Field mule deer

Slicktricker · #1 10-20-2016, 05:41 PM

How do you guys archery hunt mule deer in fields where they never leave the centre no crop left and no trees or bails to hide behind every time I crawl or try to move they just take off rifle i would tag out already but dam this is frustrating

Somehunter · #2 10-20-2016, 06:15 PM

Best bet is to use the wind and wool socks Wana be silent and stay low. 5 hrs of crawling is worth it..

Lefty-Canuck · #3 10-20-2016, 06:17 PM

Use the lay of the land to sneak in...belly crawl, and go slow...take your time. If you think you are going slow....go slower.

LC

elkslayer132 · #4 10-20-2016, 07:50 PM

Get a ghost blind and just sneak up to them while you are behind it. They will never see you coming.

determined · #5 10-20-2016, 08:59 PM

Won't work every time but with a good strong wind blowing I crawled with my bow to within 5 yards of a buck laying down in the middle of a field.
Mind you when I shot over his back he was gone faster than a cold beer on a hot day.

Getemclose · #6 10-20-2016, 09:12 PM

Wait till rifle season than pop em

CF8889 · #7 10-21-2016, 11:02 AM

early september, my buddy and I were bow hunting whitetail in a field. I've got no advice that you don't already know. But I know the frustration of getting to 125yards...incredibly slowly crawling to 75yards.. then having them spot you and sprint off!

Good luck

tdwarburton · #8 10-21-2016, 01:39 PM

I've listened to a number of outdoor podcasts on spot and stalk mule deer with some of the biggest names in the game (Ulmer, Jason Carter etc) a few tips from that seem to be consistent:
1) Nothing replaces time in the field. Practice stalking and hunting every chance you get...whether it be smaller bucks...does in July or your target buck in Nov nothing replaces time in field
2) Use terrain features no matter how much more difficult it makes the stalk. Be willing to go the extra mile.
3)Wait for conditions to be perfect. Jason Carter talks about being willing to sit on a buck for 30 days until conditions are right to kill him.
Check out the Rich Outdoors for more man I am hopelessly addicted to bowhunting mule deer and if you hang around it long enough it'll get you too!

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

beaver hunter · #9 10-21-2016, 02:44 PM

I've been hunting mule deer like this for 3 years, it's the hardest thing i've done. That being said, I prob could have killed a couple smaller bucks in the past couple years. i try to sit on game trails or feed areas, but i find the only time i see the bucks is if I walk and glass.

tracker · #10 10-21-2016, 03:00 PM

I've only spent a bit of time doing this lately but notice they always bed somewhere other than the middle of the field. After a few days of observing this behaviour, my plan for tomorrow is to skirt around the field out of sight and wait in that bedding travel corridor. If yours are bedding in the field, crawl slowly. An inch at a time.

gs100bert · #11 10-21-2016, 04:42 PM

i once crawled for 4 hours to go 150 yards on my belly in grass that was no taller than my profile but i got my mule deer buck at 30 yards a once in a lifetime opportunity cause i dont have the patience to do that every time i go out .

Passthru · #12 10-21-2016, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkslayer132

Get a ghost blind and just sneak up to them while you are behind it. They will never see you coming.

The stalking pod looks interesting for this.

Fur · #13 10-21-2016, 10:45 PM

Did this all of last week and what i found to be the most useful was when they did spook is to follow them into the forest (the area I hunted had nice pine forest) and they generally gave 25-30 yard shots. Not helpful if there is no forest near by though...

reddeerhunter · #14 10-21-2016, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by determined

Won't work every time but with a good strong wind blowing I crawled with my bow to within 5 yards of a buck laying down in the middle of a field.

Mind you when I shot over his back he was gone faster than a cold beer on a hot day.

Nice

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

pottymouth · #15 10-22-2016, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdwarburton

I've listened to a number of outdoor podcasts on spot and stalk mule deer with some of the biggest names in the game (Ulmer, Jason Carter etc) a few tips from that seem to be consistent:
1) Nothing replaces time in the field. Practice stalking and hunting every chance you get...whether it be smaller bucks...does in July or your target buck in Nov nothing replaces time in field
2) Use terrain features no matter how much more difficult it makes the stalk. Be willing to go the extra mile.
3)Wait for conditions to be perfect. Jason Carter talks about being willing to sit on a buck for 30 days until conditions are right to kill him.
Check out the Rich Outdoors for more man I am hopelessly addicted to bowhunting mule deer and if you hang around it long enough it'll get you too!

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Gotta disagree with numero #1.... Why educate bucks?

Practice on other critters out there. #3 is probably the most important in my opinion. I always say, you have one chance, pick a day you know you can kill them....and that goes for any animal....

woodsman205 · #16 10-22-2016, 05:41 AM

300 Win Mag, Great Scope and 190 Grain Nosler ABLR's problem solved, I am too old to crawl!

Lefty-Canuck · #17 10-22-2016, 07:14 AM

Last couple mule deer and elk I have shot have all been on the ground, use the wind and terrain to your advantage. Take your time go slow and methodical, before each of those stalks I felt confident I was going to be successful and I was.

LC

58thecat · #18 10-22-2016, 09:10 AM

Be downwind, down and dirty, slow and patient, get in thier bedroom if you can get past the eyes of the sentries...he stands, you move and draw...exciting but frustrating!

58thecat · #19 10-22-2016, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottymouth

Gotta disagree with numero #1.... Why educate bucks?

Practice on other critters out there. #3 is probably the most important in my opinion. I always say, you have one chance, pick a day you know you can kill them....and that goes for any animal....

Yup if you train them of potential prey threat young they will remember as they age...only the big ones remember...the others are on the wall!

Bigwoodsman · #20 10-22-2016, 09:23 AM

You can call mule deer. Easton used to make a call that I've used with success.

BW

58thecat · #21 10-22-2016, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

You can call mule deer. Easton used to make a call that I've used with success.

BW

True, I have also rattled them in too, fawn bleat also gets them in.

wildalberta · #22 10-23-2016, 12:46 PM

a couple weeks ago i had some extra time from tagging my moose on the 1st day of my allotted 14 days off. i headed out east to try some mule deer stalking in a zone i know quite well from rifle hunting it for 10 years. the conditions were perfect with quite hard winds and yet damp ground. i have been hunting a long time but never really dedicated time to do this. on the first day i ended up less than 15 yards from bucks on 3 different occasions. i did allot of walking and glassing coulee systems. my biggest problem was getting the first as well as biggest buck to stand without busting me. i waited for hours watching his antler tips below me in a coulee at 13 yards and finally got antsy. he was up and gone before i could even hook my release. 2nd deer was a little small and opted to just see how close i could get. it was around being 10 feet directly above him, it was very cool to watch him for a while totally oblivious. the last buck i put some rocks in my pocket and once i got into pisition around the 15 yard mark, i lobed a couple just past him. it actually worked perfect as he came out of the scrub patch right where i wanted him too..... but allot more quartering away than i wanted so didnt take the shot. maybe i was lucky but the weather helped me out allot on that trip. with that wind tho i dont think i wouldve been shooting over 30 yards or less.

beaver hunter · #23 10-23-2016, 01:53 PM

I went out last night, I always seem to get busted by the does as they are always out first and act as the lookout...

Fur · #24 10-23-2016, 04:42 PM

If your lucky enough to have a couple hunting partners put one guy in a blind and two other triangulate them in. Did this before and it worked well. Might have to draw straws to see who gets to be the lucky guy in the blind though...

IronNoggin · #25 10-23-2016, 05:01 PM

Downwind DECOY.
Works for antelope, works for Mulies.

You're Welcome,
Nog