Hunting the Oak Brush

bcmulie

Active Member
Messages
181
Hey guys,

I've got a third season rifle tag for a CO unit that has plenty of oak brush, and am looking for any tips you might be able to offer on hunting oak brush. This will be my first time hunting the oak brush, so anything you are able to offer would be most welcome. Some of my questions, that I hope you guys can answer:

Just how thick is this stuff? Can you still hunt through it? Glass into it?

What's the best way to hunt it?

Do deer bed in the oak brush, feed in it, rut in it, migrate through it? How do they normally use oak brush?

What is the acorn crop looking like in CO this year? I would guess that that will have a significant impact on the number of deer I'm likely to find in the oak brush?

Will bucks bed in the oak brush? Along the edges of the oak brush?

Thanks in advance for any help you are able to offer!

bcmulie
 
I don't have experience with hunting it but where I live and work on the edge of town the deer never leave it. They are in there year round, day/night. Granted that is next to town and out in the mountains is very possibly different.
However I would definitely try to find a vantage point and glass down into it. If they are moving you should be able to spot them moving through it looking from a high spot.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Just a guess but most of the oak leaves should be gone by the third season. If there's better cover around they may/will move into it.
 
If you can spot and pattern them by glassing, you can get close by walking and crawling through oakbrush. Animals feel secure in oak b/c it is very hard for predators to sneak up on them, including hunters. A lot of leaves will stay on the branches after they turn, so going through oak is loud, slow, scratchy and somewhat blind.

It is also slippery underfoot when wet or snowy. I was fumbling through a patch of oak after a snowfall, slipped and fell on my back. B4 getting up I looked around, saw 4 legs and the head of the deer I was stalking, visible @ 30 yards through the oak trunks @ ground level. I would never have seen him had I remained upright.
 
Yea...they live, sleep, eat and hide in the oak. Depending on the terrain, you may be able to glass into it...but maybe not. What may look like some short scrubby oak behind the glasses, turns into a 14-ft. tall jungle with all sorts of travel routes and beds that you would never be able to detect from glassing above.

In my opinion, your best bet will be to find a nice sage flat or clearing near the oak and watch it really early in the morning and right at the end of shooting light. This is likely the only time they will not be concealed by the oak. Check the travel trails entering and exiting the oak and keep an eye on them as well.

Have fun with it though, if you're lucky, the leaves will be off and make it a little easier.

One last thing...if you know a buck is in an area, don't assume one pass with the glasses or spotting scope is sufficient. They often suddenly appear right where you just looked. That is how Oak hunting works.
 
The best way to hunt the Oak Brush is from a distance. You can jump bucks in that stuff, but you'll just hear them hopping and running away. You need to get to a spot where you can see across a canyon to them.

My family and I used to hunt some land that had great Oak Brush cover. We would hunt the opposite ridge of where we hoped the deer would be so that we could see them. This made for longer shots (300-500 yards) but its the only way to see the deer in that stuff. We found that the deer often found "holes" in the oak brush to feed out in the sun, but aside from that, they can stay in there forever it seems.

Good luck on your hunt. Hope you find what you're looking for.

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 
Find a good vantage point within your shooting distant, that will give you view of travel corridors, natural funnels, saddles, or possible feeding areas that are adjacent to or within the scrub oak. If possible slip into the area undetected via the opposite side of the canyon/mountain from where the deer will be by first light. If the ruts kicking in, the bucks will be pushing does around and you may be able to turn them up first thing in the morning moving through the areas mentioned, before they bed down in the thick stuff for the day. Also, watching the same areas in the evening, may turn up deer as they are moving to feed areas just before dark. Hunting the thick scrub oak takes some patience, but it can hold a lot more deer then you may first think. The more time you spend looking into those key areas especially at first and last light, your odds of turning up a good buck will increase. If you can put a pattern on a buck, I've noticed that with the thick scrub oak country, deer tend to hold up in smaller core areas. Have fun, and good luck!
 
