Hunting season is here yet again for another year and still do it yourself hunts are the only way to go.  They are the most rewarding of all the different kinds in my perspective.  The memories seem to last longer and the self joy is much better.  This year in Idaho we found some of those great sought after memories.

We decided to make this year a father son hunt. Due to my buddy Josh and I being layed off we decided to leave three days early to do a little scouting. After the nine and a half hour drive and an hour pit stop in Post Falls Idaho at the Cabelas store we made it.  Happly greeted by Grandma with a plate of dinner on the table.

The first morning we headed for high country. The first unit we came to we spotted 7 doe and 4 skippers. About two miles down the road we hit another unit where we spotted a 20 plus inch buck and a nice fork as well as 22 more doe and skippers. We then headed back toward home do get the hunny do list done so we could focus on getting some animals down for the opener. In the evening we spotted eight elk close to home.

The second morning we went to try to find some whitetail bucks we ended up just finding more muleys. One buck stood out he was only a spike but had a spike that came out and curled around under his chin. Unfortunately we could not find him during season to take him out of the herd. That evening we headed back out close to Grandmas. Walking a gated road we spotted two smaller whitetailed bucks and six doe. Once we got to where we wanted to spot from we saw a herd of elk headed for the timber. We decided to wait it out and see if we could find a bull if they were to come back out. While we waited I spotted a nice black bear at 660 yards and we set up to get a shot, but were never presented one. He headed in to the other side of the timber from the elk and spooked them out letting us see twenty cow and two bulls.

Opening day we headed back up to find that 20 plus inch buck. First thing we spot a couple doe and some skippers. Then Josh says got him he had spotted that big buck again. Him and my dad headed over to give it a try as Gary and I spotted. As they where getting set up another hunter spooked the deer and he was gone. We packed up and headed over to try to find the goofy spike. We got over to where we had spotted him the day before to find a 60inch bull moose. Watching him for over an hour we got to listen to him make his mating call. With only had about an hour of daylight left I spotted a huge color phase bear pushing the 400 mark but yet again we were never presented a good shot.

Day four we headed up to some extremely high country to do some exploring on the way up we got to see the beautiful sight of a frozen river. When we where about a mile from our turn we had a herd of elk cross the highway.  Doing lots of glassing and lots of driving we had not seen anything all day so we decided to make some lunch. After lunch we started to hunt down toward home and spotted a coyote. I got set up and as she ran I shot her at two hundred yards. She dropped in her tracks leaving only a vapor where she stood.

Day Five we attempted to find the big buck we had spotted two days before. First deer to spot we  spotted a nice fork. Gary and I headed over and left Josh and my dad to spot. Josh was relaying on where the deer was headed and was dumbfounded to hear two shots before we where even close to where we could see the fork. Gary had spotted the big buck and down he went. I came over the radio “BBD Big Buck Down!” Josh came back saying the fork was still there but getting nervous. So I took off running over the next ridge to see him headed for the timber. I ranged him at 480 yards and let the 300win roar. Josh came over the radio hollering nice shot. He saw it all through the spotting scope watching the buck roll twice before even hearing the shot.

Day seven we went up to where we got four bucks last year and brought Barb with us to try to get her something and right off the bat we spotted a herd of elk feeding. We got her set up and the tourit dialed in at 603. She pulled down on the bull and shot, he dropped and got right back up. She shot again and he dropped for a second time only to get back up. Then a third shot he layed to rest for good. She dose not get around very well so us boys headed over to pack him out. On the way over I found a moose shed and we decided to pack him out on a closed road five and a half miles down to the gate. It took all day.

Day eight we decided to take take Deniese out to look for some animals and sure enough we got on more elk after two hours of glassing. We got her set up and ranged the cow at 817 yards. We made sure she was steady and told her to squeeze then kaboom whop. One shot one kill. Perfect lung shot. So us boys packed up and went down to make another pack for the second day in a row.

The rest of our trip we only saw a few deer no good bucks though. We brought home some good meat and a couple nice animals. Those great memories where made with some close friends and family. Remember do it yourself hunts are a great way to keep those dream hunts cheap and are much more rewarding. All in all I believe we skated out of ther only spending about $400 each on the trip, plus tags. Good huntin to yall and god bless. Lets see some great kills and hear those amazing memories.

