Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: jthurs on December 23, 2012, 12:18:28 PM

Title: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 23, 2012, 12:18:28 PM: Hey guys, posted this in trail cameras on accident. Does anyone know how the whitetails are doing up north idaho around priest lake or around that area. trying to plan a hunt for next year. Not looking for your hotspot, just an idea of deer numbers in general.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: bigcountry on December 23, 2012, 03:28:16 PM: We hunted up there this year last week of November, it was horrible. There were a couple days we did not even see a deer. I will not be going back
Title: North idaho deer?
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on December 23, 2012, 03:50:50 PM: The locals usually do well. We hunted the north for of the cda for elk and saw some nice bucks, probably cause we only buy elk tags. Saw a decent mulie out of priest a couple weeks ago while four wheeling. If you put some time in, you will find nice bucks up there.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 23, 2012, 04:08:13 PM: Thanks for the input guys. I knew I was going to have to work for them, but sounds like there are still deer there.
Title: North idaho deer?
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on December 23, 2012, 04:13:39 PM: To say the least!!! I don't personally hunt it, but my friend and his family grew up in priest river and have taken some amazing bucks, just gotta figure them out. The sheds we find let me know there are some monsters up there, I just don't wanna spend the money on a tag yet
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 23, 2012, 06:43:10 PM: My uncle shot a 170" whitey in naples 3 years ago. 10 points with a drop. Not in the books, as I don't think alot of idaho bucks go in the books. They are there.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: Alan K on December 23, 2012, 07:01:08 PM: Snow makes a huge difference for us over there. Much easier to spot and they are on the move feeding throughout the day. Rattling can and does work well if you catch it right. It's different over there than in Washington though, no baiting, so you can't shoot them neck deep in hay piles. With so much of the land over there USFS, there are endless seas of timber growing bucks that rarely see man. Of course there are some great bucks there!

Attached is a map of Idaho with the WT deer densities, straight out of the regs. You've probably seen it, but as you can see there is no shortage of WT's in the area you're talking about!
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 23, 2012, 07:07:49 PM: Cool, thanks for the map!
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: ANDERWAGON on December 24, 2012, 04:11:53 AM: My Brother-in-law lives near Twin Lakes and hunt the area pretty hard. He's had a few wolf encounter and believes there's been a decrease in the deer numbers over the past few years. But with all that said he still pulled this buck out of the woods on the last day of the season this year.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 24, 2012, 07:44:44 AM: gorgeous deer. love the color of those horns.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 25, 2012, 01:32:17 PM: Does anyone know if there are also some nice mulies up high in this area? I would have to think so.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on December 25, 2012, 01:34:43 PM: Anderwagon ...thats a fine whitetail .. congrats :tup: :tup:
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on December 29, 2012, 04:50:50 PM: Was also wondering if there were some mulies in the high ground worth pursuing. I have heard that there are pockets of good bucks if you know where to look?
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: DBHAWTHORNE on December 29, 2012, 07:55:22 PM: I am heading up there next season too... can't wait! :drool:
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: elkaholic on December 29, 2012, 10:54:14 PM: Db, tried sending ur work email pics and your full
Mule deer in pockets ...... Gotta scout alot and the snow gets deep quick up there.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on January 03, 2013, 01:42:55 PM: Hey is the winter looking like a hard one for the deer up there? That's what I am hearing.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: fishngamereaper on January 03, 2013, 01:51:16 PM: Quote from: jthurs on December 25, 2012, 01:32:17 PM
Does anyone know if there are also some nice mulies up high in this area? I would have to think so.

Fair amount of mulies..and the nice thing is if your hunting the late Nov. season then the mulies are rutting hard. Buddy and I got 2 nice whitey bucks and one masher muley buck a few years back. The muley was following a doe down the middle of the Priest River.

If you can pass on a few whitetail bucks you may run into a good muley.
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: jthurs on January 27, 2013, 06:51:11 PM: Did anyone hunt up here this year? How did you do?
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: JM on January 28, 2013, 01:34:18 PM: 10-12 inches of snow and It was warm and melting. Saw one deer and I shot that one deer. Just read the first post and it wasn't as far north as the original poster asked
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: supagoose on January 30, 2013, 09:48:15 PM: ive hunted the priest lake area its REALLY brushy. if you go way up high it opens up and theres mulies but its all strait up and down
Title: Re: North idaho deer?
Post by: JM on January 31, 2013, 10:35:58 AM: Quote from: fishngamereaper on January 03, 2013, 01:51:16 PM
Quote from: jthurs on December 25, 2012, 01:32:17 PM
Does anyone know if there are also some nice mulies up high in this area? I would have to think so.

Fair amount of mulies..and the nice thing is if your hunting the late Nov. season then the mulies are rutting hard. Buddy and I got 2 nice whitey bucks and one masher muley buck a few years back. The muley was following a doe down the middle of the Priest River.

If you can pass on a few whitetail bucks you may run into a good muley.

Did you post any Pictures of those bucks on here? I'd like to see some pictures of those bucks