Unit 44-1

springer · Jul 26, 2007

Hey fellows, I beat the odds and drew a deer tag for this unit. I spent some time in the unit last fall helping a friend who had a moose tag and was impressed with what I saw. Anyone out there had this tag recently? I'm going to hunt the last 10 days of the season. Any thoughts, comments on this unit?
Thanks.

springer · Sep 18, 2007

The BLM range guy that I talk to said the upper elevations of this unit tend to get snowed out by the first week in November. Is this what I need to expect?

Thanks.

gemstatejake · Sep 18, 2007

Congrats on the tag. One of the more sought after in the state. Best advice I can give you is be flexible. Yeah, you could have significant weather/snow by the end of your hunt......or not. I'd come prepared to hunt the very highest areas and then adjust accordingly depending on what the weather does. I'd have a few areas in mind and hunt them as the weather dictates. defineately some good bucks in the unit. Good luck.

ForkWest · Sep 19, 2007

Do a search on user UThunting, I believe his wife hunted it last year. Good people.

springer · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks guys. It looked like UThunting's wife had a tag for Unit 45.

Idahoron · Sep 19, 2007

I have a 44-1 tag. Ron

BrianID · Sep 20, 2007

Don't know much about the unit but hope you (springer) and Idahoron kill some big bucks.

Idahoron · Sep 20, 2007

So far I have seen some small bucks but no big ones.I have a dirt bike but my skills are limited and I am not sure I could handle those trails. It would be nice to get back a little farther. Ron

tworivers · Sep 21, 2007

I think but am not sure that this herd like the deer in 43 migrate down into 45, 52. Dad had 45 tag last year and by 15 of Oct deer were starting to move in. Is dollar mt in unit? Silver dollar mt maybe is what is called. Biologist down in Jerome has been extremely helpful on 52-a, and the 45 hunt. If it snows I would try to find migration rt across camas prarie and start low and hunt back up, Just me not an expert.

fishnhunt74 · Sep 24, 2007

springer and idahoron, check your messages. There is some huge bucks in this unit. Is a dream tag to have if used properly

springer · Sep 26, 2007

I sent you a pm, fishhunt74.
Thanks

Idahoron · Oct 14, 2007

I am seeing a fair amount of 22 to 26" bucks that are going to measure 150 to 170. I did see a 28" 3x4 he was a ok buck but not what I am looking for, yet. I had a bead on a 170 class 4 point with my 44 mag pistol on thursday. I didn't shoot, still looking for the big one. If I don't start seeing a few 180's I am going to use a muzzleloader to take one of the smaller ones as the season ends. The deer are moving like crazy. On the 3rd all the radio collared does were in 44 from 43. Ron

springer · Oct 15, 2007

Sounds like your having a good time and seeing a lot of deer. Why do you think the deer are moving around so much? Is there a bunch of snow up high?
I'm counting down the days. I have an elk hunt to go on first.

IDdesertman · Oct 15, 2007

I just returned from 43 and saw only a couple does in 3 days. I spent many hours glassing each day and quite surprised I didnt see more.

Cozmo8 · Oct 15, 2007

Hunted unit 43 hard at high elevations for the first three days of the hunt. Saw two bucks. Either the deer are gone, in lower elevations, or are migrating to unit 44, 52, 45.

Idahoron · Oct 16, 2007

I am seeing the same thing. I think the deer are moving down and in a hurry. I think that by the last week of the hunt all that will be left is trees. Ron

Idahoron · Oct 19, 2007

I spent wed, thur, and this morning (fri) up there. I found a 150 to 160 class 4x4 buck Wed night. A 26" 3x4 on thur morning with a few does and a few small two points. The Rain and snow set in about noon on thursday and turned NASTY. Friday morning about 1:00 am it turned to HARD rain and it was foggy and rainy so I went to a new place and the roads were a mess. I left and called it a weekend. I am not seeing much for deer does or bucks now. The local warden is saying the same as others the deer are on the move. I can't find a deer over 170. I will probably kick my self for letting those two walk. Ron

springer · Oct 19, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Oct-19-07 AT 06:23PM (MST)[p]Well, I hope it only gets better for you. I'm counting on seeing a little bit of rutting activity when I get there for the last 10 days of the season. What elevations were you hunting at?
Thanks for posting.

