[quote=T_Inman]Idaho for sure is stupidly crowded with out of staters, but it was that way 20+ years ago and the deer are still there. I remember in the 90's seeing hundreds of pickup lights headed up the mountain roads on opening morning in the southern part of the state. It looked like an army invading. Not too sure about the Salmon area though. Regardless, I wouldn't let the nay sayers influence your thinking that anything bigger than a forked horn is rare to find.
You'll be at a disadvantage not knowing the area you plan to hunt, but big deer are still killed every year there on general tags.
I know two people who consistently kill respectable 160" mule deer there (sometimes 2 a year) on general season/public land hunts. They've got the advantage of having hunted their spots for several years though, and they also usually scout pretty heavily before the hunt, which it sounds like you don't have going for you.
The biggest factor I've noticed with mule deer newcomers is that they think they're in good enough shape mentally and physically to do what they have to do....which more often than not ends up not being the case. Many also erroneously think high tech gear makes up for those deficiencies. The two hunters mentioned above would make a lot of folks on these boards (who kill a lot less) laugh at the shït gear they use. You may or may not fit that mold.....I don't know you from Adam, but thought I'd throw that out there.
Pretty sure I know one of them...
Thanks for the heads up. Fitness is solid. And my stuff is boringly non cool. But it works.
