McCall Area first time hunt for wife

[Norrec]

Hey everyone, I have been reading the forums for awhile now and thought I would finally get to asking my actual question. I came home the other day to my wife saying she wants to go hunting this year. She has been wanting to go for years now but her father and grandfather think it is a mans only sport. She wants to prove to them that she has what it takes (I know she does but she wants to prove it to herself as well after all these years of being told she can't do it.) I want to take her somewhere good with a high chance of getting a deer be it buck or doe. I have been out of the country and last 5 hunting seasons unfortunately so I am a little out in the areas now. Does anyone have any good recommendations on where in the McCall area to go? or is there somewhere better within a few hours of the Valley? I don't want to take anyone's honey hole just some suggestions and I can find my own

T

[JoeH2o]

To be completely honest with you, there are way better areas than McCall for mule deer. I'm really not trying to keep you away from the area, honestly. The mule deer population around McCall has taken a major hit in the last 10-15 years. Not just from wolves, but from the lack of good management and people taking every little buck with antlers and not letting them grow up. Don't get me wrong, there are still some good bucks around here, but they are very hard to find.

Personally I would research some other areas first and keep the McCall area as a second choice. Mule deer like river breaks, so areas like the Salmon, Snake, Boise river areas would be good places to look at maps of. As far as the general rifle season goes around McCall, your wife could only shoot a buck. I think that's pretty much the whole state, unless there are some special units with different rules. I think there might be some late season doe hunt up north in the panhandle, but I'm pretty sure they are whitetail only.

Now If you want to hunt Whitetail only, then you could shoot a Doe or a Buck during the general any weapon season in most of the units. Again, there are better places than McCall to find a whitetail. Not saying they aren't here, but north of here the population only gets better. I'm only trying to help. McCall is a great place, and there are deer here. PM me if you have any questions.

[wawhitey]

pretty sure some of the panhandle units late hunts are also for muley, not just whitetail, but from what i understand muleys are not as prevalent there as whitetails. i could be wrong about that, havent gotten any scouting in there yet, tho i have read the regs. pretty certain about the late muley thing.