Mule deers winter range

[alexboyprin]

I just read that the mule deers winter ranges are under 1,000 meters altitude (central okanagan). Does someone knows if, during the hunting seasons,the deers start moving nearer to their winter range? If yes, that means it would not be necessary to look for them at higher altitude!? Just wondering!

Thanks for your comments.
Alexboy

[Jelvis]

You hit it right on the head alex .. pow .. under a thousand meters which is in feet?
a meter is 39 inches a yard is 36 .. 1000 meters is ____ft.?
I say a quick 3300 feet but in some places it's under 4000 ft. Depends on the angle of the slopes facing south and south east and south west. The sun and winds keep the feed available for deer without pawing the ground wasting energy.
I say 3900 feet and under up the Nor is close but I never really studied it.
Year after year they come down, snow or no snow on to breeding grounds which are lower down than the tops of mountains, closer to river valley bottoms under 3900 feet on the slopes down to the river on the sunny side of the river.
Jel..Your in the muley know how .. Around October 20 all bucks are down chasin ..
Breeding grounds are wintering grounds together for strength and powerful animals

[alexboyprin]

You hit it right on the head alex .. pow .. under a thousand meters which is in feet?
a meter is 39 inches a yard is 36 .. 1000 meters is ____ft.?
I say a quick 3300 feet but in some places it's under 4000 ft. Depends on the angle of the slopes facing south and south east and south west. The sun and winds keep the feed available for deer without pawing the ground wasting energy.
I say 3900 feet and under up the Nor is close but I never really studied it.
Year after year they come down, snow or no snow on to breeding grounds which are lower down than the tops of mountains, closer to river valley bottoms under 3900 feet on the slopes down to the river on the sunny side of the river.
Jel..Your in the muley know how .. Around October 20 all bucks are down chasin ..
Breeding grounds are wintering grounds together for strength and powerful animals

hello jelvis. thanks for your feedback. i though i was the only one researching this matter. i do have the map of "ungulatates winter range" (central okanagan). if you are interested, i could PM you and send it to you.
Cheers!
Alexboy
PS i will be researching the south oriented slope under 4,000 feet

[Livewire322]

i know in region 3 around kamloops i see most deer under 3000 ft mostly 2300ft

[Jelvis]

Hey alex I got all the winter range down pat with old maps by the researchers for moose and deer in the Thompson/Nicola until some buddies took them home to study lol.
I got it memorized thanks tho nice thought.
Jel .. The rut starts 23rd of October for mule deer and the prerut starts on October 3rd.
The mule deer come down b4 the rut so you can see when. Halloween time lol.
It comes on strong.

[alexboyprin]

Hey alex I got all the winter range down pat with old maps by the researchers for moose and deer in the Thompson/Nicola until some buddies took them home to study lol.
I got it memorized thanks tho nice thought.
Jel .. The rut starts 23rd of October for mule deer and the prerut starts on October 3rd.
The mule deer come down b4 the rut so you can see when. Halloween time lol.
It comes on strong.
Thanks Jelvis. ...we are not far apart (i am in princeton) so i suppose this is the same as you here. do you really thing we can have a better chance hunting big bucks by following these indications about winter ranges?? i will try anyways :). right now, i am spending a lots of time scouting the area for good hunting spots, and i will set up some tree stands in some places. i hope this will pay off. how is the deers situation in kamloops? here, in princeton, it is pretty good but the big bucks are always hard to get. bye...alexboy

[Livewire322]

they are lower in September in the early times of the month

[Westslope]

I am not convinced that the above information is 100% correct. I have shot many deer in November well above the "magic" 3300m line. The largest buck I have ever shot was close to 1600m and that was on Nov 12th, he was with 2 does. That day there was at least 6 other bucks on that hill of various sizes. My .2 is that it varies way more than what those maps indicate, I use them too.

