Hunting Mule Deer

[mtnmutt]

I need a lot of the basic information of hunting mule deer in the CO mountains. I only started 2 years ago. I already knew where the deer were in my deer unit from previous backpacking trips into that Wilderness area.

Spot and stalk worked for that deer unit. 2 yearlings came through my camp both morning and evening. I had one at 5 yards before I decided to pass on them to try for a young buck that I had located. That unit had much more open terrain than my elk unit. Spot & stalk was a good tactic and I had a blast. Last year, I mostly bailed on deer hunting because a veteran elk hunter was mentoring me in my elk unit.

This year, my deer tag is in my elk unit which is mostly medium to thick timber. Spot and stalk doesn\'t look practical.

Opening week, I have deer go behind my tent each morning (6-7:30 am) in my elk unit. Stand hunting sounds like the answer, however, it won\'t be as much fun as spot & stalk.

How long are mule deer out wandering in the morning? They seem to be traveling through some areas late morning.

How large is their territory?

Are bucks near does at all in September?

Do they pretty much return to the same places each day? The buck in my old deer unit bedded in the same place each day.

 

[elkmtngear]

Patricia,

Most of the muley bucks I\'ve killed have been in the timber, and many of them from treestands. I usually ambush on heavily rutted trails leading to water, either between bedding and feeding areas in the evening, or small springs en-route to bedding areas in the mornings.

I would guess most of the morning kills/encounters were between 8:30 and 9:30. Evening encounters are sometimes as late as last shooting light. Like elk, I think mule deer movement is dependent on weather, pressure, and the moon.

I\'ve seen muleys in good size bachelor groups as late as mid-September. I think they are just gregarious, and will hook up with any deer anytime, but the bigger bucks seem to prefer bachelor groups in September IMHO.

In my experience, a buck will use several different drainages in a particular area, but if undisturbed, may follow the same patterns for a week or more. Personally, I think they are a lot harder to blow out of an area than elk...usually they will not go too far.

Look to small springs 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the mountain or more in heavily timbered areas if there is noticeable hunting pressure...in warm weather, they could visit them any time during the day.

 

[cnelk]

Patricia
Is there any new or recent logging in your area? I have found that MD love those clearcuts.
If not, It may be more of an \'opportunistic hunt\' for the venison.
They like to wander around until late morning and late afternoons in the timber areas, and find some water if its dry.
The bucks will prob be in velvet until around ML season, that when they start to rub in my areas.

If you see one deer, there will probably be more nearby. Dont get busted!

 

[mtnmutt]

Thank you!

Last year, I hung a trail camera 50 yards behind my tent in my elk unit. It was within 75 yards of the road, but hidden from the road. I captured these 2 big bucks in velvet at 6:36 am on the camera (see below). I was elsewhere elk hunting. I am ok shooting a doe without fawns. I mostly see does in my elk unit.

In June, I hung a camera 0.5 mile down from camp at a small creek that was close to 5-7 small meadows. Lots of fresh tracks crossing the creek and a large bedding area next to the creek which likely helps the game stay cooler. I am hoping it yields both elk and deer.

Brad, the recent logging is on a more frequented Forest Service road that gets a lot more hunters than the one I camp on, therefore, I will avoid that area for now. However, that is a good point, especially in my dense timber unit.

This may be my year to arrow something since I am switching to ambush for both elk and deer for opening week.

Mule deer don\'t seem as hard as elk. The yearling goofballs 2 years ago would have been an easy shot. They did not leave until I had to rehang my bear bag and made a lot of noise.

When I need a break from miles of elk hunting, I may just sit behind my tent and wait for deer.
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[elkmtngear]

When I need a break from miles of elk hunting, I may just sit behind my tent and wait for deer.
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Sounds like nice bonus/ option! :upthumb:

 

[iccyman001]

Those some nice bucks.....

I don\'t have much muley experience, this will be my first year trying them out.
I did get to watch a lot of them last year scouting for my antelope hunts and just in the surrounding area and they were still in bachelor groups.

From what I have researched, the muleys will rut later than whitetail.
Where I hunt, whities will kick off in Nov.

Where I live, the muleys kick off in Dec or early Jan.