Oak scrub is thick, tall, and nasty while being nearly impossible to walk though undetected. Patients and a good vantage point is the key. An old timer told me more than once that one of his main tools for hunting the scrub was a sling shot and stone. If he located some deer in the scrub but couldn't identify the animal he would shoot a small stone in their direction and this would get them moving offering him a chance at a better look at them. We have goofed around some with this and it does hold value.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
+1 on everything said so far. Get a vantage point above it to glass and if you want to try stalking a deer you spot in it, staying on a trail is almost a must to stay quiet. If you do go in the oak brush, shed every piece of gear and loose clothing that is not necessary for the stalk, otherwise you will spend half your time untangling yourself. It is some nasty stuff.

NRA Life Member

www.swanspointoutfitters.com

The critters have to win every time. I only have to win once.
 
was going to start a thread about oak brush but found this thread so Id figure Id just add to it thinking there is probably oak brush in Co unit 21. This thread asked a bunch of questions I had but I do have a few more.

Q1-- when do these trees/bushes drop their acorns?

Q2-- how tall are they and do they get big enough to hang a stand in if we find the right spot?

Q3-- Generally speaking how big are the average oak brush groves?

I know these might be dumb questions but since I don't know I would like to build a
mental image and maybe a plan to work it?

Thanks bill v
 
The game animals are tall enough to eat acorns from the plant. This would include bears, deer and elk. Bears will bend the plant down to get at acorns. I have seen turkeys setting in the plant eating the acorns.

They are not generally speaking tall enough to hang a stand on. Average about 7-8'. Some get up to 12-15' but are not straight enough.

Oak brush can cover hundreds of acres with very few clearings. It can be thicker than dog hair and very hard to get anywhere in. It can also be in clumps of just a few trees.

My experience is get across a canyon and shoot. Before it drops its leaves it can be very difficult to hunt. This usually happens 3rd or 4th season..weather dependent. Deer and elk winter in this in most places.

It is kinda like alder brush in the North.
 
The game animals are tall enough to eat acorns from the plant. This would include bears, deer and elk. Bears will bend the plant down to get at acorns. I have seen turkeys setting in the plant eating the acorns.

They are not generally speaking tall enough to hang a stand on. Average about 7-8'. Some get up to 12-15' but are not straight enough.

Oak brush can cover hundreds of acres with very few clearings. It can be thicker than dog hair and very hard to get anywhere in. It can also be in clumps of just a few trees.

My experience is get across a canyon and shoot. Before it drops its leaves it can be very difficult to hunt. This usually happens 3rd or 4th season..weather dependent. Deer and elk winter in this in most places.

It is kinda like alder brush in
 
my limited experience in it I think its not "nearly impossible" to stalk through it undetected, it is impossible. So the only way to be effective is stay above it on the other side of canyon you want to hunt. It can be loaded with deer at times. If you are hunting alone and shoot a buck across the other side try to do a good job of marking him and your shooting position. Once you get down in it its hard to keep your bearings.
 
Really depends on the season and weapon choice hunting oakbrush. It's obviously easier to hunt oakbrush later in the season after leaves drop and there is snow on the ground. Unfortunately after leaves drop it can be noisy stalking through crunchy dry leaves. If you can get across canyons it's a lot easier to spot game...especially with snow.

Early before velvet is shed bucks and bulls often hand out on the parameter of thick oakbrush and trees. Once they loose their velvet they are an entirely different animal.

It's advisable to wear quiet cloth material when hunting oakbrush areas. Also use a quiet cloth pack that is tight to your body. Giant socks or socklike liners over boots will make stalking a lot quieter after leaves drop.

Make sure of your shot and keep in mind branches may deflect arrows and bullets. Bucks and bulls can disappear in thick patches if wounded!

Plan ahead hiking and stalking routes because certain faced slopes may have a lot denser patches and be a lot tougher to negotiate on steep hillsides than others.
 
