AZ Mule Deer Rut

[desertbucks]

Anyone seen bucks with does in the desert yet? My buddy said he saw a nice whitetail buck in unit 8 this last weekend with some does.

 

[mesquitehunter]

We've seen bucks chasing does during the rifle hunt in the early part of Nov. Several people have told me the same thing. Strange but true.

 

[ruthunter]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-08 AT 03:43PM (MST)[p] I WAS OUT THIS MORNING SCOUTING FOR THE UPCOMING ARCHERY DEER AND I FOUND MYSELF A SHOOTER BUCK. THE BUCK WAS ALL ALONE AND HE WAS MOVING AT FIRST LIGHT AND THEN BEDDED DOWN AROUND 8:00AM. I WOULD SAY ITS ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO EARLY FOR THE RUT.

 

[KaibabHntr]

Haven't seen any muley bucks linked up with does yet.

Have any of you ever tried the montana mule deer doe decoy w/doe in heat scent applied in the area while hunting rutting desert mulies? Was thinking about giving it a try.

KaibabHntr
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com
Everything you need to hunt AZ unit 12A!

 

[bandin1]

I tried the doe in heat scent a couple of years ago and it brought in a small muley buck with his lip curled. missed him but it worked. Didn't try the decoy though.

 

[57Loader]

Saw 2 heards of doe today, bout 7-8 in each heard, but no bucks with them.

 

[Cazador]

We went out opening day and seen one herd of ~8 does with a fork. The bucks were still running solo. Seen four bucks, a 2x3, 3x3 & two 4x's. One 4x was a shooter for sure. The bucks showed some signs that they were looking for receptive does. The bigger ones that we are used to seeing have not showed up. Maybe in the next week or two. Also seen a lot of javelina.

 

[ruthunter]

I HAVE BEEN OUT HUNTING EVERYDAY AND I HAVE BEEN GLASSING SINGLE DOES AND GROUPS OF DOES WITH SMALL 2X2 AND SPIKES ONLY.I THINK IF THE RAIN COMES IN LIKE THEY SAY, THE BIG BUCKS WILL START MOVING.STILL ANOTHER WEEK OR SO BEFORE THE RUT STARTS.

 

[oklahoma]

was out quail hunting last saturday and saw two huge muley bucks. one with a doe and the other without.. i spotted these two bucks within a mile of eachother.. i'm goin after them next weekend.

 

[AZ402]

Going to be with a buddy on the late 35A mzzld hunt. Anybody been in there lately and if so was there any type of rut activity ( not fishing for spots, got those, just curious on the rut down there).

 

[ruthunter]

I WOULD SAY THE RUT HAS STARTED. I WAS OUT HUNTING TODAY AND I SAW THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF DEER AND ALL THREE GROUPS HAD AT LEAST A 150" BUCK PUSHING THE DOES AROUND.THE BEST BUCK I SAW WAS ABOUT 170" BUCK AND HIS NECK WAS ALL SWOLLEN UP. I THINK ITS ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER FROM NOW TILL JAN.

 

[mesquitehunter]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-19-08 AT 08:46PM (MST)[p]ruthunter where were you hunting? We seen the same activity as you. We seen a 2x4 about 27" wide with doe's but no toads yet. We saw over 50 deer and 5 bucks all with doe's but no toads.I agree It's only gonna get better.

 

[bandin1]

Is the activity up north or south? I will be heading out right after Xmas just cant decide on the prescott area or unit 33.

 

[ruthunter]

MESQUITEHUNTER-I HAVE BEEN HUNTING IN UNIT 21 TOWARDS THE NORTHERN END.

 

[mesquitehunter]

Yeah madglasser told me you hunt 21. I'm muzzy hunting in 42 & 41. We found about 5 groups of does and only 1 group had a 2x3 with them. We also saw a 3x3 cruising the flats looking for does. No toads yet!!!

 

[longshooter]

Its tough out there right now. I been helping a buddy in 42 who has the muzzy tag and were not seeing much for rutting activity either. Seen lots of does but nothing is pushing them. All the bucks we see are alone or still running with other bucks

 

[creed]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-20-08 AT 08:48PM (MST)[p]I've been out in 44A and all I can find is bucks but only 2 of them.

 

[AZ402]

I took these this afternoon. He was pushing 9-10 does around.

A little out of focus sorry.

 

[azoutback]

Good looking buck for sure. I know I would stick him if I had the chance. Thanks for the pics.

Vance Newton

 

[ruthunter]

MESQUITE- GOOD LUCK ON THAT MUZZY TAG. I ALSO HAVE TWO FRIENDS HUNTING 42 WITH THAT MUZZY TAG AND THEY ARE ONLY SEEING DOES WITH SMALL BUCKS.

 

[mesquitehunter]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-08 AT 10:56PM (MST)[p]I was helping maddglasser today with a client and we went to an old honey hole from years past. The bucks were rutting pretty hard. We stalked three different bucks and the client missed a 180 class 4x4. Then this evening we found the king of the mountain. He was a huge 3x4. I bet he's 34+ wide, if he was a 4x4 he'd be 200" easy. We backed off because it was getting dark on us. If Travis's client doesn't kill him hopefully I'll get a crack at him.

