Idaho Unit 8A Whitetail

[EthicalStalker]

Hey there everyone!
Looking for any tips or advice on hunting whitetail around Unit 8A.
I'm planning a trip in the end of November with two of my brothers. We're hunting non-resident OTC tags. And none of us have ever hunted whitetail before...

I've been doing as much research as I can on other forums, google maps, OnX and IDFG's website. But was hoping someone who's hunted the area might be able to give us some pointers? We're also looking at picking up wolf tags if anyone has knowledge on wolves in the area.
Any suggestions or help are greatly appreciated!!

 

[Ben Long]

It's damp, thick and more rugged than it looks. My experience is dated, but I hunted there 20 years and my dad still hunts there every year. I would hunt the edges of second growth, cutting units and logging roads. Look for cutting units with enough browse and cover to feed the deer but not so much you'll never see them. It's the kind of place where deer sit tight in dense cover and let you walk past within 10-30 yards. Hope for snow over rain. A game cart could be very handy. Get off the open roads and experiment with rattles, grunts and bleats. Ag lands are an option with permission. I'm interested in what others say because the world changes.

 

[2rocky]

Been 26 years since I hunted there. Fond memories of hunting Thanksgiving break rattling in the river canyons that fed eventually into the Clearwater River. Most of the ground was Potlatch corp. Not sure what their access rules are today.

Ben has the right idea. Heck we might have been in the same places. I do think my Blacktail experience helped my stillhunting while there...

 

[MaddH]

For sure get permit from Potlatch and one other timber company that I can’t remember the name. Tons of ground to hunt if you get the permit

 

[MaddH]

Two years ago Potlatch was like a $50 permit. The other timber company was free. Not sure about now

 

[TheTone]

IDFG is paying potlatch and a few other timber companies for day use of their property. It doesn’t cover camping or atvs, basically just parking and hiking

 

[Huntin' Fool]

8A has lots of great areas to hunt - Fish and game website has the info for timber properties open. National Forest lands north and east. Mid Nov is often better for rut activity.

 

[brymoore]

Two years ago Potlatch was like a $50 permit. The other timber company was free. Not sure about now

It’s free now to walk but you need to buy a permit for a ATV or motorbike.

 

[westbranch]

Bennett Lumber is the other company and still has a free permit. You have to stop at their office to get the permit. They post on their facebook page about closures and also about issues with people abusing the privilege. Hopefully it stays free.

The Onx layer for ID for "Possible Access" seems to be pretty accurate in most of Northern ID. This news release covers the new program:

Four reasons to check out the large tracts access program when planning your late season hunt

A lease agreement between Fish and Game and industrial forest owners provides sportsmen access to over 800,000 acres of private timber land in Idaho. Over half of those acres are in the Panhandle. Here are four reasons to take advantage of this program before the year is out.

idfg.idaho.gov

 

[EthicalStalker]

Thank you everyone for the replies! Sorry it took me so long to get back on. I appreciate all the info and will be sure to pick up the permits for the timer company land. I'll be staying in Ahsahka for the week. Any idea what the hunting pressure is like close to there? Or should I be venturing farther out? Also with the terrain and their rutting behavior is it more productive to sit and glass or keep moving in hopes of finding a buck on the move?

Thanks again! Hope everyone is doing well in these crazy times

 

[WesternHunter1996]

In my experience there is less pressure in the northern part of 8A as the logging roads around the reservoir can get a little busy. Never had a problem finding deer in the Bovill area. As far as strategy if they are rutting I would find an area with good sign off the road and wait it out otherwise you may just be busting deer.

 

[2rocky]

Rattling works well along ridges with rubs, and hit the river canyons in late season. Thanksgiving week its the best week to hunt.

You aren't going to catch big bucks out in the open during the day.

 

[44hunter45]

I live in the unit. There is some old info posted, so here is the latest. Particularly with regard to access.

Honestly, I think most locals fill their meat tags by driving the roads. It's any whitetail until Dec 1st. Don't overlook a tasty doe at the end. The population is good Edit: The region was hit by EHD in 2021 and there has been a significant loss of whitetail population. and there are additional doe tags available in the controlled (draw) hunts every year.

There are logging operations in most areas of the Palouse zone this year. These will not hinder you, but you may need to have plans A-Z in hand and be flexible. Some of my best bucks have been taken off brand new clear cuts. The deer and elk don't get the memo to change their patterns right away.

TAGS:
There is no OTC "8A" tag per se. The WHITETAIL ONLY OTC tag is good in 8,8A,11,11A (and elsewhere) from 8/30-12/01, depending on your weapon of choice. EDIT: As of Dec 1st 2020 - Non-resident deer tags are GMU specific. The GENERAL OTC deer allows you to shoot Mule Deer or Whitetail, but only from 8/30-11/03. There are Mule Deer in the unit and you need be sure you have the right tag in your hand and know a muley from a whitetail.

