first deer hunt

the_newb · Oct 14, 2014

I am going on my first deer hunt this year and I'm kinda lost in the sauce. my tag is in area 22 and I'm not sure where to start. I've gone out and done some scouting but with very little success. I've been looking in the mazatzal MT range and im not finding a good spot to sit and glass that has a wide field of view. not sure if I should try a different spot in the mountains or go down and try the deserts. any and all help and suggestions would be amazing. this is going to be my second hunt (first was an unsuccessful javelina hunt) and I really want this to be successful.

AZ4life · Oct 15, 2014

Is it a muley only tag?

the_newb · Oct 15, 2014

Yes Sir.

SpotnstalkAZ · Oct 15, 2014

I pig hunted 22 a couple yrs ago around the Gisela area (turn off just before Rye while heading north). We ended up chasing deer most the time. We actually located quite a few deer and a few decent bucks. We followed the very windy road to Gisela and when the road appexed the mountain range we hung a left (north) on a 4x4 trail, got high and glassed to the east and below. That was a few yrs ago and in Jan (rut) so things may be different now but hope it can help a bit. I know it holds deer though. Good luck!

sagebrush · Oct 15, 2014

Hunting mule deer is not the easiest thing in the world. Just look at the kill rates (just 17% last year for your hunt). There are plenty of places where you can hike in and set up to glass. Google Earth will help you to find potential glassing spots. You want water and cover within a mile of where you set up to glass. Feed is just about everywhere, especially this year. Get there before daylight, spend at least an hour glassing before you move on and stay out until dark. Take your time and enjoy the process. Killing a deer is just icing on the cake. You would be amazed at how many hunters are in the field and not seeing the deer that are right around them.

If you want to build your confidence, buy a copy of this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Mule-Deer-Hunting-Todays-Trophies/dp/0873415639

You will get twenty years of experience in just a few short hours of reading. Reading this book was the best investment of my time when I first started out and I have killed many mule deer since. In fact, I rarely have an unfilled rifle tag any more. Archery, now that is a different story.

Welcome to the world of mule deer hunting and best of luck to you.