3rd season mule deer elevation

[270Whatelse]

Just wondering what elevation you guys hunt mule deer during 3rd season. I've been watching some YouTube videos and it seems some guys hunt low on the sagebrush/oakbrush while other guys are still up higher in the aspen/dark timber mix. I'm sure snow/weather conditions make it different from year to year. So do you start high and work your way lower or start low and work your way up? Any ideas or thoughts on the subject are welcome!

 

[one_dryboot]

Depends somewhat on weather. I have always started low and work up if I'm not seeing mature bucks.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-15-18 AT 04:41PM (MST)[p]This is quite variable and dependant on the area and weather. Where I've hunted deer 3rd season on a typical year, roughly 6-8,000 ft., but up to 10,000 would not be uncommon in some areas, and certainly much lower out east.

 

[lostinOregon]

Every year is different in the same unit. Guys get in trouble by sticking to what worked last time they were in the unit and it constantly changes. Best key to 3rd season is hunt the last few days over the first few days.

Rich

 

[HogBone]

9000 has been a personal sweet spot

 

[Founder]

In my experience, unless you get lots of snow, they're still going to remain in their summer home. With each storm, a few deer will move. Usually the does and fawns move first, but bucks will as well. By the 3rd season, there's often been a couple good snowfalls so some deer have migrated, but usually most of them haven't. This past year it was near bone dry at 11,000 feet. Some deer had moved after earlier snow, but most hadn't.
Old bucks usually don't live long when they're the type of buck that migrates to more open country early. They often don't end up old. Those bucks that stay up in that dark timber the longest have the best chance of survival, therefore big old bucks usually migrate later.
You never know though where you might find a big one during that 3rd season. You might find one that lives low year round, or a high country buck still at 11,000 in a foot of snow.
In the places I hunt, I hunt where they live in the summer or on a migration route, unless I find something lower. I like to be in a migration corridor if weather hits. If no weather, I hunt where I've seen them in the summer or where I think they are in the summer.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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[Muley]

Deer don't move from just the snow. They'll come down when the days get shorter.

 

[270Whatelse]

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm from the Midwest so not 100% sure about what type of habitat to hunt during this time. (Whitetails around here don't migrate) The unit i will be hunting has conifer/aspen up high, then turns into an aspen/oakbrush mix lower, then to an oakbrush/sage mix down low. Seems by watching some YouTube videos some guys are hunting real low and some are still up in the confier/aspen mix and I guess some in between. Think I will try high first then jump around to different elevations and habitat types till I find the best deer densities.

 

[littlebighorn]

Some very good advice on this thread in my opinion. One thing not mentioned is how late the hunt ends. I hunted a very good unit 7 years ago and it had some decent snow up high early. We also had a little snow on the opener and then it turned warm. I planned to hunt the entire season if needed and I was holding out for a big buck or none at all.
In general the longer the hunt went the bigger the bucks we turned up and the more rutting activity we saw. We mostly hunted the transition areas and lower. We did go up high one day and didn't see much at all so we headed back to the lower country.

Best of luck

 

[Sako76]

I hunted in Meeker last year third season, I saw a couple of hundred deer between 6300' and 7000'. Good luck!

 

[Gator]

I like hunting just above the snow line. Finding open area's that have some good sign,or the sunny side of the slopes.
Now that being said if there isn't any tracks move lower until you start finding fresh sign.
Sometimes it takes alot of snow to move the BIG ones to travel down.
Got to love hunting brown animals in white snow.

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