2021 Idaho Deer w Pack Goats

[Duck-Slayer]

It’s that time of year again, so I better get this thread started. Already got all my food prepackaged and packed all my gear today. Leaving Sunday for 6 days of backcountry searching for a velvety deer Hitting a new area this year, so it will be an adventure.
Matt

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Looking forward to following along!

 

[Bob C]

Goodluck bro !

 

[MarvB]

Good luck Matt, will be following!

 

[Talk2elk]

Good luck, what an adventure

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Man look at those sweet new panniers! Good luck and if you get into any sticky situations and need assistance hit me up.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Man look at those sweet new panniers! Good luck and if you get into any sticky situations and need assistance hit me up.

yeah!!! Excited to try my new pack saddles also. Marc Warnke signature series stuff seems pretty legit, spendy though!
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Burrito making day! These will be split up between 5 hunts, 3 for each hunt. I did a short picture collage on how I make them.
Matt
Eggs

deer burger

Retried beans

potatoes shredded

Bacon

cheese

egg/meat/bean/potato mixture/bacon

fry the flap side down

and let cool

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Here’s a overview of the first leg of my adventure.
Day 1, arrived just before dark to the trailhead of choice.

Day 2, I got the goats loaded it up, My goal was to make it 5 miles in before 1 o’clock and set up camp. I achieved a little bit over that, I went in 5.88 miles then set up camp. Pretty uneventful first day, I had a doe and two fawns water about 25 yards from camp at the spring that was there.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Day 3 consisted of a 1,335 ft elevation climb in 2 miles! it took awhile with the goats being out of shape and myself the same lol great vantage point I glassed from mid morning almost all the way to dark. Only thing I spotted was a small 4 PT, moving fast through the deadfall and rocks a long ways away. The pictures didn’t come out very well do to all the smoke , huge fire burning in the Frank not far away. Moved down to a small lake for camp about .90 miles away.
Matt

 

[Crossbowguy]

That's some gorgeous country that you are in! definitely following along!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Day 4
I glassed all morning till about 9am, didn’t see notta . I made the choice to make the 11 mile trip back to the trailhead, between the Smoke and Full Moon and not much for deer sign I called it! Back now at home with some R&R for the goats and myself after the long ass hike out in 1 day. Hopefully after a couple days I’ll be back at it.
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

This is what OnX said I did, but there’s some backtracking involved, this was on the way out.
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Day 5 headed up the mountain again to see what I can find. On the way up I found a few antelope on a small piece of public land. Got to 82 yards a couple times of some Doe’s. Bucks seemed to stay out 95+yards
Got to the trailhead and ended up meeting a very nice couple that had been packed into that canyon for the first week of the season elk hunt. We talked from 5pm to 12am lol there may have been a few drinks in that time also! Let’s just say I have a couple new friends. I seem to always meet my friends at trailheads
Matt

 

[BAKPAKR]

View attachment 193263

I like your taste in beer.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I like your taste in beer.

This is my weight gain regimen in the backcountry lmao
Matt

 

[Lucky_Lep]

This is my weight gain regimen in the backcountry lmao
Matt

Quality caloric in take!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Day 6 was getting ready to head up the trail with the goats and say to my new friends. Headed up the trail, it was already hot at 9am… supposed to be 86, witch is stupid hot for the mountains this time of year! I was told there were a few antelope back in the sage brush basin. After a 2.8 mile climb in there, there was a herd of about 27 antelope with a decent buck in there. They spooked as soon as I crested the ridge to drop into the basin, dang oh well. I went down to where they were bedded and took a nice siesta in the shade with the goats.


We had a nice break in the shade, low and behold after a 1/2hr. or so while I’m being mister photographer my goat Danner stands up and is intensely looking out behind a tree, there’s an antelope buck standing staring at us, 92 yards out! Took the photo after the fact, this is where he was standing.

he moved to the right, I figured he was going down to drink. As he was intensely looking for predators I got my bow off my pack, arrow knocked, and started ranging sage. I used some deadfall to get closer. In the meantime he had crossed to creek. I ranged him, 66 yards. Should be a chip shot from all my practicing this summer. I had to navigate a tree to find a shooting lane, drew settled my pin and touched off my release. Everything seemed like slow motion as the arrow darted through the air. Ting….. F bomb, there was a tiny branch I did not see and the arrow harmlessly deflected to the right and low
Green circle is the opening, red line is where the branch was, blue is where the a antelope was standing.



Couldn’t move to the left because of deadfall, to the right of tree I had no shot… thought I could fit it in, but that’s what she said too lol
Ended up packing down the drainage and do some exploring, it was still another 3 miles up the drainage to where I was wanting to go, but I had to be home tomorrow evening so I figured I would just chase antelope and head back tomorrow afternoon. I did glass a ton of country with no deer or elk sightings.
Matt

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Day 7, plan was to get up early and get back to the trailhead since it was supposed to be 85 degrees! I got up and while I was packing up camp I had a fawn antelope come hang out with me for a bit, he stayed between 55-70 yards from me till I decided to leave than he got the idea we were not other antelope lol

Pretty uneventful trip other than the antelope. I did come across a small forky mule deer in velvet on my way back, definitely was tempting. Lots of season left though.
Did I mention it was hot!


Done with deer hunting for now, onto elk!
Matt