2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
- Springville Shooter
- Monster
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2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
A friend and I decided to revisit an area in northern Idaho that we hunted for a few years back in the late 90's. The deer in this area had a significant disease kill-off around 5-6 years ago so we were unsure what we were getting into. Also, we had always gone the last week of the season in November to hunt at the peak of the rut but schedules dictated that we would have to go in October this year. I was concerned as the weather was t-shirt warm when we arrived but was relieved when we immediately started seeing deer high on the breaks above the river.
We went right to the same ridge system that we hunted in 2001 and split up to glass different sides of a large ridge that served as a travel corridor between the pines of the upper breaks and the fields and river bottoms below. The country is very steep and quite open for whitetail country so we like to sit at good vantage points and watch the travel areas in th morning and evening. I spotted two nice 8 point bucks on the ridge and elected to pass them as it was the first day. After some does came down, a large deer caught my eye coming from high on the ridge trotting down the trail. He was obviously a nice buck and upon further inspection I decided that I couldn't pass him up. He stopped on a shelf 298 yards across from me and my hunt ended.
That night, my friend said that he had seen 3 big bucks that came down and held up in a brush patch too far above him for a shot. We made a plan and were in there early the next morning. When we got set-up, I spotted the bucks below where they had been the night before. The spot they were in was very tricky as it was surrounded by very steep open country. Instead of a stalk, we elected to take the shot from where we were at 408 yds. Keith placed a perfect shot and soon his buck was down on the little shelf 408 yds away.
After alot of recovery work, we enjoyed a few days rest and headed back home. It was a great trip in some beautiful country that ended with a couple great western whitetails. -------SS
We went right to the same ridge system that we hunted in 2001 and split up to glass different sides of a large ridge that served as a travel corridor between the pines of the upper breaks and the fields and river bottoms below. The country is very steep and quite open for whitetail country so we like to sit at good vantage points and watch the travel areas in th morning and evening. I spotted two nice 8 point bucks on the ridge and elected to pass them as it was the first day. After some does came down, a large deer caught my eye coming from high on the ridge trotting down the trail. He was obviously a nice buck and upon further inspection I decided that I couldn't pass him up. He stopped on a shelf 298 yards across from me and my hunt ended.
That night, my friend said that he had seen 3 big bucks that came down and held up in a brush patch too far above him for a shot. We made a plan and were in there early the next morning. When we got set-up, I spotted the bucks below where they had been the night before. The spot they were in was very tricky as it was surrounded by very steep open country. Instead of a stalk, we elected to take the shot from where we were at 408 yds. Keith placed a perfect shot and soon his buck was down on the little shelf 408 yds away.
After alot of recovery work, we enjoyed a few days rest and headed back home. It was a great trip in some beautiful country that ended with a couple great western whitetails. -------SS
- Attachments
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- Bucks in trucks are good. Mine on the left, friends on the right.
- IMG_0305.JPG (38.39 KiB) Viewed 19437 times
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- We stopped to show a local rancher who gave us some great advise 10 years ago. Advise that still works.
- IMG_0314.JPG (41.06 KiB) Viewed 19438 times
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- My Idaho 8 point
- IMG_0271.JPG (38.41 KiB) Viewed 19438 times
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- My buck where he fell
- Idaho Whitetail for MM.jpg (41.61 KiB) Viewed 19438 times
"Only accurate rifles are interesting"-----Col. Townsend Whelen
Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Congrats! Those are both very nice looking deer. I would love to get the chance to hunt nice Whitetails like that someday!
- Buckmaster
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Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
SS, that is a great recovery story for both the deer and a old hunting area
Congrats on some awesome DIY whitetails!
Congrats on some awesome DIY whitetails!
"I love it when a plan comes together"
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- MuleyMadness
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Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Very cool, great story and pics. I'd like to bag a Whitetail someday.
Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Congrats to both you and your buddy on some fine whitetail bucks! I would love to hunt N. Idaho some day.... I lived in Post Falls for around 6 months and that is some beautiful country. I'm glad it worked out for you!
Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Congratulations on a couple of very nice bucks. Sounds like you guy's had a great time.
Keep your nose in the wind and your eyes along the skyline.
Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Awesome.sounds like fun was had
Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
right on SS!!! those are some great looking whitetails.-- one of these days i'm going to scratch them off my bucket list of hunts, just seems so close its silly to not give it a try.
great job!
great job!
- Springville Shooter
- Monster
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Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Killer-
We should info swap. Ochoco bull for Idaho whitetail. The area is good, but in all honesty we were lucky to get bucks of this size and aside from the very few ghosty monsters, this is what there is to be had. Tons of fun though. Also, I'venoticed that there are very few bucks with 5 scoreable points per side which makes it very hard to find that magical 140" buck that I want to kill in the area someday. Guess I'll have to try again sometime. -----------SS
We should info swap. Ochoco bull for Idaho whitetail. The area is good, but in all honesty we were lucky to get bucks of this size and aside from the very few ghosty monsters, this is what there is to be had. Tons of fun though. Also, I'venoticed that there are very few bucks with 5 scoreable points per side which makes it very hard to find that magical 140" buck that I want to kill in the area someday. Guess I'll have to try again sometime. -----------SS
"Only accurate rifles are interesting"-----Col. Townsend Whelen
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- Fawn
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Re: 2011 Idaho Whitetail Adventure
Awesome great hunting I impressed , great job well done .Thanks for shearing information about deer hunting it is necessary for maintain wildlife and creating ecological balance.