Please help the refugee...

[ridgetop]

Hey all, first post. I'm a temporary refugee from another site with the initials M.M.

Am I going to get smeared, or is my shadow welcome on the door of your wig-wam? Just thought I'd take a look around and test the waters.

I'll get right down to business. Does anyone here knows ANYTHING worthwile at all about Idaho's unit 36B. I am going there this fall for mule deer, and just want a situation report, (herd, terrain, wolves?, pressure, trophy potential etc.) I will be thoroughly impressed if I get a worthwhile response. It seems I cannot get squat for an answer elsewhere
Moosie, you're the "king" of Idaho smack, what do you think?

 

[Moosie]

Temporary Refugee.. WTF is that ?!/!?!

WELL, I gues sWe can help you anyway... I'm leaving soon and will be back next Wednesday, CAN ya wait that long... MR "TEMP"

I think I can PUKE something out your way

Welcome aboard Mate'

 

[Elkhunter]

Welcome to Moosie's Temp. Hang in there and you may be suprised at what yu may learn from this site. it is not all bad and has a lot of good folks on here that are wiling to lend a helping hand no matter what you have heard. Never been there so i can not help you.

 

[ridgetop]

Moosie, No offense meant AT ALL by the refugee comment. You've really got a great thing going here. Maybe, If the "natives" are freindly, I may have found a new homeland...I'll be waiting with bated breath for yours and others insight...

 

[Muledeer4me]

Welcome to moosies.
I havent hunted right in that unit,but have been in there.
We saw some nice deer at that time.
My brother-in-law took a nice muledeer out of that area a while back.
Wolves,yep,there in there ,how much of a problem they will be ,thats up to debate.
Im not sure how the winter went in there,so im not sure about game populations.
I will keep my ears open & try to find out some more info.
Get in shape,bring good bino's.
Do you already have maps of the area?
Are you camping out or in a motel?

 

[ridgetop]

Yeah, I got an Idaho Gazetteer, but havent got the quad sheet for it yet. I will be going with my bro. that lives in Seattle. I'm probably going to fly to Boise and have him meet me there. We will probably start hunting from a base camp off the road, and see how that goes for a day or two, if we're not seeing much, then load up the big packs, and head about 3-4 miles in on foot, and go from there. We have talked with my brothers girlfreinds uncle who has hunted all over south Idaho for 40+ years, and he gave us a lead on one specific drainage that he normally hunts with horses. Now thats my kind of lead...from what he said, and looking at the stats that unit doesent look all that great as a whole, but I trust him to put us on some deer. Heck, he lives in Meridian, and even offered to bring his horses all the way out there and pack a buck out for us if we got one miles back in some H-hole.

I just want to get some other tips and perspectives on deer hunting that area, especially whether to hunt the first week or wait until the last.

ridgetop

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-28-2002 11:41: Message edited by: ridgetop ]</font>

 

[roper]

just wondering why u choose 36b...there`s lots of great places to hunt but that not one of them... at least for a foot soldier.

 

[ridgetop]

Roper,
See the middle of my last post, especially the part about our scource. My brother has been to his house and seen whats on his living room walls and in his garage, so I'm going to take him at his word. The place we were directed to is in there a ways, but not too far for a couple of younger guys in decent shape and not afraid to walk. I know my capabilities as far as how far I'm willing to pack in the mountains, and usually its quite a bit farther than the average hunter wants to. I think he has horses and just likes to use them, but I dont think they look absolutely necessary to hunt the area effectively, just looking at the maps. I really trust this guys experience and advice. If the trip doesent pan out at all, then I might second guess my choice.
Im just trying to get more of a feel for the area than a map can show.

ridgetop

 

[roper]

Without knowing exactly where your sources are directing you i don't know if i can help. 36b doesn't seem like a large area while looking at a map but when your there you may spend an entire day on one ridge. We hunted there last year and saw several groups of smaller animals but no wallhangers. The hunt lasted ten days and we were on horses. The terrain on the north end of that area is mostly rolling sage brushed covered hills with lots of coolies. The pine trees don't start until you're almost to the top. The south end has alot more trees but is alot steeper and rocky. If i knew which drainage you were looking for i could probaby be of more help.
Roper

 

[ridgetop]

I wish I could tell you the drainage name, but it wouldn't be too cool, considering this guy was doing me a mega-HUGE favor in just letting me know about it. Its kind of like getting a tip on a good place to find gold. I'm sure you understand.

