Alpine Mule Blues

[Eva_Hunts]

This laughable amateur just came back from a 5 day stint around Carpenter Lake/Relay creek without seeing a single deer in the alpine. FML. I'm so pissed that I'm dropping everything, calling in dead to work, and heading back up there Sunday for another attempt. My soul wont rest on this. I need to make F#&*ing eye contact with a 4pt buck, hunting goal #1.

Let me preface all of this by saying that this was my first ever attempt at a solo alpine hunt, and I probably did everything wrong, including being too frightened to sleep in the alpine due to grizz (shit was everywhere). So every morning I'd do a two hour hike up what felt like 90 degree angled shale slopes, loud as all hell from the glassy sounding rocks grinding under my feet and tumbling hundreds of feet below... and head back down in the evening to sleep next to my truck. Prime hunting time completely ruined due to commutes. I realized this wasn't working so I tried to change my tactic and glass from below at first light and last light, actually all damned day. Still nothing. Was it the heat? Was it the full moon? Was I in the wrong areas? I was next to burns, I was next to drainages with seeps and streams, even some cut blocks, but nothing... Trying to manage my scent in the wind, glassing what looked like beddy areas and game trails... So many thoughts, so many questions, so much to learn. Most prevalent thought was that I wish I had a mentor.

So this restless heart is going back at it on Sunday around Carpenter Lake and/or Yalakom valley - and wanting to try this from a different angle... but I need your wisdom and guidance. Anything helps.

Thanks,
Eva

[Blainer]

Did you see sign of deer? I hunted goat in the area and seen minimal deer. I personally think you efforts would have found better success in another location, but your in the right track. Start climb in the dark, head lamp. Good luck

[Pinewood]

Keep trying!

[Caribou_lou]

Find me a 3/4 curl while in there! Good luck and safe hunting

[HarryToolips]

Yup, sounds like you have good character and effort...as said above, sign sign sign....if there was that much bear sign around, maybe that's a start to why you didn't see any deer..

[BRvalley]

I've never had good luck around a full moon....just gotta put in the time, and maybe wake up 2 hours earlier to start your hike ;)

I found that area to hold respectable numbers when I lived locally

[RackStar]

Buy the ebook high country mulies by mike Easton off of amazon,
read that book before Sunday.

[Weatherby Fan]

With the temperatures we've had the deer may be back in the Timber on the North and East sides where it's cooler during the day for bedding, one thing I found about mature Mule Deer bucks is they moved out of the Alpine into the Timber right at first light, I would say camp in the Alpine so your that much closer to glassing at first light.

[Ltbullken]

Depending on how downdrafts and updrafts worked out, it is possible that your scent might have foiled you. Bivouacking on the alpine away from your intended hunting area/drainage/bowl is the best idea. You want to see the bucks moving at first light, especially the big mature ones, and the best way to do that is to be on the alpine at first light, having made as little noise and movement as possible. They'll mostly hold up in the timber or any pockets of trees in the alpine during the day.

[Fisher-Dude]

Dry year = little water in the alpine.

Might want to look lower down, closer to remaining water sources. Also don't be afraid to hunt the thicker timber on the north faces where it's a bit cooler.

[Ajsawden]

I would definitly try a different location for attempt #2. Too many zero sighting trips for a guy can cause some serious depression. If there are any deer around you should have saw something.
I was in lillooet during the long weekend with my dad. We drove around friday evening to figure out access to alpine for next morning. On friday evening we saw 4 deer, one was a decent 3point. There were deer tracks all over the roads and cutbanks, looked great. On Saturday we got up at 3, started hiking at 4:30 and were nearing the subalpine around 6 where we saw a couple does. They were just above the timberline and heading back down for the trees. We then spent the whole day in the alpine and saw only marmots and a chipmunks. We covered miles of alpine, and glassed it all and checked every nook and cranny. There were no deer, and no fresh deer sign. I don't know the area that well, but I know i'd hunt different spots if I went back to the same area. Sounds like you got the enthusiam, now you just need some horseshoes!

