Mule Deer in rut
Sawtoothsteve
1/13/12 10:41pm
Muley MadHatters;
Hello to the forum. I am a newby and just found this site today. I am looking for advice on how to harvest a P&Y quality deer with a bow. I have had success with Elk so far, but the Mule Deer have eluded me.
I have been archery hunting Mule Deer during the rut for 5 seasons now and have hit a wall that I'm hoping some with experience can help with. The situation is that I have been seeing some great bucks every year, and have even closed to within 60 yards on some real wall-hangers, but the problem has been not being able to get close enough to seal the deal. What I have found is the bucks are always moving. When I have spotted and the stalked a deer, most times I am not getting close enough for a shot because the buck is chasing a doe, not because I have been seen or smelled. Other times, I am spotting from a distance, but the deer don't stay in place long enough to stalk. I have actually watched buck fight, follow a doe's tail end for over a mile in less than 10 minutes (I am in generally good condition for this type hunting, but getting in front of a buck moving like this for an ambush is physically impractical for me unless it is just luck), and generally just had a great time watching/observing the deer, but not harvesting. Hunter competition has not been an issue for pushing the deer either as I have been bivy hunting about 4000 vertical feet up from any trail/road and have only seen one hunter - a friend I brought along. I have tried rattling with no luck, but have not tried blind hunting which would have to be a natural blind as it would not be practical to take a blind into the area I hunt. Topography is mixed brush, pine, and steep open country. I have snow about half the time, and the weather is usually cool to cold (as low as 4 and up to 45 degrees F). The only item not tried that I can think of is the timing of when I go. Due to work schedule, I have been generally on the early side of the rut and maybe the does are more willing/stationary a week or two later? I am looking for any advice or repeatable success tactics for hunting our beloved muleys in the rut with a bow.
Sawtoothsteve
Hello to the forum. I am a newby and just found this site today. I am looking for advice on how to harvest a P&Y quality deer with a bow. I have had success with Elk so far, but the Mule Deer have eluded me.
I have been archery hunting Mule Deer during the rut for 5 seasons now and have hit a wall that I'm hoping some with experience can help with. The situation is that I have been seeing some great bucks every year, and have even closed to within 60 yards on some real wall-hangers, but the problem has been not being able to get close enough to seal the deal. What I have found is the bucks are always moving. When I have spotted and the stalked a deer, most times I am not getting close enough for a shot because the buck is chasing a doe, not because I have been seen or smelled. Other times, I am spotting from a distance, but the deer don't stay in place long enough to stalk. I have actually watched buck fight, follow a doe's tail end for over a mile in less than 10 minutes (I am in generally good condition for this type hunting, but getting in front of a buck moving like this for an ambush is physically impractical for me unless it is just luck), and generally just had a great time watching/observing the deer, but not harvesting. Hunter competition has not been an issue for pushing the deer either as I have been bivy hunting about 4000 vertical feet up from any trail/road and have only seen one hunter - a friend I brought along. I have tried rattling with no luck, but have not tried blind hunting which would have to be a natural blind as it would not be practical to take a blind into the area I hunt. Topography is mixed brush, pine, and steep open country. I have snow about half the time, and the weather is usually cool to cold (as low as 4 and up to 45 degrees F). The only item not tried that I can think of is the timing of when I go. Due to work schedule, I have been generally on the early side of the rut and maybe the does are more willing/stationary a week or two later? I am looking for any advice or repeatable success tactics for hunting our beloved muleys in the rut with a bow.
Sawtoothsteve
1,176
JBird
1/16/12 3:56pm
Well welcome to the forum. I don't know if I'll be much help but around here in the rur it is pretty dry so we do alot of sitting and or hunting around the water, but I don't think you have that problem. Just keep at it and try to get out in front or get to a spot where you know they will be and wait. Keep at it and you'll arrow one soon. Sounds like fun either way.
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