Mountain Whitetail

[steepNdeep]

On my way up hunting muleys last year, I kept seeing whiteys crossing the road up high. One day I stopped and followed the tracks into a thick and nasty draw. I found quite the set of trails and intersection and decided that I'd have to come back and hunt it one day... (to be continued...)

Thick bush never appealed much to me... I like the wide open alpine basins (guess that's why I don't like hippy chicks ;) ) but I digress...

I know whiteys were traditionally bottom dwellers, but they're invading the timber... I've seen them up to ~6,000 ft.

Have you seen them up high???

What elevation do you normally hunt 'em?

[joed4040]

Ive seen whitey's up high and down low and in the thick stuff. I like hippy chiks too. They are where they are. Forced to adapt and they will. Every season brings new idea's/observations.

[JDR]

I've seen them up real high in Christian Valley and had a buddy take one from the alpine in the Kootenays. I generally hunt them around 3,500 to 4,500 ft.

[Sooke Hunter]

Ive seen whitey's up high and down low and in the thick stuff. I like hippy chiks too. They are where they are. Forced to adapt and they will. Every season brings new idea's/observations.
Very true with these WTs.:neutral: Just get out there and hunt covering some ground...I like to still hunt for these guys (or any other ungulate for that matter!!)...late November/December!! Mule deer are just a bit easier to hunt.....generally!!:-D

[GoatGuy]

See them in a couple spots in the alpine in Region 8, also right up top in Region 4.

[boxhitch]

Noticed lotsa sign at 1500 m. out Sugar Lake way, that wasn't so obvious in the past.

[Walksalot]

I have hunted and seen whitetail deer from the valley bottoms up to the height of land.

[takla1]

we hunted low for them this yr for a couple days{doe season reg 8] and didnt see a thing so we figured we'd hunt up were the mulies are and low and behold wtails everywhere.I think with the early pressure they adapted quickly and moved higher and stayed to the bush avoiding openings

[Rattler]

I have seen whitetail and lots of them in the alpine (7200ft) while hunting for Mule deer. First snow pushes them down to the valley bottom...

[steepNdeep]

Thanks guys! Yeah, those commando deer are definitely resilient... alpine whitey, huh. Times are a changin'...

Last year, in the last hour of the last day of muley season, I shot a decent 5x5 muley. Then, I decided to spend a bit of time hunting chasin' bush dwellers and head back up to that spot that I'd found.

I spent a couple of days in there to learnin' the country and found some good rub lines and some scrapes. I set up to call at that intersection and a buck came in at last light but busted me at 25 yards and I never got the shot. It dumped bigtime the next day and the deer moved down for the winter.

Yesterday, I got an email from a buddy in Montana that consistently shoots big bucks in the mountains. Here is his 2010 whitey. Needless to say, it got me psyched again & I'd recently put out my trailcam...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5184891884_20de3b82e0_z.jpg

[Stone Sheep Steve]

There was an article in BCOutdoors many moons ago titled "Stranger in the High Country" (IIRC) which delt with this same issue but haven't seen any up high myself. Personally, I wait until mid Nov to hunt them when they are lower.

SSS

[steepNdeep]

Well I put out my new trailcam up top at the intersection this summer, but only got does... After seein' my bud's MT monster yesterday, I was psyched & went to check it.

After just a couple of days in Nov. I finally got my first whitey buck on film...
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1277/5184513865_2e7409fafd_z.jpg

AND finally the old man of the mountain that I was lookin' for... there were 2 fresh scrapes 25 yards away, right where he busted me last year. He was comin' in on the same trail. He looks like he's past his prime, but I'm psyched!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/5184291965_a9c85f3bd6_z.jpg

It's killin' me chained to my desk watchin' the snow fall that's probably gonna push them down for the winter...

[835]

Region 8, I saw a fork whie tail at 6000 feet skirting a couple mulie does.

[Wrayzer]

Spooked a few whitetail does up on Mt Moore late Sept this year, didn't see any mulies, just whitetails.

[Nooker77]

You nailed it!

[mcrae]

In region 4 I see whitietails high all the way thru October but come Nov they disappear with the mulies LOL...

[BlackBear]

Last year, I took a 5x4 White tail at 5800ft. He's currently on my wall. At the time, I was stalking a group of mule deer does and a small 2 point buck. After watching the group of deer disappear into the timber, two white tail does popped out from behind a ridge. Shortly afterward, he came out following them.

I used to think that White tails were only in the low elevation areas. However, I've begun to realize that they are up high too. However, it seems they tend to be a bit more sparse at high elevations.

[Hydrojet]

I have seen a good number up high...they do thin out but like the ol man says..they are where they are! Different areas are different but if there is food, water and the right cover...they'll be there.