Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

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Idaho pronghorn populations have held steady in recent years. This past winter resulted in a few localized die-offs, but most of the herd remained healthy. Idaho does not have many antelope tags. Rifle draw odds are bleak for residents and nonresident alike. Trophy quality is really lacking in Idaho as well. Since 2000, Idaho has only entered 18 trophies into the Boone and Crockett record book, basically equating to one 80” buck killed and registered each season. Contrast this with Wyoming, a pronghorn powerhouse, which has entered 495 during the same timeframe, or about 31 per season. I say this to highlight the reality of pronghorn hunting in Idaho. You can certainly have an enjoyable experience, just do not go there expecting to find many 80” or even 70” bucks. On the plus side, the overall hunt cost is less compared to many others.
Archery and muzzleloader are the hunts to apply for as a nonresident. The rifle permit odds are simply too tough to overcome. One circumstance where it makes sense to apply for rifle antelope is applying in the area you already plan to pursue elk or deer; possibly setting yourself up for a combination hunt.

Top Units
Units 37-1, 39, 54 are the top rifle units in Idaho. All four have odds below 7% for the resident and below 1% for nonresidents.
Unit 37-1 has great access, high harvest success and decent trophy potential.

Unit 39 has an excellent public land percentage, high harvest odds and decent trophy potential.

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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!