Idaho whitetails

[sheep97]

since the family was unsucessful on the draws we are headed to northern Idaho for whitetail. I have always wanted to do this, and not drawing, this is the perfect time. I'm taking the boys and dad, should be fun. We are headed over to the Sandpoint area(Unit 1) for some scouting. If anyone has a general place(BLM, nat'l forest ,...) to start it would be much appreciated.

This looks like it will be it since they shut down the woods for fire danger. No elk hunting.

[grundy53]

You'll have a great time. I love hunting whitetails in Idaho. Wish I could help you but I've never hunted that area. We hunt further south.

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[Bigshooter]

Jack Pine Flats is a good place to start.

[benhuntin]

Jack Pine Flats is a good place to start.

lots of moose also

[sheep97]

thanks, will check it out

[boneaddict]

Don't be intimidated by the country.  I'm not sure if you are a whitetail hunter, but it is different than most think, especially in unit one

[3nails]

 If you are going to hunt unit 1 I'd go to the west side of Priest lake. REALLY brushy but there are some good bucks. Hopefully you are going in late November with rattling antlers! I'll be in unit 10a at that time with my daughter. 10a offers a better mix of terrain other than steep brush, flat brush, sideways brush, and wet brush. Priest is where I'd go if it was just me though. How old are the boys?

[Jimmy33]

I hunt in unit 1 and unit 2...steep in some areas and brushy...there are white tails all over the place and some nice mule deer also. The only advice I can give you is to rattle during the rut or find some travel corridors and wait. Pretty tough to get in on a whitetail still hunting in that country. We shoot all of our bucks, sometimes two a piece, in that country but we are whitetail hunters. Do you have much experience hunting mountain white tails?


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[UBA]

When rattling over there is it more of a sit and wait game or move around and rattle? Tree stand all day or move like elk hunting?

[3nails]

When rattling over there is it more of a sit and wait game or move around and rattle? Tree stand all day or move like elk hunting?

Here's a thread of mine from a while back. Hopefully there's some info for you.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,101693.0.html

[Jonathan_S]

Don't be intimidated by the country.  I'm not sure if you are a whitetail hunter, but it is different than most think, especially in unit one

Read this and then re-read it.  After that, read it again.

It's rough country but holds deer.

[sheep97]

The only whitetail hunting I've done is eastern WA wheat fields. I know that this is not the same at all, but I live in the brushy land of the OR coast. Doesn't get much thicker than that. I'll be over there in a couple of days to check it out. My plan is to get above creek draws and check out clear cuts. We'll see. Ive hunted alot of the west and I'l try to adapt. Thanks for the help

[Bigshooter]

There is the costal brush of WA and OR and then there is Northern ID brush.  North ID puts costal brush to shame.

[grundy53]

There is the costal brush of WA and OR and then there is Northern ID brush.  North ID puts costal brush to shame.

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[Jimmy33]

He'll figure it out soon...it's a challenging hunt to say the least. It's my favorite way to hunt whittail


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[Jimmy33]

...and elk for that matter


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[sheep97]

heading over to ID this weekend. I guess I will see a little of what you guys have been describing. I'll let you know what I think.

[huntnnw]

There is the costal brush of WA and OR and then there is Northern ID brush.  North ID puts costal brush to shame.

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  I always here westsiders tell me about under brush...well than you havent hunted up here..Ive hiked on the west side and nothing is like this alder,vine maple choked hillsides

[huntnnw]

since the family was unsucessful on the draws we are headed to northern Idaho for whitetail. I have always wanted to do this, and not drawing, this is the perfect time. I'm taking the boys and dad, should be fun. We are headed over to the Sandpoint area(Unit 1) for some scouting. If anyone has a general place(BLM, nat'l forest ,...) to start it would be much appreciated.

This looks like it will be it since they shut down the woods for fire danger. No elk hunting.

shut down the woods where you live or in ID?  its not closed here

[sheep97]

I live in nw OR. I'm surrounded by timber company. They shut down the woods July 27th, and unless we get some hvy rain I don't see it opening.

