Idaho Mule Deer on a Super Tag

Idaho Mule Deer on a Super Tag!

 

By Dennis Pahlisch

 

  As with all hunts they start with obtaining a tag.  Well, the year 2007 will go down as the best ever in my hunting quest because I won lottery draw tags for Colorado deer and Idaho Deer.

Dennis’ awesome buck from Colorado, Haveseted two months after his Idaho Super Tag

 

You may have read about my Colorado story by now, but this one is focused on Idaho. I have a long time friend, Steve Alderman, from Boise , Idaho and Steve and I have gone on many hunts together in Oregon, Old Mexico and Idaho.  Steve always told me if I draw a tag in Idaho to give him a call!! When I received the call from the Idaho Fish and Game informing me that I had drawn the Idaho Super Tag for deer, I couldn’t wait to tell Steve the great news. I picked up the phone and the dates were set for the hunt.  Due to work conflicts I couldn’t make it to Idaho until the first part of November.

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Dennis’ great 191 gross Idaho buck!

 

I met Steve the night before the hunt was to begin and we set out to glass several areas that held big deer. I was excited to hunt this great area.  Two years earlier I was lucky enough to hunt it and I knew there was the potential for a mature buck.  I soon remembered why they call this the Lava Region as it has the most rock in all the world . You literally have to walk from rock to rock at times.  Oh well, what ever it takes to find a big deer has always been fine with me! We looked around for several days and were seeing several deer in the 170-180 ‘’ range.  We saw great deer, but I wanted to hold out for 190 or better.  More importantly a deer that was special!! I am really not a score fanatic but I love deer that are in the older class with mass, cheaters, width, or something unique.

The search went on for several days when we ended up on a large mountain top where we could see for miles.  Steve saw the buck first and in an instant we both had our spotting scopes on him at about 1&1/2 miles away. We both thought the deer we were glassing was a mature buck with a very high and narrow rack grossing somewhere in the 190s. We continued to watch him until he bedded down on a sharp cliff ledge where, of course, he could see danger approaching from every angle.  We made our plan, left our perch and the stalk was on.  After we had covered the first mile through a deep canyon, we started up the other side but had to wait a number of times because we could see the deer’s head as he lifted it occasionally to scan his surrounding and then put it back down to rest. We were approaching him from below and had a rim that we could put between the deer and ourselves.  This was the only way we could approach the big buck and stay somewhat concealed. We crossed one area which had a straight view of the deer and we approached.  We pressed on very slowly through this area within constant view of the deer as he slept!!  We made it past the deer’s senses and got into position a mere 60 yards away to take the shot when he awoke.  We waited and waited until finally we got impatient. Steve made a deer bleat sound to get him to stand.  It didn’t work and the buck slept on, occasionally moving his ears around as Steve bleated at him.  Finally after about 5 minutes, the doe that he had pulled from the herd to breed became nervous and got up to leave.  This was shot we were hoping for!  The the buck did not want to leave his doe, so he rose to round her up.  It was at that moment that I took the shot and of course the picture is proof of the outcome.  I hope I would not miss at 60 yards!!!

Deer like this are very difficult to harvest and I owe Steve my gratitude and thanks for having kept me company and tagging along with me on my Idaho Super Hunt. The hunt, the friendship, and even the pack out, was a trip to remember!! 

 

 

Editors note….

I first met Dennis at the Mule Deer Foundations national banquet in Reno Nevada. Dennis and I hit it off from the start. A strong love for the sport of hunting and an extreme desire to pursue monster mule deer. Dennis and I keep in touch after the banquet on a number of occasions, discussing mule deer related issues through out the West from Canada to as far south as old Mexico. What I know and respect about Dennis is that he is a family and Business man first, then a hunter and provider. He includes his family in everything, including his successful business as a builder and his love for hunting.  Dennis understands the plight of the mule deer and donates time and monetary contributions to the cause every year. I am honored to be a friend of Dennis’ and to have had the pleasure to share many successful hunting trips with him. This Story is one of the many lasting memories that Dennis and I share.

 

 

 

Krogh and Ulmer hook up Again!

 Greg Krogh – Mogollon Rim Outfitters

Featured Outfitter Greg Krogh

 

In July of 07 I was heading to Nevada with My wife and family to start scouting for Randy Ulmers archery mule deer hunt. The whole drive over I was preoccupied with the thought of a buck that had eluded us the year before. I had glassed him up during the actual hunt the year before on opening day, but by the time I went and got Randy and made it back to my glassing knob he had disappeared. Feeding right in the same general area was another great buck with a big hook cheater and awesome mass. I told Randy it wasn’t the same buck and he opted to pass and keep looking for the bigger buck. After three days the bigger buck never showed himself, so Randy decided to take the other big buck with the hook cheater.

