High basin pre-scouting advice?

Paul in Idaho

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
829
Location
Southwest Idaho
For the past couple years, I have been looking at maps and Google Earth, along with hiking, to find a new place to focus on for mule deer. This is a basin I keep going back to look at on Google Earth. I haven't hiked into it yet, but plan to do so this summer.

The greenest part of the basin meadow is about 8,900 feet, and the ridge with the trail (upper right) is about 9,400. To my eye it appears to have feeding areas, bedding areas and escape routes. The closest legal motorized access is a couple ridges over.

I'd appreciate your input on whether you agree this basin deserves a long hike in for scouting. September will be here soon.

Thanks.
Paul
Screen Shot 2017-06-03 at 12.18.11 PM.jpg
 
I'm no mule deer expert, having never taken a buck over 160", but it looks good to me. It really depends on the part of the state, I've seen basins that look just like that hold no deer in central and eastern Idaho. I've also seen basins that look much more dry than above hold quite a few deer in southern ID.

I like it because it doesn't have too much green/water (too many elk). And I don't think deer need more than a small seep/spring. Is that an old pack trail or well used game trail?

My guess would be that any bucks would be on those little benches and bluffs on the left side above the meadow, near some of the cliffs. Does would be in the timber or lower below the bottom of your picture. Give yourself a couple days, I've glassed lots of dry looking country like this in ID for deer and sometimes you only see 1 deer every 2 days. But if you do it's usually a 150+ buck from my experience. Again, I'm far from a mule deer freak.
 
Thanks for your reply. I have been looking more at the satellite photos and maps. Unfortunately that trail turns out to be open to ATV use. On the positive side, the satellite images are sharp enough to show several well-worn game trails crossing the scree areas, including those benches on the left of the photo you mentioned. It's worth hiking in there for a closer look. I'll aim for next weekend.
 
If there's a big buck he's gonna be here. Glass till your eyes bleed.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1860.jpg
    IMG_1860.jpg
    103.8 KB · Views: 572
Stubaby - can you explain your reasoning? I know I'm not the topic poster but I've read several books on high country mulies and I'm still not "getting it" on how to find them.
 
Vanish & Paul...Mike Eastman's book Hunting High Country Mule Deer might be worth a read. I thought it had lots of good info, anyway.
 
Vanish & Paul...Mike Eastman's book Hunting High Country Mule Deer might be worth a read. I thought it had lots of good info, anyway.

While it is a great book, I found it to lead me astray more times than not. Not everywhere is wy high country.
 
While it is a great book, I found it to lead me astray more times than not. Not everywhere is wy high country.

That was the same problem I ran into with David Longs book. I never see country like he describes.
 
I'd be surprised if you can get in to that elevation
Still a lot of snow at 9000 feet here
 
That was the same problem I ran into with David Longs book. I never see country like he describes.
Same here. There's very little alpine country in Idaho, the kind of country he seems to focus on. OTC units are ALL different. Draw units seem to be more predictable. Anyone can draw a premier tag and find some good bucks.

The best high country deer resource I've found is Robby denning and his live hunts/blog.
 
Vanish, because that's where they bed down. I've seen Bucks cross 1/4 mile horizontal and 1,000 vertical of solid shale rock to go bed down. They like to be up high where they have a vantage point and can smell the rising thermals. They also like to be on an island of trees so something coming their way makes lots of noise coming from either side or above. Also, being near the top allows thm to go over the top in just a few bounds.

Try stalking a buck in the middle of a shale rock face. Only way to do it with a bow is sneak in their bedding area in the dark and be there as they come to their bedroom.

These are my opinions but they come from spending hours watching them and having them take me to school time and time again.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I have David Long's book and have read it a couple times. I also haven't found a lot of matching terrain where I hunt, but I'm working on applying the other ideas. The Eastman book has been on my shopping list for quite a while.

A couple weekends ago I hiked the area. I didn't have enough time to go up to the snow line but gained some helpful knowledge of the area. It was only about 3 miles and 1,500' elevation gain, but it was good for cleaning some rust off my knees and lungs from the winter's inactivity.

I have still been looking at the area on Google Earth and have found lots of interesting things. This image from a different basin nearby seems promising.
Screen Shot 2017-06-23 at 6.55.24 PM.jpg
 
Last edited:
Here's some pics from this morning. I'm a long ways off but you get the idea.

By 8:00 am they are all bedded in the trees. Nothing on google earth can substitute getting up high, in the dark, with good glass!!!!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2186.jpg
    IMG_2186.jpg
    114.4 KB · Views: 222
  • IMG_2184.jpg
    IMG_2184.jpg
    91.1 KB · Views: 227
  • IMG_2201.jpg
    IMG_2201.jpg
    139.2 KB · Views: 224
High for Idaho is 8000' +, we don't have any 12k and little 11k. A lot of our high country isn't alpine, or above timberline, like the pictures above.
 
I agree, look high. Really high. Look for any rock outcropping or ledge the deer could tuck back under for shade. Look for stringers of alder, they like to browse in these during the summer months.
 
Thanks for the photos and input. I am determined to focus more on mule deer this year.

The peak I'm looking around is one of the highest in the unit, just under 10k feet. The higher ones aren't much higher and some of them have more roads.

A local told me recently the road to the best trail access for this basin is still blocked by avalanches. Probably won't be open until mid-July. Until then, it's a 3,000 ft elevation climb on foot to get to a glassing spot. I plan to go hike and scout alternate access routes next weekend.
 
Back
Top