Mule deer mistakes
- Thread starter VaSlickhead
- Start date
If you're back in camp less than 3 hours after dark you left the top of the mountain too soon.
I've found many people are very reluctant to stay way up there till dark.
Stillhunterman
Member
Some good advice posted. Can't say enough about glassing if you're in country conducive to such. Hunting bucks in the timber by way of the snail is an adrenalin rush in ultra slow motion, really difficult to pull off but one of my favorite ways to hunt 'em. As mentioned, bucks (even mature ones) back in the 50's, 60's and even into the 70's (by personal experience) had the often fatal flaw (flaw only regarding human hunters 
) of stopping to assess the situation when spooked, looking back for a few seconds to decide their next move. I noticed that seemed to stop happening as often back in the mid/late 70's. As said before, now when a mature buck is spooked, they high tail it to parts unknown without reservation:hump:
I've seen mature bucks use younger ones to make sure of any possible or perceived danger. They'll send them out ahead and watch until the coast is clear before they venture out, sly devils they are. The younger bucks will often hang out not very far from the females most of the year, while the old farts will be much higher or lower.
Hope you have a great time on your muley hunt, ain't nothin' like it...
) of stopping to assess the situation when spooked, looking back for a few seconds to decide their next move. I noticed that seemed to stop happening as often back in the mid/late 70's. As said before, now when a mature buck is spooked, they high tail it to parts unknown without reservation:hump:I've seen mature bucks use younger ones to make sure of any possible or perceived danger. They'll send them out ahead and watch until the coast is clear before they venture out, sly devils they are. The younger bucks will often hang out not very far from the females most of the year, while the old farts will be much higher or lower.
Hope you have a great time on your muley hunt, ain't nothin' like it...
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
When looking at terrain try and analyze where the other hunter are going to drift towards. I have found bucks in spots that weren't neccessarily that far out, but were in spots most people walked past for one reason or another.
VaSlickhead
New member
Thanks everyone for all the info you have shared it really has helped a lot.
glass eye
Well-known member
There are 2 mistakes that still haunt me:
1) While hunting on the Kaibab, I didn't shoot the first buck I saw.
2) While hunting a premium tag in CA (M3) I shot the first buck I saw.
1) While hunting on the Kaibab, I didn't shoot the first buck I saw.
2) While hunting a premium tag in CA (M3) I shot the first buck I saw.
Gunner46
Well-known member
Plan your deer hunt for the same month a militant Islamic leader decides to invade one of our main oil supply country's. The Marines paid for my 'hunting' trip, but it sure wasn't for a mule deer !
Big bucks will hunker down even more if they have good cover, my hunting partner shot at a 3x3 this fall 3 times.. when he went to look for blood on the edge of a aspen patch a huge buck he said a 5x5 with like 30" spread popped up 15 yards from him and hopped over the hill
antlerradar
Well-known member
Big old bucks don't make many mistakes. Hunters do
