Backpacking in the Sawtooth Range

       IDFG offers a wide variety of hunting seasons in the fall, including several that run the entire throughout the month of September. For example the archery season for both deer and elk opens Aug 30 and runs through the end of Septmeber. For the most part, archers will be wildly dispersedand should not be a concern. Additionally, we offer a small number of tags to Mountain Goat hunters--that season runs Aug 30 - Nov 12. These hunters are very few in number and will be dispersed among the most rugged terrain.We also have mountain lion, black bear, and wolf seasons that open Aug 30 and run through the fall or into winter. Although the area is open to hunting in this area, participation during September is very low. Finally, we do have a rifle hunt for mule deer with 200 hunters who could potentially be hunting in the western portion of the Sawtooth Range (eastern part of Game Management Unit 39). Unit 39 is a large geographic area on the western edge of the Sawtooth Range--only a very small portion of the hunters are likely to venture in to the Sawtooth portion of the hunt area, and the open area is well-removed from the more popular hiking trails. September is a beautiful time of year to recreate in the Sawtooths. I have spent many days in the Sawtooths during September without ever seeing a hunter.     There are a small number of hunters in a controlled hunt for mule deer that could be present in a portion of the s