There are wolves in the unit. Trappers have some success, most wolves that are shot are incidentals by deer and elk hunters. Remember that you do not have to check in a deer, but IDFG requires you to check a wolf at the Lewiston Office or in the field by an IDFG Conservation Officer. Before you arrive, call the Lewiston office at 208-799-5010. Ask to speak with CO Tony Imthurn. Introduce yourself and get his cell phone if he is willing. I send him OnX pins all season long from anything I think is sketchy in the field. I will not put his cell number out here on the forum. If you shoot a wolf, you can send him a pin of where he can check your animal.

There are mountain lions too, and the season is open. You are more likely to see Santa Clause, but they do respond to turkey and other calls. A good friend killed one in Unit 12 last year while deer hunting.

Remember that you can use your NR deer tag on any predator in Idaho, but you will be burning your deer tag. It is your choice if taking a cat or wolf would be a satisfying end to your deer hunt. If not, you do not want to burn your deer tag and you should buy a wolf tag.

You DO NOT need an Upland Game permit unless you are planning to hunt the 9 Idaho WMAs listed on page 12 of the IDFG Upland Game proclamation pamphlet. All the WMAs are in the southern part of the state. We kill forest grouse here with rocks, clubs, pellet guns, pistols, bows, sticks, spears, rifles, shotguns, etc. 4 per day, 8 in possession. You can also take hares, pheasant, and squirrel. Outside of the towns, the only squirrels you see will be Red Pine Squirrel. That's a lot killin' for not a lot of grillin'. You need a tag for fall turkey. There are lots of turkeys in the unit and they are any bird on the fall tag. ( Idaho requires a shotgun for turkeys)

Recent changes require you to keep the legs of grouse also. We used to just breast them out, but that is now considered wanton waste. But it is hard to beat a whole grouse on a stick over the campfire.

Be sure you print your tag at home in advance. They are not mailed out anymore. You get an e-mail from IDFG with the printable license. If you forget, you can go to Tri-State and request a lost license re-print, but there is a fee. Tri-State Outfitters is the place for any IDFG vendor needs. They do IDFG at Wal-Mart, but that means lines and such. I've known some to print it out in a hotel business center. Just having the image on your smart phone is not enough.

If you come through Moscow, stop at Tri-State and register for their Big Buck Contest. It's free and you could win a rifle.

CWD:
Idaho is still considered CWD free. However, make sure you check your home state regs on bringing game animal meat/parts back in from Idaho.
EDIT: Idaho is now a CWD state.

Due to CWD, Idaho no longer allows natural urine lure products, but they do allow synthetics. I have had zero luck with lures since that change. Just IMHO. They sell the natural still at Tri-State because it's legal in Washington. You are responsible to have the right stuff.

Access:
PotlatchDeltic opened several hundred thousands acres to walk in traffic to anyone with a valid IDFG hunting license.
You do need a permit for 14 days of camping on PoltatchDeltic property. You need an ATV access permit if you plan to use an ATV behind their gates. All signage restrictions apply even to those with the ATV permit.
Both permits are available on the PotlatchDeltic Recreation website.

Permission on private can be hard to get, but there is a lot of PotlatchDeltic, Bennett Lumber,Stimson Lumber, USFS, and State of Idaho ground. All allow walk-in hunting, but the University of Idaho Experimental Forest requires you to get a free permit for access. You have to choose only one of their units. All the UIEF ground is in Unit 8. For the last 6 years all the UIEF ground has been walk-in, day use, only. In OnX, the UIEF is labeled University of Idaho, rather than State of Idaho.

OnX will show you everything you need in terms of access. Know how to download 5x5 mile offline maps. Cell coverage is spotty.

BTW - getting the UIEF permit has been difficult for me since face to face COVID restrictions on the U of I campus. E- mail Kassandra Townsend at "[email protected]" for that permit.

If you plan to walk/fish/hunt on Bennett Lumber property, you need to get the Sportsman's Courtesy Card. It is available at their Princeton,ID or Clarkston, WA mill offices. 7AM-4PM daily. It is free.
They state it is legal to drive on their un-gated roads, but if you set foot out of your vehicle, you are trespassing. Bennett allows no camping.

Tactics:
@Ben Long - Not much has changed since your Deary days. New clear cuts and all, but the strategies stay the same. The odds of getting a buck are good. Down from the glory days of the late 1990's, but good bucks are shot every year.

If you have time to scout, look for scrape lines and target areas where they cross open ground. Open ground may be as small as a logging road which they cross. I have scouted scrape lines through a mile of jungle and set up on the high side of a road crossing with good success. I think those small openings may give you a better chance at a daytime sighting.

Shots can be from 10 yards to 400 yards. I have rarely shot one past 100 yards. I have taken them with revolvers, muzzies, and rifles. I've missed too many with my bow. The Whitetail tag is good in 8A for Muzzle Loader from Dec2- Dec 14. Antlerless Only.

My son has had excellent luck rattling over the years. I don't have the patience for it. I have grunted in hot bucks.
That bruiser buck will magically be standing there on the edge at very last light if he shows up. Having said that, I have caught them cruising open ground.

