NOT WHERE BUT HOW?

[deerhuntenokie]

Fellow hunters, I know better than to ask about your favorite hunting spots but thought that some of you might share your knowledge on Mule Deer behavoir. I am hoping to draw a 3rd season tag this year and would like your advice on how to hunt should I get it. I think that Nov. 6-14 is a little early to hunt doe groups but wasn't sure. I have heard that the biggest bucks stay in the high country until the snow pushes them down just to have someone else tell me that instinct causes them to move down by that late in the year. Do I hunt up into the edge of the snow line, if there is any snow, get as high as i can get, check the high ground just up from where doe groups are hanging out or stick to the timber. Would love to hear your opinions. Thanks

[Sniper1]

Im not so sure about that late in the year and how others think but i hunt high.. when i say high i mean as high as i can get in them most rugged steep rocky country i can find where you know not to many will be.... Sit down and glass for a while something will come out.... In fact went up saturday to a spot i hunt and made it as far as i could get but eventually the two and half feet of snow slowed me down enough to make me turn around.

[Loafer]

Too soon to tell. Being that your hunt is late in the year the weather should play a big role in where you will hunt. Last year on the third hunt the weather was cold then hot, we started high then went low and ended up in the middle. Weather also effects pre rut activity, the third hunt is a week later this year so I think you will see activity around the does. Start somewhere, move till you find them and do tons of glassing in between.

[SUBOY]

What unit u put in for?

[MuleyMadness]

I assume your talking CO here, never hunted there but it's not as much the snow that will push them down, it's more freezing temperatures or frost that will freeze there food sources that will push them down. Deer could be at all levels in your unit, I'd start high probably and work my way down until I find them.

[deerhuntenokie]

We put in for 44 for our first choice, Colorado that is, and went with unit 18 as a possible second choice. Just hoping to go hunting. When do the big boys start thinking about the ladies. I would really like to hunt them during the rut but we only had 6 points and not even sure if we can get a unit 44 3rd season tag. Hunted up by Marble Co a few years back. The first few days we were there we saw loads of deer but had a 3 day snow storm come in and couldn't find a deer after that so it appeared to me that the snow depth had a big effect on deer location.

[waynedevore]

Seems to me that the peak of the Muley rut is 20-25th. Yeah the bucks will follow the does, if the does move lower the bucks will follow. Thing is, deer will cover lot of ground. Move a few miles pretty easy and hunting pressure will send them back to the rough or high stuff.

[stillhunterman]

Yeah, the bucks will follow the ladies when the rut begins, but it is amazing how much snow the big boys will take before moving out of the high country. Once the food supply gets too covered or frozen they will begin to drop down, but they will still be on the outer fringe of the rest of the herd (smaller bucks and ladies). Good luck to you!

[deerhuntenokie]

What is the deepest snow you can remember ever seeing a big buck feed in. I have heard that because they are browsers and elk are grazers, they can actually feed in deeper snow than the elk will.

[waynedevore]

In areas where there is plentiful browse plants that are higher and easy for the deer to get at. Mulies have no problem knee deep or even deeper.
So often during the first heavy snows the ground is still warm enough to melt it. Those South facing slopes will thaw bare spots quit fast especially with a little sunshine. While there is 2 ft of snow in the timber and North slopes.
I think there are plenty of areas that deer will stay put in higher elevations until the severe weather of Dec or Jan.