Topic: Unit 39

[freebird63]

How many others on here hunt unit 39???  I sure wished IDFG would make some changes to the unit, would be nice to get a crack at a little later then October 31st, maybe November 15th or 20th, I know the archery guys wouldn't like that.  But then I think that unit is a lost cause, too many yahoo's out there running all over with ATV's.

[egress81]

The question is who doesn't hunt 39...

[freebird63]

Its funny you can go out warm springs road and look up on the hills and see thousands of deer and antelope and then when the time comes they disapear.  I remember one spring I started out at hwy 21 and drove up to Atlanta and counted the deer and elk.  We counted 500 elk and 350 deer.  At the time I did not see any deer above Alexander flats, its was all elk.  To date I have still seen very few deer above there but I know they are up there.  Then I hear about people killing some nice bucks up in the foothills and I have yet to see even a doe up there.  IDFG claims they want to increase the mule deer populations.  I am curious as to other peoples opinions about some of the pro's or con's of unit 39.  I know a few years back we got lucky a couple years in a row and filled our doe tags, the first two does we got we worked our tails off getting them out.  There is really alot of roadless area up there, the last couple years have had tag soup and no matter what you add to it I just can't get past the taste.

[fj40mojo]

I've done well in 39 with a little help from some friends. Year before last me and No-One took a pair of nice bucks off the Middle Fork of the Boise. Saw lots of elk on that hunt but didn't have a tag. This year hunted my butt off in 39 and saw no mulies until after deer season was over, but saw a dandy the week after. Elk-nothin till the last minute of the last day and they were way off. My days of hunting this part of the state are over.

[freebird63]

I wished I had more time and money to get out and explore new areas/units.  But I have a feeling we are going to paying at least 4 bucks a gallon for gas this fall.  Sure wished I still had my toyota tacoma instead of my gas hog dodge.  I think it would be fun to try a whitetail hunt.  But I think we are putting in for unit 32 and 32X, I have a line on some private land, plus it won't be hard on my broke down body.  IDFG does not seem to think unit 39 is that bad off, one of them at the check station made the comment there were more mule deer there then there has been for a few years.   I really wanted to laugh at him when he made that comment, it will be interesting to see the harvest numbers when they finally get them posted.  Last year I put in for unit 40 & 42 but that was a joke, I think if I ever get lucky and draw one of those tags I better go buy a lottery ticket too.
My father inlaw is always telling me how unit 39 use to be, they would open it on a friday and close it on that sunday because they had met the quota in two days.

[NoviceHunter]

Tons of game up there, but the ATV and truck hunters for sure make it harder to get to.  Personally, I saw tons of mulies this year and no elk.  Lots of elk sign with predator sign mixed in, mostly wolf, so I think the doggies are running the elk herds in big circles nowadays, in certain areas.  The elk were never in the same spot day-to-day this year, unless I'm going crazy.

Didn't see much until later in October though; was just some nice hiking this past season while it was 75 and sunny; nothing moving until the weather got nasty.  And then as usual, when the weather turned chains-only and the game started coming out, I was pretty much alone every day.