Idaho Southeast Deer 75,76,77 & 78

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

After recieving our ass-out letters from Nevada we decided to buy these tags. I'm not expecting to do anything but take my deer rifle for a walk on this hunt, and a great camp with my buddies of course. Anybody want to give me their .02? Good areas or areas to avoid?
Thanks,
Ben
P.S. There won't be any ATV's in camp, we like to walk all day and if we don't cross a road, it's a good hunt.

 

[IDHunters]

Well, the extra week at the end of the season will help ya out quite a bit (season ends 10/31). Unless I had a buck pre-scouted and was pretty sure I could whack him opening day I wouldn't hunt until that last week.

Deer densities are down from historical highs. When I started hunting that area (early 90's) there were alot of bucks, now there are alot of elk. The area has had some winter kill in the last couple years. There are deer there, and there are some good bucks, but you will have plenty of company!

There are some big areas west of bear lake toward the Ut border that can get you away from the crowds. There are also some areas in 76 along the WY border that limits access. There are 4 wheeler trails all over 75, 77 & 78. There is a restriction but it is very difficult to enforce. There are some areas limited by private land. You may consider coming up this summer and talking to some ranchers, you never know you might get on a place.

Personally I think the area is over-rated. At its peak, it surely was and could again be one of the best areas in the state. Over-hunting (several years of rut hunts w/ muzz and 45-55% success rates), winter-kill on fawns (poor recruitment) high predator populations and competition from elk have all kept this unit from rebounding like some other units in southern idaho have/are.

Good luck to ya!

 

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

Thanks IDH, Great info.

Speaking of high predator populations, are there any of those great big coyotes running around this part of the state?
You know the ones that Buzz and It claim to be so crucial to healthy game herds.

 

[T Bone]

FCB,

I've bowhunted unit 76 quite a bit. There are more elk than deer, but still plenty of deer to make it interesting. There are some very nice bucks in the unit. There are no real remote areas. Lot's of moose and grouse too. Classic rolling hills with quaky and pine stands.

There are no wolves in that corner of state as far as I know. Some 12 years ago we did see a grizz in there. There are good numbers of black bear and lion as well.

 

[IDHunters]

There are no "official" wolves in that corner of the state. A rancher I know located between Montpelier and Soda Springs has seen 3. Another rancher in the Downey area had a calf killed this spring by either a wolf or a very large feral dog. I wouldn't claim that wolves are having an impact on the deer or elk population. There are more than a few grizz along the WY border in 76.

Whats too bad is when people come and bowhunt elk and see some good deer and think, hey theres a good population of deer here. The problem is that historically there were elk populations in the hundreds or less (now there are about 1700 cow tags for rifle alone in the area) and deer were literally everywhere. And the quality was very good. Its tough for people who weren't here in the 80's (including some of our game managers) to comprehend how drastic the deer decline has been. Its all relative.

 

[1_pointer]

IDH-

Same thing is happening south of Bear Lake in UT as well. Not too many deer to speak of, but the elk populations are getting bigger. Reports from the longtimers I work with say it was just the opposite 30yrs ago.