[Jelvis]

Let me be clear, crystal clear lol, winter range is for winter time conditions but do not forget that by real winter, hunting is done for mule deer, Dec ten.
Winter range and breeding grounds and fawning grounds all below 4000 feet.
Some @ river level 1120 feet some at 2300 and some at 2700 and some at 3300 and even 3600 during the rut. The up and down bucks, running all night looking for some tell tail sign of estrus doe.
If the hunting is over before winter then what? lol.
Hunt the north side of the ridges and in those half bowls on the dark side up til the end of the gos season cuz that's where those deer herds are hiding.
Hunt the rut from October 20 to November 24th then til Dec 10 if needs be.
In reg 8 your shorter gos on mules so lil different than region 3.
Hunt hard from October 20 to Nov 4th, then nov 11 to 19th then 24th on til done.
Jel in the muley maze the hunting craze we are in a daze til we see that Monster rack.

[jeff]

nov 10 shot big buck at 6800 feet lots of deer stay high till the snow pushes them down some bad info going on here

[jeff]

i got a honey hole at 6800 ft and lots of deer all over bucks and does only thing that pushes them down is snow and this is in region 8

[dino]

Every year I hunt region 8 on the last week of the season in nov. I hunt around the 6000 foot mark and up, I see lots of deer up there before the close. There are places where the deer can migrate down to their wintering grounds in just a couple of hours and go back up if if they want to. This style of hunting works for some of the areas in region 8 with the seasons early close. I find the deer in region 8 dont hit their wintering grounds until after the the season is over and winter seems to be coming later than it did years ago. Ive seen deer above 4000' in deep snow while out sledding in the middle of feb.

[jeff]

now theres some acurate info dino

[Jelvis]

Who died and made jeff god of all mule deer winter range information? lol.
jeff your a kid yet lol, let's get real here, in Kamloops the tallest mountains are 6300 feet, unless mulies can fly or climb trees that's about it 6300 feet.
So no escalators to heavy mule bucks heaven around here at your heights looking down the nose a lil from dizz ee ing hights.
You guys and galz in 8 think yer Gah rrrrate are you all Tony the tigerz ..
Region 8 is great for big game, no doubt.
Jelly and the Winter Rangerz .. Hunt is no stranger .. White Snake Who knows where the cold wind blows?
I asked my friends and no-body knows .. Let's here your facts in scientific form.
supporting your theory of winter range and deer at 8000 feet in December .... isaybslol

[jeff]

a kid u say ive been hunting region 8 for 20 plus years and i wish i was a kid again so i can climb thoose mnts again now listen here ino what im talkin about young lad

[jeff]

and im not hunting anywhere near kamloops

[Darksith]

even in kamloops you will find deer throughout all elevations unless the snow comes early and hard to force them down. Whats the height of sun peaks? If your hoping to find a monster somewhere low that is easy to get to you better have some 4 leaf clovers in your pockets, taped to a horseshoe or 2, and a rabbits foot around your neck. The big boys don't come down until all the ladies leave, pushed down by snow, thats how they get big. Some get lucky, most don't, but most hunt the easy areas as well.

[Jelvis]

A big buck get's given away by the does which are attracted to the stud. They get jittery and move giving up the spot.
When deer migrate down they follow creeks down and ridges by those creeks and thus mineral licks as well.
A buck does not wait until the frost affects his jewels, it's by the amount of light which enters the deers eyes. Same time each year, snow or no snow.
Your theory is blown apart right thar BOOM thar it izzz.
Jel .. Winter range specialist up the muley river valleys .. Get the lead out lol.
Now yer cookin with gas .. you can drink from my glass .. got a back stage pass?

[jeff]

what a wingnut

[dino]

A big buck get's given away by the does which are attracted to the stud. They get jittery and move giving up the spot.
When deer migrate down they follow creeks down and ridges by those creeks and thus mineral licks as well.
A buck does not wait until the frost affects his jewels, it's by the amount of light which enters the deers eyes. Same time each year, snow or no snow.
Your theory is blown apart right thar BOOM thar it izzz.
Jel .. Winter range specialist up the muley river valleys .. Get the lead out lol.
Now yer cookin with gas .. you can drink from my glass .. got a back stage pass?
Jelly my muley guru. I agree with what you are saying, I have hunted deer in the early season up high and even when there was no snow they got out of dodge because it was a long way to their wintering grounds and thats where they rut. But in some areas the deer can go up and down realitivly easy and I as well as others can attest to muleys rutting up high.

