Best time to hunt Mule Deer?

[bassmattyb]

Hi all,

Brand new to bow hunting this year and trying to score a mule deer in the foothills of southern Alberta. I've been heading out several weekends now, first thing in the morning, trying to get a muley. The closest I can get is about 60yrds, too far for me. I'm starting to wonder if mornings are the best time or if evenings are better....or maybe its just an all day affair?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

[stickflicker]

Originally Posted by bassmattyb

Hi all,

Brand new to bow hunting this year and trying to score a mule deer in the foothills of southern Alberta. I've been heading out several weekends now, first thing in the morning, trying to get a muley. The closest I can get is about 60yrds, too far for me. I'm starting to wonder if mornings are the best time or if evenings are better....or maybe its just an all day affair?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I find mornings by far the best time of day. Find a vantage point in the dark and see what's out in the open when it gets light enough out. Plan your stalk from there. If you can see where they bed then your golden and you have hours to close in on them using the wind in your favour of course.

The evening is second best as they will start moving back out to feed, but sometimes its too late to get close enough before dark.

The rut in November changes everything and they may be out and about any time of day.

[HotBrass]

Originally Posted by bassmattyb

Hi all,

Brand new to bow hunting this year and trying to score a mule deer in the foothills of southern Alberta. I've been heading out several weekends now, first thing in the morning, trying to get a muley. The closest I can get is about 60yrds, too far for me. I'm starting to wonder if mornings are the best time or if evenings are better....or maybe its just an all day affair?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! Mornings are the best, but the evening should work, too. I recommend doing some scouting, first, to make sure you are in the right area. Feel free to ask around for deer sightings. If you see a deer, and you would like it to come closer, try calling it, or do some rattling (with some horns).

[klink1679]

I my experience mornings typically work best for me. I agree if you are unfamiliar with the area to first watch where the deer are filing in from the fields and try to pattern their movements. You may notice a particular bend in a coulee or grove of bushes they may frequently walk by in the mornings. This may be a good place to wait for them to walk right by you unaware. Keeping in mind you may see them go by the same place 3 days in a row and wait there on the 4th and nothing shows up. In the end the deer will go where they want to go. If I am unsuccessful in the morning wait it is time to start planning for a stalk. If you haven't seen one bed down start glassing areas you would suspect they would bed down. Edges of coulees, willowed prairie bluff etc. But be patient as it is amazing how difficult they are to spot. Sometimes I may glass a promising bluff for 30 minutes before deciding no one is home. When you see one take your time crawling in using the wind in you favor. If there is no wind it is not even worth trying. You need the wind to cover your noise as you are crawling in. The risk of trying without the wind is getting busted and educating that animal who may then stay away from an area he previously felt was secure and safe. Typically when they bed down they keep most of the cover and wind to their back. This helps them remain somewhat hidden but provides them a view downwind for danger. AKA you. If you manage to get in tight with them in a range you are comfortable shooting be patient. I have missed great opportunities thinking I could make a soft noise to get them to stand out of curiosity so I could get a shot. Although this may work on occasion an older trophy will seldom take the chance to see what made the noise and explode out of there giving you no chance at a shot. There is a reason they live long enough to get that big. They are smart and don't stick around at the slight risk that something is up. I find it best just to sit tight and wait for them to stand on their own. After they bed down they rarely stay in the same place for the day. They get up from time to time to stretch their legs, use the bathroom etc. This is your opportunity and a great opportunity. No disrespect to the last poster as grunting and rattling does work for white-tailed deer but Mule deer are completely different. If you see a big old buck and try rattling or calling you might as well shoot a shotgun in the air as the the results will be similar. Grunting will on occasion bring in a curious doe or young buck but anything else will most likely bolt out of there. If you are hoping to get a doe an injured rabbit predator call works surprisingly well to get them close but again if you are after an old mature buck no noise of any kind is best. Another thing to keep in mind with mule deer is prior to the rut you often see them running in bachelor herds of 3 or 4 deer and often a couple of them are decent sized deer. From experience the older very large bucks are seldom seen with these groups. They are often solitary animals and bed down solo away from the groups. Frequently returning to their bedding down area prior to sunrise so they are often missed. Often bedding in places you would not expect. Watch the smallest treed or bushed bluffs away from areas where groups of deer have bedded down. Even small areas with knee high grass the size of a truck can hold one of these giants. Time and patience will pay off. Mule deer remains my favorite archery challenge. A lot of work but very rewarding when you are successful.

[diadromous]

Lots of great information in the posts, thanks for sharing.

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

The best time IMHO to hunt mulie is all open season...lol

With the worst being during harvest of fields, then one has to move into the big bushes and still hunt a little...

They are unpredicable on farmland then and any routine they did have may change drastically...

I see more in the evenings but prefer the mornings...one has more time for stalking..

Unlike Whitetail ...I like to spot N stalk Mulies..watch your scent and wind are biggest factors...

Mulies can be called and during the rut ...more so than whitetails...use a doe bleat call in rutting areas..

Practise those longer shots often...once mastered 60 yd is as easy as 30 yd with good form...


JMHO
Neil

[Mulestalker]

Noon, they will be nice and slee......crap ...11:53...gotta run!

[trophyboy]

During the season.....only joking. The best method I found is as follows. Be in a position to spot at first light when the deer are moving to their beds. Continue to spot and try to watch your target deer bed down, which is usually closer to late morning or very early afternoon. Remember the wind is your friend and the stronger the wind the better. I have been so close to deer I could have reached out and touched them. Very cool! Best of luck!

[Hotwheels81]

Mornings and evenings around mid November if there's no pressure on the herd... Spot the tracks in the snow and its easy to find where they are moving to and from... Rite now I'm tracking 2 herds both with large bucks and several smaller satellite bucks in locations I spotted them in last fall after the snow, I have a doe tag this year but my only issue is finding a dry one... Last fall I tucked up behind a round bayle in a field and a doe with 2 fawns noticed my green parka and came rite in to 30 yards to check me out, the bucks in the herd were watching casually with no sign of spooking... I got up and walked away and the doe saunterd off in another direction with the kids in tow like I wasn't even there... Neat animals for sure

[rielbowhunter]

A prefect big Mule day would be, After about 6" of fresh snow ,mid November, light south wind, around -0 degrees . But any day can be great.

[CC16]

Morn is the best by far

[landwalker]

Originally Posted by klink1679

I my experience mornings typically work best for me. ....

Wow, the best I've ever read. So much appreciated.