Mule Deer Question... from a rookie

[joshbazz]

Hoping to get some advice from experienced Mule Deer hunters if I'm doing thing right or wrong. I never had a mentor, and my friends seem to be on opposite spectrums of hunting tactics. This is my first year and I'd love to hear your take. I have read some of the forum posts, and tried to apply it - I will be going out periodically and hopefully make adjustments based on any feedback. ALL FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!

I went out with my brother to over 1700m elevation at 6am in MU-8 to hopefully find a big buck. We saw tracks, then a doe and 2 fawn right away, so parked and watched them move down the ridge a little into the forest.

We decided to sit and glass in hopes a big buck might be around and be coming for her. Wind was coming from North, down the mountain - where we expected he might be following from. After about 3 min, a jeep with 2 other hunters came on the same road and I had to move the truck, they were going up ahead of us, to the lake in the area, which we would also be hiking to. They were friendly, and we didn't put up a fuss hunting the same area, lots of cut block around.

We decided to go up the ridge, with the doe's last location still in sight, walking in the crunchy snow, into the wind. We glassed as we climbed, and didn't see anything, no sign. We made it to the tree-line and I knew the lake was behind. There was a trail to go through, so we decided to follow the trail, which was pretty narrow through the think wood, but only 500 meters deep to get to the lake. No sign except for some deer tracks that crossed the trail in the middle. To follow those tracks would mean smashing through trees, somewhat dense, but thin trees, so maybe doable - but it wouldn't be silent.

We decided to carry on to the lake because we didn't know which direction the tracks were going after crossing the trail. We arrived at the lake edge and nothing, no sign of anything. We decide to walk the edge of the lake until we can circle back, and run into the new hunters we saw, who were sitting prone ready to take anything coming to the lake in a sparsely treed meadow section. We wave and leave them alone and head back to the area of the doe we saw. Hiked back down while stopping to glass periodically. We probably hiked a 3 km perimeter up and down to where we started, with some fair elevation on the way up.

We see the doe and her two fawns again, as she's pretty chill and NOT spooked by us at all. She even crosses right in front of my truck. We decide, since there's lots of fresh snow and cut blocks around, to go drive around until we see some tracks for a new starting point. It's probably 9-10am at this point, after a good 3 hours or so in the first location.

Nada, only see some hare and coyote tracks. Glass a few ridges and nothing. We go up to almost 1800 meter elevation, and I turn around because I don't have snow tires on yet, and it's getting way deeper. Had to head back to town as I only had time for a morning hunt, so we had to stop around noon - 1 ish

So questions are:

Should we have stay put in the section knowing we had a doe in area?
Should we have split when the other hunters came in area?
Are Bucks interested in a doe that has a couple fawns, or will they leave her alone?
Even though it wasn't possible that day, should we try the same area an hour or two before sunset?
Should we have tried to stalk in the forest?
Am I too high for this time of year?
Or are bucks still high elevation?

Any advice is super appreciated. Anything useful that I learn I promise to pay forward. Super stoked hunting, regardless of the outcome. Would love to fill my freezer, but I also enjoy just getting out there!

Cheers!

http://joshevans.ca/hunting/pics/morning.jpg
http://joshevans.ca/hunting/pics/deer.jpg

[monasheemountainman]

if you see does stick near them in the next couple weeks. look for sign in the snow, they will start moving down lower this time of year. most of all, nobody can give you sound advice based on one morning hunt in which you saw pretty much nothing. you need to spend time in the bush to learn where the deer are moving during different times of the year. and in my years of hunting I have shot one "big buck" from my truck (not literally)...feet to the ground my friend, find sign, find deer, keep the wind right, be quiet. best of luck

[joshbazz]

if you see does stick near them in the next couple weeks. look for sign in the snow, they will start moving down lower this time of year. most of all, nobody can give you sound advice based on one morning hunt in which you saw pretty much nothing. you need to spend time in the bush to learn where the deer are moving during different times of the year. and in my years of hunting I have shot one "big buck" from my truck (not literally)...feet to the ground my friend, find sign, find deer, keep the wind right, be quiet. best of luck

Thanks, ok sounds good. I'll keep circling back, and try some evenings as well. I understand it'll take more than one morning, possibly more than one season (hopefully not, but heard that happens) of hunting, and I'm prepared for that. I appreciate the feedback :)

Also to clarify, I like being OUTSIDE, far from my truck to hunt if need be, though no judgement on other's preference. I enjoy being outside, and it's more exercise than I usually get with busy work and family life!

