capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Hey, everyone! Trying to help some friends out with finding a general area to hunt this September in Idaho. They want to do a backpack style hunt for high country mule deer with their bows. Of course not looking for any honey holes, just opportunity. They aren't set on any certain part of Idaho. Having trouble narrowing down a unit to hunt. If anyone can help out, it would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to PM me as well. Thank you in advance! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted June 16, 2015 Ive heard good things about the sawtooth wilderness area. Lots of fourteeners up there. Good luck to them, thats a bucket list hunt for me. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countrykid Report post Posted June 17, 2015 I would check out the Big Holes in eastern Idaho. There is another Mountain range that is next to the Big Holes might even still be them but it's along Palisades Lake and they run into Wyoming. My brother lives in Driggs Idaho. Here's some from a friend of mine but he's on the Wyoming side I'll try to post the pics Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countrykid Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Here our some pics from last year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Here our some pics from last year. HOLY MULE DEER! That buck is an absolute stud! Thank you for the tip! I will pass it on! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Not to be contradictory, but the big holes are not a range I would consider 'high country' or very high quality deer hunting in general. I used to live within walking distance of those mountains and spent a lot of time hunting deer and elk there. There is almost no area above the tree line, and the entire range serves as basically a giant ohv area. There are trails everywhere and not an abundance of animals. I would look at either the panhandle/courdellaine area (unit 11), the South hills/owyhee area or the SE part of the state (units 70-76). None of those are what I would qualify as high country, or above the tree line. But historically that's not the primary habitat in ID. Their sagebrush desserts and coniferous forests produce a lot more of their quality deer than up on the peaks. Compared to AZ, it's all high country though. Lots of places to hunt deer, it just isn't Colorado. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Not to be contradictory, but the big holes are not a range I would consider 'high country' or very high quality deer hunting in general. I used to live within walking distance of those mountains and spent a lot of time hunting deer and elk there. There is almost no area above the tree line, and the entire range serves as basically a giant ohv area. There are trails everywhere and not an abundance of animals. I would look at either the panhandle/courdellaine area (unit 11), the South hills/owyhee area or the SE part of the state (units 70-76). None of those are what I would qualify as high country, or above the tree line. But historically that's not the primary habitat in ID. Their sagebrush desserts and coniferous forests produce a lot more of their quality deer than up on the peaks. Compared to AZ, it's all high country though. Lots of places to hunt deer, it just isn't Colorado. Thank you Flatlander. Are these areas conducive for backpack hunting? Are there any good wilderness areas to check out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Thank you everyone for your responses! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countrykid Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Like Flatlander said, coming from Arizona they seemed like High Country to me. And your right there might not be a huge amour of mule deer but we've seen some pretty respectable bucks in there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Definitely some good bucks in that country. I hunted it quite a bit and had better luck in Tex Creek to the south. Don't get me wrong, there are way more deer all over ID than in AZ. after reading Hunting High Country Mule Deer I always assumed high country to mean above the tree line. If that's what you are looking for that's not really the habitat in the big holes. Tex creek to the South doesn't get hammered with dirt bikes, atv's and snow machines the way the big holes do. Even east of the road from swan valley to palisades gets a little better, and a guy could definitely backpack in there even though it's not designated wilderness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maximus Report post Posted June 17, 2015 why not colorado? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 17, 2015 why not colorado? To be honest, I am not sure. They have been pretty set on idaho for quite some time. Does Colorado offer OTC high country archery mule deer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Has anyone actually had success on this hunt? Post up your pics if you have! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countrykid Report post Posted June 17, 2015 Flatlander, do you know any of the history of the bucks that they have hanging on the wall in the gas station there in Tetonia? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted June 19, 2015 I don't. But over the years lots of giants have come out of ID. When my Dad was growing up in that part of the country there was a brute behind every tree. Today, it takes a little more work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