The descriptions of the areas do help though. It does match what he told me. Have any of you run across many bear in that general area? I might be tempted to use my tag on one if the opportunity presented itself.
Thanks,
ridgetop

 

[ELKCHSR]

Hey Ridgetop!!!
Were really glad your here. I hope you decide to hang around for awhile..
Welcome aboard!!!

 

[roper]

In general most of the bears seem to like the morgan creek area...the north side of the unit..in general....

 

[ridgetop]

Roper and all,
Thanks for the great input. You may or may not understand how much it means to someone like me to be hunting a totally new area cold turkey off of what you research or someone else tells you. I truly appreciate it!!!!!!
I've only been through Idaho once, when I was 6. The only reason I want to make this long a$$ trip for a deer is because of the stories my little brother has told me of some of the huge muleys he saw up there goofing around with his girlfreind and his uncle down in unit 40, and din the Challis area. I love hunting new species and areas, and the challenge it presents to succcessfully pull a hunt off. I really hope this trip pans out, so I can come back and get to know one specific area really well.

If you guys ever need any inside poop on hunting for the puny whitetail around here , or any thing else in the midwest (MO & KS mainly), give me a shout! I'll tell you what I know.
ridgetop

 

[DeerKing]

ridge,
If you really want to hunt elk, come on over to Colorado. Moosie has put the scare into every elk around Idaho, he hasn't ruined this state yet. If Moosie doesn't get us the CWD will though, things aint looking to good.

 

[ridgetop]

DeerKing,
Dude, your state is probably next, provided the entire state isn't locked down under quarantine by then. I put in for preference points for Colorado deer, elk, and antelope this year. I already have one point for antelope, and am thinking hard about either Colorado elk (I'd be happy with a fat cow, it would be my maiden voyage for elk), or a backpack trip for deer, preferrably late Aug./Early Sept., above timberline (archery or muzzleloader) for 2003.
Do you bowhunt, or muzzleloader hunt? I usually rifle hunt, but the tags are easeier and I like the Idea of hunting the bucks while theyre still in velvet and more visible, and the weathers nicer to boot. I really need someone to mountain hunt with. Let me know if you're game. I know of one drainage in unit 86 that the time I backpacked in there in 2000, I saw 5 bucks in one upper basin, and 3 were at least 24" one was close to 28".
Most of my Rickhead hunting buddies around here won't go that far out of their way, work that hard or spend that much money on a hunt, and to top it off, my wife doesent like the idea of me scrambling around on rockslides at 12,000 feet, alone, 5 miles + from the nearest road, for a week at a time for some odd reason Women!?!
I cant think of anything that could be possibly more fun! It'd be worth it just for the trout you'd get to catch and eat while you are up there. I can taste it now. Skinned and gutted, buttered, salt & pepper, wrapped in foil,throw it on the coals, meat flakes off with a fork. Mmmmmmmmmm. Nothing better! I gotta stop, Im drooling on my keybo...pfttsszzt

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 04-02-2002 16:05: Message edited by: ridgetop ]</font>

 

[DeerKing]

ridge
You ask me if I muzzleload hunt.....that's like asking Madonna if she likes sex. About all I do is muzz hunt and when I don't draw a tag I have the bow or rifle for a backup. I'll try to get you email off MM site and send you a line.

 

[DeerKing]

ridge
your email wasn't on your "profile"....
drop me a line at [email protected]

 

[ridgetop]

DK,
I shot you an e-mail.
Bert

 

[Muledeer4me]

Ridgetop,best of luck on your hunts.
I live in meridian and have spent some time in unit 40 .
It's one of the places we take people when they are wanting to see some deer.
Let me know if there are any phone numbers or maps you cant find,id be happy to help out with that.

 

[ridgetop]

Thanks MuleDeer4me...
I think i'm going to put in for controlled hunt in unit 41 instead of 40 simply because its the difference between spomething like a 1 in 15 and a 1 in 9 chance to draw for a nonresident. Hey I might even draw, I got 2nd place in my office NCAA pool this year...and I barely even follow basketball.

My source (I really do hate this James Bond crap, hell, you probably know him if you've lived in Meridian very long), tells me he knows of plenty of places for a wallhanger in 41 as well as the fabled unit 40 controlled hunt. I have half an itch to go on the open unit 45 muzzloader only hunt, but have a feeling the word is getting out waaaay too much... so I think I'll stick to my top secret lonely hidey hole tucked away in the far off mountains of the upper Salmon river country...
Thanks for all the attention. You guys are making me feel less and less like a "refugee" every day. sniff...

Bert