How to hunt migrating/rutting mule deer

DonVathome · Jul 26, 2011

How to hunt migrating/rutting mule deer?

What aresome basic tips? This is in WY and I will be hunting the second week of November.

I know this will be spot and stalk with lots of glassing. I am very familiar with hunting whitetails and elk during the rut however I expect hunting migrating/rutting mule deer will be a whole different ball game from my other western hunts. I have never hunted and migrating game.

I am looking for some basic tips and answers to questions like:

- Where to look for deer (high/low/open/sage/funnels etc)
- How spooky are deer? Can I easily get to 250 yards?
- If I see a migrating buck (and cannot get him that day), the next day should I go 2 miles down the migration route and glass back?
- Higher = closer to start of migration = closer to oldest biggest bucks BUT more area to cover, lower = more concentrated? Where would you look?
- Will bucks bed in the shade and avoid sunlight?
- If you jump a buck how far will he go? Pursue him?
- where would you look for bucks? High? Low? Pines? Aspens? Cruising?
- Do you ever rattle?
- Am I correct to assume the bucks are migrating and rutting and stop when they find does?

I have read a lot, and I have a plan, but I want to get some input from experianced mule deer hunters who have hunted this late in the season.

TB23 · Jul 28, 2011

look in clearings by pines and go to vantage point to spot

GWH1224 · Jul 28, 2011

Here's some general tips and answers:
- Where to look for deer (high/low/open/sage/funnels etc)- Depends on how bad the weather is. The bigger ones will be higer untill that rut kicks in and then they start to drop off. Depends on where your at for when they come down lower due to snow..
- How spooky are deer? Can I easily get to 250 yards?-
Depends on the hunting pressure. If there aren't a million hunters out there on the first weekend it won't be extreemly hard to get under 250 yards. Later in the season be prepared for a 350 to 450 yard shot at the farthest.
- If I see a migrating buck (and cannot get him that day), the next day should I go 2 miles down the migration route and glass back?
Tough one, I've never tried that. See what someone like TOPGUN or Zeke will say. Im sure they will jump on it.
- Higher = closer to start of migration = closer to oldest biggest bucks BUT more area to cover, lower = more concentrated? Where would you look?
Higher if you can get up there.
- Will bucks bed in the shade and avoid sunlight?
Yes, this is a time of day not to miss. If you spot a group of does during the rut(even a little before and after the main two weeks of the rut) do NOT over look them. That big buck won't be far. They like to bed under big pine trees and will be tucked away so pick apart everything.
- If you jump a buck how far will he go? Pursue him?
It depends on the age to determine on how far he will run. If you get a look at him and can tell he's a good one then yes its worth it. It's a hard decision.
- where would you look for bucks? High? Low? Pines? Aspens? Cruising?
High in openings near pines with aspen patches.
- Do you ever rattle?
No, calling in muleys has never been very popular because it's not very affective.
- Am I correct to assume the bucks are migrating and rutting and stop when they find does?
Depends on weather conditions. In my experiances they move to find does before they migrate (except moving from down from their summer ranges of course.

Hope this helps..
I would definatly buy these two books
Mike Eastman's book: Hunting High Country Mule Deer: http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/hunting-high-country-mule-deer.html
David Long's Book: http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/public-land-mulies.html

Let me know how if you need any further info. What unit are you hunting? Might know it..

TOPGUN · Jul 29, 2011

Don---I can't be a whole lot of help because I can't hunt past the first few days of November in our units. However, as you have probably already figured out, the weather will play a big part in your hunt. If it's bad enough up high before your hunts starts, even the big boys will be down lower. I would not be worrying about jumping a lot of deer because I wouldn't be doing that much walking. Instead, I would be in a good, relatively hidden, elevated vantage point at daylight. By the time your hunt starts I would think that even if the weather hasn't brought everything down to lower elvations, there should be enough animals down to make it interesting. Before the rut really kicks in you may not see bucks right on the does, but they will be close. That's why as soon as you find any decent number of does that time of the year, I would be keeping them in my sights and glass, glass, glass, because the bucks will be layed up on their periphery waiting for the first good estrus scent to kick them into high gear. I have David Long's book and it's great, but have never read the Eastman one. Like I said, if you find bunches of does, stay with them as much as possible and the bucks will show up!

DonVathome · Jul 29, 2011

I have read both books and highlighted notes and condensed my notes in a word doc. I will reread them again too. Mike's book is of very little help, at first I wondered why he only went to before the rut, then I reflected on the title. "Hunting High country mule deer" Mule deer leave the high country during migration/rut so I guess he left that part out of the book.

Thanks guys and keep the info coming, most of it was about what I expected.

It is 105-106-109, Nov 1-15, I will be there the last week. I expect a good hunt. Everyone tells me I need weather, and I am sure they are right. But I also figure the odds of having good weather by mid Nov are pretty good, or at least enough weather to get the bucks down.

DonVathome · Aug 11, 2011

Anyone else?

Muleys24Seven · Aug 11, 2011

Most of the migrating/rut hunts I have had run thru the end of Oct and first week in Nov. so its more pre-rut activity

My experience has been if you find a group of does more than likely there is a buck nearby. A lot of the young bucks (1-3yrs old) will stay with the does but the older bucks won't. My theory is they go down and check on the does at night or early morning hrs to make sure there's nothing in heat and then go back to isolation at first light.

I have come across big buck tracks and caught glimpses of bucks doing just this. For the area I hunt if I see does I will do a lot of glassing 500-1000 ft above the does.

Your best chance at catching a buck leaving the does is in the first hour of light

DonVathome · Oct 13, 2011

Thanks guys, anyone else? 3 weeks left before I leave and hoping to get my first mulie!

killshot777 · Oct 13, 2011

Um, ya I've got a suggestion. Go look for a big buck and then kill it, quit being such a little #####!

nfh · Oct 13, 2011

i know when i use to hunt mule deer on the mountains there were a few fences to keep the cattle in certain parts of the national forest and in novmeber the mule deer would follow those fence lines. all day a few deer here and there would come through........ but we were also in a area where we never seen any hunters to....

Gator · Oct 14, 2011

I believe that BIG BUCKS will scent check doe's all day long by playing the wind, if a doe starts to get in heat they will come out of the woodwork and run those small bucks off and then run her out of the group to someplace that they can do the breeding without a bunch of other bucks trying to take her away. IF it is in the rut find a herd of does and keep a eye on them if they stay in one area,it will make it easier to find the bucks. I might take some doe in heat and put in that area also to give the buck a visual and a scent that will pull him in. Good Luck

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Catskill · Oct 14, 2011

Don, I'm sure you've researched this hunt as throughly as humanly possible. I recently summarized a late season hunt here on MM and you might find something of interest there. Lot's of good responses to this thread and I'd only add that you need 3 plans. One for no snow, one for too much snow and one for just the right amount of snow (which doesn't really need a plan anyway). Lots of guys pray for snow and then can't get around in it. Good Luck and post a picture of your deer for us!