deer elevation

[iwing]

With the Snow in the North okanagan at high elevations do you think the deer will still be in the alpine or will they start to move down. wondering if its camping up high tomorrow or if its just day hike time. On a side note saw a wolf up Harris creek yesterday evening. Seems like they move in there every year as soon as it snows. Saw one doe. I think once the wolfs move in the deer move out?

[Sofa King]

deer will still be everywhere.
a little snow isn't forcing them down yet.
i'm sure some are moving, but you'd still have a great chance at a cranker up high.

[Chopper]

The deer will be exactly where they are ... funny where they hold up sometimes. One thing I like about snow is it will tell you if they are there or not. If there are no tracks they are likely not there

Srry my answer is so vague ... its just how deer hunting is

[r106]

I have always been told the big boy's will stay up high. Even when the rut is on they will come to where ever the doe's are then go back up high until the snow is balls deep

[brian]

I'd head up to the snow line just cause its fun to hunt in the snow. But just a little snow alone won't force any migrations.

[horshur]

deer will still be everywhere.
a little snow isn't forcing them down yet.
i'm sure some are moving, but you'd still have a great chance at a cranker up high.

that is not true..often it only takes a little bit of snow to start the move.primarily IMO because the frost kills some feed and makes other available....in the s chilcotins it takes very little to start the migrations why maybe is a bit of a mystery but it is what it is....the deer are definetly moving right now.

[Jelvis]

horshur knows Bo. I like it, October 9th til the 22nd is prerut for mules.
Winter comes early in the western mountains
sometimes a hint of winter in the mule deer doe's nostrils will get her moving the twin fawns out across and down towards winter range.
I think the deer are at 4500 feet right now came down from 6000 feet in Kammy.
Once the snow starts going good up 5000 feet the deer will drop about October 9
to 4000 then by Oct 23rd under 3900 feet and down towards the river.
Tunkwa's the same in general. If the snow comes deep then the deer come down to 2500 feet. If hardly any snow could be 3900 feet and down after late October.

[Big Lew]

I tend to agree with both "hoshur' and "Jelvis". I just returned from the central Interior. I hunted up at, or near the height of land with disappointing results. There had been some snow and frost for awhile, and although in years past I've found bucks in similar situations, this year most of the decent vegetation seemed dead. I saw most of the deer at about 3500-4500 ft. There were very few reasonably fresh large tracks up high. The only buck I saw (and shot) during shooting hours was at about 4000-4500 ft.

[iwing]

Good on ya for getting one, I havent seen much lately but im going to go for an explore up high in the snow.

[dana]

The time that the deer that summer high leave that high country hinge greatly on how far they need to migrate to their winter range. Yes, some deer push out at the sight of the first skiff, others stay high well into December. Knowing where their winter range is in a given population will help answer you question. Another note to consider is many deer don't go up. Given how lush the last few summers have been in some areas of the province, many deer have had no need to go above treeline to chase lush veg. Another reason why some don't go above treeline is for safety. Open country puts them at risk when there is heavy wolf pressure.

[Big Lew]

" Open country puts them at risk when there is heavy wolf pressure."

This could explain why I didn't see the normal number of deer, or their fresh tracks, in the relatively new logging slashes as I've seen in the past. Most of the deer I saw this week were in 4-6 year old slashes.

[Sofa King]

that is not true..often it only takes a little bit of snow to start the move.primarily IMO because the frost kills some feed and makes other available....in the s chilcotins it takes very little to start the migrations why maybe is a bit of a mystery but it is what it is....the deer are definetly moving right now.

well I did say that some are probably moving already.
but I've found the same as r106, i'm usually trudging thru snow to my crotch and there's still deer everywhere.
they aren't afraid of a little snow.
they can move through it a lot easier than them pesky coyotes can.
late, late last season I was in snow that was easily crotch deep and deeper and I was seeing 2-pointers everywhere.

[Jelvis]

Last week in October the breeding grounds are established solid.
Breeding grounds are generally winter range in 3.
Mule deer migrate across and down to breeding grounds.
The reason the bucks cross over other herds of deer is so the bucks breed other does of other herds. The does have traditional migration trails they learned from their moms.
The bucks wonder across into other herds and as they sniff and sniff for a friendly doe they get worked up real good for a fight or something.
A week b4 Halloween night will find a significant number of migrated deer moving at under 3300 feet along the slopes. Hunt on north slopes til deep snow.

