newb mule hunter strategies

[VAspeedgoat]

As I have stated in other threads I am planning my first mule deer hunt this fall. I have grown up around whitetails and feel familiar with the rut and how it relates to buck activity. I don't have any clue how mule deer work. I will be hunting either the third or fourth week of October. What I don't know is how are the bucks interacting with does at this time. Are they still in bachelor groups or are they starting to chase? I am not sure how to treat does, are they buck magnets at this time or are they pretty much doing their own thing.

On a related note, elk and mule der open the same day, should I consider going the second week of season to miss the crowds?

Lastly, with mule deer, if there is a sudden increase in hunting pressure should I concentrate on escape routes like I would whitetail?

Sorry if this is elementary but I have virtually no experience to draw from.

 

[Trigger50]

From your description...u are hunting Montana ? The rut really wont be a factor in late Oct. Alot of times you'll see small bucks w the does yr round, but this doesnt mean the rut is on. They just havent been kicked out of the herd yet. Elk are grazers like cows & eat mainly grass. Deer w graze too, but they are more of browsers like whitetails. Typically elk & mule deer dont intermingle that much. But sometimes hunting pressure w put them in the same areas. Look for brushy areas w good browse for deer. If your hunting strictly for mule deer, look for areas w few or no elk. Mainly because most elk hunters also have a deer tag in their pocket. Dont think that u have to hunt timber either, mule deer love canyons, breaks etc. This is just the start, have fun !

 

[.280 Remington]

Bucks won't be chasing does the third week in October.

I'd push the hunt back a week or (better) two if you can. First week of November can be really good.

 

[MKotur325]

The biggest suggestion I can give, Hunt mule deer with your eyes first. If you are hunting any sort of territory that can be glassed, pick it apart with your optics before you go walking through it. Late October, most of the bucks will be bedded EARLY, within an hour or 90 minutes of daylight. If you can watch a buck bed, or spot them bedded that will give you the best opportunity for a stock.

Late in October, some mule deer will still be in the high country. I wouldn't plan on bucks chasing does until probably 11/5-10. In my experience peak rut tends to be between the 15-20th of November in MT.

I wouldn't concentrate on trying to sit on escape routes. In my experience after a mule deer buck is spooked, they can be incredibly unpredictable. Some times they may go 50-100yds sometimes they may go 2-3miles.

If it were me, and the area was even a little bit open, I'd get to a high point early in the morning, and pick it apart with good optics to try and find moving or bedded deer. If I don't find anything, go to the next high point and do it again. Looking back over the past 10 or so hunting seasons, there's been only 2 mule deer I can remember that were spotted from less than 500yds before stalking in on them. This can be a very effective way to hunt mule deer.

 

[sagebrush]

Buy this book. You can find used for much less. It will turn you into a mule deer hunter very quickly, which is very different than an Eastern whitetail hunter. I'm sure it will vastly improve your first western experience. I know it helped me a ton when I first read it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0873415639/ref=olp_tab_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

 

[.280 Remington]

Buy this book. You can find used for much less. It will turn you into a mule deer hunter very quickly, which is very different than an Eastern whitetail hunter. I'm sure it will vastly improve your first western experience. I know it helped me a ton when I first read it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0873415639/ref=olp_tab_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

That book is pretty basic. David Long's book is much better if you really want to learn how to hunt mule deer.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Is that public land mulies, or another book of Davids?

So do you guys see any real problems with elk and mule deer opening the same time?

Should a beginner go first or second week? Or does it matter?

 

[MKotur325]

I think it's nice that they open at the same time. You won't always find both together, but if you do; you don't have to worry about what's in season. If you want to focus on Mule Deer, I'd say that later is generally better, possibly the first or second week of November. Weather should still be OK, and the bucks should be starting to think about the ladies. As far as Elk go, I've shot about as many early in the season as late in the season. If I was to take a week off to hunt in Montana this year, I would probably take off the week of 11/9-13. I shot my buck this past year the first week of November. The bucks had broken out of their bachelor groups at that point and were starting to think about the rut, but the bucks were still alone. The buck I shot was completely alone, but his neck was pretty swollen and his tarsal glands were disgusting. He was gearing up for the rut, but hadn't really started chasing yet. one HUGE tip with mule deer, when you field dress the deer, remove the tarsal glands, and skin the hocks out in the field. Keep that stink away from your meat, and it will help the flavor long term.

 

[huntlife]

Im likeing this info. Im moving to Helena in March. Ill need all this info!

 

[MKotur325]

Im likeing this info. Im moving to Helena in March. Ill need all this info!

From One Montanian to another, Welcome!

 

[.280 Remington]

Is that public land mulies, or another book of Davids?

So do you guys see any real problems with elk and mule deer opening the same time?

Should a beginner go first or second week? Or does it matter?

Public land mulies.

I would only avoid the elk opener if I was in an area where there are a lot of elk hunters.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

So do you guys see any real problems with elk and mule deer opening the same time?

I would think hard about whether or not you try for both. I think the issue might find yourself having is dedicating yourself to killing one or the other.

As was mentioned, they often aren't in the same areas, and 7-10 days is not alot of time to kill a good one of either. I know I have personally struggled trying to figure out what I wanted to do. This last year was a great example, the first night we were up in a spot where we had seen good elk and deer during bow season, but it was clear that the elk had moved out of the area down towards the foothills. The problem was I saw a stud buck up there the first night, and now I had a dilema. I had never killed an elk, and had cow tag in my pocket. I also had a deer tag. Long story short, I screwed around for a few days trying to fill both, and then decided to commit to killing an elk. I ended up eating the deer tag, and killed my first elk.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Thanks for the info, both books already shipped. To clarify I was only doing the mulie, I just didn't know what affect the extra hunters would have on the mule deer. Frim what I can gather from you guys, alot of the hunters will have both tags therefore it wouldn't be double the number of hunters but there would be an increase. It also seems like maybe I should stay away from areas with elk and elk hunters concentrated on them. Because these will be the high pressure areas. I think if my farm schedule works out I am going to hit the second week.

The success rate for the units in my region are about 60 percent. Is this a reasonable figure fir a rookie with 6 days to hunt with very low trophy expectations? I don't want to shoot a dink but I wouldn't say I'm above it either.