looking for feedback please!: sawtooth wilderness adventures

[HarboritE]

I posted awhile back about my dad and I trying to decide on a out of state mule deer hunt for next year. My dad decided he wants to do a little tougher of a hunt than we had originally planned while he's still youngish and can. Sawtooth adventures in central idaho does a drop camp hunt that we are interested in. Anyone ever hunt the sawtooth wilderness? Any feedback on this outfitter or area would be much appreciated. I plan on doing lots of my own homework but I figured I would consult the most knowledgeable group of hunters I know first

[2MANY]

The Sawtooth is big, rocky, country with scattered burns, and deer peppered throughout.

Personally I would set something up in the Greys River country in Wyoming before I hit the Sawtooth.

[Band]

Personally I would set something up in the Greys River country in Wyoming before I hit the Sawtooth.

If you do that I can give you a couple very good locations.  One is on a serious mountain at 10,000' and the other is a pretty easy hike at a lower elevation.

[RG]

Personally I would set something up in the Greys River country in Wyoming before I hit the Sawtooth.

If you do that I can give you a couple very good locations.  One is on a serious mountain at 10,000' and the other is a pretty easy hike at a lower elevation.

I worked for an outfitter in that area in the 80's. Not much oxygen up there but the bucks were big. We got chewed out if the client took smaller than 26 inches. 

[go4steelhd]

That area has very low deer numbers!! And when there is a rough winter the herd gets hammered. Go north, south, east or west for better deer hunting. Look at the general season stats the last 10 years on the Idfg site. But if you are dead set on hunting in scenic country there are a few wall hangers pulled out each year.

[HarboritE]

The site said its high desert contry anywhere from 5000 to 11000 feet. See you saying it's a very physically demanding hunt ? That's ok add long add there are lots of deer. I'll have to do more research

[2MANY]

Do this instead or at least start acquiring points to do it next time.
Never have used the guide but can speak for the country and have seen them in there.

http://www.jacksonholeoutfitters.com/

[Doublelunger]

I jumped a fire up in the Sawtoothes this summer, in some pretty nasty country too around 9000 feet. We had a 3-4 mile pack out and ended up at the Sawtooth lodge down along the Grandjean.  We go inside to get some burgers and wait for our ride and up on the wall they have a few nice bucks and one GIANT. I ask the guy behind the counter the story on it.  It was the Babe Hansen buck. Biggest mule deer ever shot by a female way back in 1928 and scored 305 3/8". the one at the lodge was a replica because the original was bought by Cabelas. The moral of the story is that their are some monsters in there!!

[MtnMuley]

I think that buck and the recent Colorado giant could be brothers.

[HarboritE]

Anyone have any other advice on an outfitter for 2 people , preferably a drop camp hunt where it will just be us? Idaho , Montana, or eastern Oregon. Price isn't really a factor. Wall tent, the essentials for cooking, maybe some hunting advice and good chances at really nice mule deer is what we're looking for