Early 39 Deer

[MuleyCrazed]

My buddies and I drew the early 39 buck tag this year. I've hunted 39 for years; however, never early and I haven't hunted real high. We are planning on starting out up above Atlanta in hopes of locating a few good bucks. I'm hoping to locate a 180+ buck to put on the ground this fall. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this hunt? I am certainly not looking for anyone's honey holes, but if you have any suggestions or could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.


MuleyCrazed
Idaho Deer Alliance
Meridian, Idaho
[email protected]

 

[ihuntelk]

Had it 4 years ago after killing some bucks on the general tag. Thought it would BE A SLAMDUNK! IT was really hot that year with forage EVERYWHERE after big spring rains and good snowpack the year before. Spent 10 days out of the backpack and never killed a deer. Finally found a mature deer late in the hunt but didn't close the deal. Saw a handful of younger 4x's but not like I expected. Several days we only saw deer once or twice ALL DAY. Some days on the general tag we'll see deer 10 times a day but that seems to be as they're slowly moving down country in anticipation of deep snows in that country. All I'll say is deer were really scattered and bucks were in their beds before the sun came up.
With that said, I would still consider hunting it again. I'd just hunt it smarter than I do in October. I'd treat it more like a Coues hunt. I'd go buy an Outdoorsman pistol grip head and put the 15x56 Swaros to work. We were glassing too far to be as effective with the 10x's (on already bedded game)and too much eye fatigue trying to look through the spotter all day for 10 days. Get high where you can look at several big ridges or drainages and then let the big glass do the work.
Like most high country early season bucks, once you find them they tend to hang around the same general location and you can pattern them a little better - even if it's from 2 miles away.
Buy a wolf tag as we could have smoked several but it was right before the wolf hunt was approved the first time.
Hope this helps some..............

- Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com

 

[ID_hunter27]

ive hunted this hunt twice now my first year we stuck with elevation i missed a 7x5 or 6 i know hard to believe its 39 biggest deer ive ever seen he was grouped up with two 5x and a smaller 4x last time i hunted it we downed a 6x5 it really depends on the effort you put in and the weather leading up to the hunt if we get some water look anywhere but ive learned just stick to what you know and the areas you know most people dont step foot in their hunting areas till general season when the deer seem to know its coming and vanish

 

[tufcntry]

well i i didn't draw 39 this year now that i moved back to the unit so i'm a little bitter but, i've had the tag twice the first time i scouted and found some great bucks ended up setting up on the bucks and a small one blew them out of there and i shot the second to biggest buck and he was a heavy 28" buck, i only hunted 3 days. The second time i blew a stock on a 190 buck and was out of state at the time so i only hunted 3 days. i got lucky and found a good spot that first year i hunted it. but like cade said i would see bucks once or twice a day but i know that if i find 4 bachelor groups i will find a shooter. good luck i'm jealous

 

[DownThePipe]

One day when I don't have young kids and have time to get horses back into some of that country, there will be a whopper on the ground.

I was with a guy that shoulda killed a 180 type deer, but like people have said, its the kind of hunt where you get up at 4am to get to hike to your glassing point among the mountain goats at 530 when the sun starts coming up, glass till 10am, sleep till 5pm, glass till 930 pm, and start over.

So fun hunting bucks at elevation like that, and you can really pattern a deer and have some fun putting a stalk together. I think most people on here are pretty tight lipped about the draws they hunt, as am I, but I'm sure you will find some areas that hold deer. Internet scout spots that you think you can see 2-3 big drainages from one vantage point, and go for it.

If you don't have horses, it's a backpack type hunt, best done with a partner.

 

[AIROHUNTER]

Whats the timeline and how many tags for that hunt?


My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

 

[WACKNSTACK]

I've had that tag twice, first time I hunted my butt off and wasn't seing much. Then the high country got an early snow and got the deer moving, killed a 190 7x6 that day! Had the tag last year and saw lots of nice 4x's, some nice 170 class bucks, but never found anything worth shooting. Good luck and spend lots of time looking threw the glass!

 

[CHAOS_90]

Aug 15 - Sep 30
199 tags.

 

[jetsled]

I'd take a good look at the 43 , 39 border. Lots of nice bucks and the access is a little more realistic if you don't have ponies. Still lots of good areas to get away from people and probably as many or more deer than the other side. Good Luck!

 

[woodtick]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-12 AT 07:52PM (MST)[p]I also drew this tag, going by myself is the only down fall, give the biologist in Boise a call can't remember his name at the moment but he gave me some very helpful advice on the area I plan on hunting. ihuntelk is dead on with the glassing like your hunting coues, let your feet do the walkin.

TICK
TALL, WIDE, AND HANDSOME

 

[greatbasin]

I had that tag years ago and it was hot...like in the 90's. I hunted for 6 days and saw 2 bucks. I shot the bigger one, a 3X4 in full velvet.

 

[MuleyCrazed]

Wow, thanks guys! All very good advice and I appreciate it! I do have horses and plan on using them for this hunt. I have received some very useful information on some areas I should start out in. I plan on heading up to a few areas in the next few weeks to see if I can locate a shooter.

Again, thanks for all the input and advice for this hunt! I hope I can put a good buck on the ground!

Thank you,

MuleyCrazed
Meridian, Idaho
[email protected]

 

[MuleyCrazed]

>I'd take a good look at
>the 43 , 39 border.
>Lots of nice bucks and
>the access is a little
>more realistic if you don't
>have ponies. Still lots of
>good areas to get away
>from people and probably as
>many or more deer than
>the other side. Good Luck!
>

jetsled - this is what I've been told by a few people now and I plan on taking a hard look in those areas!

Thank you,

MuleyCrazed
Meridian, Idaho
[email protected]

 

[BPKHunter]

>I've had that tag twice, first
>time I hunted my butt
>off and wasn't seing much.
>Then the high country got
>an early snow and got
>the deer moving, killed a
>190 7x6 that day! Had
>the tag last year and
>saw lots of nice 4x's,
>some nice 170 class bucks,
>but never found anything worth
>shooting. Good luck and spend
>lots of time looking threw
>the glass!


Any pic's of that buck. Nice to see big one's come out of these hard hit OTC units.

 

[ID_hunter27]

the heat will get to you but it could be 30 degree mornings as well so pay attention to the weather the days you plan on hunting.

 

[woodtick]

The success rate is pretty low on this hunt compared to others in the state so with that being said i'm sure the deer are scattered. I don't expect this hunt to be a slam dunk, It's gonna take some time to find a 180" buck in this unit from what i've read and heard, lots of big 3's and 3x4's. Good luck and maybe we'll run into each other on this hunt, I plan on huntin the Atlanta area early and then somewhere else in mid September if I don't like what I'm seeing there.

TICK
TALL, WIDE, AND HANDSOME

 

[Muleymemories]

Fun hunt but can be very frustrating. Pick a high basin and glass it for a couple days, something will pop up.

ridgelineoutdoors.com

 

[WACKNSTACK]

BPK...here is my buck!

And this is my cousin's buck, we got on the same hunt!

Lets see some more early 39 bucks!!!!!

 

[WACKNSTACK]

Sorry...the pic of my cousin's buck will not come up!!

 

[MuleyCrazed]

Nice buck! Hopefully we can find something like that during the hunt! Thanks for posting!

Anyone else have pics of bucks from the early 39 hunt??

MuleyCrazed
Meridian, Idaho
[email protected]