[iwing]

I went up high today but only saw a couple deer tracks at 1900 meters. Saw some wolf and bear tracks too, wolf tracks going through multiple basins. there was about 15 inches of snow. It was a nice day but disappointed with the lack of sign I've been seeing lately.

[BuckNaked]

Was at 4500 today and didnt see squat, a touch of snow still on the ground.

[Jelvis]

Blacktails migrate vertical up and down
mules migrate across country and up and down on ridges and water drainages.
Mules over miles and the blacktail up and down in elevation almost vertical.
Blacktail hang in goat country in summer and drop as the snow pushes them down
mule deer migrate over hundreds of kilometres from Bonaparte to Kamloops Lake.
Jel ..

[iwing]

Jelvis do know about where the deer around sugar lake and Mabel lake migrate too. ? Thanks for all the info so far. I have spent a couple years working on where they go in the summer and winter and I don't know to much yet .

[BRrooster]

I heard of a Mulie buck that was "ear tagged" near Revelstoke and ended up shot in Washington State several years ago. I would think that a buck might travel a long ways in search of willing does, but a lot of deer would be prone to go where Mom took them to for thier first couple of winters. Some small herds that I have seen while out hunting are always following and old grey Doe.
The deer from around Sugar lake area might end up in the fields around Cherryville or go south over the Monashee pass and head all the way down to the south slopes around Rock Creek.
just my guess.

[Jelvis]

Stud bucks don't follow their mommy around or their sisters and brothers during the breeding season.
The fawn bucks were led up by mom the first summer after they saw daylight for the first time. Back to summer range with mom after being born in May.
Bucks don't stay with family when they go to breed does, they go into another bucks area and that buck goes to another herd not his own.
Does and yearlings will hang together in fall in groups on winter range and get bred.
The bucks come in from different dna and blood lines from nay boring herds.
Natures way of strengthening the mule deer herds.
Bucks fight over taking area and does coming into heat.
October 9 th this Wednesday coming
is when the (pre-rut) for muley starts around Kamloops.

[RBooth]

What happens on Oct. 8th? That's coming up so I am curious!


horshur knows Bo. I like it, October 9th til the 22nd is prerut for mules.
Winter comes early in the western mountains
sometimes a hint of winter in the mule deer doe's nostrils will get her moving the twin fawns out across and down towards winter range.
I think the deer are at 4500 feet right now came down from 6000 feet in Kammy.
Once the snow starts going good up 5000 feet the deer will drop about October 9
to 4000 then by Oct 23rd under 3900 feet and down towards the river.
Tunkwa's the same in general. If the snow comes deep then the deer come down to 2500 feet. If hardly any snow could be 3900 feet and down after late October.

[Savage7mm]

The deer around sugar lake area migrate south down the christian valley towards rock creek but this takes several weeks.

[iwing]

i thought that seemed far but its the best area around i guess

[Jelvis]

Even the biggest bucks who come down last will come down for nookie after October 20.
The (odd one) will stay up higher than the other deer but will come down in the dark of night and get some hugginz.
You have from first light til about 30 minutes after 1st light to see bigger bucks heading back to the daytime hiding spots, younger bucks will stay out a lil longer with the ladies and maybe pay for it.
Know your area, learn it good, know your deer movements, get in place for the crack of dawn.

[iwing]

gotta love getting up at 4 am

[Jelvis]

It's getting dark at 6-30 pm and light out about what ah 6-20 am.
One hour drive out then a hour hike in the dark to get to lookout
3-30 am wood be better for now. Getting out of the fart sack at 3-30 a.m.

[johnrousseau]

i spent the day yesterday in the alpine and deer all over the place. No big bucks to speak of but deer everywhere and will be for the next 2 weeks

[Jelvis]

johnny you said Alpine, how high big hunter?

[iwing]

I saw deer last weekend at about 1600-1700m. Seems like they were a little bit higher than the weekend before. Was wondering if this sunny weather would have sent them up even higher. I would like to hunt the alpine but not too sure if there would be any bucks still hanging out that high ? What do you guys think. I have a suspicion that due to wolfs the bucks are hiding in the trees between 1700-1900 meters and not going up into the open areas.

thanks

[Dannybuoy]

Jelvis do know about where the deer around sugar lake and Mabel lake migrate too. ? Thanks for all the info so far. I have spent a couple years working on where they go in the summer and winter and I don't know to much yet .
depends on whether you are talking about mulies or wt ? the Wt just stay where they are all year .... they don't migrate .... might move a mile or so in any one direction for food , water or hunting pressure but they have no need to move as they tend to stay in the valley bottoms anyway
The mulies come down off the top of park mt and other ridges in that area when the snow drives them , the bucks follow the does like love sick puppies when the rut is on . they go to their wintering grounds sometimes it isn't until dec .