 

[CAnAZbwhnter]

Im hunting 21...more towards the southern end. Found 3 herds on Sunday but no big boys have moved in with the does. I expected to find some muleys down lower in the rolling hills but could not locate them after miles of stompin around. Kind of frustrating. Finally located the 3 herds deeper in the back country up high
Knock on wood here....the last 2 years I have been able to locate a nice 4x rutting hard in the same basin on the last weekend of the year...I am hoping the same will happen this Friday!
Whats everyone else seeing?? Good luck to u guys

 

[KaibabHntr]

I'll be checking my desert cams this weekend, but the rain has cut down the activity in my area so I'm not sure what I'll get. Hopefully a lot of doe in heat and a decoy can pull em for the jan bowhunt.

KaibabHntr
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com
Everything you need to hunt AZ unit 12A!

 

[KaibabHntr]

Well I checked my cams and got no pics of deer - frustrating. Ever since the first rain in november the activity has gone from good to bad in the last 4 weeks and now there's basically no sign in the area. Hiked in another mile past the tank to the nearest hill and glassed for 2 hours and didn't see anything. Any tips/comments on where desert mulies go when the desert is green, water abundant and the rut is coming?

KaibabHntr
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com

 

[mesquitehunter]

Put your binos on a tripod and your glassing will dramaticly improve. You prolly looked past a dozen deer or more and didn't even realize it. I'm not sure what unit your hunting but the deer can be anywhere there's no ryme or reason or pattern when everything is green and water is abuntant. 2 hrs isn't a long time of glassing. When your glassing look for parts of deer. They're there you just have to be patient and glass all day if you have to. Look for sign where you find fresh sign you'll find deer.

 

[CAnAZbwhnter]

+2 mesquite...I hunted a nice 4x4 day after Christmas and he is rutting good. Was pushing the does around all day but its amazing how hard they can be to locate once they bed. Patience is huge. Oh and I have to say Im happy to see these muleys finally rutting hard! Good luck

 

[mesquitehunter]

Good luck CAnAZbwhntr.....Kiabab just remember the deer in the desert bed down where they eat and eat where they bed down. The only way a decoy and doe in heat will work is if you set up in a agriculure field where the deer will come to feed. The only other way you could use a decoy in heat is to find a buck cruising looking for some hot does and get out ahead of him to set up. But thats pretty tough, if you can do that then cut him off and shoot him. The problem is he may turn one way or the other in a different direction. If you have a partner have him radio you in. You can't beat the eye in the sky

 

[KaibabHntr]

Thanks for the tips, guys. All my previous scouting has the deer moving west of my tank so I figure I'll start looking there. Problem is that the nearest hills are at least one mile away so hopefully they'll be a little nearer to where I'm glassing. I got the decoy more as another tool in the aresenal, I figured with the rut maybe it might help distract any bucks - who knows. Spot and stalk is now the primary plan. May get up tomorrow, but Saturday for sure.

KaibabHntr
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com

 

[mesquitehunter]

A mile is considerd very close in my book. Most of the deer my partners and I find are between 1.5 miles and 3 miles away.

 

[DonMartin]

Just came off of a juniors-only muzzleloader deer hunt in Unit 16A and for the most part, NO RUT!

Yesterday, while going in to retrieve the buck the young hunter got at 5:10 p.m. on Dec. 31, we did see a 24" 4 X 4 that was with three does.

One of my guides (Tim Pender) had a young hunter and they saw a 26" 4 X 4 that had four does and he was all swollen up.

That was the only rutting buck we saw during the hunt.

Hope the rut kicks in for the archers, sure wasn't there for the kids...

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitter

 

[desertbucks]

Last day 2008 4x4, 60 yard shot through the pump station, buck went 30 yards and piled up.

 

[CAnAZbwhnter]

Congrats on a great buck! Filling that tag last day of the season is clutch. What unit were you in? Crazy how similar that buck looks to one I got on video day after Christmas

 

[KaibabHntr]

Nice desert buck!

I got up yesterday and glassed up 3 muleys total and was pretty happy with that. Put a stalk on a fork horn hanging with a doe for fun and practice but the we're still feeding when I was sure they had bedded so they weren't there when I snuck up. In the afternoon glassed up a big heavy 3 pt coming my way at about 400 yards but soon realized the wind was all wrong and sure enough he bounced out the way he came. Didn't see any rutting activity but the big three was big bodied and all muscle. The fork looked like a doe until the sun glinted off his antlers but there was no question about the three.

KaibabHntr
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com

 

[ruthunter]

Well i was fortunate to have filled my 08 deer tag on cristmas eve, it wasnt the big boy i had wanted but hey its meat in the freezer.Was out today and the rut is still going on in the desert.

 

[mulehorn]

Hey desertbucks, way to get the job done! Nice buck!