"Successful Hunters " MULE DEER Style

[Over&Under]

How do you guys (if any) take mule deer on a regular basis?

They are tough to pattern sometimes and I have seem to eat tag soup often when chasing these critters.

(sorry not trying to steel Scott E's thunder)

Thanks
Jake

[JBiorn]

Just remember that mule deer don't "pattern" very well. When compared to the whitetails' habits, the muleys' habits could be considered nomadic. They don't always follow a trail, they don't stay in a relatively small area their whole lives---a muley bucks' range can encompass literally hundreds of square miles. I'm certainly not trying to take away from the wiley ol' whitetails here, but the mule deer justy think differently. I wonder if that has anything to do with their environment? It could be the difference in predation, too.

 I always have the best luck hunting muleys if I can find a good bed-down area. They are liable to use the area for a few days anyway---depending on the availability of feed and water. I generally hunt near a watering hole, too. Of course I am in the high desert---so water was just a logical choice for me. That doesn't mean I get a deer every year, doesn't even mean I will even see a deer, it's just the place I have found the most success.

[Over&Under]

Good ideas Jbiorn, the problem around here is all the deer is draw only, so you never know where you will be hunting if at all, but we are kindof a high desert to, with higher elevations close by, so near water is usually a good bet as well.  I have noticed they don't "pattern" as you said, or only for a couple of days.

I should say that I usually don't have a problem finding the deer, I am not always the most patient person.    

Perhaps I just answered my own question.  Being more patient could be my best bet.

Although I could always use more pointers and secrets.

Thanks
Jake

[elk ninja]

Jake,
mulies=maddness!  So frusterating to hunt.  The only answer I know of is time.  Loads of time spent in the field or loads of years in the same place, year after year.  
Mike

[elk ninja]

And mulies DO pattern, its just WAY harder to pick up on.  Much like elk have a "rotation" of areas, mule deer do too, but again, it comes down to time spent in the field, a very hard commodity for most of us to come by!  If you talk to the areas biologists they will tell you the cagy old bucks are usually WAY high up, very nocturnal and a 50/50 bet they might not be in the best looking area.  The "good" bucks are though, and does aren't too hard to find around here....  As hard as it is to sit, besides time in the field, my only recomendation would be to get some really good glass and play cat and mouse from a long way off.
Mike

[Over&Under]

Mike - How did I know someone was going to say that??

Madness is right, they frustrate me so bad sometimes!!!!!!

Thanks for your thoughts

Jake

[JBiorn]

Mike---your right, they do pattern. Its just that they pattern in a HUGE range. Makes it very hard to guess them unless your familiar with the whole range of the herd.

 Good post.

[Over&Under]

Mike

I do like the idea of glassing from far off, but there are not alot of good places to do that where I hunt, lots of quakies.  Always a good thing to keep in mind though.

You are right though, lots of GOOD bucks can be seen not far from roads, and pretty low in elevation and in easy accessable areas.

The last few really big bucks I have seen, have been less than 200 yards from a major road.  You begin to see how smart these buck are when you try and hunt them thinking that it will be easy that close to the road.  They have it figured out.

I have noticed that times when I have spooked deer they seem to circle back to reletivly the same spot you spooked them from, but I just can't seem to set my but down for that long...

Lots to learn

jake

[Brian Krebs]

I love hunting muledeer because it involves sneaking all over; glassing; and then figuring out stalks. I absolutely love stalking on muledeer! Big bucks in September are quite OK with you walking very close as long as you don't look right at them. Your eyes lock and they are out of there!

 Muledeer where I hunt them do pattern; the does anyway; and that is on river Islands and river bottoms. The bigger bucks tend to stay up high until the rut kicks in.

 One of my greatest moments this year was stalking on the river and having a group of does and fawns walk towards me; wind at their backs; on the same trail I was on.
 I just knelt down and waited; and the lead deer; a young buck from the actions of him; walked right up to me. I had to move my arrow so he wouldn't hit it; and he didn't stop until he reached my bow.
  Then he realized I was there - and at that moment his doe bumped him on the butt to keep moving. He kind of crumpled up; and then the doe looked at him and then me; and man did her eyes get big !!
  They ran off; but one doe stopped right next to me oblivious to what had caused the panic.
  Any time I am hunting and fall over laughing; it is time well spent !!
 
