Mule Deer Winter Range

[Don_Abbate]

during mule deer hunts in the past i have encountered hunts where i will not see one deer the whole time. Two seasons ago i was hunting in a spot where my friend has taken a decent number of deer out of, but i had not seen one deer not even a doe. I had met 2 hunters in the area who had told me that they had already migrated to there winter range. What im having trouble with is finding the winter ranges and knowing the times when they migrate, also is this strictly depending on snow levels and food abundance.

[325]

Lower elevation + south facing + low snow accumulation = winter range

[Jelvis]

Under elevation levels of 4000 feet after end of October in general for mule deer
... On slopes above lakes and rivers
... Mule deer herd up in the fall
Winter range in general is breeding range as well.
Jellypeeno .. If you shed hunt and find antlers it's winter range ..

[Gunner]

All three winter range ares within 30 miles of home have had wolves on them the last few years.The deer are still there but they move onto steeper,less productive feeding areas.Escaping predation seems to take priority over feeding,meaning less deer will survive a hard winter. Gunner