Georgia Boy

dawgcountry · Post by **dawgcountry** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 10:18 am

Hey guys, i'm brand new to this site and more so to Mule deer hunting. I recently got invited to go to Wyoming (region 9, i think) to hunt muleys and pronghorns. From what i can gather seeing antelope shouldn't be too hard (hitting em' might be a different story cuz we just don't have shots or terrain like that down here). Now Mule deer are different. I've seen videos but c'mon it's a video. The family friend that is taking me has been going for 14 yrs and has had some success with Mule deer but not consistently. It is all private land, i think in all it's like 20k acres. The best part it's free, well almost have to work the ranch for a couple of days proceeding. I'm an avid hunter and to my credit have killed my share of mature whitetails. I think i exhibit aat least decent woodsmanship. However iknow how to scout in the southeast for animals i've been hunting and chasing for over 15 years but out there it's a whole new ballgame. And i am man enough to admit i need help. Where do i begin???? Thanks for any tips, refrences, advice, or concerns. :?: :?: :?

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 7:30 am

Dawgcountry,

Welcome aboard, good to have you join us. Glad to see and here from an Eastern primarily whitetail hunter. As far as Wyoming goes I'm not much help there, simply haven't hunting the state. But yes antelope are generally easier to spot and shoot. For the most part they roam in in open areas and don't stick to trees, etc. like mule deer. Plus they can be seen during the middle of the afternoon.

Mule deer are definitley tougher, are you looking for a trophy class buck or just bagging a buck? Getting a mule deer shouldn't be tough, but harvesting a nice big buck might be real tough. Don't know the ranch you will be hunting, but anyone that gets a chanceto work for a couple of days and then hunt for free sounds like a steal to me. Good luck, hope you enjoy!

dawgcountry · Post by **dawgcountry** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 8:59 am

thanks for responding, IT's kinda odd, here in Georgia, i can walk into a new tract of land an within the afternoon i can locate an area i feel confident with. I've never been to Wyoming much less hunted there or for Muley's in general. In all honesty bein my first mule deer hunt i'm looking for a personal trophy. i'm not specifically looking for an 5 1/2 year old mature buck, don't get me wrong i mean who wouldn't bust a true trophy, but a nice 130+ is a good goal. I' m assuming they score the same as whitetail. I'm just looking foward to the new land and the new challenge, i'm sure it'll be a great trip even if i don't squeeze one off. What's the deal with the whole tree thing. Here it's primarily large hardwoods and tall pines. From what my friend is telling me trees are few and far between where we're going. He told me to leave the climber in Ga. From his account the few stands of cottonwoods that are around hold the whitetails. So i think it's gonna be a total "hunting culture shock" for me. Do they pattern as well as whitetails?? I take it that they move primarily in the early a.m. and late p.m.?? Do i need any scents or "a gotta have call"? Thanks..... btw i'm carrying a 7mm mag and a .243, i'm thinking this should be sufficient for muley's and the antelope! thanks, Todd

Post by **BOHNTR** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 12:23 pm

dawgcountry:

Most of my wife's family is from that part of the country (Wyoming) so I've have the opportunity to venture there quite a bit. As with most mule deer hunting, they have great eyesight, decent nose, and probably the BEST hearing of all the deer family. Generally, scents, rattling, decoys, and all those things used successfully to hunt whitetails are far less effective on mule deer. Your best piece of equipment is above average optics including a spotting scope, a high vantage point, and lots of patience. Let you eyes do the walking in open country mule deer hunting.

Now I only hunt critters with a bow, but the techniques are very similar for rifle hunters. I tend to glass them form a vantage point, find the one I want, put him to bed, and stalk in from the downwind position. Now I obviously need to get a lot closer than most folks, so your stalk may be shorter than mine.

If your hunting partner has already been there and knows where the deer are, you should be in for a good hunt as long as you can make the shot. Which brings up the next point.