[twoSevenO]

Why would you drop work and go back after not seeing a buck? They are obviously not there. Another basin over, in the timber, who knows.

If you were making noise you were likely to have just bumped the deer out of their beds and seen them. Since you haven't they were most likely not there.

This year was very dry. If the feed in that particular area dried up they would have for sure moved on. But certainly don't waste your time chasing something that isn't there.

Did you mostly hike or mostly glass? Because glassing them from 1km away is waaaay easier than just randomly hiking around the basins all day.

I was up in that area, maybe 20kms from you and I saw half a dozen bucks up high around 2100-2200m, including some does. But I'd say if you saw nothing in 5 days don't waste your time and go back to the same spot. Go to a different area even if it's just 5-6km away.

[brian]

You have just learned two fundamentally importance lessons every hunter must learn.
1. Frustration followed by
2. persistece

I have one question, did you find recent sign while you were there?

[twoSevenO]

Dry year = little water in the alpine.

Might want to look lower down, closer to remaining water sources. Also don't be afraid to hunt the thicker timber on the north faces where it's a bit cooler.

Water is not really an issue up in those mountains. Even with the summer as hot as it was I was still finding the alpine creeks running with snow melt last week.

[VLD43]

PM Sent..........

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Don't be scared of the bears camp where you can wake up and glass a large basin.

[mnholt]

Every alpine Mulie hunter needs to read "Public Land Mulies" by David W Long. He's the mentor you're looking for, the other one is putt'n in the time...

[wideopenthrottle]

while goat hunting one time we got one near the end of the day and had to stay the night with our meat spread out on a tarp in camp....as we were trying to fall asleep we could hear wolves howling (one on the gut pile and two further away)...my more experienced hunting partner said "well that's good we wont have to worry about grizzlies if there are wolves in the area"...seemed to make sense but I am not sure if doing some night howls might get the bears to leave...heheheheh....after about a half hour of howling I finally had to yell out "shut up we are trying to sleep"...the wolves stopped mid howl and were silent for the rest of the night...we still laugh about it

[Rob Chipman]

I was up in that area last weekend. Wasn't hunting too hard and didn't connect, but there was sign.

Great looking country!

[Weatherby Fan]

Don't be scared of the bears camp where you can wake up and glass a large basin.

Great Advice CH

this is what I do when Alpine Mule Deer hunting, camp just out of sight of a big basin, wake up one hour before light and walk over and park my ass on the edge of the basin with cover and start glassing, I like to sit on the east side so your not glassing into the sun as it rises.
Watch your thermals, never skyline yourself, keep your movement to a minimum and don't pollute the area you intend to hunt with your scent.

[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.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s56/gilmore-c/DSCF3106_zpsm9vqfck1.jpg (http://s149.photobucket.com/user/gilmore-c/media/DSCF3106_zpsm9vqfck1.jpg.html)

[twoSevenO]

Nice buck. Is that this year?

[twoSevenO]

What I have personally seen couldn't be further from the typical alpine mule behavior. I watched them feed and move around in the open at 2pm when it was close to 30 degrees out. I've watched them move beds from the shade to open sunny ground. And I've even seen does up high in the alpine, something I was under the impression they do not do.

Basically some areas will have deer that simply behave differently. As mentioned above being out there is the real way to learn. Not reading some book.

But if I wasn't seeing anything and wasn't bumping anything goes while hiking I'd definitely give that basin a rest and go elsewhere for the time being.

[Gilmore]

Nice buck. Is that this year?

No that was a few years back, 2012 I think. We were lucky enough to spot 2 good bucks and a bunch of does at last light the previous night from the opposite side of the valley. We hiked back down to our sub-alpine camp and slept for a few hours and then made our way up to where they had been. Funny thing is we had been up to that same spot 2 days before but didn't arrive there until about 830am. We spotted until about noon and didn't see a damn thing but they were there the whole time in the thick stuff below us. We saw a lot of deer on that trip but only at first and last light. By 10am you swore there wasn't an animal anywhere in that whole place.