[mark]

what a wingnut


Something most HBC'ers have known for years, he will entertain you for as long as you can handle it!

[Jelvis]

I know some bucks stay up high all year around in dense canopy thick stuff, the snow stays in the trees. They eat moss and other stuffs.
I guess they just don't want to go down any more or never did much like it.
Also it's natures way of saving the gene pool if something happens down below and causes a deer die out, they escape it to carry on.
Hey it is possible and it does happen but not the norm for the rest of the majority part.
I ain't know super bio so I won't say never but sometimes.
Hey jeff I'm just pullin your chain, I ain't serious sorry if I jerked the chain too hard.
Jel .. winter/summer and somewhere in between ..

[rides bike to work]

How bout region 5-01 I got a moose draw late oct and everyone said tells me there wont be any deer around that time why is that.

[alexboyprin]

I am not convinced that the above information is 100% correct. I have shot many deer in November well above the "magic" 3300m line. The largest buck I have ever shot was close to 1600m and that was on Nov 12th, he was with 2 does. That day there was at least 6 other bucks on that hill of various sizes. My .2 is that it varies way more than what those maps indicate, I use them too.
...hi westslope...from what i am reading from everyone and you, i begin to think that a big buck could easily hide higher up in the mountain and, if heavy snow and winter are coming up, be down in his winter range pretty quickly because the winter ranges are probably not that far away. what do you think about that?

[Jelvis]

rides bike, deer hunting is best in the south east section of 5-01 but fair in the rest also of the unit.
Ask how deep does the snow get at that time?
What elevation is it at?
What type of tree and shrubs.
Water sources, feed and temperature with wind chill?
Deer have short legs compared to moose, moose can live in much deeper snow then a deer.
Mu 5-01 has lakes for moose and creek drainages for the mule deer.
Windy is one that stands out in the south-east section of mu 5-01
Find out where the deer go to breed and winter from that spot your in, then go there late season after October 20th to Nov 24th and you will see them because mule deer bunch up in the fall rut. Three or four in a group, doe, yearling, fawn, two point.
Then Mr Big running around looking for luv.
After the Oct 9th the buck chase does to harass them, then on the 23rd, the first day of estrus, the doe stands still for him to mount. Until then it's a dance, a waiting game.
Hi$ Jellyne$$

[jeff]

farmland is a hole different story

[Jelvis]

A buck deer can run 12 miles an hour for hours on end, so covering four miles down and across is nothing, from 5000 feet to 2400 in a New York Minute.
A doe classed as the Matriarch teaches the young deer where to find the trails of migration down for the first time since summer. The buck does nothing to teach fawns.
Then the doe teaches the time to do it, b4 the big snow could trap her young she moves onto migration mode, calls her brood and sets her face and goes down. Once down at fall and winter's home level she casts off her yearlings for now as the strong urge to mate in estrus comes closer she seeks out a superior level buck to have her fawns from, a stud she chooses.
Hey if she can't find Mr. Perfect, she could always settle for Mr. OK. lol.
When the doe goes down the mountains with her family towards the river valley she moves mainly at night.
Jel .. Sleep tight don't let the bedbugs bite ..

[CanuckShooter]

...hi westslope...from what i am reading from everyone and you, i begin to think that a big buck could easily hide higher up in the mountain and, if heavy snow and winter are coming up, be down in his winter range pretty quickly because the winter ranges are probably not that far away. what do you think about that?

Here is something for you to consider....how do they say wolves get around in the deep winter snow?? They travel roads, train tracks and snowmobile trails!!! So just when you think it's all done, take a drive up into the high country on those plowed roads and tell us if you see any tracks heading downhill......late in the year when snows are piling up you will see these late travelling monster bucks on or near the roads and heading downhill....think about it.

