hunting around coeur d'alene?

[porkchop]

long time snooper first time posting.

anyone hunted for deer around the surrounding units here? lookin at units 5, 3, 4, or 2. wondering who's hunted where and if you've had any luck looking for some advice my dad and I would like to hunt here this year..

thanks in advance.

[RadSav]

Good deer numbers in all that area.  Was better than it is now, but that can be said fore all areas effected by the invasive species.  Just have to knock on doors and put miles on some boots.  Can't really give you a "this is better than that" report.  It's all quite good when you find the right spot!

Check with Idaho Fish & Game for statistics and a list of biologists.  That might help you to zero in on where to start scouting and what the area limitations might be depending on your fathers mobility.  Would also help to figure out which species is most important to you.

[coop2424]

I have had lots of luck getting big mature bucks on trailcam but of course actually filling a tag has not happened in the last 3 years.  I could of filled it ever year but always shooting for the older dominate bucks in my area.  Search coop2424 trailcam on here.  Most of those bucks are all unit 2.

[pd]

Good deer numbers in all that area.  Was better than it is now, but that can be said fore all areas effected by the invasive species....... Would also help to figure out which species is most important to you.

All true statements.  In those units that you mention mule deer (bucks and does) and white tail bucks are open concurrently during the general season (for either rifle or bow).  In my experience both species are equally available.  Get the regulations and study them!  There is quite a bit of strategy involved in choosing the A Tag over the B Tag--this only involves elk, but the B Tag elk season overlaps the general deer season for rifles, so you really have to choose your season. 

This advice holds true for any new area that you will develop: Be prepared to spend a couple of years learning the area.  Those units do still hold animals (not as many as pre-wolf), but there are also a lot of hunters, too.  Good luck.

[pd]

I have had lots of luck getting big mature bucks on trailcam but of course actually filling a tag has not happened in the last 3 years.  I could of filled it ever year but always shooting for the older dominate bucks in my area.  Search coop2424 trailcam on here.  Most of those bucks are all unit 2.

Hey, Coop, whatever happened to Jr.?  Is he still out there, or hanging on your wall?

[coop2424]

I have had lots of luck getting big mature bucks on trailcam but of course actually filling a tag has not happened in the last 3 years.  I could of filled it ever year but always shooting for the older dominate bucks in my area.  Search coop2424 trailcam on here.  Most of those bucks are all unit 2.

Hey, Coop, whatever happened to Jr.?  Is he still out there, or hanging on your wall?

Oh he is still out there I almost hit him with my truck 3 days before archery opened and then did not see him again during late archery tell after the season and got him on trailcam.  I did have another buck show up that I think jr got his name from and he was very nice to say the least..  Did not fill my tag again this year.

[coop2424]

This buck is unit 2..  There are nice bucks but I live in the unit and can say I have only seen 2 during daylight just not during the season in the last 3 years.

[BULLBLASTER]

Good deer numbers in all that area.  Was better than it is now, but that can be said fore all areas effected by the invasive species....... Would also help to figure out which species is most important to you.

All true statements.  In those units that you mention mule deer (bucks and does) and white tail bucks are open concurrently during the general season (for either rifle or bow).  In my experience both species are equally available.  Get the regulations and study them!  There is quite a bit of strategy involved in choosing the A Tag over the B Tag--this only involves elk, but the B Tag elk season overlaps the general deer season for rifles, so you really have to choose your season. 

This advice holds true for any new area that you will develop: Be prepared to spend a couple of years learning the area.  Those units do still hold animals (not as many as pre-wolf), but there are also a lot of hunters, too.  Good luck.

I think it is whitetail that has a doe and buck season in that area, I don't see a mule deer antlerless season otc.

[trophyhunt]

Pretty bad winter kill 4 or5 years ago, but they are making a decent return. By Athol anyway.

[huntnnw]

if your use to chasing whitetails in eastern WA you will be dissappointed in ID whitetail. They get hammered for almost 4 straight months. There is no sort of management for whitetails in ID. Just mosey on over to FB and look at the North Idaho whitetail board residents have had enough and want some sort of management for the deer. Its pretty sad when you can run cams in the mts for 4-5 months in unit 5 and the oldest buck you get on cam is a 3.5 yr old! Im not saying there isnt any giants walking around in N ID. I have buddies that have taken some, but all of them prefer to hunt WA for whiteys as we have  far better quality.