#21 has a lot of varied types of cover; juniper-pinion, aspen, spruce-pine, sage brush and the state tree OAK BRUSH. I September most of the animals will be at higher elevation. Some of this area burned last year so the new growth might be excellent.
 
OK, so I can imagine that the acorns on the oak brush are very desirable to the deer if they are ready. what are the most favorable food sources otherwise? is there a golden ticket food source (specific plant) if I can find it?

I know its not a conventional question but, I would like to know everything I can,Before, we come out. I don't want to realize at the end of the hunt what a favorite food source might be and feel like I missed out on using it to my advantage. I hope to be able to spot and stalk in true western style, but, if I fail at that I'm not opposed under the right circumstances to sit, wait and ambush. Plan B in hunting style
 
Once you shoot mark a arrow in the ground with your foot tie a ribbon on a high branch so you know which direction the deer lie's that might help with all the twist and turns you will make heading to the deer in case you have start over you will know where to start looking again.
 
Here in the West.....water is like gold. Find a water source and the animals will not be far. Spot and stalk is the reason I hunted with archery and ML...what a rush. Deer especially like sage brush. Elk like anything but especially oak brush . Acorns out here are really small generally about the size of a small grape. In September look for "quakes-AKA aspen" both deer and elk will be there.
 
was going to start a thread about oak brush but found this thread so Id figure Id just add to it thinking there is probably oak brush in Co unit 21. This thread asked a bunch of questions I had but I do have a few more.

Q1-- when do these trees/bushes drop their acorns?

Q2-- how tall are they and do they get big enough to hang a stand in if we find the right spot?

Q3-- Generally speaking how big are the average oak brush groves?

I know these might be dumb questions but since I don't know I would like to build a
mental image and maybe a plan to work it?

Thanks bill v
Bill,

There is some Oak Brush in 21 but not a lot. Many people mistake the scrub in 21/22/31/32 for oak brush. However true oak brush is kind of few and far between in these units. Instead the units are much more likely to have Mahogany, Service Berry, Snow Berry etc. These provide many of the same benefits as true oak brush. Thick heavy cover, the bud ends of all are tasty for the deer. Under these bushes are home to a lot of tasty forbe-like plants the deer really love.

The best feed and forbes tend to always exist on the north slopes in this area. The south slopes in 21/22 are arid, dry and the sandy soils do not allow for a lot of good feed. The south slopes tend to be dominated by heavy pinon juniper growth and the older trees will dominate the land and block out a lot of hope for the smaller Forbes for the deer. This is not always the case but There does tend to be a lot more activity and feed during the fall on the north slopes.

Since Oak brush is not as prevalent in these areas, finding the oak is a bit of a challenge and even when you do the brush does not produce acorns every year. Near my camp location we have one stand of oak brush, not real big maybe 40 yards wide by 90 yards long. In 20 years, there has been only a handful that it produced a noticeable supply of acrons. Most years it produced none. So I would not focus on oak brush as an excellent source of feed.

Another thought, deer especially mule deer love edge habitat. Areas where they have open areas to feed and cruise but they are really close to thick heavy cover. Pipelines, road right of ways, oil and gas pads, all provide excellent edge habitat. The open areas cut by pipelines provide the feed area and the thick pinon juniper provide bedding and escape area. Find these areas and you will likely find deer. Depending on this winter progresses and what spring looks like, water is likely going to be very important.

Of course knowing what season you are hunting will/can have a significant effect on the location and feed of the deer. Instead of trying to stalk in the brush find a ridge to the north of the one you want to hunt and glass looking south onto the ridge and into the thick heavy brush on the north slope.
 
Also, it sounds like you are archery hunting. Stalking is going be really hard in a lot of that country. Not impossible but definietly a challenge if you are wanting a tradition spot stalk experience. You know the idea that you set up early in the morning glass up a buck and watch him feed to a bed, then make your move. The bucks in this area (all buck really) are damn good about picking beds where the wind is at their back and they can see everything in front. You will most likely be resorting to running interception. Or getting close to the bed and sitting waiting hoping that when they leave the bed they happen to feed you way.
 