Randy and his awesome 2006 Nevada buck! Outfitter Greg Krogh of Mogollon Rim Outfitters 

 While still a great buck, I was anxious for the 07 season to arrive so I could spend some time looking for he phantom buck that disappeared on us.

 

After setting up camp I got to get in an early evening glass, but was unable to locate the buck. 4 days later and I still hadn’t turned him up, so I decided to start looking for some other bucks. After another couple of days I still hadn’t been able to turn up any bucks that I knew Randy would be interested in. On the drive back to AZ I called Randy and told him the bad news. We considered selling the tag and canceling the hunt, but ultimately he decided he would take his chances and I scheduled one more scouting trip the last week of July, one week before the season opener. 

 

On this last scouting trip a good friend of mine Dave Jenkins decided that he would come along and help. We left the day after Dave’s Retirement party. During the drive over we talked about what Dave was going to do with al his newfound free time, but I was preoccupied once again by the phantom buck that had disappeared into thin air the year before. I just knew he was there somewhere, and I was just missing him. 

 Dave Jenkins holds Randy Ulmers 2007 Nevada Buck

We spent the next few days on the south end of the unit, but once again couldn’t find any great bucks.  Before we knew it, it was three days before the opener and I hadn’t found a single buck for Randy to hunt. I decided to head back once again to the area were I had last seen the big buck 12 months earlier. It was early afternoon and Dave and I were huddled under an umbrella the Dave had packed out to our glassing point. As we sat there glassing, I was apologizing to Dave for making fun of him for packing an umbrella up the mountain. As soon as the rain cleared I glassed up the outline of what looked like a big buck in a real thick burned patch of mahogany. Every time he turned or moved his head I got glimpses of a lot of bone. We excitedly made our way over to a closer vantage point 3/ 4 of a mile across the canyon from the buck. I just had this feeling it was the very buck I had seen the year before. He was even in the same canyon 400 yards from where he had disappeared the year before. Once we got set up and started to pick apart the opposite ridge, our excitement turned to disappointment. For the next two hours, we searched but never could relocate the buck. Finally, the sun hit his antlers just right and gave away his location. He was bedded not fifty yards from where we had last seen him, but the thick growth made it very difficult to see him. Soon after he stood up and stretched and we were able to get a great look at him and he was definitely the buck we were looking for. He was about 30 inches wide, with a 200-inch main frame and four outside cheaters.

 

 I couldn’t believe our good fortune, I had finally relocated the buck, and the hunt was starting in just two days. That night at Camp I called Randy and told him the great news.

Thankfully, the next morning Dave and I found the buck again and watched him until noon. I left Dave to keep an eye on the buck and I headed back to Camp to see if Randy had arrived. When I got there I showed Randy some video and we tried to come up with a plan of the attack for the next morning.  Since Randy already knew the area well, because it was right where we had taken his buck the year before, he decided to stay back that afternoon and double check all of his equipment for the next mornings opener. I headed back up the mountain to meet Dave and watch the buck until dark. The buck was hanging really tight on the thick ridge, and hadn’t traveled more than a couple hundred yards in two days. Everything seemed to be looking like a slam-dunk.

 

We had the whole area to ourselves opening day, but one thing or another kept us from getting the buck killed. The good news was that the buck was still right there and he had no idea we were even hunting him, despite the fact that Randy was within close range twice, unable to get a shot off because of obscured shooting lanes. Day two and three were much of the same, but we were starting to get closer. Early on day four I glassed up the buck really early and he was leaving the bachelor herd of bucks that had been making it so difficult to get close to him. Shortly after sun up I watched in disbelief as he bedded all by himself 45 yard below a rocky ridge line .We knew this was a golden opportunity, and Randy quickly made the mile long circle to get behind the rocky ridge. I watched through binoculars as Randy’s head appeared along the ridge directly above the bedded buck. He quietly settled in and the long wait began. Twice in the next 3 hours he stood up, only to quickly bed back down again without offering any shot opportunity. Finally, after watching for five straight hours, the buck stood up around high noon and took four or five steps into a little opening to feed and stretch. At the top of my field of view in my binos I could make out Randy readying himself for the shot.  As the buck quartered away from him to feed on some brush I watched as he slowly came to full draw. I shifted my focus back to the buck’s ribs just in time to see the arrow hit its mark. The buck broke into a dead run for twenty yards and then piled up. Finally, after 12 long months, everything had come together and the giant buck was down. When I made it over to Randy the celebration began. With awesome mass, long tines and multiple extras, he was definitely worth the time and effort.