Out west, especially Wyoming, it is big country with shots ranging FAR longer than those in the east. If you have not already done so, you should practice for shots at and beyond 200 yards. You will know your own capabilities after you've completed your practice sessions. Just stay within those guidelines, wish for a little luck, and you should be successful.

Wyoming is a beautiful state, which I will retire in when eligible. It's still wild, free, and in most areas untamed. I hope this information helps you a little. Good luck on your hunt, but most of all have a good time!

BOHNTR )))--------------->

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:59 pm

Dawgcountry,

If your rifle hunting only, then you probably won't need any scents. The 7mm is definitely enough for deer and antelope. 243 will do the job also. And yep you can just leave the stand home, won't come in handy to much on a rifle hunt.
As far as the call goes, you won't need any either. Pretty tough to call a mule deer in, you can sometimes stop then by using a grunt when they are on the move.
Yes they move primarily in the AM and PM, hopefully your buddy knows what's best at your location.

BOHNTR gave some excellent advice and is very experienced.

dawgcountry · Post by **dawgcountry** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 7:42 am

thanks guys for the replys, as you can guess the new challenge opens many questions. I figured calls and scents would be rather useless out there, if for no more reason than the wide open aried country. In georgia these things can help ut everything is already within 200 yards when you see it and the close quaters with intense ruts makes a pretty good combination. i don't believe too highly in them but they haven't hurt my hunting yet. I've got the rifles covered and the optics covered. I've got all my gear covered (I THINK). I have one question that i didn't read an answer for that i might have read over or something, but do the muley's and antelope for that matter pattern well. Whitetails pattern as well or better than turkeys, you find the bedroom and the kitchen and seeing deer is easy. then again i know most of the primary food sources for whitetail here in this region but with muley's do they follow the same trends??

dawgcountry · Post by **dawgcountry** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 8:42 am

I've read dozens of other post and you two seem to be very knowledgeable and informative but probably more importantly, experienced. I wanna say thanks for the info ya'll have already shared, In my planning and forming of my itinerary i've realized that with all the gear i've accumalated i don't know if the clothing i have is what i need. Here we use dense forest patterns, is camo necessary, if so what patterns. Is upland bird hunting attire better suited? Also in reference to my last post do muley's pattern like whitetails. Honestly i do appreciate the info your sharing with a newbie. I'm 25 yrs old with a few quality whitetails to my name but the oppurtunity to go west and hunt new quarry is unbelievable. I'm getting married in December and just bought a house and all the things that come along with getting started limits me on being able to pay premium prices for premium bucks, but i've hunted enough to know that with proper scouting and doing your homework it can be done without a guide. This might be more info than anyone cares to know but i think at my age and place in life i'm doing ok, i mean i don't know many of my friends that are able to do the things i do. I'm just thankful. TODD

Post by **BOHNTR** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:05 am

dawgcountry:

I'm glad we could help. I've been very fortunate in my bowhunting endeavors, but believe me I've had A LOT of negatives too. That's what keeps me coming back!

Again, since I only bowhunt I use camouflage exclusively. There are several good patterns that work well and I've tried probably all of them. In my opinion, Predator blends in the best for ALL types of terrain out west. Some may argue that camouflage is not as critical for rifle hunters. However, it can only improve your odds of blending in and should not disable you. Wear something lighter (pattern) is possible. The dark blends (Mossy Oak, Realtree, etc.) tend to make you look like a dark object at a far distance out west.

Patterning mule deer is extremely difficult compared to say a whitetail. The only "somewhat" way to pattern them that I've seen is say an agricultural field as a food source. However, mule deer are browsers and maintain a diet on bitterbrush (cliffrose), sage, aspen leaves (summer), and a few other mountainous plants. If you can find patches of sage mixed with bitterbrush, you will generally find deer. Your best bet is to get high, and glass. Good luck

BOHNTR )))-------------->

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 8:44 am

Hey,

How did your hunts go? Did you end up getting a mule deer or pronghorn? Fill us in on the details if you did.