Open to learning about mule deer bucks region 3 in November

[alkaliwolf]

Hey all - I am new to the forum. Thanks for checking this out.

I'm 28 y/o will be doing my first solo mule deer hunt this year. I grew up in Newfoundland (no mulies/whitetails), but I lived in the interior (region 5) from 2018-2021 and accompanied friends on mule deer hunts, so I have some general experience. My mentors taught me a lot about the spiritual aspects of hunting and how to respect the land and animals, but I am by no means an expert hunter and I am still improving my ability to find deer on my own. I finally got my CORE done so I can have my own tags. I just bought a .308, and I feel very excited. I'll mentioned that I have lots of outdoor experience and feel competent at decision making and risk management in the bush.

I now live in region 2 and want to get out for a solo hunt at the end of November. I will likely travel to region 3 (or maybe region 5) for my hunt. I've been trying to research and find maps, do some e-scouting and establish some good areas I can check out. I have no problem walking far distances and am not shy of packing out a buck. But the truth is, I feel a little overwhelmed and I am having a hard time finding an area to focus on during my 3-5 day hunting window at the end of November.

I would be very grateful if anyone wanted to share some general advice on region 3, or even message me about some access roads/areas that I could check out. Of course I am not looking for anyone's magic recipe or spot, just looking for some mentorship and guidance as I don't have anyone to learn from or ask questions. Plus, I haven't spent any time there in region 3. I am more than willing to work hard for the chance of an encounter, and I truly love learning from others.

At the end of the day, I always feel humble and grounded spending time on the land and do not expect anything more than that. If anyone is open to sharing some thoughts or having a conversation, please get in touch! If not, I'll get out there and enjoy myself anyways

My intention is to always respect property owners, local hunters, regulations, the animals, plants, etc. I never want to contribute to the negative experiences of others who enjoy our public lands in this beautiful province. I know sharing information about hunting can be sensitive because some visitors and hunters demonstrate poor ethics and manners on the land. I want to assure anyone reading that my heart is open and I hold myself to a high moral standard in hunting and spending time outdoors, especially when traveling to other regions that I am unfamiliar with.

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,
Jonny

[ghost]

Are you camping in the bush or hotel. Lots of snow so travel could be tricky. Good time yo be out there. Merritt Kamloops cache creek are all popular places,get out and hike ridges

[Imdone]

Are you equipped with chains and shovel, 4x4, or not, the weather isn't being friendly with -15 the norm up there now.
Wishing you a successful trip, tags cut or not.
Lots of areas, Nicomen, Fountain, Scotty Creek, Yalacom, Marshall ,Tyaughton, BigBar, 70 to 150 mile. Backroads, FSRs and logouts or there's the Fraser Breaks, bucks are Rutting . Get to where they are moving, find does, bucks are near.

[alkaliwolf]

I could do either depending on the MU and area i get into, and thats partly what I am trying to sort out :P I appreciate the heats up about snow. I have chains, 4x4 pickup but wouldn't push it since I'll be by myself

[alkaliwolf]

Yes I have chains and 4x4 and shovel. I appreciate the heads up, and I'll have to be cautious regardless. Thanks for the well wishes and the reply. Its gonna be freezing eh...I heard it was already turning cold up there. I'll either buckle down in the truck and suffer out a few cold nights in good camping gear or get into a hotel/air bnb depending on where I decide to access.

[mike31154]

I live in R8 but both 3 & 4 border my location so I've hunted all of them. As mentioned it's unusually cold & there's a lot of snow already this year. As you gain elevation snow depth increases significantly & depending on logging activity you're not going to get up any FSR that's not plowed. Along with chains for your vehicle, snowshoes or ski touring gear might get you a little farther on foot.

[the force]

Weathers supposed to warm up a bit, though be cautious of the impact elevation has. If you have good camping gear (thermarest and bag) the tent is much more comfy for sleeping than the truck in my experience… this was from Sunday night, my boy(8 )slept from 8-630 without hardly wiggling. I brought a 3rd bag to throw overtop like a blanket but didn’t really need it. Worse cast scenario is you need to hit the truck/heater. Be prepared, stay dry and camp close to your hunting area vs driving from town daily.

[Treed]

Your ethics and perspective on hunting are your own. As long as you are legally compliant, don’t worry about what others think. Surf the posts in the forums here. There is a a lot of bull but some people have immense experience and have shared it. It’s clear who is who. I can’t offer much useful advise cause I don’t know how you like to hunt or what motivates you. Here what I got: Hunt the wind. Hunt slow… very slow if you are in the bush. Animals don’t move much but we do. Take the time to learn to read tracks and sign, it’s like learning to read a very interesting book. Unfortunately, it’s written in Ancient Greek and it takes time to translate. I think I can only order a beer after 20 years of study. Don’t be scared of being alone in the bush but be prepared to be there when you don’t want to be. Hunt because you want to be there not because you want to be successful. Don’t loose your focus because you think it will never happen, that’s when it will and you’ll screw it up. Enjoy it even when it seems like you aren’t in the game, being there is the point. That last point is the most important. If you are there for the hunt, success will follow. Even if you don’t kill an animal. Damn hope you will though, they are tasty and it’s good to have a full freezer.

[Bugle M In]

There’s a lot of old threads if you search, especially on mule deer.
As many say, if Aline, make sure you are well equipped, chains, chainsaw, shovels, axes, warmth.
Right now, the rut is on, and the fact that there is snow in many places is a great time to explore an area.
Look for heavy deer sign, not just the odd b-line tracks.
If you see an area with where there was not much sign and then you come across an area that does suddenly show more activity, then that’s where you get out of truck and go for a hike in the area.
Hike up a couple if the surrounding hills, as that’s probably where you will then see even more sign and activity as the deer spend much if their days there.
If you find some new rubs and Does around, you are atleast in the game at that point.
It can be tough without out snow, to see heavy current activity.

But with snow, it’s the best time to find an area potentially.
And if you find old tubs from past years along with new ones and females, you have come across an area that had real potential.

Study winter ranges, collaring programs etc, can be beneficial to see where creatures like MD range from winter to summer and back to winter again.

Burns and cut blocks are good places, but the fringe areas that border them, that are still treed is where you will find the deer much if the time.

good luck

[JAGRMEISTER]

"Any fool can be uncomfortable"! spend some money abd get a wall tent and stove FFS!