year 2 not much easier

[chrismcd]

Hey this is my second year hunting and am hoping to get a bit more experience when it comes to locating mule deer. Last year I basically climbed into alpine and sat waiting and watching . But what would I do if I didn't see anything up high .How should I hunt the woods for mule deer? Will deer bed in the sun up high once the weather cools or willthey go lower to get away from wind? I basically need to hire someone to go on a hike and teach me how to track lol. Any helps appreciated

[Chuck Norris]

Hey Chris,

That is a great way to start figuring out when and where Mule Deer live. The more time you can spend in their habitat the more you will learn about them. I strongly suggest picking up a couple books about hunting them in the high country, I can't think of the few I have at home off the top of my head but I'm sure others can chime in. Your best bet to locate them is now, while they are still in their summer coats and haven't been pressured by the influx of hunters stomping around. They really stand out this time of year, especially when the sun hits them. Your best bet is an hour or so after sunrise and an hour or so before sunset. If you can be glassing at first last light you will greatly increase your chance of seeing deer, especially the bigger boys. From my experience they will duck down to timber to get out of the heat, and to escape the bugs, but not always ;). When you do locate them in the morning watch them go to their beds. You will be amazed at where some of them choose to take a nap. I was watching a goat before in some gnarly rock crap and noticed something strange, sure enough it was a mule deer buck, safer than the pope. Alpine mule deer bucks will typically stay in the alpine until they are forced to leave, either by weather (snow) or by the urge of the rut if there are no does around. This typically wont be until November, and I have seen bucks with does in chest deep snow into December.

As for timber hunting... well that's a whole other story. Go SLOW (I can't stress that enough). Find areas with lots of sign (freshest is better), rubs, shit, tracks and remember these areas. Use your binoculars lots, two steps, up go the binos and pick apart the forest. Look for tails or ears or anything that doesn't seem right. When you are in the thick of it rarely will you see the deer before they see you if you move too fast. All you will see is an ass end running away or hear the old mule deer *thump* *thump* *thump* as they bounce away to safety. As with alpine hunting the more time you spend in the forest the more you will learn about the habits of the deer. Just remember to keep your head up and learn from your mistakes, as you will probably make many... But that's the beauty of hunting ;-)

[wideopenthrottle]

totally agree with slow stalking lots of looking....I always count my paces (only count every second step) in the bush even when I don't need to keep track of how far I am going (habit)..I mentally assess all terrain as I hunt and give it a rating for paces... I usually kinda go with 1 pace, 2 paces 5, 8, 12, 15 or 20....20 is my max even when on a road

[ACE]

If you're moving, the game has the advantage. Glass in the timber, slow easy movements ...... as CN says above, get yourself into good areas. You'll still be learning this stuff decades from now ..... we all learn something with each foray ...... have fun!

[Ourea]

Chris....it's all about time in the field.
It's also about the "right" time.

If you have found an area that is showing evidence of MD be in there with ur ass on the ground glassing at sun up .....and at sun down.

Alpine MD are highly sensitive to intrusion.
Laying boot prints all over the high country can hurt more that it can help at times.

There is no easily solution in having consistent success other than effort with time invested in the field.

There is an old business saying that easily applies to hunting....

"Some dream of success...while others wake up and work hard on it every day"

[chrismcd]

It's the woods that really get me
Once the snow started coming last year I stopped seeing deer up high .And Im pretty sure I did a terrible job at hunting still hunting.
how much ground do you usually cover in say an hour of still hunting.
whats the longest you'd wait in a single spot before you move on again?

[4 point]

Where do you live and what areas can you reasonably get to for hunting? If I were you hunting high to start off with maybe tough for a newbie. Lots of mule deer in forested areas of region 8 or 3 to name a couple. Travel FSR check and walk cut blocks early morning or late afternoons. See does etc get a feel for deer movements & how to spot them before they see you. Taxes time to be consistent.

[M.Dean]

I've taken lot's of deer over the years, can't remember a year I didn't get at least one. And the secret is, Hunt where there's deer, it's that simple! Travel around, in a truck, a quad, hike, and look for deer, there's no use spending a morning hiking a area where there simply is no deer. Usually by the first opening day of deer or moose season I can tell you how many deer are where, and when there going to be there. But I'm lucky where I can drive 5 minutes on my quad and be in some of the best deer and moose hunting in B.C. Without knowing where your hunting, I'd say to drive around until you can glass animals, usually at first light or dusk is the best times, watch them and see roughtly in what direction there going, in the morning to bed down, in the evening to feed. Once you've got that figgered out, try to be in the area you seen them traveling in, go slow, take lots of time and use your "BINO"S"!!! Good Luck this season, and keep us informed, hope you bag a nice one!

[epicZERO74]

Your best bet is an hour or so after sunrise and an hour or so before sunset.

It's funny people say that. I always see the majority of my animals around 9 AM, but I guess I am just never where the deer are at first light ;)

[Husky7mm]

Get the book Mule deer strategies by Walt Prothero, read it and the read it again and then one more time yet again. It will answer all your questions amd make you a good or great hunter. The loop method that he explains for tracking is just dynamite. Good luck but more important is to make your own luck.

[M.Dean]

It's funny people say that. I always see the majority of my animals around 9 AM, but I guess I am just never where the deer are at first light ;) Most of my "Old" buddy's don't hunt until after 9 in the morning too,I usually run into them on the trails and backroads up here about 9: twenty or 9:30ish. Reason being, the Liquor Store part of our store don't open up till Nine A.m!!! And the Smart critter's up here know that, so I hunt accordingly!

[ACB]

What most of these guy's are saying slow slow slow, if you think you are going slow enough you better slow down and when you stop, stop beside a tree. It will break up your profile better than any camo will. Generally when I stop walking I knell on one knee beside a tree and make very slow deliberate movements scanning the area with bino's, it's amazing what you'll see. Another good tip is I never hunt Mule deer with out a grunt tube call, all season. It works on them just as well as it does on Whitetails.

[markomoose]

Hey this is my second year hunting and am hoping to get a bit more experience when it comes to locating mule deer. Last year I basically climbed into alpine and sat waiting and watching . But what would I do if I didn't see anything up high .How should I hunt the woods for mule deer? Will deer bed in the sun up high once the weather cools or willthey go lower to get away from wind? I basically need to hire someone to go on a hike and teach me how to track lol. Any helps appreciatedGood question chrismcd.Lotsa excellent help on here for a new guy and an old guy like myself.Absorb the info. Cheers Mark

[Ferenc]

Have you found any shed antlers in the areas you are hunting.