Alpine Mule Blues

[MichelD]

Well at least you got out.

Road was closed into the spot buddy and me like to go to for September 1 so we just canned the whole idea.

[pg83]

Camp at elevation and stay low key. Many factors can contribute to not seeing bucks, but it sounds like you were your own worst enemy by hiking during prime time. Keep after it!

[markomoose]

Don't fret over bears if your camp is clean.Took me years to drop my first four point although I saw a few.Be persistant you'll get a deer.Hunting only gets better and more enjoyable as you spend time afield Good hunting!

[swampthing]

The first time I ever hunted alpine mulies I was about 21. Twanger and I left Kamloops after work and headed up lillooeet way with a mapbook and visions of a good time. A good time it was! We drove till near 2-3am trying to find roads, got liquored up and slept in till 9am opening morning. It still took us a couple more hours driving to find a likely spot. At 12:15 pm I left the truck in a muscle shirt with a gun and a knife and started climbing towards alpine. It was 32 degrees out. I was into bucks in the timber immediately but couldn't get a shot off. An hour later I broke treeline and rested in the shade of a stunted subalpine spruce. I stood up, turned around and immediately got buck fever when I spotted him! He was 100 yards away and bedded under a tree just like I had been resting under. I couldn't control the shaking as I tried to steady myself for a shot. This was my first year hunting deer but I had many years experience hunting small game and wing shooting. Finally the buck had enough and bolted. My wing shooting experience kicked in and my semi auto 223 tumbled the buck on the run. That's when I saw the "big buck". He was a majestic 4x4 standing in the wide open. I was in awe as he slowly moved off! My non typical 5x7 was the buck of my dreams and I pictured myself on the cover of magazines and signing autographs! That was well over 30 years ago. I hunted that same area for the next 10 years shooting 140-160 inch bucks. It seemed easy in that spot. It did dry up though. The deer seemed to disappear! The moral of my story is to keep at it. I wasn't a backpacker in those days either but it didn't matter. I had about an hour climb to a spot where I could see several basins. My crappy old simmons binos found me bucks! Hunt all day and focus on treeline. Mulie beds really stand out where they dig them out next to the tree, in the shade. Someone mentioned David Longs book, read it. And about bears, I have seen many hunters that plan out their days activities all around how not to run into bears. Needless to say they are never very successful. Try not to let them intimidate you too much! You are a girl and possibly hunting alone as well? Keep your wits about you, have fun and most of all, keep at it. One day it will all come together and you too can be on the cover of a magazine!!

[guest]

PMed you .....

[Treed]

I spend time up that way every year. I've seen a few good bucks, and a few grizz. The bucks weren't heartbreakers and the grizz weren't either (from your family's perspective). The Bears in that area are pretty good around people,
you probably have more chance of running into one hiking than sleeping but I understand you. Earplug anyone? It's dry right now, hunt the north slopes, find water, sign, and food. Look for signs of daily elevation movement. In my experience, many deer hold to an area until they have a reason to leave ($&3@ the guys who dried up my honey hole ). If you have the time you'll connect. I still move around too much, impatient. Get setup before light and glass. If you don't see anything move. Hunting should be a mix of patience and ADHD. Don't blow it by showing fidelity to an area that is not showing, bit don't blow an areas chance of showing by moving..good luck!

[boxhitch]

sux to hunt solo

[twoSevenO]

sux to hunt solo

Sometimes it's nice to keep at your own pace. But the long boring nights sure get lonely.

[snowballs]

Sometimes it's nice to keep at your own pace. But the long boring nights sure get lonely.

But no snoring to listen to!

[Gilmore]

In my experiences of early season alpine mulie hunting you've got 90 minutes after first light and about 30 mins before dark to spot bucks in the open. I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule but that has been my experience. You need to be in place to spot quietly long before that.

My buddy and I left camp at 2am to be in place for this buck. From where we were camped it was only about a 90 minute hike in to where we wanted to be. We dozed for another 90mins or so until we could see through the binos and this buck was dead about 15 mins after good shooting light. Alpine mulies aren't easy especially solo, there is a lot of dead time during the day. But persistence pays off. Knowledge of the area and which basins are feeding deer are musts. You can't get that info unless you're actually out there so you're on the right track.