Cheers!

[Rob]

Yeah kinda tough on a one time hunt. Hit the height of land and glass may turn something up. Do some hiking later on the morning. I just came back from a couple hour hunt in a spot I know hold whittails ( not a lot mind you) and saw nothing. Some fresh droppings. But it is what it is. Tried rattling but nothing. Great hike though

[GoOutside]

Is this area you're hunting kown to hold lots of deer? Or is it just a new spot you thought to try?

[tinhorse]

usually a doe will not have fawns with her if she has a buck chasing. Bucks will be with several does that may have fawns around at this time of year waiting for one to go into estrus, then he will take her aside and pass on his genetics. If you see groups of does, look for bucks bedded in nearby timber edges, they will be close. If you see a single doe on the move, stick with her. Of course there are always situations you dont expect like seeing 2 large bucks still hanging out together this time of year with no does in sight.....

[jackthebear]

Bro, good on you for getting out there. You’re not too high. Remember this, bucks are always the last to leave the high country if they leave at all. Sex and food sources are what drives them to move. They’re about to expose themselves more than any other time of the year strictly due to the rut so seeing them during the day is not uncommon. Find sign and stay on it or stick around the area. Sign is buck rubs, tracks and lots of does. The big boys got big by being cagey so hunt the fringes and go where other people won’t.

[joshbazz]

Is this area you're hunting known to hold lots of deer? Or is it just a new spot you thought to try?

No, this is a new spot, don't know much - except what we saw, a doe with 2 fawn...


usually a doe will not have fawns with her if she has a buck chasing. Bucks will be with several does that may have fawns around at this time of year waiting for one to go into estrus, then he will take her aside and pass on his genetics. If you see groups of does, look for bucks bedded in nearby timber edges, they will be close. If you see a single doe on the move, stick with her. Of course there are always situations you dont expect like seeing 2 large bucks still hanging out together this time of year with no does in sight.....

I think there may have been rub marks in the woods along the trail to the lake, if I remember... but we only saw this one doe and her fawns, no other deer in the area, or sign for that matter, that we could see.

I'll have to spend more time to see if we find anymore sign.

Cheers!

[srupp]

Hmmm not enough snow to push does, fawns out..let alone bucks.the logging cut has a machine there..if working mon..fri..move along but it has the open to hold food..this time of year..find does..babysit em..
Goodluck
Steven

[scoutlt1]

One suggestion I would have is to slow way down while walking/hiking and glassing. If you covered 3km in 3 hours, you're moving too fast in my opinion.
Every situation is different of course, but when I'm in an area that I'm convinced has deer, I will take one or two slow and quiet steps, then glass for sometimes 15 minutes or more before taking another step or two.
It can be painful as hell (especially when it's cold!), but I can't remember the number of times I've glassed the same area over and over, when all of a sudden I see the twitch of a tail or ear from a buck...often very close...

Best of luck! :)

[scttlp86]

if you see does stick near them in the next couple weeks. look for sign in the snow, they will start moving down lower this time of year. most of all, nobody can give you sound advice based on one morning hunt in which you saw pretty much nothing. you need to spend time in the bush to learn where the deer are moving during different times of the year. and in my years of hunting I have shot one "big buck" from my truck (not literally)...feet to the ground my friend, find sign, find deer, keep the wind right, be quiet. best of luck

I Agree with this advice. There are spots I hike into where I'll see 10 to 20 does/spikes and 2 points every time I go in, I have also seen a few big mature bucks in the same area. Also you need to look at the size of the tracks. If there is a big deer in the area you will know just looking at the tracks.

[dana]

Unless a yearling buck is still hanging with mom and this year's siblings, not a lot of point sticking with a doe at this time of year. A couple of weeks from now, it is a different story. With only a little amount of snow in the high country, they haven't pushed down yet. This can change drastically in the next few weeks. Many does will move before the big storms hit. This is the time of year where you can see a lot of deer one day and have them completely disapear the next. If you are checking new ground, I'd start looking at some lower ground anytime now. The theory that bucks stay up high last has little merit when the does go low and the bucks will be right there with them in a couple weeks to breed them.