If you are familiar with tree stand usage, you should bring it. In Idaho, an unoccupied tree stand on public land is open to use by anyone , regardless of who put it there. That does not mean there will not be an encounter with a pissed off tree stand owner. There are a few permanent ones out there, use at your own risk.

I have found WT bucks in farm fields and up high in the woods. Finding scrapes is key. The size of the scrape does not mean it was made by a big buck, but it may mean its more active.

Lures are allowed, baiting is not. No salt or grain baits. Attractant scents are OK.

Equipment rules:
Idaho does not allow any sight system or weapon attachment that projects light or laser toward the target. That means scopes with built-in rangefinders are illegal. Handheld rangefinders are fine, so long as you don't tape it to your weapon. Reflex (red dot) sights are fine. Illuminated reticles are fine. Spotlighting of "unprotected predators" is legal, with written permission, on private ground only.

If you stay on for Muzzle Loader, Idaho has pretty tight rules for weapons. Iron sights only (peep OK.), lead projectile, no sabots, exposed cap or flintlock. 209 primer systems illegal, projectile must be within .010" of bore diameter (patched ball ok), 45 Cal for Deer, 50 Cal for elk. More detail on the IDFG hunting page.

Fishing:
There are decent fishing opportunities through the Palouse region. With the exception of the Palouse River proper, most of it is small streams and a few Recreation District put and take lakes. . You are an hour from either the big lakes in the Coeur d'Alene system, or the Dworshak Reservoir and Clearwater River systems. Most areas are 6 trout per day. Read the regs.

COVID:
Rules change day to day. Bring your mask. You are fine out in the woods, but many businesses require a mask for service.

Required Permit summary:
Walk on access for Bennett Lumber or University of Idaho Experimental forest.
Camping or ATV access on PotlatchDeltic land.

Recommended Reading:
They came to Hunt. Recollections of a Whitetail Guide. - Jack M. Skille
Idaho's Greatest Whitetails. - Ryan Hatfield.

Both are on Amazon.

Feel free to PM me if I need to drill down on anything. Let me know where you are camped and I'll bring out beers.

 

[EthicalStalker]

Thank you @44hunter45 ! That was so much awesome information, that's incredibly helpful. I may possibly PM you soon about some more details. But your initial response was way more info than I even expected to get. I truly appreciate it.

Our plans are you hunt all of Thanksgiving week. Primarily for whitetail buck, but if we see other game we'll bag it too! I'm strongly considering picking up a wolf tag and turkey tag.

In terms of driving the logging roads, are they in good condition most of the time? Or would it be better to use an UTV back in those areas?

Thank you again for all the great info!

 

[44hunter45]

Thank you @44hunter45 ! That was so much awesome information, that's incredibly helpful. I may possibly PM you soon about some more details. But your initial response was way more info than I even expected to get. I truly appreciate it.

Our plans are you hunt all of Thanksgiving week. Primarily for whitetail buck, but if we see other game we'll bag it too! I'm strongly considering picking up a wolf tag and turkey tag.

In terms of driving the logging roads, are they in good condition most of the time? Or would it be better to use an UTV back in those areas?

Thank you again for all the great info!

The main travel routes will be good. Logging is still going on so the roads are maintained. They don't stop logging until the spring thaw makes it too soft.
Do not ever block a gate. You may find your rig has been dragged clear by a logging skidder.

I've have had to chain up a time or two if we've had an early snow. And dig myself out, too. I always say if you don't know how to get unstuck or spend a cold night in the truck, you shouldn't be out there.

I have never needed an ATV/UTV, but I wouldn't turn one down. The places you want to get are likely gated anyway. But if I had one and towing it here was not an issue, I'd bring it.

It is rare to have that much snow before Thanksgiving, but one of my favorite ways to hunt is to chase tracks from snowshoes. If we get snow, and then rain, and then cold, everything crunches under your feet. You are best stomping in to an overlook early and staying put. It will be too noisy to move around. You can also hear the deer moving easily when its like this.

A plastic sled or toboggan is awesome for getting out a deer whole if it snows. You can also lay them on a vinyl tarp and tie their front feet and head inside the folded up front end to make a great snow drag.
I buy these tarps in four packs at Costco or North 40. Great for camp shelters, too.

I don't own any technical hunting clothes. but they are ideal for that time of year here. You will be hot when walking, freezing your butt off when sitting.

 

[firstlite]

Hey @44hunter45 you seem to have a wealth of knowledge about the area! Could I message you and see if I can get some info to help me get my buddy his first whitetail buck?

 

[44hunter45]

Hey @44hunter45 you seem to have a wealth of knowledge about the area! Could I message you and see if I can get some info to help me get my buddy his first whitetail buck?

sure

 

[bpeay4]

do the bucks come lower in elevation when the rut kicks off

 

[Huntin' Fool]

Probably not...

 

[GetitFixxed]

Thank you for the excellent info. Just bought a whitetail 8a, I will be up a time or two before the season, coming in from Nevada.