Trip Report Mule Deer By Josh Terrell

Marc provided options depending on the price and experience we were looking for. He walked us through every stage of the process. He provided a detailed overview of the outfitter, game expectations, terrain, physical demand, gear necessities, etc. He did everything to set us up for an unforgettable experience. We were perfectly prepared for our hunt! After our initial booking, he continued to support us up until our hunt by regularly checking in and seeing if we had any concerns/questions. We couldn’t have asked for a better support system for our first Western hunt experience.

IWC provided an amazing experience for our first mule deer hunt. We flew into the backcountry and experienced the wilderness views from the sky. We rode horseback up into the mountains to get to camp. Incredible views on our way to camp and at camp! We hiked out each day for spot/stalking and could take horses if we expected to travel a great distance from camp. Each morning was filled with a great home-style breakfast and a review of our plan for that day. We received lunch sacks to take out into the field. There was always an abundance of food. I don’t think I ever finished my entire lunch. After a day experiencing the Idaho wilderness, we would return to camp to wind down while dinner was being prepared. Once again, the meals didn’t disappoint! It’s as if you brought your kitchen with you. Food was great! The tents had a gas lantern that staff lit for your every morning and evening. They had cots with foam mattress covers. I was surprised how well I was sleeping during our trip! A wood stove was also in the tent. Wood was already chopped and staged in the tent. Staff would start your fire in the morning to warm up your tent before climbing out of your sleeping bag and heading to the warm breakfast. They would do the same in the evening, so the tent was warm when you returned from dinner. Very friendly staff overall. We always felt as though we were among friends.

We hiked out about 4-5 miles and found a muley laying on the edge of a cliff. This was our second day coming to this drainage and we had brought horses this time to be more mobile. While glassing, we found a nice buck bedded on an adjacent drainage accompanied by a couple of does. We got a good look at him with the guide’s spotting scope and found he had good mass and had eye guards, so we decided to go after him! We quickly met up at the horses and made a game plan to access the drainage – where to drop off horses and how to approach this deer to get a good shot. After about 40 minutes, we made it over to the drainage and laid eyes on him. He was about 400 yards away and covered up by some foliage. We began our stalk down the opposite side of the ridge, trying to get the best vantage point possible. We weren’t able to get a good shot at him until we were about 100-150 yards out. We were almost busted by a doe we didn’t see while approaching, she had looked right at us when checking in on his position. Rob, our guide, asked if I could see him. I said no. I was letting Rob do all the looking so that I could stay calm and not get busted with an extra head bobbing around. He told me he was about 100 yards this way and pointed with his hand while we hid behind a fallen tree. He said you need to be ready to shoot, the buck and the doe were looking right at me whenever he had checked in on them. I dialed my scope down and popped over the fallen tree, ready to shoot. I couldn’t see him out of the scope, so I got behind the glass. My gun was immediately on the buck and he had a doe covering the rear 3/4 of his body. Both were looking straight at me. I now knew what Rob meant whenever he told me not to shoot the doe. She only left his front shoulder barely exposed for a shot. I knew I had to drop him in his place, or he would run/fall off this cliff edge and quite far down the steep ridge. I put the crosshairs right on the rear of the shoulder, but not close enough to risk hitting the doe, and he dropped immediately. He fell off the small cliff and slid about 30 yards, luckily stopping on a deer-sized flat spot before the next cliff edge. We brought horses the next day and brought him back to camp! Horses, hiking, glassing the beautiful landscapes, hunting mule deer, flying in the backcountry… Experiencing all of the mountain weather – wind/raining sideways, sunny days, fog, and then to a downfall of snow on our last day. It doesn’t get any better than that. We were unplugged and enjoying true nature. It was an unforgettable father/son experience!

We recommend Top End Adventures with the utmost confidence! You will be confident about your hunt with the support that Marc provides.