[Eva_Hunts]

all ya’ll rule - thanks for the positive feedback, tips and encouragement. I’m heading back up tomorrow morning with new ideas and tactics, and in a different location but still in the vicinity of gold bridge.


Blainer - in the alpine I only saw one deer, and it was too dark to make out whether it was a doe or buck. Saw tons of does and fawns around carpenter lake though.

Harry - the few the spots I hung out in were full of older droppings, beds and trails, nothing fresh save for the griz shit amongst the blueberrys…


Rackstar - just picked up high country mulies, 30 pages in. Thanks for the tip!


Weatherby/Ltbullken - that seems to be the resounding tip - they’re in the timber @ the timberline and not moving much out of it, way too hot this year. it’ll come down to glassing those edges from above. So I’m gonna do it, sleep in the alpine (more like hardly sleep).


Ajsawden/twoSevenO - yep, gonna try a new spot and I’m feeling good about it! Wonder if I’ll end up in the same area where you were~ish….
I generally do a combo of hiking and glassing, 50/50 across the day… and I don’t take breaks or naps, too much stimulation out there, I’m glassing and/or moving all damned day!


Brian - hell ye it can be frustrating and demoralizing… I might be sadistic but there’s pleasure in that, it keeps me coming back, motivates me to try harder… On the other hand, I try to constantly keep myself in check; the playground is vast, the views are surreal, the landscape is punishingly beautiful, and even the scat is entertaining.
I bumped a 3pt “town buck” @ lower elevation on my way home, it lifted me up beyond belief. I jumped out of my car and followed it for a bit, then watched it for a good hour.


swamp thing - you’re hilarious! thanks and all duly noted - namely the part of it all being so much fun.


Treed - north slopes :) … and great quote “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”


boxhitch - sometimes it’s solo or no go. I’ll take solo.


gilmore - “Knowledge of the area and which basins are feeding deer are musts.”
this is exactly why I’m moving a lot right now - almost simotaneously using these trips as scouting missions , though I know scouting should be done pre-huntinh season, it’s all the time I can afford so far from home. Now I really want to learn what the deer are eating and when, also what minerals are available in those zones, to hone in on which basins would be considered good… rocks, plants, soil, etc…. a lot, a lot, a lot to study…. I just learned what types of trees they prefer so it’s all sloooooowly coming together.

Again, sincerely, thank you all for helping develop this young gunner!

[71_camaro]

Deer do whatever they want.first light is best but if your not looking all day your missing alot!!

[Tim Tam Slam]

So Eva, did you get one? How did it go?

[Eva_Hunts]

Hey tim tam, from the shulaps i came home with many grouse and rabbit, just no deer. Last year was a huge year of learning for me - i was out pounding it every weekend from sept 1- to dec 1, including a 3 week period of just hunting. i learned so much, and eventually brought one WT doe home which I rationed for the year.

this year i was able to apply my little learnings and be more strategic. i got my first elk and my first 4 pt mule, absolute blessing.

keep sharing your wisdom and passion folks, every little bit helps.

thanks

[Jelvis]

Eva rules -- good to hear your a great hunter already -- keep up the posts and threads into the future

Jel and Rocko --> Eva rules

[MichelD]

Year before last buddy and me had spent four days hiking up into the alpine every morning, hunting all day without a sighting.

On the last day we decided to just hunt the morning, then come back and pack up around 10:00 a.m. We were half packed and sat in our camp chairs to glass the alpine one last time and a herd of bucks ran across the closest hill to us, about a km away, a two-hour hike just to get there. They disappeared into a gulley and then one reappeared, this was noon by now, about 30 degrees Celsius, and it walked into the middle of a wide gray scree, about 1.5 to 2 km away from us now and lay down and went to sleep. We watched him for several hours and he didn't budge. Even with the Zeiss spotting scope, as best we could make out he was a good three point and possibly a four. We let him and his buddies be.

Last year a couple guys buzzed past us in a side by side before daybreak and hiked up to near that spot and shot two in the gulley just below that scree where the buck was in 2019 while I was up on the hill where I had seen the herd run by.