What the previous post said.
That being true, mule deer are fairly predictable. It is as simple (and and difficult) as being on the TOP of the mountain (about 2 horizontal miles from the trail head) BEFORE the sun comes up; being very inconspicuous and watching/looking/glassing. I'm not being funny but there are mature mule deer (a lot more than many people realize) all over the place.
If there is good habitat and you hunt early, high and hard, you're going to find one sooner or later. If you're relatively inexperienced (with respect to mule deer hunting), disregard everything you see on the TV-expert programs. Those guys are on very limited-access properties and those deer (mostly) don't even realize they are being hunted.
Within the shadows, go quietly.
