High Country Mule Deer Trip - Lessons Learned

[44hunter45]

There is no need to sign your tag after harvest in Idaho like most Western States but it is a good idea for both you and your friends to read the regulations multiple times to make sure you understand them. You could also put a copy of the regulations on your phone to reference while in the field. An easy error to make in Idaho is not leaving "evidence of sex" naturally attached to boned out meat.

+1

You need to validate after the kill by cutting out the notches for month and date of kill. If you do not you will be cited if you are checked by a C.O.

Idaho no longer sends you a tag in the mail. You will get an e-mail with a printable tag. Print this ASAP. Trim it down from the 8 1/2x11" sheet and laminate it with packing tape or something. assume it will get wet in the field.

... out of shape hunting partners to gear selection to hunting schedule to game preparation or whatever you'd be inclined to share with us. ...

Ok thanks. We are going to get diomox (sp) to help with the altitude acclimation. We plan to camp at 8000 and work our way up depending how it goes. Hunt high and sleep low as they say.

I always smile when someone says they are going to hunt Central Idaho and are not worried about being in shape. Central Idaho is STEEP. Google Earth can't picture it. It's not about being able to get from 8000' to the top, which is hard enough. If you spot a buck across a canyon, you have to be in good enough shape to get in place for a shot some time before tomorrow.

Central Idaho can kick your butt if you underestimate it. It is also possible to have the trip of a lifetime. My first trip to Idaho decades ago we drove in in the dark and slept under the truck. I woke up and rolled out and said, "Oh $hit, the topo didn't look like this." I was 24 years old and in top shape. There were multiple times in that 5 days I truly thought I was going to die. I got an elk and had the time of my life.

I loved it so much that I moved here.

Full disclosure, for me that feeling like I am going to die adds to the experience. Even at 59. Some day they may find my bleached bones, but it beats the hell out dying in bed or at a desk. I remind Mrs45 of this every season.

@BrianID has layed out some solid advice.

Be prepared for any kind of weather. Hypothermia is a real risk while backpack hunting in the mountains in October. I've had my water bottles freeze in my pack while hiking mid day hunting Idaho in October. I've also had many days that are 70 or even 80 degrees in the Idaho mountains in October. If the weather forecast isn't favorable, I wouldn't recommend camping too far from your vehicle if you are not an experienced backpack hunter.

I've had some damned miserable nights in Central Idaho in October. I've gotten up in the morning to find my plastic military surplus canteen frozen and split open. Solid Ice.
I've had hypothermia before. It was not that cold. 40°F and wet. Hypothermia makes you do stupid, unsafe things.

Make sure you have onX hunt on your phone and know how to download offline maps before you lose signal. Cell coverage is basically nil. Use the wildfire layer on OnX to target glassing locations. Even without OnX, you will see the stands of burned out timber. In the dry country, glass hard around Mountain Mahogany trees and up high look hard around aspens. Glass the bottom line of canyon rim rock for bedding bucks.

... These can be anything from fly in logistics...

You didn't say which unit you were hunting, so this is hard. You have three choices, Boise, Lewiston, or Missoula. I guess even SLC. Where you can get a suitable rental rig may be the most important variable.

Keep abreast of the highway conditions. Highways 20 and 21 were closed part the year last year. Highway 95 was closed for a while this summer as well. In Idaho, a road closure can mean VERY long detour.

Finally -
Do call the regoinal IDFG office and talk to the ungulate biologist. Don't ask them where you should hunt. Tell them your target destination drainages and ask them about herd health, age class, hunting pressure, etc. They may steer you somewhere else. They will be helpful, especially if they see you have done some homework and are not looking for an easy tag punch.

 

[tomengineer]

+1

You need to validate after the kill by cutting out the notches for month and date of kill. If you do not you will be cited if you are checked by a C.O.

Idaho no longer sends you a tag in the mail. You will get an e-mail with a printable tag. Print this ASAP. Trim it down from the 8 1/2x11" sheet and laminate it with packing tape or something. assume it will get wet in the field.



