Hunting alpine basins for mule deer. What’s your tactic?

[luger]

Hey!

Ive got a September mule deer hunt planned. The area is fairly thick timber but I have found a alpine basin with some decent clear areas and lots of feed. I’ve found a decent amount of deer in the area. I’m planning to hunt the basin for 3 days and we are camped in an different basin.
A buddy of mine and I are going up. Just wondering what’s the best way to hunt a alpine basin. From the top glassing down or from the bottom glassing up?
It’s fairly easy to get to the top and bottom with out making to much noise.

Thanks for the help

[Fella]

Hey!

Ive got a September mule deer hunt planned. The area is fairly thick timber but I have found a alpine basin with some decent clear areas and lots of feed. I’ve found a decent amount of deer in the area. I’m planning to hunt the basin for 3 days and we are camped in an different basin.
A buddy of mine and I are going up. Just wondering what’s the best way to hunt a alpine basin. From the top glassing down or from the bottom glassing up?
It’s fairly easy to get to the top and bottom with out making to much noise.

Thanks for the help

Depends on the wind

[luger]

That was my thought. There’s more area to glass from the bottom and it’s easier to hike in closer to deer. But if wind is wrong i could stink up the basin

[pg83]

If you are coming at it from a different basin then I would stay on top. You will obviously have to consider wind in determining where you decide to set up, but staying high will give you a far better glassing opportunity.

We usually keep eyes on the bucks until they bed before moving to make a stalk, but we have sprinted to cut them off as well. Lots of variables to consider, but alpine mule deer hunting is not far behind sheep hunting in my books!

[tomahawk]

If you are coming at it from a different basin then I would stay on top. You will obviously have to consider wind in determining where you decide to set up, but staying high will give you a far better glassing opportunity.

We usually keep eyes on the bucks until they bed before moving to make a stalk, but we have sprinted to cut them off as well. Lots of variables to consider, but alpine mule deer hunting is not far behind sheep hunting in my books!

Agree in general with the top approach from outside of the basin to hunt, found several bed near the very top with easy flight out of the basin they are overlooking if faced with danger.

[BigfishCanada]

I have seen the bigger bucks bedded down at the tops with good views looking down, thats just what i have seen

[Pemby_mess]

i'd say it depends on many things. Everything equal, i'd rather approach a basin from the top, looking down into it. Definitely use the lateral ridges to transit into and out of the alpine if you can; as opposed to going into the cirques themselves. Early season bucks can hang out in quite counter intuitive places. You'll defeinitely want to be looking up at the tops of ridges, and in the alpine talus, before moving up into it. I find in September, they'll often sit up in the rocks during the day, and only move toward the treeling at night.

[pg83]

I have seen the bigger bucks bedded down at the tops with good views looking down, thats just what i have seen

That's what I have found as well. Often just below the highest clumb of bush in the basin. Thermals in their face all day long and also able to scan everything below them that their nose doesn't pick up. They are damn near impossible to see from above at this point, but if you already know their position you can make a stalk within bow range if you are careful. A few years back I watched my brother sneak within 7 yards of a 4x3 before finally being able to take a shot. he still kicks himself that he didn't have his bow with him that day.

[Weatherby Fan]

Depending which way the basin is laying, I hunted a south facing bowl for years with great success, there was a burn at the base of it, deer would make there way through the Timber into the burn below and feed until close to daylight and then work their way up through the bowl to bed.

I would hike up in the timber on the east side of the bowl and camp on the back side to the east, an hour before light I would hike up and over and sit on the east edge of the bowl in front of a stunted Spruce, as it lightened up I would catch the bucks crossing through the bowl to the backside or the north side to bed in the cool timber during the day.

The best part is the sun would come up on my back so when glassing the sun wasn't in your eyes, I had seen/shot deer right to 10am if not bothered.

Never walk through and pollute the bowl you intend to hunt
Never skyline yourself
And of course watch your wind if possible

I found any buck bedding would do so with a vantage point and with the wind at their back.

[swampthing]

Get a high vantage point down wind of the predominant wind direction for the area. Be there at or before first light. I have found many bucks bedded right at treeline. Still hunting during the rest of the day can be fun too. You have to be prepared for running shots but the bucks usually escape up and into the open. My "big" hunt every year used to be alpine mule deer arriving a few days before opener to figure things out a bit. Early season high country alpine is hard to beat as for scenery and adventure!