Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Out Of State Hunting => Topic started by: jameshuntz on December 11, 2024, 11:23:27 AM

Title: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: jameshuntz on December 11, 2024, 11:23:27 AM: Not a new hunter to Idaho but this will be my first time with Unit 39. Looking for peoples thoughts on this unit. I know its busy, i know theres a lot of animals. I will be solo hunting deep and steep so im not worried about other people so much. Migration hunt depending on when in october i go? ideally would go last week of Oct. Appreciate any input.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: highside74 on December 11, 2024, 11:42:57 AM: Quote from: jameshuntz on December 11, 2024, 11:23:27 AM
Not a new hunter to Idaho but this will be my first time with Unit 39. Looking for peoples thoughts on this unit. I know its busy, i know theres a lot of animals. I will be solo hunting deep and steep so im not worried about other people so much. Migration hunt depending on when in october i go? ideally would go last week of Oct. Appreciate any input.

If you don't plan on road hunting, you'll be in the chips. Like you said, lots of people but if you are getting away from the roads you be in deer. Good luck.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: skills on December 11, 2024, 12:03:31 PM: I'm not sure if there is deep or steep enough to get away from hunters there. Expect company no matter where you go there. Lots of game though. I'm not sure how long that will last, but there is a crazy amount of wildlife there for the pressure it gets.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: Limhangerslayer on December 11, 2024, 12:40:50 PM: Quote from: skills on December 11, 2024, 12:03:31 PM
I'm not sure if there is deep or steep enough to get away from hunters there. Expect company no matter where you go there. Lots of game though. I'm not sure how long that will last, but there is a crazy amount of wildlife there for the pressure it gets.
Not only that, but Idaho hunters will follow you right up a ridge and if you stop to glass they’ll walk right passed you. So don’t think you’ll walk away from anybody in that unit.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: Taco280AI on December 11, 2024, 12:51:46 PM: Very crowded, gets worse every year. Used to be I could hike back four miles and hardly see anyone. Now there's a dozen people back four miles with me. Get away from roads, get away from trails. If you see a big, steep, nasty looking mountain you don't want to climb, that's a good place to start. There is lots of game, just lots of people too. Go where they don't want to and you'll see the game.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: spin05 on December 11, 2024, 10:58:36 PM: Good luck if going during Rifle. Ive archery hunted it 3 times and did rifle the last time. We crossed a river hiked up a steep ass ridge. Get all the way up there and all i could do was laugh. Here was 2 tents up there on the edge of a nice bowl. Looked like no one was home at the time. Anyway like others said hard to get away during rifle anyway. Wont go there again for rifle
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: 2MANY on December 12, 2024, 12:59:26 AM: That's funny.
I know exactly who's living there.
Lol
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: jstone on December 12, 2024, 10:22:31 AM: Hunted 39 a few times. Back in 2000 lots of deer.
5 years ago not many deer lord of wolf tracks
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: greenhead_killer on December 12, 2024, 12:47:11 PM: Lots of deer, not many mature ones though. Like others have stated, get off the roads and trails and your % goes up. Don’t hold out for a monster. Just have fun
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: dilleytech on December 12, 2024, 01:11:37 PM: Quote from: Limhangerslayer on December 11, 2024, 12:40:50 PM
Quote from: skills on December 11, 2024, 12:03:31 PM
I'm not sure if there is deep or steep enough to get away from hunters there. Expect company no matter where you go there. Lots of game though. I'm not sure how long that will last, but there is a crazy amount of wildlife there for the pressure it gets.
Not only that, but Idaho hunters will follow you right up a ridge and if you stop to glass they’ll walk right passed you. So don’t think you’ll walk away from anybody in that unit.

I hunted that unit once. Hiked in 5 miles uphill about 3,000’. Was really optimistic about the coming days. The next morning I wake up and there’s 3 other camps right below me I didn’t see the day before and guys walking past me while glassing, guys riding dirt bikes up ridges that were impressive to do so on.

It’s just the game in that unit but it really is impressive the number of people hunting it. A lot of them are trying hard to get away from each other also.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: ldjbuff on December 12, 2024, 02:01:55 PM: The further you can get away from Boise the better. I live here and it gets crazy in October. I am lucky enough to be still hunting right now in that unit (Until 12/16). I see giants everyday, tough to close the distance with a bow though. Lots of big bucks get killed in 39 each year, study maps. Find areas with no ATV or dirt bike access and hike to get in.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: Kurt_S on December 13, 2024, 08:51:08 AM: The buck to doe ratios are the worst I've seen any where I've hunted.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: Apples on December 14, 2024, 08:57:46 AM: We have found the last few years it can be a bit of a challenge to find a good camp site, I have been going there for 22 years and cant believe how many people we see now. I am also amazed that most everything we see taken is in the spike and 2 point category.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: idaho guy on January 27, 2025, 09:26:21 PM: Its funny that this seems to be one of most posted about units in Idaho. It is the most heavily hunted unit in Idaho. I have some freinds that have taken some nice animals out. I have only lion hunted 39 so I am not adding anything really just interesting how many posts I see asking about it.
Title: Re: Idaho Unit 39
Post by: duckman18 on February 01, 2025, 07:36:49 AM: Good luck we have been going there for eight years first four or five years We all killed decent three and four points since then it has gone downhill. Warmer Weather keeps the migration later and seems like at least in our area more people than ever before and overly just seeing less deer per day. We decided not to go back this year. Usually there’s snow on the ground when we get there the last three or four years it hasn’t snowed at all. We go the last week of October around 7000 feet.