IdahoBugler
Well-known member
I'll start out by saying this hunt was number one on my list. With all the good reports I had herd about previous hunts I had a very high expectation of this hunt. Heck it took me 9 years to draw it so I thought this would be the chance to take a real smoker.
I made the 11 hour trip on Thursday, 2 days before the season to do a little scouting. The first night was very uneventful as I had only found 5 does. I woke up the next morning and glassed some of the mesa's with the same amount of luck. I did see a very young buck with great potential. He was a main frame 18" buck with matching 1" kickers on his G2's. That evening I decided to hunt high and try to find the 100's of deer I was suppose to be seeing. I found a great glassing place over looking oak and quakies. For 3 hours I glassed and found a grand total of 18 elk and no deer. Decision time.... Where to start on opening day.
I decide to stay high and I hiked into a secluded canyon to glass in the morning. That morning only elk were spotted and not one deer. I headed for the truck and drove down to the middle country to still hunt the junipers in hopes of finding some fresh sign. Not one deer or sign for that matter was seen. I did find a couple of sheds.
Some of the country I was hiking through.
That evening found me in the lower country glassing for bucks. I did spot more deer and a few younger bucks but still nothing to get excited about.
This was the trend for the next 5 days. The weather was hot and dry and no mature bucks were spotted. Finally on day 6 I spotted my first mature deer. He was a tall 4 point that would score in the 150's. Funny thing is he was 20 yards off the road staring at me as I was heading up to a spot to glass. With 2 full days left I decided to pass. That evening the weather changed and it snowed 1.5" up on top. The reports I had heard is if any weather comes the deer move down to the mesa's. I decided to hunt low and found more deer but only does and young bucks. I did see one 3x4 that had the horn configuration of a whitetail. All points coming off his main beam. He was the first buck that showed sign of the up coming rut.
I made the 11 hour trip on Thursday, 2 days before the season to do a little scouting. The first night was very uneventful as I had only found 5 does. I woke up the next morning and glassed some of the mesa's with the same amount of luck. I did see a very young buck with great potential. He was a main frame 18" buck with matching 1" kickers on his G2's. That evening I decided to hunt high and try to find the 100's of deer I was suppose to be seeing. I found a great glassing place over looking oak and quakies. For 3 hours I glassed and found a grand total of 18 elk and no deer. Decision time.... Where to start on opening day.
I decide to stay high and I hiked into a secluded canyon to glass in the morning. That morning only elk were spotted and not one deer. I headed for the truck and drove down to the middle country to still hunt the junipers in hopes of finding some fresh sign. Not one deer or sign for that matter was seen. I did find a couple of sheds.
Some of the country I was hiking through.
That evening found me in the lower country glassing for bucks. I did spot more deer and a few younger bucks but still nothing to get excited about.
This was the trend for the next 5 days. The weather was hot and dry and no mature bucks were spotted. Finally on day 6 I spotted my first mature deer. He was a tall 4 point that would score in the 150's. Funny thing is he was 20 yards off the road staring at me as I was heading up to a spot to glass. With 2 full days left I decided to pass. That evening the weather changed and it snowed 1.5" up on top. The reports I had heard is if any weather comes the deer move down to the mesa's. I decided to hunt low and found more deer but only does and young bucks. I did see one 3x4 that had the horn configuration of a whitetail. All points coming off his main beam. He was the first buck that showed sign of the up coming rut.
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