 

Randy Ulmer with his 2007 Nevada buck.  Guide was Greg Krogh of Mogollon Rim Outfitters.

 

 

 

 

Idaho Super Tag Drawing

Ross Rackliff and his 2008 SuperTag Buck

Thanks to the sweetest little fly on the wall down at the Fish and Game Headquarters I was able to get the last names of the lucky winners of the Deer and Elk Super tag drawing that was held today at 10 a.m.  The winners of the deer super tags are as follows:

 Dave Posey, Jones, Anderson, Reoloffs, Demar, Santucci, Hedrick, Bell

 They only gave me the last names so far, but tomorrow I will get full names and cities of the winners.   I know One winner is Dave Posey because he called me as soon as he got the call from the Fish and Game.  I have known Dave for the past 12 years as he has been one of my neighbors.  Congrats Dave on the Tag, you are in for a great season so start getting in shape!  Santucci, if it is the Ron Santucci that had the tag a few years ago,  I know where he will be hunting!  Congrats Ron, if indeed it is you. We will find out tomorrow and will have to reminisce about that landowner that chased off the deer you were going to shoot last time and shot it for himself.

As for elk the winners were:

Roth, Sean Burch, Nell, Griffiths, Moser, Cloud, Caywood, Wassell.

Sean Burch, now that is a surprise.  He has drawn three Super tags in as many years.  Sean definitely has his priorities straight and those priorities are drawing super tags.  Good luck to Sean, I hope he anchors a monster.

If your last name was not mentioned you always have the regular draw which will be out on the first of next month.

Good luck to all those that have drawn the tag of a lifetime.

Steve

 

Here is the updated info on the Super Hunt- drawing held June 15th, 2009

 

Brett Harris                    Pocatello Idaho               Super combination winner

David Posey                   Meridian Idaho                               Deer

Jack Jones                       Burley Idaho                                   Deer

Joshua Anderson          Folsom Cali.                                   Deer

Arie Roeloffs                   Wendell Id.                                     Deer

Chaun Demars               Becker Minn.                                 Deer

Ron Santucci                     Eagle  Id.                                      Deer

Bryan Hedrick             Santa Paula Cali.                            Deer

Matt Bell                      Snoquaimie Wash.                          Deer

Jon Roth                         Middleton Id.                                  Elk

Sean Burch                       Nampa Id.                                      Elk

Philip Nell                     Hanover Penn.                                Elk

Collin Griffiths               Missuula Mt.                                  Elk

Steven Moser               New Plymouth Id.                            Elk

Levi Cloud                           Napa Cali.                                   Elk

Mark Caywood                  Hailey Id.                                     Elk

Jeremy Wassell               Lewiston Id.                                  Elk

Kyle Poppleton               Twin Falls Id.                            Antilope

Ryan Turpin                      Meridian Id.                             Antilope

Lonnie Austin                  Princeton Id.                             Antilope

Larry Hoff                         Middleton Id.                            Antilope

Michael King                     Rexburg Id.                              Antilope

John Robinson                    Kuna Id.                                 Antilope

Gerald Young                  West Point Cali.                        Antilope

Cameron Oler                   Twin Falls Id.                           Antilope

Mark Cornelius         Kingstown Tasmania                     Moose

Siddoway’s Bill Threatens Idaho’s Wild Sheep!

New Legislation Threatens Bighorn Sheep
Populations Across Idaho
For Immediate Release;May 29, 2009
Lapwai, Idaho — On May 7th, legislation that dictates state policy for managing domestic-
bighorn sheep interactions was enacted. The bill was sponsored by Terreton domestic sheep
producer Senator Jeff Siddoway. A previous bill with similar language proposed by Sen.
Siddoway had been vetoed earlier in the legislative session this year. Domestic and bighorn
sheep are incompatible when occupying the same range, as domestic sheep transmit fatal disease
to bighorn sheep, causing them to die of pneumonia. However, the new law directs the
Department of Fish and Game to develop allotment management plans based on “best
management practices” (BMPs) to justify continued domestic sheep grazing within occupied
bighorn sheep range; and then requires the IDF&G Director, to certify that implementation of
BMPs will provide separation between domestic and bighorn sheep and reduce the risk of
disease transmission to acceptable levels for continued bighorn sheep viability.

