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Mule Deer Questions

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Mule Deer Questions

Postby Emberglo » 10 06, 2015 •  [Post 1]

So, for you guys that read my intro thread, I'm new to hunting and don't have anyone to teach me. So, I've spent several years trying to teach myself. But, when I go out, I'm not even seeing deer. Which leads me to believe that I don't know at all what I'm doing or where to look. I've been hunting in the Boise River WMA, in the cotton wood creek area, North of Idaho City near forest service road 384, and near Grimes Creek.

Can you guys explain what kind of habitat I should be looking for to find deer? I've tried everything from dense timber to desert. If you guys could recommend someplace to check on a map (like google earth) or to drive/hike to to see good mule deer habitat, I'd really appreciate it.

I've mostly been just parking and hiking as far from the road as I can. I think I'm either in the wrong spot or just spooking deer before I see them. I'd really like to at least see some deer. Shooting a buck would be nice as well, but not as important to me as learning how to do this. I think this year, I think I need to spend more time glassing but knowing what to look for would be good. haha

The goal is to find some areas I could hunt around my work schedule (either near Nampa or Boise, Idaho), and possibly venture out a little further from town on the weekends.

I do really appreciate any advice you can offer!
-Ryan
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Re: Mule Deer Questions

Postby GobbleFarmer » 10 06, 2015 •  [Post 2]

Look for areas with food, water and some sort of cover, if you find an area like this then you should find deer. Food being whatever kind of plants, grasses and forbs the deer eat in Idaho, look for what is highly digestible to deer, Google may help with this, but when you can scout around look for vegetation that has been browsed on and find areas that have a lot of browse pressure(if you can). Generally the closer to a water source the better the forage will be for the deer, and they can get a drink when needed. Cover is most likely thick woods, the thicker the better, even brier areas, they are looking to be in an area that nothing else particularly wants to be in, they feel safe and secluded- they don't really want to be out in the open all the time, if at all. When you say glassing it makes me think open country, are you hunting in really open country? If you are spooking deer before you see them, you should be able to hear them, try to look as far away as possibly and never stop scanning the area, as you may end up accidentally sneaking up on a deer, so be ready. summer patterns are different then winter patterns, because they are now trying to avoid people and there is less food. in the rut generally there is no pattern - bucks running everywhere chasing the doe's all over tarnation!

I hope this helps, its kinda a long post but it looks like you can use as much help as possible. I don't hunt mulies, but I do hunt whitetails, and they have the same requirements to stay alive. ;)
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ~ Benjamin Franklin.
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Re: Mule Deer Questions

Postby powderhogg01 » 10 07, 2015 •  [Post 3]

the mule deer is my favorite game species to hunt! I hope I may be able to help shed some light on your situation. Mule deer tend to behave a lot like elk, they will be up high. If you are looking for bucks, look even higher. What it comes down to is mule deer will live in 2 zones on the mountain. Younger bucks and doe will often be low, where there is more feed. The bigger bucks and mature does will move up high. They do this for a number of reasons, in my experience the biggest being the bugs trying to eat the velvet.. get up high into the winds and the bugs are not an issue.. thats where you find big bucks.
Mule deer like to feed on the fringe terrain, we are talking about where 2 types of plants meet, an example is where the aspens meet the pines. These area provide a larger variety for the deer to feed on, and variety is the spice of life to a deer. Muleys like whitetail are also creatures of habit, they tend to do the same things in the same places everyday, so if hunting pressure is light, sit back and spend a day watching them from a high up glassing spot.
Glassing up muleys can be a trick, it is easiest done in the morning and evenings when they are moving, during the mid day you will need to hunker down and look over eveything, higher power spotting scopes are recommended for this as you will be looking for a deer part, not a whole animal. Many a time I have put a stalk in on a deer who I only saw an antler at 1000 yards. Once you have them in their bed be fast to get above them and slowly work into range.
Deer have an incredible nose and set of ears.. those you will not beat.. do your best to keep good wind, when moving through thicker stuff I always still hunt. move slow and look through the trees in order to once again catch a glimpse of a part of a deer.
Mule deer have an incredible curiosity, so if you jump some just freeze, chances are that if they did not smell you, they will stop within range to check to see if what they thought they heard or saw is following, if not they may circle around and try to wind you, giving you a chance for a shot.
Mule deer also migrate.. something to consider for late hunts.. finding out where they move to and when is a great tactic.
There is a lot to learn about mule deer, and it surely takes a lot of patience. The most effective method for me is to learn an area, and still hunt it. I will usually go in early and clear a game trail of noise makers, I will link trails and form a loop that is a few miles long. I will start at first light and just move slowly through the trees, peering between every tree. Take pauses when your spider senses tingle and just sit and watch. You really want the deer to be moving into you, not the other way around! good luck and feel free to pm me if you have more questions
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Re: Mule Deer Questions

Postby Emberglo » 10 09, 2015 •  [Post 4]

Thank you guys, very much!

I'm sneaking out for a few hours after work tomorrow (season opener) to do some evening glassing. Will try and be up high.
-Ryan
Emberglo
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Joined: 08 09, 2015
Location: Boise, ID

Re: Mule Deer Questions

Postby powderhogg01 » 10 10, 2015 •  [Post 5]

you really want to find a spot with the best view of the most terrain. Glass over the entire area real quick, start with whats closest to you and work up and away from you. You will be surprised what might be within range that you do not know about. Once you have covered the mountain once just briefly looking things over, looking for obvious deer or elk, switch techniques and break the mountain into quadrants and cover each quadrant as closey as possible. this is where quality spotting scope comes in handy, allowing you to verify that a branch is a branch and not an antler.
If you do not see anything when you first get there, keep looking until dark. This may just give you that glimpse you need to narrow your search down for the next day, creatures of habit tend to use the same trails around the same times.
Keep an eye out for magpies, they will hang out near bedded deer herds, as they love eating the ticks off the deer while the deer sleep. If you see some magpies dropping to the ground then flying a few feet up then dropping down again there is a good chance they are either on a kill or a live deer, and I cant tell you how many deer I found just because of those danged magpies.
Once you locate an animal you wish to go after take your time and get as downwind as possible. Unlike elk, mule deer will not often cover huge amounts of terrain real quick, so usually once you spot them, you have a short while to get into a spot and get set up. Spot and stalk is very fun, though potentially less effective as finding where they are and their habits and still hunting through where they will be traveling through.
check out a few books, one I really like is by sam curtis titled the complete guide to mule deer hunting. He goes over a lot of info, but does it in a very readable way. good luck out there buddy, let us know how the scouting goes
powderhogg01
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