I grew up in western WA and retired from the USCG. during my enlistment I had the oportunity to hunt much of the west, from AK to AZ. Each area has its challenges. The alder and salmonberries of AK, the vine maple of WA, the reprod and berries on the Coast. I've hunted ID once and it has its challenges. I'm pretty sure elk there have 2 legs shorter than the other. EAch place is unique and you just have to find a way to adapt.

[sheep97]

It seems like rattling is the only choice there because of the thickness of the brush. I think that will be my main way of hunting that country. My plan is to go where we have seen the most sign and rattle. then run and gun in different areas. Whats your thoughts.
I need to do my homework. I've done a little rattling with sm success on blacktails.

[3nails]

 Personally I do nothing but rattling. I'm so addicted to it that I don't even want to see a deer apart from it. It'll work if you are persistent.

[sheep97]

Personally I do nothing but rattling. I'm so addicted to it that I don't even want to see a deer apart from it. It'll work if you are persistent.

any videos on rattling that you think are good? what is the best source of info? My biggest questin is how long to stick around during rattling. I'm always afraid of moving out just as a buck comes in. The blacktail I rattled in came in like a bullet. So to me, it seems like a run and gun kind of thing.

[idaho guy]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread   

[grundy53]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,101693.0.html

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[LeviD1]

3nails. I read your thread but had some other questions if you didn't mind. Tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

Thanks

[3nails]

3nails. I read your thread but had some other questions if you didn't mind. Tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

Thanks

Don't mind at all! Should be room now.

[buglebrush]

There is the costal brush of WA and OR and then there is Northern ID brush.  North ID puts costal brush to shame.

Exactly.  I hunt here because I grew up here.  If I was starting fresh I would look further south.   

[MountainTracker]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread

Yep this ^^^^

I hunt 10a, and after reading his thread I decided I wanted to take a deer rattling.  That year I took one of my better deer, using his tips.  It was possibly one of the coolest things I've seen hunting.  I will be doing it again this year.

[JLS]

3nails, your inbox is full again, so I'll post this here:


Why do you soak your antlers?  Is it to give better sound quality?  Can you coat them with linseed oil and achieve the same affect?
When do you use the buck roar tube?  I looked up some stuff on the Ezee Wheeze, is that the one you use initially?  I have a Primos Li'l Shotty, when would I use that call?  When in your sequence do you use the doe bleat?
Do you try to set up with a clearing or some other natural barrier on your downwind side?

Thanks!

[Bean Counter]

tagging 

[3nails]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread

Yep this ^^^^

I hunt 10a, and after reading his thread I decided I wanted to take a deer rattling.  That year I took one of my better deer, using his tips.  It was possibly one of the coolest things I've seen hunting.  I will be doing it again this year.

Sweet! That was the whole purpose of starting the thread. I hope you rattle in a brute this year. I may be in 10a as well this year.

[3nails]

3nails, your inbox is full again, so I'll post this here:


Why do you soak your antlers?  Is it to give better sound quality?  Can you coat them with linseed oil and achieve the same affect?
When do you use the buck roar tube?  I looked up some stuff on the Ezee Wheeze, is that the one you use initially?  I have a Primos Li'l Shotty, when would I use that call?  When in your sequence do you use the doe bleat?
Do you try to set up with a clearing or some other natural barrier on your downwind side?

Thanks!