[idahohuntr]

By Athol anyway.

 

[porkchop]

thanks for the information guys, my dad was talking to his neighbor in Coeur d'Alene and he metioned a block management unit on 95 that he's had good luck with. I think he means the john creek drainage. Im hoping to get over there come april-may and start looking around at units once the snow starts melting. whats the country like in unit 5?

[pd]

Good deer numbers in all that area.  Was better than it is now, but that can be said fore all areas effected by the invasive species....... Would also help to figure out which species is most important to you.

All true statements.  In those units that you mention mule deer (bucks and does) and white tail bucks are open concurrently during the general season (for either rifle or bow).  In my experience both species are equally available.  Get the regulations and study them!  There is quite a bit of strategy involved in choosing the A Tag over the B Tag--this only involves elk, but the B Tag elk season overlaps the general deer season for rifles, so you really have to choose your season. 

This advice holds true for any new area that you will develop: Be prepared to spend a couple of years learning the area.  Those units do still hold animals (not as many as pre-wolf), but there are also a lot of hunters, too.  Good luck.

I think it is whitetail that has a doe and buck season in that area, I don't see a mule deer antlerless season otc.

Ooops.  P. 15 of the 2013 regulations.  We have this discussion every single year at the start of camp: "You can shoot any buck, or a whitetail doe, but don't shoot a Mule deer doe, OK?"  Then the other guy says, "Hey, don't be shooting ANY does during general season--wait until later, OK?"  This conversation occurs during ELK season, so nobody really is focused on deer (and, thus, we tend to forget the first part of the instructions).

Thanks for the correction.

[pd]

I have had lots of luck getting big mature bucks on trailcam but of course actually filling a tag has not happened in the last 3 years.  I could of filled it ever year but always shooting for the older dominate bucks in my area.  Search coop2424 trailcam on here.  Most of those bucks are all unit 2.

Hey, Coop, whatever happened to Jr.?  Is he still out there, or hanging on your wall?

Oh he is still out there I almost hit him with my truck 3 days before archery opened and then did not see him again during late archery tell after the season and got him on trailcam.  I did have another buck show up that I think jr got his name from and he was very nice to say the least..  Did not fill my tag again this year.

Coop, maybe it is time for you to put down your bow and start hunting with your truck (or, maybe throw your trail camera at them)?  Jr. and his friends are too nice to let go year after year.  Here is wishing you great luck in 2014.   

[idaho guy]

unit 5 is nice country. I know that area your neighbor mentioned. It was opened up to public access a few years ago-it was strictly patrolled posted for a long time before that. It has been getting hammered recently since word got out that they were allowing public access. I didnt go in last year because looked pretty crowded but there is or was some really nice deer in there. Had some freinds pull real good bucks out of there. It would be a good place to start and it is very easy hunting(terrain) compared to rest of north Idaho. (If you hunt the east side)    Huntnw is right they changed the deer rifle season to include october and it has taken a real toll on the qaulity of bucks. They need to change bck to november only season for rifle. You can still find a nice buck in all the units just a little harder.       

[CAMPMEAT]

That's wolf country FYI....

[Ranger91298]

unit 5 is nice country. I know that area your neighbor mentioned. It was opened up to public access a few years ago-it was strictly patrolled posted for a long time before that. It has been getting hammered recently since word got out that they were allowing public access. I didnt go in last year because looked pretty crowded but there is or was some really nice deer in there. Had some freinds pull real good bucks out of there. It would be a good place to start and it is very easy hunting(terrain) compared to rest of north Idaho. (If you hunt the east side)    Huntnw is right they changed the deer rifle season to include october and it has taken a real toll on the qaulity of bucks. They need to change bck to november only season for rifle. You can still find a nice buck in all the units just a little harder.       

My dad and I had permission to hunt that land before it was opened to the public. Let me tell you we saw some nice animals there. I wounded a buck that would have easily been in the 170's but could never find him. We found pieces of bone and little blood over a 70 yard distance. It still haunts me to this day because I just hate wounding animals. I had a cheap Tasco scope that the sights were knocked off. Needless to say I went out that off season and bought a $700 leupold scope. Ran into a big 6x6 bull during archery season but could not get close enough. There were alot of animals there but as stated it is WAY over hunted now. Cars and blazer orange everwhere!!! But a good area for quick hunting access.