Idaho Outlook Better Than Many Believe

Some hunters are still grousing about the decline of Idaho deer herds following the bitter winter of 1992-93. Indeed, deer herds have not recovered in all portions of the state. But the sportsmen and politicians who continue to bully state Fish and Game officials toward costly winter feeding programs are missing a critical point.

Overall, Idaho’s fall deer hunting season is likely to be great.

In 1994, the year after the killer winter, 32 of Idaho’s 78 big-game hunting units produced success rates of more than 40 percent for deer hunters.

Last year, the dearth of snow that kept many ski resorts from opening until January, allowed deer to remain scattered and difficult to hunt during the fall seasons. But that means a higher-than-normal percentage of bucks survived the fall hunts.

Following another mild winter, with good range conditions, biologists from at least half of the state say the stage is set for a banner year of hunting.

“The key is weather,” said Jay Crenshaw, Fish and Game Department regional manager in Lewiston. “A little cold and snow at the right time, and I think hunters are going to be pleasantly surprised.”

Access, however, could be a serious issue for some hunters this fall. Major floods in November, February, and in the spring caused a rash of landslides and road washouts, particularly in the north half of the state.

“Access could be real difficult and real different,” said Dave Spicer, Fish and Game biologist in Coeur d’Alene. “Hunters should do some preseason scouting just to see if they can get to their normal hunting spots. Some people are going to have to do some homework with the Forest Service to see what roads are open.”

Some hunters, of course, will quickly see an opportunity in this misfortune. “There could be many new opportunities for hunters willing to pack in and get to the big bucks away from the crowds, ” Spicer said.

Panhandle hunters once again will have one of the most liberal deer hunting seasons in the West. Throughout November, a general tag allows a hunter to take either-sex for either species, mule deer or whitetails.

That explains why Panhandle hunters took 15,000 deer in 1994, nearly a quarter of the deer taken in the statewide harvest.

But the long season doesn’t explain why, year after year, more than 60 percent of the deer taken are whitetail bucks. Nor does it explain why 56 percent of the bucks taken in Region 1 have four or more points.

“The Panhandle doesn’t seem to go through the highs and lows of southern Idaho,” said Spicer, noting that even the 1992-93 winter didn’t thump Panhandle herds too badly.

Unit 1 has exceptionally high densities of deer, but it’s not clear why,” Spicer said.

“We suspect the habitat is the big factor. A heavy cedar and hemlock canopy intercepts snow and provides thermal protection the makes for better winter survival.”

Also, the brush is often thick. For every deer you see, countless others are slinking away unnoticed.

“Without a doubt, Unit 1 has the highest deer densities in the region,” Spicer said. “Whitetail are in very good shape, but there’s concern for mule deer. We’re asking hunters to voluntarily check mule deer at elk check stations this year so we can collect more data.”

The Panhandle is dominated by state and Forest Service Land in Unit 1, with more private land creeping into Units 2 and 3. Unit 5 is largely private land, while Unit 4 is dominated by the Forest Service’s Fernan and Wallace ranger districts. Units 6 and 7 are dominated by Forest Service and private timber company land in the St. Joe River drainage.

The Panhandle’s best bet for mule deer is Unit 4, where one out of four deer taken is a muley.

Unit 16 north of Grangeville has been one of the state’s best deer hunting units in terms of hunter success, with more than 67 percent of the hunters filling their tag in 1994. And nearly 80 percent of those deer were bucks. The unit is along the Clearwater River, including a portion of the Nez Perce National Forest.

Mule deer hunters prefer to zero in on the open breaks of the Salmon.

Unit 11, near the confluence of the Snake and Salmon, includes the 60,000-acre Craig Mountain State Wildlife Area. This offers plenty of public land to roam and hunt. Because most roads are closed in the area, hunters can get away from crowds and search out big bucks.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Recording trophies Following are the authorities for hunters interested in listings or scoring for big-game records: Boone and Crockett Club, Old Milwaukee Depot, 250 Station Dr., Missoula, MT 59801-2753, telephone (406) 542-1888, fax (406) 542-0784, deals with the largest game animals taken by any legal hunting method. Pope and Young Club, P.O. Box 548, Chatfield, MN 55923, telephone and fax (507) 867-4144, deals with big-game trophies taken by bowhunters.