I always smile when someone says they are going to hunt Central Idaho and are not worried about being in shape. Central Idaho is STEEP. Google Earth can't picture it. It's not about being able to get from 8000' to the top, which is hard enough. If you spot a buck across a canyon, you have to be in good enough shape to get in place for a shot some time before tomorrow.

Central Idaho can kick your butt if you underestimate it. It is also possible to have the trip of a lifetime. My first trip to Idaho decades ago we drove in in the dark and slept under the truck. I woke up and rolled out and said, "Oh $hit, the topo didn't look like this." I was 24 years old and in top shape. There were multiple times in that 5 days I truly thought I was going to die. I got an elk and had the time of my life.

I loved it so much that I moved here.

Full disclosure, for me that feeling like I am going to die adds to the experience. Even at 59. Some day they may find my bleached bones, but it beats the hell out dying in bed or at a desk. I remind Mrs45 of this every season.

@BrianID has layed out some solid advice.


I've had some damned miserable nights in Central Idaho in October. I've gotten up in the morning to find my plastic military surplus canteen frozen and split open. Solid Ice.
I've had hypothermia before. It was not that cold. 40°F and wet. Hypothermia makes you do stupid, unsafe things.

Make sure you have onX hunt on your phone and know how to download offline maps before you lose signal. Cell coverage is basically nil. Use the wildfire layer on OnX to target glassing locations. Even without OnX, you will see the stands of burned out timber. In the dry country, glass hard around Mountain Mahogany trees and up high look hard around aspens. Glass the bottom line of canyon rim rock for bedding bucks.

You didn't say which unit you were hunting, so this is hard. You have three choices, Boise, Lewiston, or Missoula. I guess even SLC. Where you can get a suitable rental rig may be the most important variable.

Keep abreast of the highway conditions. Highways 20 and 21 were closed part the year last year. Highway 95 was closed for a while this summer as well. In Idaho, a road closure can mean VERY long detour.

Finally -
Do call the regoinal IDFG office and talk to the ungulate biologist. Don't ask them where you should hunt. Tell them your target destination drainages and ask them about herd health, age class, hunting pressure, etc. They may steer you somewhere else. They will be helpful, especially if they see you have done some homework and are not looking for an easy tag punch.

Wow thanks for all of the amazing advice. I will give IDFG a call for sure. And yes I’m really trying hard to think about cold weather in terms of clothing, tent, sleep system and I think we are squared away but we’ll see. I actually did get a paper tag in the mail but I’m thinking I requested one be sent when I bought them. I can’t remember at this point. Thanks again for the input.

 

[tomengineer]

I agree it is always a good idea to check your rifles zero. For shots less than 300 yard, your zero probably won't shift more than a couple inches and won't be a big factor. If you want to shoot at extended ranges, knowing your exact zero is critical. There are way to many guys out hunting that think they are capable of 500 yard or even 1000 yard shots just because they have a scope with a turret and a computer calculated drop. I believe many hunters with a turret on their scope aren't even capable of making a 300 yard shot under field conditions with even a 50% success rate and have absolutely no business trying to shoot at 500+ yards. Every hunter that is capable of shooting a deer at 500+ yards has extensive practice shooting under field conditions at extended ranges. It isn't something you can learn to do shooting from a bench. Being able to quickly get a solid rest in field conditions and factoring in wind, elevation, angle and bullet drop all take extensive practice to learn. Learn your limits on range and stick to it. Shooting beyond your limit is just going to waste ammo (best case scenario) or result in a wounded animal that your don't recover (worse case scenario).



There is no need to sign your tag after harvest in Idaho like most Western States but it is a good idea for both you and your friends to read the regulations multiple times to make sure you understand them. You could also put a copy of the regulations on your phone to reference while in the field. An easy error to make in Idaho is not leaving "evidence of sex" naturally attached to boned out meat.