[Bugle M In]

I never was a big fan of cut block hunting.
Yes, you never know when you come around a corner, and there they are.
But I never had big success with it when I was younger, and that is where I spent most of the times hunting.
Saying that, I never drove around, just walked or sat there observing.
I found some had more success sitting beside the road, between the cutblocks, waiting for deer to cross.
But, now, I have an area I know well, and what I realized over the years is, it always has a lot of sign, year after year,
crossing the roads in all directions.
It is low down, and is much better when snow hits the main plateau early (which rarely happens anymore).
Its seems to be a corridor between seral hills/mts in the area, that the deer move in and out of, and especially the bucks when the rut is on.
If you have snow, and are new to the area, then take the time to drive around and "analyze" it.
You are not looking for the odd track going b-line in one direction over the road here and there.
You are looking for sign where deer seem to be moving back and forth across, day after day.
Old and new, especially when you have snow.
Then hike into those areas inside the timber etc.
If I see lots of different does/fawns in an area, scattered all over during the days walk, then yes, bucks will surely be there or will show up when the rut is on.
The odd doe here and there, has always been a waste of time in my books.
On top of that, a buck might run into her, breed her, all at night.
So, when you can find areas with lots of does around (and I don't mean all together, but groups of 3 or 4 etc), scattered all over the hillside inside the timber, then your chances of seeing a buck greatly improve.
Overtime you will begin to see areas used by deer to go from higher elevations to lower ones.
Remember also, some Does are full time residents, while other does do not show up till the snow gets high, higher up.
And you will find that deer like to hover around the drop offs from these high platueas to winter range, waiting til the snow forces them down.
Last year I spotted 1 single doe bedded.
Within 1/2 hr, 2 bucks had come by and checked her out.
Incredible how they know where each other are (and it wasn't the wind helping them!)

[Blainer]

Unless a yearling buck is still hanging with mom and this year's siblings, not a lot of point sticking with a doe at this time of year. A couple of weeks from now, it is a different story. With only a little amount of snow in the high country, they haven't pushed down yet. This can change drastically in the next few weeks. Many does will move before the big storms hit. This is the time of year where you can see a lot of deer one day and have them completely disapear the next. If you are checking new ground, I'd start looking at some lower ground anytime now. The theory that bucks stay up high last has little merit when the does go low and the bucks will be right there with them in a couple weeks to breed them.agreed. I would not have given so much attention to a doe with fawns.
The next corner might produce a hot doe or a small group of breedable doe’s.
The decision to put all apples in one basket is an important decision.
I would not have made that decision based on a doe with 2 fawns.
The hot does are starting to appear recently, they will have sent the doe’s packing by now to concentrate on task at hand if they are rutting.
The age of the fawn’s will have bearing, young or 1 yr old will likely not see doe breed.
Bigger or 2 yr old fawn’s are on the cusp of moving on soon, better chance.
Good luck
Vantage point and glassing proves productive.
Binnoculars are the most important tool in the tool shed in my mind.

[joshbazz]

Bro, good on you for getting out there. You’re not too high. Remember this, bucks are always the last to leave the high country if they leave at all. Sex and food sources are what drives them to move. They’re about to expose themselves more than any other time of the year strictly due to the rut so seeing them during the day is not uncommon. Find sign and stay on it or stick around the area. Sign is buck rubs, tracks and lots of does. The big boys got big by being cagey so hunt the fringes and go where other people won’t.
Thanks Jack, only the one doe - is that enough to entice a buck, or should we be looking for more does?

[Ohwildwon]

There in the Timber.

So, pick a spot that has decent sign, play the wind and go learn it.

Make a plan to head up hill in some sort of circle route.

I find them coming down, pushing them off there bed, on a bluff, with lots of cover.

Good luck!

[blackbart]

Walk. Walk slow. Walk even slower. Stop lots. Use your glass. Have a nap under a fir tree. Spend the day doing it. Repeat.

[joshbazz]

One suggestion I would have is to slow way down while walking/hiking and glassing. If you covered 3km in 3 hours, you're moving too fast in my opinion.
Every situation is different of course, but when I'm in an area that I'm convinced has deer, I will take one or two slow and quiet steps, then glass for sometimes 15 minutes or more before taking another step or two.
It can be painful as hell (especially when it's cold!), but I can't remember the number of times I've glassed the same area over and over, when all of a sudden I see the twitch of a tail or ear from a buck...often very close...