I\'ll be hunting them Oct 31-Nov 4th this year and my game plan will be glassing for them and working drainages/draws.


One thing that is nice for you is how much you already know your unit. I\'d say if they are coming through where you camp, you already have a good start.


Do you bivy camp?

 

[mtnmutt]

Do you bivy camp?

No.

I will do an occasional spike camp using my backpacking tent, BUT...only if I already know game are in the area where I am doing a spike camp.

0.5 to 1.5 miles from a road is very productive in finding elk in my high pressure unit which also yields deer encounters.

Despite having deer feeding and traveling through behind my car camp, I wanted to know how I would hunt mule deer when I am out hunting elk too. I have never purposely searched for deer in my elk unit, however, I see more deer than elk. I have only studied mule deer patterns from the comfort of my home office. Almost daily, the same mule deer are at my house. While elk hunting, I rarely hunt the same spot everyday. I have never tried to pattern the mule deer in my elk unit. The mule deer do appear to be out later in the mornings than elk.

Wind can start to be tricky as early as 8:15 am which causes an issue for late morning hunting. If the wind was better, I could do deer hunting after the elk have gone to bed.

Thank you all for your input.

 

[elkmtngear]

Wind can start to be tricky as early as 8:15 am which causes an issue for late morning hunting. If the wind was better, I could do deer hunting after the elk have gone to bed.

If you are planning to hunt treestands...get \'em high! It could make the difference in a sketchy wind.

I will go as high as 30 feet. Practice shooting from those angles if possible...you will have to compensate.

 

[mtnmutt]

If you are planning to hunt treestands...get \'em high! It could make the difference in a sketchy wind.

I will go as high as 30 feet. Practice shooting from those angles if possible...you will have to compensate.

No treestands for this ground dwelling animal. Climbing trees is what I did as a kid in very sturdy oak & maple trees. I am very happy to stay on solid ground and terminate my hunt due to wind issues.

I don\'t think there are many CO pine trees that could handle a treestand 30 ft high.

 

[elkmtngear]

I don\'t think there are many CO pine trees that could handle a treestand 30 ft high.

Here are a couple from CO that have produced for me over the years (both are 25-30 feet up):

 

[mtnmutt]

A wooden treestand 30 feet up? Are you crazy?

I don\'t recall seeing many pine trees tall enough to go up 30 feet up with a stand. The area was logged a lot in the late 1800\'s. I don\'t know how old a pine tree would be for the size pine in your picture.

 

[elkmtngear]

Yeah, it\'s a wilderness area, so probably some very large second growth trees around, or old growth. There are a lot of trees like that around.

I like the big trees because the limbs are rock solid. Some of those treestands are 20+ years old, that\'s the beauty of the High Country, stuff dries out so fast that wood just doesn\'t rot. I\'ve seen it snow a couple inches in the morning, and there is dust on the road by noon.

I always stand on limbs to secure the safety harness, and then I do a little dance on those stands to make sure they are still solid. It is a little crazy, I admit.

I wouldn\'t do it if they weren\'t so damn productive

This Season, I\'m bringing in a Lone Wolf Assault treestand, packing it down a couple miles to a trail I followed out last Season. That trail was so tore up and full of fresh sign, it was ridiculous!

 

[iccyman001]

I shot my first two bucks from the ground last year and it was a rush.

Do you have any smaller cedar trees or smaller bushes?
I have small cedars that I will cut myself a little cave into and use the branches as my front cover.


It\'s pretty quick and very effective







You can see my in the background, but he sure didn\'t :wave:

 

[mtnmutt]

I shot my first two bucks from the ground last year and it was a rush.

Do you have any smaller cedar trees or smaller bushes?
I have small cedars that I will cut myself a little cave into and use the branches as my front cover.

No cedar. Some willows in wetlands. Mostly pine. Some scrub oak. For some potential ambush spots, I have some pine or willows to tuck myself into.

New for this year: I bought one of Jeff\'s slip systems. In the past, I would make a natural blind if needed. On my next trip, I will look around for a possibility of making a natural blind behind my camp. It is more open, therefore, a natural blind would stick out. If I leave it there for a month, they will get used to it.

 

[iccyman001]

Good luck with the slip system!!!! I bet that it is going to work out great! :upthumb: