder to find mature bucks.

Surveys indicate strong survival for mature bucks. On the plus side, high snowfall can mean a very wet and green spring and summer as the snow melt lasts longer into the year. These conditions are ideal for bucks to get enough nutrition to maximize their genetic potential. It could be a good year to be in the Idaho mountains. This article focuses on limited quota hunts, but Idaho also offers an extensive OTC opportunity. If you don’t pull a premium tag, plenty of big boys can be found in the general hunts.

1. Owyhee Unit 40 has the magical ingredient to growing big animals. The habitat doesn’t encourage dense populations for deer, so finding your buck may be tough, but the quality is there. The average hunt has taken 6 days, and 80% of hunter fill their tags. 76% of the unit is public land.

2. Smokey-Bennett Unit 45 access is notably better than its cousin to the North, at about 64%. The terrain is mostly lowlands and very easy for an Idaho hunt. Draw odds are very steep for both residents and nonresidents. Harvest success has been 85%, and 90% of the bucks taken were 4+ points. The average hunt has taken 6 days.

The days of “range guesstimation” are long over, or in your case they should be. I will admit, being a traditional bowhunter for many years made me resist the idea of rangefinding technology being incorporated into my gear. Boy, was that wrong!

In my humble opinion, I since feel that having a quality rangefinder in your chest rig makes you a more conscientious hunter. So instead of guessing you now know precisely how far that critter is. Couple that with the knowledge of your weapon of choice’s ballistics, and you have the formula for success. In short, knowledge is power and yardage is everything. It gives us the information we need to either stalk closer, or take the shot. Just a few yards either side of that can spell a missed shot, or worst of all – a wounded animal.

So where is all this leading? I guess it’s leading to the fact that if you don’t have a quality rangefinder you should, and I have fallen in love with SIG’s rangefinders, specifically the 2400ABS. This rangefinder is a permanent fixture in my hand and the information it provides is priceless!

It’s the most powerful in class rangefinder you can buy and power is everything when it comes to ranging “soft/non-reflective” targets like game animals. Power equates to distance at which you can read a soft target. With the 2400ABS ranging a game animal at 1,300 yards is no problem. Reflective objects, like a rock or hillside an animal is standing on, no problem, I have gotten readings back from 2,200 yards. That’s well over the 1,760 yards in a mile!

With the wrath of the worst winter in nearly 40 years finally behind us, the Wyoming deer herd has suffered tremendously, particularly on the Western side of the state. The regions of G, H and K have taken the brunt of the winter losses. Along with that historic limited quota go to areas for many such as 102, 141/162, 130 and 105/106/109 have seen very serious winter losses for their mule deer populations. As an example, the state of Wyoming had 99 mule deer fawns from last year (yearlings) collared for a study mostly from Regions G and H. Of those 99 only one single fawn survived the winter. Not a very good scenario to say the least. With that said, the options are pretty slim this year, and even at that, these are what I believe to be the best mule deer options available at this time in the state of Wyoming, which may not really be saying much.

1. Area 87-1: Right in the heart of the famed Carbon County and clear of the epicenter of the winter danger zone this area is a very solid bet for a high point holder who really wants to hunt deer this year. An increased quota, limited hunting pressure and high success make this area a very high quality hunt for Wyoming. Public land access can be a bit problematic here, so do your research.

2. Area 89-1: A solid producer and an expanding mule deer herd put this hunt on the list this year. This deer area has one of the highest buck to doe ratios in the entire state and one of the only mule deer herds that is over objective population levels. A great hunt for good bucks, but true monsters can be hard to come by here. A great bowhunt.

3. Area 101-1: This area has very limited hunting pressure and tons of country to hunt in. Although this area is in the winter danger zone I think the limited amount of tags and the excessive moisture from this winter and spring could really benefit the survivor bucks in this area. Probably the best bet in the state for a true monster of a buck this year, but could be a bit risky with decreased deer herd numbers.

Generally speaking, antelope do tend to fair somewhat better during a rough winter than the mule deer do. Antelope are notoriously hardy critters given their size. I do think the antelope have managed to fair slightly better than the deer did this past winter mostly due to the relatively mild spring we have seen this year. Even with that said, I would be very leery to burn a bunch of preference points on the historic big buck hot spots in Sweetwater and southwestern Carbon Counties. Historic hot spot areas such as 90, 96, 92, 59, 58, 57, 61 and 62 would probably be a huge gamble this year. Since antelope grow their horns during the winter months, even a very luscious spring, like we are now seeing may not be enough to boost the horn growth above and beyond the average most heavy point holders are usually looking for. A few exceptions could be these five antelope areas which should be free and clear of the heaviest of the winter damages.

1.Area 67-1: In the heart of Fremont County, this area has seen solid moisture this year but was somewhat clear of the worst conditions winter dealt to the areas just to the West. Monster bucks are definitely a possibility here, particularly on a year like this. Probably the best bet in the state this year for quantity and quality of bucks.

2. Area 114-1: This area is a very solid big buck producer and has been for decades. With the increased moisture levels this winter and spring, coupled with plenty of protected agriculture fields to winter on the antelope in this area should be as good as ever.

3. Area 75-1: A very solid and steady producer this area has plenty of antelope and can have some big bucks on a good year. This year should be good with the very wet spring and somewhat average winter here.