whitetail

[wormsinker]

I was wondering how the huntin is in unit 63A. the proclamation says there is high density of whitetail is this true. Is there many big bucks, also hows the sucess rate
Is a muzzleloader considered a short range weapon cause i think unit 63A is short range weapon only
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[Browningsilver]

Yeah there is a high density of whitetails; the only problem though is that a lot of the ground around those couple units is private. I bought a map from idaho fish and game that had all the private sectors marked. I went and hunted it and got lost down in the river bottoms which turned out to be an unpleasant experience. I never saw any marked or posted property indicators the whole time I was in the trees and marsh. I came out the river bottoms a mile away from where I thought I was. I asked some of the farmers where a certain road was to get back to my vehicle. One guy told me that I came off private land and that I'd be arrested if I were seen by the owner. Again, I never saw any signs or marked fence posts along the river.

One should be well-studied and very aware of property boundaries, armed with a map and GPS when they go. It is easy to get turned around and many of the properties are small, private pieces of land that are easy to stumble on. If you have permission to hunt on large pieces of land or find a plot of state land big enough for you, then it could work. I recommend not using a tree stand and still hunting for whitetails. You will likely encounter moose as well. Also be aware that there are state pieces of land everyone knows about and frequently disturbed by fisherman, duck hunters, deer hunter, high school kids and the whole gang. I think one of the reasons why the population density of whitetails is so high in those units is because nobody really wants to put grab their gun and waders and mess with all the no access points and private land. If you happen to find a sweet spot for yourself that is mostly undisturbed, then have fun. It should be a blast.

P.S. I put in a week or two of hunting the St. Anthony-Rexburg area over a 3 year time and only saw does and one 2-point. But I am sure there are some big boys out there. They just know where to sit tight where there is plenty of cover and likely on private land.
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[SF_Austin]

There is mostly private land in 63A, but if you go and talk to some land owners (and aren't afraid of rejection) you can usually get one or two to let you on their property. Spend as much time as you possibly can looking in fields and corners and getting familiar with the property you've gained access to. I've been hunting some private land down there with decent success, nothing huge, but I can usually put one in the freezer. If you can bowhunt then that is the way to go, less people, longer season, better season, and more land owners feel more comfortable when guns aren't involved, especially if he's got cows. The short range weapon hunt can sometimes feel like a war zone, especially on weekends. But you can still use that to your advantage. I also prefer treestands to still hunting, but everyone's got their own style and both are very effective. I think I'm just not sneaky enough to still hunt for those crazy whitetails.
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