Just don't tell your wife that you and your hunting buddies are taking viagra for your "hunting trip". LOL
Viagra was originally developed for pulmonary hypertension and may help some for altitude sickness but camping at 8000 feet isn't going to result in severe altitude sickness. I think the risks outweigh the benefits of viagra for your trip. All medications can have side effects. If you take your first viagra a 3 hour walk from your vehicle and a 2 hour drive to the hospital, calling your doctor for an erection lasting more than 4 hours won't do you much good. LOL

Slowly transitioning to higher elevations is the best thing you can do to prevent altitude sickness. Getting to lower elevations is the best thing you can do to treat altitude sickness. Camping at 8000 feet and even hunting up to 10,000 feet during the day is very unlikely to cause altitude sickness. After arriving in Idaho, plan on camping at 5000-6000 ft the first night before hiking to camp at higher elevations will help with the transition. I don't really notice the air getting thinner until I get around 9000 feet but I live at 4000 feet of elevation. Just expect your time to hike at higher elevations to be much slower than you think it will. In steep high country, I plan on it taking me at least an hour to hike 1 mile on the map. 5 miles on the map without a trail could easily take more than a day in tough high country. It will likely be much more physically and mentally challenging than you and your friends expect. Blisters on your feet are one of the biggest risks for messing up your hunt plans. Being in top physical shape and making sure your boots don't cause blisters will make your hunt much more enjoyable.

Be prepared for any kind of weather. Hypothermia is a real risk while backpack hunting in the mountains in October. I've had my water bottles freeze in my pack while hiking mid day hunting Idaho in October. I've also had many days that are 70 or even 80 degrees in the Idaho mountains in October. If the weather forecast isn't favorable, I wouldn't recommend camping too far from your vehicle if you are not an experienced backpack hunter.

Expected other hunters to have legal and illegal motorized access to places you don't expect. I've had this happen so many times in new places. There are many "two track roads" and 4 wheeler trails that don't show up on maps.

Idaho general season isn't an easy tag to kill any buck, let alone a mature buck. In most areas, there are very few 5+ year old mule deer bucks. Hunters are just too effective at killing them with general season tags before they get old enough to grow really big antlers. Every 5+ year old buck in Idaho's general season units have found a way to avoid getting killed. (living on private land, becoming more nocturnal, staying in thick cover, etc) Even if you don't find any big bucks, the scenery and experience will make this trip worth it to most hunters. Expect this trip to be more of a learning experience than a hunt that you and your friends all kill big bucks and you will have a good time.

Thanks for all of the great information. Yes our expectations are definitely realistic in terms of success on a trophy animal. We are looking to learn some areas and refine our backcountry hunting skills/gear while we build points in CO and WY.

 

[teej89]

Thanks for all of the great information. Yes our expectations are definitely realistic in terms of success on a trophy animal. We are looking to learn some areas and refine our backcountry hunting skills/gear while we build points in CO and WY.

In the same boat myself(first timer), have you read the book "The Edge"? If not, give it a go it's a great high country mulie read.

Hiking in on Friday for a weekend scouting trip for a fifth weekend in a row ha. Fortunately WA "high buck" where we are is max 7k in elevation

 

[teej89]

 

[tomengineer]

In the same boat myself, have you read the book "The Edge"? If not, give it a go it's a great high country mulie read.

Hiking in on Friday for a weekend scouting trip for a fifth weekend in a row ha. Fortunately WA "high buck" where we are is max 7k in elevation

Yes! I’ve got the edge along with Robby Denning’s book and Eastman and Dwight Schruh’s. So much reading 0 practical experience. I’ll give it a go in October.

 

[teej89]

Yes! I’ve got the edge along with Robby Denning’s book and Eastman and Dwight Schruh’s. So much reading 0 practical experience. I’ll give it a go in October.

I think so far my biggest understatement is gaging the hike. I can cook at 3.2MPH on rolling hills and a 50# pack for an hour while walking the dog. However add a steady incline as I gained 3500' in 6mi and I hiked at about 1.8MPH and that was me hoofing it to be sunset.

 

[tomengineer]

I think so far my biggest understatement is gaging the hike. I can cook at 3.2MPH on rolling hills and a 50# pack for an hour while walking the dog. However add a steady incline as I gained 3500' in 6mi and I hiked at about 1.8MPH and that was me hoofing it to be sunset.

