Unit 34 Rifle Deer Hunt

BigDaddyL · Aug 1, 2018

The season is getting closer and I am looking for advice regarding my deer hunt. I have said this before, I am a Soldier from the east coast who is fairly well versed in hunting whitetails back home. Not so much experience hunting Mule Deer. Two of my sons have taken Mule Deer (one was his first buck ever in Jan. with a bow, and the other was in November with a muzzleloader, after missing a world class buck (30"wide by 30"tall)). Attached picture is of a buck taken same place same time that would have fit inside and rattled around of the one my son missed. That gentleman said he had several bigger, Wow was all I could say.

I am not looking for where the deer are but what to look for. My hunt is the end of October. Is there types of land I should concentrate on (north slopes, flats, hill tops, draws, water, burn areas, etc.)? What will their daily routine be like this time of year? I believe the bucks will be in bachelor groups. I know I will spend a good amount of time behind the glass, but I would like to try to narrow down the amount of area to look at. I have this year and hopefully next year to get a trophy Mule Deer to take home with me to the east coast.

As always, thank you to everyone who can provide helpful information to increase my odds of success. Good luck to you all this hunting season.

BUGLEnmIN · Aug 2, 2018

Not a bad buck there. Cool character. If you're trophy hunting I believe the month of October here is the toughest Month to find big deer. They seem to be harder to find during the day and are active mostly at night. The 30 min before dark should be the best time to be set up in place you know holds deer. Be at a vantage point before the sun is up and get behind the glass because the big guys bed as soon as the sun rises this time of year. Get eyes on one and bed him down and go from there Good luck

swampokie · Aug 2, 2018

>Not a bad buck there. Cool
>character. If you're trophy hunting
>I believe the month of
>October here is the toughest
>Month to find big deer.
>They seem to be harder
>to find during the day
>and are active mostly at
>night. The 30 min before
>dark should be the best
>time to be set up
>in place you know holds
>deer. Be at a vantage
>point before the sun is
>up and get behind the
>glass because the big guys
>bed as soon as the
>sun rises this time of
>year. Get eyes on one
>and bed him down and
>go from there Good
>luck

This is exactly what u will encounter. Middle of the day is really boring in late October.

NMPaul · Aug 2, 2018

34 is a very tough deer hunt. A buck like in your picture is extremely rare. Way to many tags. There will be people everywhere. For success, plan on hiking a couple miles in before daylight. Getting high on a mountain and glassing. Open country where you can glass will help. You will see deer on private from the road., with only a few small bucks normally with them. Sadly, I have witnessed many times people trying to poach them from the road.

BigDaddyL · Aug 10, 2018

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it. I am down here at the missile range, so if you ever need any help around here, just hit me up. Good luck this season.

BigChiefJ · Aug 10, 2018

I haven't hunted 34 in years, but getting 1/2 mile from a road will get you away from most of the hunters. It seemed like most folks just road hunted. I saw lots of does and very few forkhorns, but that was way back in the over the counter days for the unit.

smokey172 · Aug 20, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Aug-20-18 AT 10:01AM (MST)[p]I live on WSMR and can possibly help you out. I have first Muzzleloader in 34. I have found some decent spots scouting this summer. PM Me and I will fill you in on what we have learned after our hunt.

Gator · Aug 23, 2018

Still hunting those bedding area's can work or you might just bust them out your area, Small thick bunches of trees and are good to push during the day. IF you have a blocker setup on a/the escape route, with the blocker being the guy who will be doing the shooting. Couple of slow walking pushers can move those buck sometimes.
Sitting on tanks/waterhole are good too if they show a lot use.(I will flat out the mud to cover any tracks and then next morning check to see if had that water got any action) Just don't setup too close, few hundred yards back as long as you can see the most of the water.

Good luck

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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