“We are disappointed this legislation went forward”, said Samuel N. Penney, Chairman for the
Nez Perce Tribe. “The Tribe advocated for the bill to be vetoed as the previous legislation had
been because we are convinced it would lead to continued bighorn sheep declines. The recently
passed bighorn sheep legislation holds domestic sheep grazing harmless, continues status quo
grazing within and in close proximity to occupied bighorn sheep range, encourages continued
bighorn sheep population declines, and precludes opportunities for bighorn sheep recovery,”
added Chairman Penney.
As called for in the new legislation, the State of Idaho and the allotment permittee have
developed allotment management plans based on BMPs for federal grazing allotments
administered by the Nez Perce National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management within the
Salmon River canyon. Despite implementation of BMPs, on May 19th, twelve days after the new
legislation went into effect, the permittee for these allotments reported a bighorn ram in close
proximity to his domestic sheep. An investigation by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
confirmed the presence of a sick bighorn sheep showing clinical signs of pneumonia that was
suspected to have contracted disease through contact with domestic sheep. The IDFG has
decided to remove the ram to confirm cause of illness and hopefully reduce the risk of this ram
spreading disease through the bighorn sheep population. Removal efforts have, so far, been
unsuccessful and ongoing monitoring indicates the ram has interacted with other bighorn rams in
the area, potentially spreading disease to other bighorn sheep. “This unfortunate incident is a
living example of the ineffectiveness of BMPs, and a clear message of the devastating
consequences of implementing this flawed legislation,” said Mr. Baptiste, Vice Chairman for the
Nez Perce Tribe. “We are hopeful this incident will not result in a disease outbreak, but at this
point all we can do is sit back and hope for the best,” concluded Mr. Baptiste.
“Although we will not know for sure until the sick ram can be collected and tested, if this ram
has pneumonia, this fits the classic pattern of comingling between domestic and bighorn sheep”
said Keith Lawrence, Wildlife Management Director for the Nez Perce Tribe. “The fact that the
ram was already showing signs of illness when first observed suggests to us that the initial
contact must have occurred sometime prior to this sighting and was undetected,” added Mr.
Lawrence. “Monitoring efforts during May, have documented straying of unattended domestic
sheep into areas close to bighorn sheep,” added Mr. Lawrence. “The demonstrated inability to
detect contact, control straying domestic sheep, and removing bighorns that may be infected, are
all indications of the ineffectiveness of BMPs to provide separation and reduce the risk of
contact and disease transmission,” concluded Mr. Lawrence.
“It is unfortunate we are placed in the position of having to kill bighorns to save them. This is
not a sustainable strategy for recovery or even persistence, but can only lead to the eventual
extirpation of these magnificent animals,” said Chairman Penney. “Clearly, by relying on
ineffective BMPs, this new legislation will fail to protect bighorn sheep and is an obstacle to our
efforts to recover bighorn sheep; a culturally significant species to the Nez Perce Tribe and an
iconic species to wildlife enthusiasts across Idaho,” concluded Chairman Penney.
The Nez Perce Tribe is opposed to the new law because its prescription is not based in science.
“BMPs have not been proven effective,” explained Mr. Baptiste. “It is not possible to measure
the effectiveness of management tools that are not based upon scientific principles or research,
and past experience by other state and federal agencies have shown BMPs to be ineffective at
maintaining separation or reducing the risk of disease transmission,” added Mr. Baptiste. “We fear this new law insures continued risk of contact between these two species resulting in a
continued threat of fatal disease outbreaks in bighorn sheep populations. In addition, this flawed
legislation will result in the Idaho Department of Fish and Game having to exercise their policy
of outright killing of bighorn sheep that come into contact with domestic sheep when BMPs fail
to provide separation,” concluded Mr. Baptiste.
The Nez Perce Tribe is actively working with federal agencies to restore bighorn sheep
populations within a reach of the Main Salmon River upstream from Riggins, Idaho. Salmon
River bighorn sheep are the last remaining native populations of bighorn sheep in Idaho and
population numbers have declined to remnant levels over the past decades and the Nez Perce
Tribe would view it as a tragedy to see them disappear and is working to avoid such an event.
–END–