After a year of sitting around they dry out and get clanky. This is also too loud. A couple of years back I could hear a friend rattling from WAY too far away. Like a mile away! You are going to blast out anything close and any buck further out is going to have a hard time locating you after the rattling has stopped. They could also be on the run to your location and get freaked out as they get close. My brush breaking and antler stomping are just as loud as the rattling. It would be very unnatural to hear just antlers. Also, heavy beamed antlers are a must, imo. I don't know if coating them would have the same effect. 
 My sequences vary greatly depending on terrain, weather, and time. On a typical session I'll bleat and wait a couple minutes. If I don't hear or see anything I'll snort wheeze. Wait a couple more minutes, snort wheeze and start rattling. If it is windy or rainy or I am trying to get a quick one in before last light I'll go straight to rattling. Once I've rattled and waited AT LEAST 20 minutes (should wait 30) I'm done, time to move to next location. NEVER bleat, wheeze, or make any noise after you set down the antlers. Rifle has to be ready (like holding a shotgun over a dog on point) and you must be sitting in a position where you don't need to adjust to get comfy. I'm here to tell you this is harder than you'd think!! And gets harder every year I get older. 
 90% of the time I'll set up with a tree to my back. Maybe brush. I want nothing in front of me but you've got to take what you get. There's virtually no such thing as a perfect location. My favorite spot is a timbered draw with a brushy flat. I'll set up on a knob and do my thing. Keep an eye out on your down wind side because you never know what the air current is doing 50 yds away. This may sound odd but I like to face the direction I feel a deer is most likely to come from, gaze open eyed with my mouth open, never moving my head. I'll pick up any movement from the side easily this way and for some reason I hear better with my mouth open.    The brushier the better. Big bucks don't like openings so I don't try to pull them into one.
 Rambling now but here's another tip. If you rattle in a nice 4 pt (120"-) don't shoot! Several times I've passed on bucks like this and had a brute step out right after. My only weekness to this is if I have a kid with me. All my judgement falls apart and I smoke the little guy!     
 Sorry if I'm all over the place. Just talking rattling get's me all woozy with adrenaline.

[Bango skank]

How long do you soak your antlers?  Just put them in a bucket of water overnight?  How often do you soak them?  My rattling antlers are a couple years old, would thry be fine for a week or so if i soak them for a day?

[3nails]

 Oops. Forgot about the buck roar. To be clear I don't want to rattle in a small buck. I want Boss Hog! The roar comes in after bleating, wheezing. It's a " I'm the king of these woods and I'm coming to kick your a_ _" statement. He's really pissed off when he does this. Every once in a while a 2 1/2 year old with a bad attitude will come in all nervous. This can be comical. One year I rattled in a buck like this. He came in, peaked around a small bushy tree and jumped about 8' in the air when he saw a squirrel move. He knew he had no business being there and was terrified he was going to get clobbered. But the thought of a hot doe was just too tempting. So be patient if it's a big one you are after. However, if it's the first deer you've aver rattled in.....
 These comments are just for general info. Not necessarily directed at anyone.

[3nails]

How long do you soak your antlers?  Just put them in a bucket of water overnight?  How often do you soak them?  My rattling antlers are a couple years old, would thry be fine for a week or so if i soak them for a day?

I'll give them a 24 hr soak before I go. Maybe re-soak them after a week. Try and keep them out of the bitter cold and away from the moisture sucking heat of a tent stove. My antlers are 15 yrs old or so and still going strong.

[cem3434]

Tag

[3nails]

 Shortly after rattling a decent buck came in. I passed on him and maybe a minute later this guy came. Glad I was patient!

[JLS]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[Bigshooter]

I'm not much of a whitetail fan, but I would head mount that buck in a second.  Awesome whitetail 3nails.

[Bango skank]

Serious main beams on that bad boy!

[turkeyfeather]

To answer your one question.......I would find a nice place to park my butt and get comfortable. It can be very hard over there to move around without making alot of noise. Especially with younger ones.

[3nails]

I'm not much of a whitetail fan, but I would head mount that buck in a second.  Awesome whitetail 3nails.

I would too. I've got that one and a much bigger one ready to go. Or I can trap this year.......
 

[Carp Commander]

Did you find a spot? I hunt North Idaho most every year and know the area well.

[LeviD1]

If I dont get a deer early season I'm totally going to try and rattle one in. And or rattle one in for someone else. It sounds way to exciting not to.

[MountainTracker]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread

Yep this ^^^^

I hunt 10a, and after reading his thread I decided I wanted to take a deer rattling.  That year I took one of my better deer, using his tips.  It was possibly one of the coolest things I've seen hunting.  I will be doing it again this year.

Sweet! That was the whole purpose of starting the thread. I hope you rattle in a brute this year. I may be in 10a as well this year.

Because threads are better with pics 

[Jimmy33]

I love the color of those horns


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[Jimmy33]

Sheep...I sent you a pm. Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my pms


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