How to Find Mule Deer - Help!

[shannerdrake]

Hey All,
I am reaching out for a little help on understanding where and how to find mule deer. I’m hunting south WY this fall (draw willing) and the unit has a lot of and very diverse public land. It ranges from 6500-10000ft. Dry saltbush desert flats, to cottonwood bottoms, classic sage prairie, riparian meadows, all the way up to heavy timbered mountains. It’s almost too much of a good thing.
While e-scouting, I realized I don’t really know what I’m looking for when I’m looking for mule deer. I’ve been amazed several times at where I’ve seen MD. Three of the largest bucks I’ve seen walked across the highway in front of me in a sea of grass in east Colorado. There wasn’t a creek, pond, or tree in sight. I remember thinking that a whitetails wouldn’t be caught dead where they were.
I realize they like all animals need food, water, and cover. However, I feel pretty much all of the places in this area have that, so what would make one area better than the other? Anytime I’ve bumped into MD it was while hunting elk.
I imagine I’m overthinking this, but wanted to ask the community.

 

[NV_ARCH3R]

Mule deer can be found in any and all of those habitats. Pick the kind of hunt experience you think you want. then look into harvest data, etc. in those areas that match whether its sage flats or High mountain timber,

 

[silasd]

Hey All,
I am reaching out for a little help on understanding where and how to find mule deer. I’m hunting south WY this fall (draw willing) and the unit has a lot of and very diverse public land. It ranges from 6500-10000ft. Dry saltbush desert flats, to cottonwood bottoms, classic sage prairie, riparian meadows, all the way up to heavy timbered mountains. It’s almost too much of a good thing.
While e-scouting, I realized I don’t really know what I’m looking for when I’m looking for mule deer. I’ve been amazed several times at where I’ve seen MD. Three of the largest bucks I’ve seen walked across the highway in front of me in a sea of grass in east Colorado. There wasn’t a creek, pond, or tree in sight. I remember thinking that a whitetails wouldn’t be caught dead where they were.
I realize they like all animals need food, water, and cover. However, I feel pretty much all of the places in this area have that, so what would make one area better than the other? Anytime I’ve bumped into MD it was while hunting elk.
I imagine I’m overthinking this, but wanted to ask the community.

I'm in the same boat. I know my hunt will be dry so I've located streams I know will be flowing in areas away from the roads that think I can hike in to.

 

[jeff_gibbons]

Watch Randy's videos on mule deer hunting and e-scouting. he has loads of tips that are great. for us, we replicated his approach and burned boot leather scouting. I try to find the elevation that has the most sign first and stick in that plane as possible looking into North Facing slopes. Spotting deer with optics is definitely a learned skill. Took me a while before my brain started identifying the shapes of deer in shadows etc. A trick my buddy shared with me when glassing is to look for small movements like birds moving. That has helped me find bedded mule deer when their ears twitched. sounds nuts but worked for me. good luck.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I fear your question is far too broad to give a useful answer. As mentioned, mule deer use and thrive in all of the habitats you mentioned, so I really wouldn’t look at it as one habitat being better than the others in general. I have a feeling you would be better off choosing where to focus based on unit-specific criteria…pressure, hunter distribution, access, etc. That will probably somewhat dictate what type of habitat you’ll be hunting. Then you can worry about figuring out what security cover, bedding areas, etc look like in whatever habitat you’ll be in.

Maybe that isn’t helpful, or maybe it helps reframe the strategy. Good luck!

 

[shannerdrake]

Thanks everyone. All of these responses are very helpful.
Personally, I prefer glassing rolling prairies over timber-pounding. Therefore, I’m going to focus on the lower and transitional country. I mostly was looking for confidence that the deer will be there!

 

[rtraverdavis]

I’d be sure to call the biologist for your unit and ask about the type of habitat/general elevation band that the majority of the mule deer like to use in that area during that time of year.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Don’t forget some herd units are migratory.

 

[HalfAce]

Cover country and hunt them where they are. Hunting where you want them to be is usually tough hunting.

 

[beagle001]

Cover country and hunt them where they are. Hunting where you want them to be is usually tough hunting.

Bingo. Use your vehicle to rule areas out, use your gut when things get “deer-y” which, from my limited experience in Wyoming, is between what looks like pronghorn terrain and what looks like elk country (dark timber)

 

[2ski]

I always chuckle when I see these questions about where to find mule deer. The answer is everywhere. I wouldn't look in river bottoms but everywhere else....

Personally I like brushy cuts in open hills. Walk through and you'll kick out something.

 

[nrpate05]

Just be sure not to rule places out based on elevation. Pick a few places you can get to efficiently at various elevations and see where you find the most sign. I was pronghorn hunting in southern WY a few years ago and when I shot my pronghorn a nice 4x4 busted out of the sage. I basically shot right over him and never saw him. Last thing I expected was to see a mature buck at essentially the lowest elevation in the unit in the middle of September.

 

[shannerdrake]

Great responses everyone. You have really helped me confirm some suspicions and create some new ones.
I guess I should have said I’m looking at the Platte Valley. I am always hesitant to lead with specific areas at the risk of overstepping.
I am working to have some specific spots in mind to help with the conversation when I connect with the biologist.

 

[Werty]

It sounds like you are doing this. First figure out what type of hunter you are and what your good at. Then find the country that suits your style and start there. Generally speaking you can find mule deer everywhere in Wyoming. Good luck

 

[Muley_Stalker]

Just be sure not to rule places out based on elevation. Pick a few places you can get to efficiently at various elevations and see where you find the most sign. I was pronghorn hunting in southern WY a few years ago and when I shot my pronghorn a nice 4x4 busted out of the sage. I basically shot right over him and never saw him. Last thing I expected was to see a mature buck at essentially the lowest elevation in the unit in the middle of September.

For muzzy season (Sept) I can hunt muley from 8000ft to 12,000ft.

 

[ntodwild]

Thanks everyone. All of these responses are very helpful.
Personally, I prefer glassing rolling prairies over timber-pounding. Therefore, I’m going to focus on the lower and transitional country. I mostly was looking for confidence that the deer will be there!

You didn't really say what unit but that's understandable.

Southwest Wyoming for the most part will find you in Mule deer daily. I wouldn't worry much about IF you will find deer on your hunt. Bring a spotting scope on this one. WY game and fish did pull a large amount of tags (both deer and antelope) because of the storms that hit northern Colorado and Southern Wy this year so I'm not confident any of my group will get drawn for out of state tags? I typically apply in SW Wy myself (Oct Deer and Antelope). As a lifelong Northwest hunter (WA timber country) I consider it pretty easy (physically) hunting. It's a great Oct. wind down after a month of being in timber country chasing mule deer & elk during archery season.

 

[Jason73]

I like to hunt them in canyon type areas. Places where they are forced to travel routes.

 

[hodgej12]

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