TRIP TAKEN: Frank Church Wilderness Mule Deer Hunt
CONSULTANT: Outdoors International
November 8, 2012
Having been an avid Sheep hunter turned upland bird hunter for the past decade it has been a long time since I have visited the wilderness for big game. The longing for the mountains and the wilderness has been nonetheless building over the years. I have long had a fascination with mule deer hunting… big mule deer, and decided it was time to get going.
As I was out of the big game hunting loop for quite some time I began my research on the Internet and discovered Outdoors International. They were personable and clearly well informed and connected. After discussing a wealth of possibilities, at their recommendation I chose a late season Idaho mule deer hunt in the Frank Church Wilderness. The outfitter and his wife were so helpful and accurate in their description of their hunting opportunity, and once I decided to book my hunt for the last week in October they prepared me for the trip with advice and an excellent packing list.
Everything went smoothly and the flights in and out of the remote airstrip in the Frank Church Wilderness were perfectly coordinated. The camp was wilderness luxury with top notch tents, wood stoves, cots with 2″ foamy mattresses, and gourmet meals. My guide Adam was a delight to be with. He was extremely knowledgeable of the area and did a fantastic job of taking this in shape “flatlander” through Idaho’s high country.
Idaho Unit 26 is absolutely breathtaking and the game was plentiful.
We saw no less than 10 bucks per day and often more than twice that. My personal choice was a 190 or better deer. I had the opportunity to take a number of 170 class deer and passed. I did get one chance at a SLAMMER but was unable to take the shot in time (my fault but it was doable). We watched another solid 190 class mule deer buck whose rack was well past his ears, high and with great mass but were unable to get close enough for a shot. That is what mule deer hunting is all about.
While I did not harvest a mule deer I consider this one of my most successful hunts and I’m going back next year for sure. I am in the process of arranging for one of my hunting buddies to come with me as this is too good of an experience to not have someone to share it with.
I cannot recommend Outdoors International highly enough and thank them for steering me in the perfect direction. Also, my great thanks to the outfitter for a fantastic wilderness hunt for trophy mule deer.
Louis DiGiovanni
Hudson, New York
Thousands of people have trusted Outdoors International to help plan their hunt.
Our team of consultants are ready to help you book your next hunting trip. Our job it is to help you in researching, booking and planning a great adventure with one of our amazing outfitter partners around the world. Your success is our goal.
My hunt was absolutely top notch.
The outfitter is a fantastic man and incredibly hard working and knowledgeable, there is no doubt he will do everything within his power to make peoples hunts successful and enjoyable. I plan to do it again with him next year for sure.
Wade Zuver
Our hunt was excellent.
We saw bucks every day along with all other sorts of wildlife. Mountain goats, bears, and foxes were common sights. Fishing and crabbing was special bonus. The food was excellent, the crew was amazing. Outdoors International did a great job of finding exactly what we were looking for.
Jesse Neveau
What an amazing experience!
The hunting lodge was out of this world!, Rooms, food and the scenery were all A+. Our guide was exceptional and had us on Shiras moose all five days. We saw over 30 total with at least 10 bulls. They had a plan for everything including taxidermy and game processing.
Kayla Redmon