Pulling off a spot and stalk I think is the most rewarding and fun kind of deer hunting; and the muledeer was made for that. I use 10x50 binoculars and look for antler tips; or ears.

 I may take 3 or 4 hours to cover a mile or even longer. I learned long ago that with every step you take opens up a new world. You can see something new with each step; and if you take only one step at a time; and then look intently around you - your chances of a close encounter sky rocket.

 I figure I take a shot at about one percent of what I get shots at while muledeer hunting.

 But hey- I am trying to think bears right now  

[JBiorn]

I hafta agree----muleys are Gods way of making a spot-and-stalk hunt. We don't get to blind hunt them----very often. Damn I love December.

[Roadkill]

a pleasant sort of misery!  100 degree temps+corn flake stalking medium+ spotting them over a mile away, sweaty, lungs starved for air-no matter how slow you go. Bolt 4 yards from where you have the shot you've worked for all morning to get,  ahhh mulies-yep been there and will be there again this Aug if i get drawn

[Over&Under]

The common thread here seems to be time and more time, with a little patience thrown in...

Great!!  the two things I have the least of...

Still it is so darn much fun, I will torture myself agian this year if I draw...

Jake

[wapiti792]

After last years hunt in the high country for elk, I'm sold on MULE DEER! I had a 25 incher walk right past me at 10 yards. An old canyon buck for sure that was bedding above the tree line. Biggest mulie I've ever seen in 7 years of hunting Colorado. No tag in my pocket and he never knew I was there. What a sight!!! I took that memory home with me, and the mule deer target I have in my backyard has been stalked and shot so much it needed duck tape and caulk!

[Over&Under]

I hear ya Wapiti!!!

They are addicting to say the least!!!!

Something about velvet shining in the sun gets me evertime!!!!

I absolutly love velvet antlered muley bucks!!!!

Sometimes more fun than elk, but they run a tight race!!

[snag]

Spot and stalk is it! Sometimes if you can a buddy giving you signals from a distance this can help. A friend of mine watched his son put a 5hr. stalk on a big boy in a sage flat. The buck would meandor feeding and he would follow. Then the buck would veer off and bed. Just when his son would get almost close enough the buck would get up and wonder on. This went on for a long time. Finally he got close enough that when he got up he was able to make the shot. What a show that would have been to witness!

[dan ferguson]

Them Mulies is about all I mess with as far as deer go. I live on the high plains with rough canyon country. I use the wind every day to eliminate as much ground as possible. The bigger ones will move early and late and sometimes get up to browse alittle during the day. Usually will bed out of the wind, wind to there back and watching down wind. when ever I go to the next ridge I always go over very slow or flat, always looking first in the shaded areas, then always try to imagine where I,d like to be bedded if someone was trying to tack my hide to the wall. I don,t know how many times I,ve came over a ridge to fast and there he is staring me down. There a blast to hunt and I like to move around alot

[KSdan]

Okay- I am listeing here to dan f and others. . .I have friends who hunt them spot and stalk and they swear mule deer like to bed high looking down as the thermals come "up" into their nose.  They hunt them by coming over the top from behind which puts the thermal in the hunter's favor as the deer is looking down.  Just curious and learning here. . .any thoughts??

[dan ferguson]

Almost all of the big mulies in my area use ALL there senses well there nose is detecting the wind blowing to them but almost 100% of the time looking downwind where there nose don,t work so well, The higher the wind the lower into the canyons they go, rember I,m talking high plains canyon country, the vast sandhills of Nebraska or the Mountains are a different ball game.

[Ray Hammond]

there are less mule deer across the entire country than there are whitetails in just the state of TX....its tougher to get one just for that reason alone.

[KSdan]

Okay Dan- I was presuming maybe there are local differences like that (as in most game).  Though I still find it hard to believe that a big buck would leave his backside unprotected. . .??  But the one guy I am particularly talking about is quite the hunter, so. . .

Other thoughts are welcome

Dan