The Muley Rut is Starting

[dana]

Swollen necks sometimes restricts blood flow to the brain. Had this buck acting stupid today as he sauntered down the road for quite a long time.





Seemed like the skiff of snow had critters moving today. Also ran into this herd of elk. I chose to take photos of the small trees in front of them because I have enough photos of elk.

[.264winmag]

Right on time, and just in time to close near home

[boxhitch]

Right on time, and just in time to close near home

On more kick
extra snow up high seems to have moved them down this year

[.264winmag]

On more kick
extra snow up high seems to have moved them down this year

I dissagree. Snow before freeze up lots of grub left insulated by the snow and easy to get at it. Does, fawns and immature bucks at 6500' in two feet of snow up to the last day I hunted on the 6th. Bucks still wandering at night, followed one into the timber 12 hrs after track/rub was made. There he was bedded all alone middle of the day 6000' below all the does swollen neck broken tines and a hint of stink. I put a lot of miles on in 7 days up there. Eyed over 30 mulies up in the timber/alpine still. 12-30" of snow really wore out my stubby legs but doesn't even phase a mule deer. Not a hint of migration yet in this area anyway. Just my experience though, urban deer are a different breed not apples to apples imo.

[horshur]

I dissagree. Snow before freeze up lots of grub left insulated by the snow and easy to get at it. Does, fawns and immature bucks at 6500' in two feet of snow up to the last day I hunted on the 6th. Bucks still wandering at night, followed one into the timber 12 hrs after track/rub was made. There he was bedded all alone middle of the day 6000' below all the does swollen neck broken tines and a hint of stink. I put a lot of miles on in 7 days up there. Eyed over 30 mulies up in the timber/alpine still. 12-30" of snow really wore out my stubby legs but doesn't even phase a mule deer. Not a hint of migration yet in this area anyway. Just my experience though, urban deer are a different breed not apples to apples imo.

Agree...
There are herds that begin to move at first frost..some of the deer in the south Chilcotins are out by mid Oct. it is not about elevations...aspect, proximity to winter feed, snow load and interception. What encompasses the “summer range” and what is the “winter”. There is high country that deer move into late fall. All “ high country” is not created equal..
This is why you need to hunt sign...

[Husky7mm]

I dissagree. Snow before freeze up lots of grub left insulated by the snow and easy to get at it. Does, fawns and immature bucks at 6500' in two feet of snow up to the last day I hunted on the 6th. Bucks still wandering at night, followed one into the timber 12 hrs after track/rub was made. There he was bedded all alone middle of the day 6000' below all the does swollen neck broken tines and a hint of stink. I put a lot of miles on in 7 days up there. Eyed over 30 mulies up in the timber/alpine still. 12-30" of snow really wore out my stubby legs but doesn't even phase a mule deer. Not a hint of migration yet in this area anyway. Just my experience though, urban deer are a different breed not apples to apples imo.

Now that is some hunting, I can picture it just like you say. Love this time of yr.

[boxhitch]

I dissagree. Snow before freeze up lots of grub left insulated by the snow and easy to get at it. Does, fawns and immature bucks at 6500' in two feet of snow up to the last day I hunted on the 6th. Bucks still wandering at night, followed one into the timber 12 hrs after track/rub was made. There he was bedded all alone middle of the day 6000' below all the does swollen neck broken tines and a hint of stink. I put a lot of miles on in 7 days up there. Eyed over 30 mulies up in the timber/alpine still. 12-30" of snow really wore out my stubby legs but doesn't even phase a mule deer. Not a hint of migration yet in this area anyway. Just my experience though, urban deer are a different breed not apples to apples imo.

urban deer.......pshaw

Call it a local anomaly then, though closer to you than you may think
only 5600 ft

oh sure there is still a buck plowing around, but not the usual doe flock.
poor genetics I guess

[.264winmag]

urban deer.......pshaw

Call it a local anomaly then, though closer to you than you may think
only 5600 ft

oh sure there is still a buck plowing around, but not the usual doe flock.
poor genetics I guess

Is there farmland and/or other groups of does that tend to hang down lower throughout the year, or somewhere they target as winter food/ground? That is what I mean about urban deer. In the heart of the monashees there is neither of those. Just slashes, roads and quad trails that they avoid like the plague from hunters and wolves. If I can't stay on top of the snow at 150# after a week trying to outwalk an old mulie buck, sure as shit no wolves going to be able to either. I don't believe snow is always such a bad thing for game, and they seem to use it to their advantage if there's nothing better to look forward to downstairs...

[Redthies]

What part of the province are you in Dana?

[Husky7mm]

Funny, yesterday in northern Alberta I saw a hog of a wt ( private land, on route to work) on a march for does... I think its more than just the day light through the eye as far as it goes....