[iwing]

I'm looking for a decent muley, I got a couple of places for white tails once the rut is on. I saw some big tracks with doe tracks on a road. The tracks looked to have been made at the same time but do they start to check the does around now or is that not going to happen until the end of Okanagan season. Any local knowledge is good knowledge. Thanks

[Jelvis]

I wood make a guess from past experience over the years of hunting mule deer in the Thompson Region.
The most mules are at 4700 feet, and with some a lil higher and some a lil lower.
Jelly Guesstimator Prognosticator --- average 4700 feet and thinkin of coming down in a week. No snow at 6000 feet yet.

[Looking_4_Jerky]

The deer around sugar lake area migrate south down the christian valley towards rock creek but this takes several weeks.

Migrating areas around Sugar Lk are a bit more complex. Depending on their home summer ranges, they may winter around Lumby, Shuswap Falls, Cheryville, Whatshan, Edgewood, or Rock Cr. Animals of the upper Kettle definitely tend to head south toward Rock Cr.

[Muliechaser]

The deer in my area have dropped down low two weeks early this year. They expecting somthing. Late season madness oh ya.

[iwing]

Is it just does that have moved down or do the bucks move down at the same time. I found some heavily used trails around 1400 m and was thinking it would be just does using these trails. I was thinking or going up the mountain above the heavily used area to look for bucks. Will bucks be hanging solo this time of year or starting to meet up with the does?

thanks

[Ferenc]

Keep in mind snow doesnt always move muleys...at least not as far as you would think....before you rush into what you want to do visit the areas just below where they like to hang out in the summer...right now the weather ...cool nights warm days...you may still find them bedding out in the open

[Jelvis]

By Halloween endo of Ootober you'll notice way more mule deer at 3900 feet and even lower up the Nor Thompson. Traditional migration snow or no snow most come down by then. Under 4000 feet.
Dah rut iz on hunters, start those engines.
Jello Hello

[iwing]

Good to know that they migrate regardless of snow. So should a guy concentrate on south and east facing slopes this time of year?

[dana]

One thing you should always keep in mind is deer are where you find them. Not every population of deer moves at the same time. Heck, even within a given population some move early and some don't come down until after Christmas. Some years are different than other years. the most predictable thing about mule deer is their unpredictability.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

One thing you should always keep in mind is deer are where you find them. Not every population of deer moves at the same time. Heck, even within a given population some move early and some don't come down until after Christmas. Some years are different than other years. the most predictable thing about mule deer is their unpredictability.

When they did their deer counts last in year in the Princeton area, the deer were still scattered from the valley bottoms to 6000' and this was the first week of December IIRC....8th ish???

[Jelvis]

Lots of hunters mix up winter range and winter. Hunting is done in the fall not winter.
Winter starts in late December not in November.
So the deer move to south slopes in (Real) Winter on the calender.
B4 the winter sets in for real, it's fall time when we hunt.
Therefore hunt the north sides of a hill, in the fall.
This is where they live in fall on the lower part and mid to three quarters up the north slopes of a natural bowl shaped valley up about 2400 feet and up.
Deer get too warm when it gets over 5 degrees Celcius, their hair has perfect protection from snow, a deer can lay down when it starts snowing, and after eight hours of a foot of snow falling, there's a foot on the deer too, remarkable insulation.
After the snow stops and it clears a bit, the animals will get up shake off and look for the nearest smorgasborg, deer eat all the time in fall, to gain weight for the long cold, scarey hungry lean winter ahead.
You can believe this stuff or spit it out.
.. Mule deer breed mostly in the dark, and migrate in the dark mostly.
Mule deer arrive on the breeding range from all around the range above it, from their summer range spread out over the forests higher up.
Now in fall they come down and they migrate down B4 they breed.
Believe it, Or not?
Jelly Welly .. follow the leader, leed or git the junk out of the way ..