Idaho Unit 36A Mule Deer

I've bought my tag and I'm choosing unit 36A to test my luck. I've looked at harvest/hunter statistics and terrain of several different units and find myself most comfortable with this unit. I like that is is mainly public land and that there are reports of deer here. It's a bonus that you can hunt wolf and there are partridges to be found. I will be coming up from Texas and I only have a general tag so I am planning on going the week of Oct 15 and the season ends on Oct 24. Probably will be doing a mix of road and camp hunting as it will be my first trip and I've been advised not to push myself too hard on my first try.

I've got most of my gear ready to go and have been conditioning myself best I can for the mountains. I'll be running a pair of 10x50s with a tripod for glassing. I don't plan on packing a spotting scope but I may decide to last minute. If I do hike in a little way I've got my Horn Hunter full curl pack (Best pack I could afford being a first timer) to bring all my camp gear. I'm gonna just try out ONX MAPS instead of buying an expensive GPS. Just need to buy a good pair of boots (considering irish setter elk trackers) and I'm pretty much set to go.

Does anyone have any tips on hunting this unit? Whats the access like? Anything special I should bring? Any gotchas that I should know about? Any good glassing knobs or GPS coordinates with big deer you wanna share is welcome too ...jk

I’d bring the spotter.

PM sent

Second the spotter I have hunted that unit before beautiful country and there are deer there for sure.

Be prepared for snow and have a few backup locations in the area in case plan A doesn't work out.

36A is a beautiful place. I too suggest bringing the spotting scope. Last time I hunted there we were watching deer across a canyon but it was too wide to tell small bucks from does with 10x binoculars. We saw a lot of does, but no bucks larger than a spike. We figured if we could have gained another 1000 vertical feet maybe we would have found bucks.

Expect to have company from non-hunters on some trails. The trail system is good, but be sure to check an updated map. Some older maps show trails that are no longer accessible. Check out https://trails.idaho.gov/ for trail type, motorized closure dates and other helpful info. Calling the Forest Service to inquire about recent maintenance would be a good idea too. I have been told deadfall trees haven't been cleared from some trails for a long time, making them impassable.

Be sure to check on land ownership boundaries too. There is a lot of private land in the lower elevation areas.

i third the comment on the spotter. The canyons are wide and it can be hard to judge bucks from a far distance without a good spotting scope. If you have one bring it. The onx system will work fine for you on that hunt. Just download the area and use it as a gps. I always bring a battery pack for my phone so you have plenty of power to get you through the hunt. I have a pair of irish setters and they have worked great for me. I dont remember the exact model though. They have made it through 5 years and are about ready to retire... Tread is getting a little flat....Prepare for the weather and make sure you have the basic survival gear, Matches, food, water, etc as you go. Good luck and hope you enjoy idaho as much as i do.

definitely take the spotter

I've been trying to get a biologist for that region to call me back for about 3 months now. I too am looking in that area and surrounding areas, maybe we can bounce a few ideas off each other via PM.