Ok thanks for the heads up. It's easy to put waypoints in onX but I have a feeling it will be harder actually walking to them.

 

[idnative1948]

View attachment 151895

Yup!

 

[tamu hunter]

This is all great advice that I appreciate. I will be making my first trip up there here in a month. Looking forward to the beauty of the mountains, and except to hang my tags in a frame next to several great photos I take while I am there. Of course I would love to bring home an animal but this first trip will be more about the experience than bringing home the trophy!

Thank you all for helping us new adventurers out!

 

[JLS]

Just cant shot prone after

Tripod....

 

[44hunter45]

Just cant shot prone after

ROFLMAO - Mrs45 wanted to know why I was laughing out loud and I told her. She says, "You boys!"

 

[teej89]

Here's a couple dumb ones from this weekend.

1. Don't judge total mileage from OnX, when it's steep they're not including elevation gain (hypotenus). It was off by 3 miles this weekend

2. Water, find it first. Even if it looks like there's seeps, everything was dry except a swamp 1/3 down the basin (1000')

3. Learn to judge topos. I thought I was good at it but our only water source was essentially cliffs and rock slides down to it, no bueno. Looks pretty from a satelite tho

 

[JLS]

Looks pretty from a satelite tho

I think many of us have said this before...

 

[tomengineer]

Here's a couple dumb ones from this weekend.

1. Don't judge total mileage from OnX, when it's steep they're not including elevation gain (hypotenus). It was off by 3 miles this weekend

2. Water, find it first. Even if it looks like there's seeps, everything was dry except a swamp 1/3 down the basin (1000')

3. Learn to judge topos. I thought I was good at it but our only water source was essentially cliffs and rock slides down to it, no bueno. Looks pretty from a satelite tho

Great information again. Any interest in guiding me? We can call it "the blind leading the blind" or "in the land of the first time mule deer hunter the one eyed man is king". You get the idea. Kidding of course, thanks for all of the good information. I'm going to use your 1.8 mph pace as a general guide as your other walking pace with 50#'s matches mine.

 

[BrianID]

If you are on a trail you can cover distance much faster and 1.8 mph is a realistic goal. Don’t plan on 1.8 mph for 3 hours in the Idaho mountains without a trail and a 50lb pack.

 

[tomengineer]

If you are on a trail you can cover distance much faster and 1.8 mph is a realistic goal. Don’t plan on 1.8 mph for 3 hours in the Idaho mountains without a trail and a 50lb pack.

Ok thanks I'll set my travel distances the first few days pretty conservatively both due to altitude and uncertainty around travel times. I'll want to make my spot before the sun comes up.

 

[Irrelevant]

Here's a couple dumb ones from this weekend.

1. Don't judge total mileage from OnX, when it's steep they're not including elevation gain (hypotenus). It was off by 3 miles this weekend

2. Water, find it first. Even if it looks like there's seeps, everything was dry except a swamp 1/3 down the basin (1000')

3. Learn to judge topos. I thought I was good at it but our only water source was essentially cliffs and rock slides down to it, no bueno. Looks pretty from a satelite tho

There isn't a climb or hike I've ever done where I thought, "this is exactly how I thought it would be"

 

[IDFireLass]

Weather peeps are basically all saying in Idaho Sept will be very dry and warm to hot.
October is going to be a whole different critter. Cold temps and wet from rain to snow through November. La Nina~ is setting up the end of Sept.
It's very tinder dry in central Idaho right now. We won't drive anywhere there is high grass in the roads let alone park on it. Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place right now. Have no idea when they will take it off.

 

[Elkmagnet]

See if your doctor can get you some free samples of Viagra. In higher elevations it’s one of the best meds you can take. It will get oxygen in your blood stream quicker then altitude pills. My doctor shakes his head every September when I ask for some, hell even laughed when I first asked about it. But, after he did some checking he was like dang your right.

This is why you guys are having trouble sleeping at altitude.