Idahoron · Oct 19, 2007

I am hunting from 8000 to 5000. I am seeing the start of rut right now. If I were you I would try to go earlier. There might not be any deer there on the last ten days. They are moving through fast. I can see a huge drop in the total number of deer I see from week to week. When you drive through the areas where the doe hunters are you don't see any game in the trees. The fish and game said that unit 43 deer were moving into 44 before Oct 3rd. Some of the high elevation areas I have been hunting might not be accessable after this storm. It is a BIG one. Ron

daveytech · Oct 30, 2007

Any updates on your 44 hunts?

-Dave

Idahoron · Oct 30, 2007

Look in the muledeer section. Ron

daveytech · Nov 1, 2007

Wasn't able to harvest a deer you wanted?

The discussion about the migration from 43 to 44 and beyond seems dead on to me. The deer seem to "trickle" in for the first few weeks of the season and the week before. I wonder how long it takes for the majority of the 43 deer to get to 44? I've noticed (and I could be wrong) that the deer tend to split up and some go east around Iron Mountain, and others go west around it, through the soldier mountains.

I love to hunt drainages that lead into the northern area of 44 but it sure is steep country.

-Dave

Idahoron · Nov 1, 2007

I am not sure what you mean by " Wasn't able to harvest a deer you wanted?" No I haven't yet. I saw a lot of bucks in the 160 to 170 range. I passed up some decent bucks looking for a hawg. If I don't get one so be it. Maybe I will lower my standards for the last of the season maybe not I will have to wait and see what happens.
Talk to Randy Smith or about anyone in the region 4 office. The CO's for that area are saying the deer are gone. I admit I am not the best hunter in the world. I am sure you would be able to find deer I could not. But no one is seeing deer. Maybe there will be a later migration, I don't know this is my first time hunting the unit. The radio collared does were all out of 43 before October 3rd I was told that by Randy. After the big storm on the 19th and 20th deer have been hard to find. Others will tell you the same. Good luck to Springer. Ron

gemstatejake · Nov 2, 2007

The region in general had an early migration this year. Spoke with F&G after my hunt last week and they are speculating the hot dry summer (drought) had something to do with it. Although it seems the past few seasons have seen migrations begining earlier than usual. Backpacked in to a high elevation area in 43 last week and saw nary a deer. a couple years back hunted the same area late and saw many bucks and killed a dandy 173" gross. We did have a hell of a snow storm a couple weeks back that contributed to getting the deer moving imo. Although i still believe theres gotta be a few grizzled old bucks still hanging in 43&44. BTW- I've spoken with Randy Smith many times and he is a great source of info for anyone interested in hunting the magic valley region.

daveytech · Nov 2, 2007

It was very similar last year. They did migrate a little bit later on the west side of the zone though, in 2006. Quite a few mature bucks were taken not far from trailheads and such. This year, not as many in that same area.

I left unit 43 on Oct. 18th. Deer were still trickling through but it seemed like most of them had migrated down to lower elevation with all that weather.

Idahoron, I'll send you a PM about an area I know about in 44. It might be too high elevation at this time of year though.

-Dave

whaffner · Nov 22, 2007

I have the late unit 48 tag, and haven't seen a thing. I saw a little 3 point Nov. 10th. out behind Moonstone, but nothing since. Closes this Sat. Anyone got any suggestions?

IdahoBigGameHunter · Feb 1, 2008

During the early elk hunt in unit 48 we saw a nice 5 point 30 plus wide just past moonstone theres a turn off on the right and there are some private pondsBehind tere is a acces yes place thats where i saw them i could have shot them with a bow and i saw them a couple times throughout the hunt so try there and you might have some luck