Thanks, ok so WAY slower on the walking, and more glassing - thanks for explaining that more - going out to a busier doe place, tomorrow afternoon, then will do a solo hunt morning/afternoon before family halloween - I’ll try these tactics!





Unless a yearling buck is still hanging with mom and this year's siblings, not a lot of point sticking with a doe at this time of year. A couple of weeks from now, it is a different story. With only a little amount of snow in the high country, they haven't pushed down yet. This can change drastically in the next few weeks. Many does will move before the big storms hit. This is the time of year where you can see a lot of deer one day and have them completely disapear the next. If you are checking new ground, I'd start looking at some lower ground anytime now. The theory that bucks stay up high last has little merit when the does go low and the bucks will be right there with them in a couple weeks to breed them.


Ok, good to know about the doe and fawns… will try a fair bit lower tomorrow, that makes a lot of sense, thank you Dana



I never was a big fan of cut block hunting.
Yes, you never know when you come around a corner, and there they are.
But I never had big success with it when I was younger, and that is where I spent most of the times hunting.
Saying that, I never drove around, just walked or sat there observing.
I found some had more success sitting beside the road, between the cutblocks, waiting for deer to cross.
But, now, I have an area I know well, and what I realized over the years is, it always has a lot of sign, year after year,
crossing the roads in all directions.
It is low down, and is much better when snow hits the main plateau early (which rarely happens anymore).
Its seems to be a corridor between seral hills/mts in the area, that the deer move in and out of, and especially the bucks when the rut is on.
If you have snow, and are new to the area, then take the time to drive around and "analyze" it.
You are not looking for the odd track going b-line in one direction over the road here and there.
You are looking for sign where deer seem to be moving back and forth across, day after day.
Old and new, especially when you have snow.
Then hike into those areas inside the timber etc.
If I see lots of different does/fawns in an area, scattered all over during the days walk, then yes, bucks will surely be there or will show up when the rut is on.
The odd doe here and there, has always been a waste of time in my books.
On top of that, a buck might run into her, breed her, all at night.
So, when you can find areas with lots of does around (and I don't mean all together, but groups of 3 or 4 etc), scattered all over the hillside inside the timber, then your chances of seeing a buck greatly improve.
Overtime you will begin to see areas used by deer to go from higher elevations to lower ones.
Remember also, some Does are full time residents, while other does do not show up till the snow gets high, higher up.
And you will find that deer like to hover around the drop offs from these high platueas to winter range, waiting til the snow forces them down.
Last year I spotted 1 single doe bedded.
Within 1/2 hr, 2 bucks had come by and checked her out.
Incredible how they know where each other are (and it wasn't the wind helping them!)
Thanks, that’s some great advice.. I know a place about an hour and half away that is exactly as you describe regarding tracks that I went to on a week long Elk hunt - Maybe I should head out there!


---

Wow, thanks for all the advice guys, great stuff here - really appreciate some of the emphasis on critical practices (walk slow, glassing longer) - I for sure am rushing things WAY too fast... will pass this on to my bro, and will see how our luck pans out before anybuck/WTdoe seaon is over.

Cheers everyone!!!

[cptnoblivious]

joshbazz: it's amazing how much difference a bit of time makes. If you go sit in the timber, you'll notice that things go from silent except for some annoyed squirrels to 'regular' wood noise after 10 or 15 minutes of your arrival & sitting quietly. Had an experience where we were about 50 meters from the road (but over a small rise) and a truck went by, same thing, everything went quiet, then slowly started getting back to normal.

Even knowing all that, I still struggle to go slow enough in the woods :)

[joshbazz]

joshbazz: it's amazing how much difference a bit of time makes. If you go sit in the timber, you'll notice that things go from silent except for some annoyed squirrels to 'regular' wood noise after 10 or 15 minutes of your arrival & sitting quietly. Had an experience where we were about 50 meters from the road (but over a small rise) and a truck went by, same thing, everything went quiet, then slowly started getting back to normal.

Even knowing all that, I still struggle to go slow enough in the woods :)

That's awesome Cptn, sounds like the recurring theme here is patience... gonna have to convince my bro to go slow as well! Cheers!