Unit 113 Mule Deer

[Branden]

I have always wanted to try hunting the Salmo-priest wilderness area for muleys. Anybody know if there is a decent population in there and how the hunting is? I know there r tons of bears but not sure about mule deer.

[TeacherMan]

We saw a really nice buck up there last August. It was actually at the bridge just below Gypsy Meadows on the way up the mountain. He came back toward my jeep because I had boxed him onto the bridge and he didn't want to cross it. We where obviously not in the wilderness, but close. It is a hunt I've always wanted to do. We took a nice 6x off of Cromwell Ridge back in 2000 at the 12 mile mark, that was pure luck. every time I'm in that area it seems to rain, and the brush is almost as thick as it is on the Wetside of the state.

[jdb]

I was actually thinking of doing a hunt up there also I bought some maps and have been studying it.

[boneaddict]

Few but big.  Very tough country.

[whacker1]

I took a nice buck just south of the Salmo-Priest by roughly 20 miles as the crow flies in 2007.  I didn't hunt up there last year due to my dedicated efforts in North Idaho.  Visibility is very low.  Don't see a lot of animals, but when you do the odds are that they are of significant size.  I hope to have time to be up there again in 2009.

[Branden]

Thanks for the replies. If a guy was to archery hunt it how would u go about it? I have done a lot of internet scouting and it looks like spot and stalk is out.

[TeacherMan]

Along Cromwell Ridge Rd. there are a lot  of little Rd's. that you can park on a walk in on. We have bear hunted up in that area more than deer but while bear hunting we have seen some nice bucks that time of year in older logged out areas. It would be hard to get within 50yds in that stuff. This is how my buddy got that nice buck up there a few years back, but it was with a rifle. If I was bow hunting I would go up toward the lookout to the last trail heads on top, if I can find my trail notes I will give you the numbers of them. We hiked into that area last year for huckleberries and there was several locations that you could tell would be great deer holes. Most would take some serious hiking to get to. You are in the alpine up there and the brush isn't as thick, at least there are more open spots.  But all that said the only buck we saw last year was down lower.

[Pathfinder101]

I was internet scouting this place myself.  Heard it mentioned a couple of times, always with the same caveats as I saw here:  Brushy, remote, few-but-big, rough country...
...sounds like I should give it a shot before my knees go bad..

[Branden]

Thanks a lot everybody. All the help is appreciated.