[Kyle84]

Looks like Jelly knows what hes talking about, sheesh. don't gave anyway the secrets.

[hunter1947]

Back in the days In different areas I have hunted I found that the mule deer start moving to lower elevations when the snow is up to there bellies I am refuting to the big mossy bucks ,you do get the odd big bucks coming down earlier looking for does in the first week of Nov and then there are the locale deer that stay at a lower elevation all year around. ..

[Jelvis]

Like our boy Alex said hunt above winter range hot spots according to time of the season combined with snow fall up higher and even when snow hits down lower at 1500 feet.
In early September you can see deer low or high and once the shooting begins the deer move onto the tops of little and big hills to look down for the guys with guns.
It's dry and noisy and leaves are on the trees in September. So stick to old logging roads and walk along spur roads where it's quiter to walk then in the dry bush.
October starts to get better conditions but any leaves on the ground are frosty and the sun comes out some. Deer are still around the mid levels of elevation 4000 feet or so til the end of October then they down to 3000 and so, now it depends on weather like snow storms and huge dumps of snow, but if it's not much snow then they are spread out a little more but still under 3900 feet and down to the valley bottom.
Jel .. From October 9th onward they start moving down step by step until they reach the breeding grounds. November is the muley hunting month.

[rides bike to work]

where can I find maps of wintering grounds for 5-01 like was discussed earlier and what role do wintering grounds play for moose

[Jelvis]

Moose come down too but can yard up and flatten an area higher up then deer can for protection from wind chill.
Wind chill is a deers worst night mare in winter, they hate wind chill and therefor look for deer out of the cold snappy winds in winter weather conditions. They lay beside big rocks and upturned tree trunks out of the wind and on the lee side of a ridge, that cuts the wind down to bearable living.
For moose go 4000 feet and up in early season on plateaus with water ponds and aquatic plants then as the cold of winter comes they turn to browsing willow and other shrubs and move a bit lower out of the wind and into a safe spot.
Ask at local hunting stores and gas stations a few short questions like, hey I came up from so and so, going after some deer and moose. Give it a moment for response and then ask what you will.
Jel .. Ask co's ask bio's ask gun shops and residence of the area, they love to chat.

[Ltbullken]

As the snow gets deeper higher up, they begin to move to lower elevations. At about 12 - 18 inches (if I recall correctly), they begin to struggle in the snow and over 18 inches they definitely begin to move lower or where the snow is not as deep. If there is food, cover and snow depth is tolerable, they'll stay put.

[Westslope]

The entertainment level is high on this on, after working in the bush for a number of years I have determined that moose are where you find them during hunting season and I see them all over up high for most of the winter. The only time I see moose down low is late in the winter after their horns fall off. I would think that you could better spend your time using google earth than pouring over moose winter range maps. But if you really want to find them check the MOF FTP server site for the caribou/chilcotin then go to the publish link it used to be there not sure anymore.

[mark]

How bout region 5-01 I got a moose draw late oct and everyone said tells me there wont be any deer around that time why is that.



where can I find maps of wintering grounds for 5-01 like was discussed earlier and what role do wintering grounds play for moose

Not entirely true, there will still be lots of deer in 5-01! The moose hunting tends to be better on the south end of 5-01 (at that time) and the deer to tend to vacate those moosey areas??? Snow or no snow???
The mule deer winter range is on the northern edge of 5-01 and theres lots of deer in that area all winter! While this may seem to read a bit strange to anyone not familiar with the area, I can tell ya from many years of experience, that that's pretty much the picture!

[shed-hunter1]

so what about the 12 sheds ive found at 6000 feet and they werent big ones a lot of small 2 points

[Jelvis]

Those sheds fell off in March up high, why not Spring starts in March. They went up early Spring with their last falls rack and bam, dropped them off in higher elevation in a year of low snow depth.
Jelly Woggz

[Buckluck]

I've hunted mulies around Princeton for 20+ years. With the season closing Nov. 10 you can find big bucks from the valley bottoms to the tops of the mountains (if you can get there). In the rut the bucks are after does, not wintering areas. You will find the big bucks that have come down low after the the does in the winter ranges and you will find bucks with the does that are staying up high and slowly being pushed down by the snow. Regardless of elevation, if you find lots of does, the bucks won't be far away.

