Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Idaho unit 50 OTC Mule Deer

Gang, the neighbor kid and I are heading to ID in late Oct (season is the 10th thru the 24th) for the general OTC mule deer hunt. Never been in unit 50 before, but like the roads and steepness of it from a map perspective. Believe we could get a couple of draniage's off the road and maybe escape some of the road traffic. We are going to tent camp it and drag a couple of 4 wheelers along and just try and wing it.

There are several open units in that region and a few of them run a bit longer. Any of you all ever been thru the country and maybe lend some wisdom to a couple of flat landers? I've hunted the west several times and know what to expect from a weather stand point (that time of year it could be 80 degrees or 2 feet of snow!) and general mule deer hunting.

Any input much appreicated.

I hunt idaho every year, but not unit 50. The winter before last was one of the hardest in a long time on the deer herds. A high percentage of winter kill. Be prepared for seeing fewer deer. A lot of the older age class bucks died. Last winter was pretty easy, so hopefully we are on the road back. My son had a late tag last fall and we hunted 9 days to shoot a really good buck. Most of the older bucks had died in the big winter. The younger bucks ca
fared better.

Oregon had a big die off like that in the early 90's and the deer herd never came back. But that was because they kept selling the tags instead of actually managing the herd.

Sorry for the rant. Hopefully Idaho knows better.

I hunt Idaho every year. Not 50 though. It’s steep country but that can be a great thing. Last year we saw less deer but we hunted late and they were headed down. I got a decent 4X4. It the hunting was tough. Good luck

CO did that in the NW also after a big winter kill they would not admit to. Kept selling hundreds of doe tags.

50 is HUGE country. Deer are scarce and scattered but they are there. 4 wheelers are restricted to roads so unless your vehicle is a 2-wheel drive, your 4-wheelers won’t provide you any additional access. If there is a trail open to 4-wheelers, the hunting regulations specifically preclude you from using a 4-wheeler off of regular vehicle roads for hunting.

Thanks for the input guys!! Good to know about t he country Cross. Might could get away from some folks there possibly it sounds like.

I haven't hunted 50 much. Last time I did was a few years ago in the area off the Trail Creek Road north of Sun Valley. We didn't see a track. It was late in the season and wet.
As was said, that's a huge area. We might have found herds of them just 1 more ridge over, or 2 ridges over...or 3...

I have hunted 50 a lot, but none of it in the last 5 years.

Leave the ATV's at home.

Hunt the low sage and aspen pockets. Glass morning and evening and if you get stir crazy in the day, hunt the pockets by rolling rocks, standing upwind, talk, clap hands and throw more rocks.

Those mature bucks hold incredibly tight. Sometimes you almost need to step on them.

Much appreciated!!

Be up in the Krags at first light.

Or plan on hunting last light, once again up high in the krags. Unless there is a bunch of snow.

Lots of nice deer up high.

Ff b.c. d