Wow. Thank you elks96. That’s some good info there and actually answered a question I was going to ask about north slopes. Man there’s a lot there to digest and new things (plants) to lok up and get familiar with

thanks brother
 
Thanks again elks96, I had to sit down and re read this since there was so much there. I will be researching service and snow berries, I would like to be able to identify them if I notice.

Im really good at tree stand hunting so, its likely I'll end up trying to sit on one and hope it comes my way or flat out ambush (sit and wait) as I don't have the practice of stalking but I will try. Don't be surprised to find out Im sitting in a tree out there;)
People laugh when they find out I shot a cow elk in the Flats Tops out of a tree stand, yes we took one with us.

Thanks Bill V
 
Thanks again elks96, I had to sit down and re read this since there was so much there. I will be researching service and snow berries, I would like to be able to identify them if I notice.

Im really good at tree stand hunting so, its likely I'll end up trying to sit on one and hope it comes my way or flat out ambush (sit and wait) as I don't have the practice of stalking but I will try. Don't be surprised to find out Im sitting in a tree out there;)
People laugh when they find out I shot a cow elk in the Flats Tops out of a tree stand, yes we took one with us.

Thanks Bill V
Tree stands work at times they can be the only approach. Ambush and ground blinds work as well. I will see if I have any good pictures of the bushes. One has a purpleish bark and is smooth. The other also smoother and a greyish color. I joke when hunting in it, be careful where you go, you enter one side fully clothed and end up naked on the other...
 
I do not have good summer time/fall pics for the country, but these show the bushes to look for... Notice they are pretty thick etc.

I will look for more to see what I can find...

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F4D90712-100A-44B0-8C7A-5EAE69557321.png
 
While those photos don’t look bad, it is a lot thicker in places and when it has leaves really thick.

this bull pic shows what it kind of looks like with leaves. They are a lot greener in this pick as we had a really wet fall and the night before it had rained for several hours..

then this buck shows in the back ground just how dark and thick and tall the brush can get.

210931FB-35E6-4BFD-8087-B3043397A0E3.jpeg


CA6B8741-A227-4606-B299-4BCA06CF6BC8.png
 
thanks man, pics are good and that really looks thick, but thick is good (sanctuary) if needed. Is that area in pics High ,low, middle type areas ?

Nice buck

scoring check from pic
will do his left side and double

main- 23"
G1- 1"
G2- 16"
G3 - 7"
G4- 6"
circs- 17"
_________
left - 70"
right- 70"
spread- 18"

Total = 158"

just a little practice for me, what do you guys think?
by the way, if I see one like him, I,m trying for him.
 
That is about how the north slopes look from higher to lower. The pics are all from around 6500 to about 8500. I don’t think you get a lot higher than that. The brush does have a tendency to be thicker and heavier around 7800-8000. Given the ridge/condition it can get thick lower but it tends to really thin out at 6500.

on score I would say you’re a little high. That buck probably goes high 130. But I am not an expert at score. With a bow however in that country, I would not be passing that shot unless I already find something way bigger.
 
thanks man, pics are good and that really looks thick, but thick is good (sanctuary) if needed. Is that area in pics High ,low, middle type areas ?

Nice buck

scoring check from pic
will do his left side and double

main- 23"
G1- 1"
G2- 16"
G3 - 7"
G4- 6"
circs- 17"
_________
left - 70"
right- 70"
spread- 18"

Total = 158"

just a little practice for me, what do you guys think?
by the way, if I see one like him, I,m trying for him.
I'd say that buck is closer to 140" than 160".
 
Also, there's mainly two types of oak in the west. Gamble oak, which grows more on flatter terrain and has acorns. It grows around 8'- 15' tall. Scrub oak, which grows on steeper hillsides will usually grow around 3'-6' tall and be much more dense. I killed my 190" buck two years ago while still hunting the gamble oak stands. While keeping the wind in my face. I shot it feeding at 70 yards.
 

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