[mark]

I've hunted mulies around Princeton for 20+ years. With the season closing Nov. 10 you can find big bucks from the valley bottoms to the tops of the mountains (if you can get there). In the rut the bucks are after does, not wintering areas. You will find the big bucks that have come down low after the the does in the winter ranges and you will find bucks with the does that are staying up high and slowly being pushed down by the snow. Regardless of elevation, if you find lots of does, the bucks won't be far away.

Good post! Exactly true in the okanagan and most areas actually!

[dana]

I've hunted in snowshoes just below treeline during the last week of the season (Dec 1-10) Have dogged many a big buck track in those ESSF rhodo jungles that last week of the season. It sometimes has nothing to do with snowloads, and everything to do with ease of moving around. I've been above treeline Christmas week with snowshoes and ran into big buck tracks. Was over 7 feet of snow, but he was managing just fine walking on the hard pack and eating the tops off the sub-alpine fir.

[Jelvis]

You can drive up to Allen Lake for instance by the Bonaparte right now, July and see bucks and does by the dozens until the shooting begins in September and then their gone by the next week. Where? In the bush. Hiding from all the shots.
Then they realize the season is on and start the hint of heading towards the breeding grounds, the meeting place, the time to group up.
On Mt Savano you got to have big snow early to get into big herds of deer lower down. Otherwise hunt just above snow level at the elevation the snow starts to stay.
Winter conditions come early in the western mountains at higher levels in B.C.
Just the hint of winter gets the doe worried for her twin fawns, she smells the cold wind chill at night and thinks, holy crap winters coming. Then she panicks and thinks I gotta get down, and then she boogies.
Jel .. Winter Range is breeding range .. breeding range is a battle field .. Buck fights
.. In the mud, the blood and the buck deer .. Pushing, grinding til exhausted ..
It's all about winning the loser get's nothing .. nuttin honey

[Ltbullken]

The entertainment level is high on this on, after working in the bush for a number of years I have determined that moose are where you find them during hunting season....

Does this mean you really don't know where to find them? lol! :-P

[houndsman]

Winter range hase nothing to do with where the deer are during the rut .big bucks are where you find them .I have some privit property that I hunt in squwam bay adams LK there is a pile of deer there thay are all resident deer .if your there every day you mite see one of those big ole mossy horn bucks standing back in the timber & then he is back up the mountain & gone

[recoil]

How bout region 5-01 I got a moose draw late oct and everyone said tells me there wont be any deer around that time why is that.


The mulies in 5-01 do seem to migrate early, they are still around though but i seem to find them in lower areas after mid September. That is not to say some big bucks aren't still hanging up high but you just dont see the same numbers of deer up there as you do in summer and early fall.

It is possible that due to the instense hunting pressure that only increases during "any buck" season that they are there but hanging up in the deep timber instead of open alpine areas and cuts, the road hunters probably just assume they have left the area. Be warned though the brush around the windy mountain area is so thick in some places that i have literally been stopped in my tracks while "pushing bush", you can't see more than 10 feet in front of you. Can be a frustrating but also rewarding area.

[6616]

Making a general statement about mule deer winter range and elevation is very difficult in BC. There's too many variables from region to region. In the Kootenay's for example due to weather and snow pack the upper limits of winter range will probably be lower that in the Okanagan or South Thompson. Also snow pack, snow conditions, food availability, etc, vary from year to year and even depend on how dry or wet the previous summer was. Where you see mule deer wintering one year doesn't necessarily mean they will be in the exact same place every year. Common attributes of high quality winter range are usually south or west facing slopes, the existence of lots of browse species, usually with stands of big timber for thermal cover, wind protection, and snow interception close by, and in most cases snow pack of 18" or less.