We all think it would be great to be able to go on guided hunts, out of state or not,  but lets face it, most of us just can’t afford it. I know I can’t! If you do your homework you can plan an awesome do it yourself  hunt for fairly cheap. My state of choice was Idaho, and for about $470 I got my license and rifle deer tag.

Idaho High Country

We did our homework on where to go. There was no scouting involved due to the distance and cost of traveling to a different state. When it came to choosing where to hunt, it was almost just a finger on the map. With a little help from Google Earth and a lot of help from topo maps, we found some great areas. Our main focus was mule deer so we concentrated on south facing slopes and high elevation.

Walk-In Roads

Idaho has some great ideas for their mountain road systems! They have different types of roads, some for all vehicles, some atvs only, and others walk-in only.  Many hunters in Idaho choose to use atvs because it is legal to ride them on the highways, but for those of us who don’t use them we all know how frustrating it can be when you have just walked one, two, or even three miles up a road and an atv goes cruising past you. For this reason, we absolutely loved the walk-in only roads. And they proved to be pretty successful for us. While we where there we harvested four of our five deer on walk-in roads.

Glassing Ahead

A huge part of our success during our trip was glassing (using your binoculars). A good pair of binos is a must if you want see more deer and harvest big bucks. I know what you’re thinking, that’s just more money to spend, but you can get a good pair for fairly cheap and any 10×40 or 10×42 binos will do. I prefer roof prism or pinnacle style because they have a smaller frame, they’re lighter, and they’re more clear. Remember, the better that you glass the better chance you have of harvesting a great buck.

Next on the list is having a good pack. There are lots of packs out there so make sure you shop around to find the one that’s right for you. There are many important features that I look for in a good pack. The first thing I look for is versatility. Can I use this pack for deer, bear, and elk? Second, is it comfortable?  Third, is it the right size? Can I put everything I need in this pack, whether it is for a day hunt or a week hunt. And fourth, does it have a good warranty? The best one for me was a no-brainer! Badlands 4500, this is an amazing pack. (This pack can be seen above in the pic titled Walk in Roads) Hands down it is the most comfortable pack I have ever put on, even with the meat of a 200 lb bear inside. The warranty is the best part, it’s lifetime, no questions asked. You wont find that with any other hunting pack, period. 

THE HUNT

We struggled for the first three days of our ten day hunt, only seeing a few deer here and there, mostly does. The few bucks that we did see in these first few days were either too small or they just out-smarted us.

The Double

On the fourth day of our hunt our maps paid off when we discovered a great set of walk-in roads. We knew there would be animals here so we started glassing. Low and behold Gary spotted a bear. We hiked up the road only to find the bear long gone, but on the way back down we stumbled upon two bucks. Josh got a very respectable three point and Frank got a nice fork. That’s a double. 

Double Number Two

Day five, we woke up to find that we had a flat tire, so we headed for town. With this set back we didn’t have time to make it up to the same roads we were hunting the day before, so we decided to explore closer to town. Though we didn’t see very many deer ourselves, we did get to watch another hunter in the bottom of a canyon harvest a very nice 6×6 bull elk. On day six we got up early and decided to head back up to where we got the double just two days before. We took a different road that split off and went around the other side of the ridge. We headed up the ridge only to find that it had snowed the night before. We cut two sets of fresh tracks, following them up the old gravel road until they climbed the bank. Looking up the bank, there stood a tall sharp tipped three point. It was Gary’s turn. He pulled up as the buck whirled around. As I was watching this happen I saw another larger four point buck stand up to follow. I pulled up and KABOOM, down he went. Gary hollered ”give me a chance” as the smaller three point buck continued to run. It made it about eighty yards before Gary shot. The buck, wounded, took off and ran only 40 yards before he dropped. Yet another double.

After getting the bucks down to the road, Josh headed back to the truck to get the deer cart.  Gary and I built a fire and started cooking a couple of Mountain House meals for lunch. Let the work and celebration begin! We warmed up and got our bellies full. After cleaning the bucks we hauled them back to the truck.

Gary’s Excitement

The Pack Out With The Deer Cart

 So all in all it was an experience that I will never forget, my first out of state hunt. For all you guys that say you can’t afford to do it, you’re wrong. It just takes some research and time. I did it all for less than a $1,000. The D.I.Y. hunt is always more rewarding than a guided hunt because it’s all on you whether you’re successful or not.

Stay on the look out for my post for Idaho 2009. It should be up in late October.