trophy mule deer hunters - can you gie me any tips ?

[datamax]

I've applied for and will almost certainly get my high country Colorado mule deer tag for this fall - rifle. This will be an early September hunt, wilderness, 7 miles from a road, probably 11,000 feet and above. Glassing is NOT my forte but I did buy a really nice Leupold spotting scope just for this. I may or may not have llamas for this trip - likely I'll just backpack in, hunt and out. My rifle is a .270 Browning Abolt with a 3x9 scope.

Not my first time in the Colorado mtns by any means, I've got aboute 10 years of elk hunting under my belt. But big mule deer ? A bit different game I think. I'll be hunting in the Maroon Bells wilderness area.

Any tips guys ? I've waited for a decade to go on this hunt - I'll be in shape and I have the camping stuff all lined out. My goal is a 180" buck or better

[RandyA]

Get a good pair of bino's and use them. Then use the spotting scope to determine if you need to get closer. Much less eye strain with bino's versus using a spotting scope all day.

[charlie brown]

My advice would be to use your glass more than your feet. Sit where you have a good view, and examine every single brush pile, tree, and sagebrush, to make absolutely sure there is nothing there. In September, the deer, especially the larger bucks, will most likely be in bacehlor groups. Take another thing into account. Bucks didn't get big being stupid, so don't shoot the first one you see.
I know of several people who have shot respectable 24" 4 pt bucks and have larger ones walk right on out soon after the shot. To date, my largest buck is the one in my profile pic, and I have gone a full 3 seasons without pulling the trigger (waiting for a larger buck). I have seen decent bucks, but have just not had the time to study one buck enough and make a decent stock without being busted. Kinda works out like that when you can only hunt for a day or two, and I prefer to hunt in the high country also. The one in my profile pic was sitting perfectly still in what seemed like a TINY depression, probably 600-700 yards away. I took off about 1/4 mile north, then 1/4 up the mountain, the started to work my way back south and up the mountain again towards the buck. I connected at less than 100 yds. And that depression was more like a small draw, probably 200 yards wide, and a good 30-40 feet deep. The only way we saw the buck, was a tip of his antler. He didn't move for several minutes, then simply twitched his ear, and tilted his head just a tad to let us know he was there, and the stock was on.

Good luck on drawing and the hunt!!!

[gotlost]

Make glassing your forte, Start using them now, learn to look for small things that seem out of place. I would even go if you aren't going to glass!

[Wolf killer]

Pick up Mike Eastmans book, Hunting High Country Mule Deer. Mike also has videos out for your viewing pleasure. I would recommend arriving a few day early just to scout before your hunt. Pick a spot with some cover to hide behind. Sitdown & glass, all day. This is a boring but productive way to hunt big mule deer bucks.
You can look up Mike Eastmans Videos & books at www.eastmans.com

Good Luck,

WK

[Elkcrazy8]

Great advice so far. That early in the season the big boys will be bedded almost all day and in the most inconspicuos places. They usually won't move much in the day until the rut is on, and then will still be laying low for a part of the day. I have seen and killed some large mulie bucks that were laying in depressions as was spoken of. Where I hunt I look for the collechee(spelling) soil as the big bucks seem to be drawn to it so it narrows my search area down a bit. If you are looking for a great large mule deer and don't draw as you hope. I would look towards some of the later archery migration hunts that typically fall during the rut. The big boys are on the move big time then, and your chances of bagging a wall hanger are greatly increased. Good luck on your draw and have fun glassing for the big un.

[gotlost]

As a after thought, try taking up bird watching I know it may sound funny but you'll spend time with you binoc. and when you ID birds it teaches you to look closer at things.

[huntnmuleys]

another publication you may want to check out is muley crazy magazine. lots of great info in there.

i know its been said a bunch, but buy the best binoculars you can afford, and practice with them allot. make sure your boots are broke in realy well too.

other big thing with muleys, dont go after them right when ya spot them, take soem time and see what there gonna do. try to get a feel if the buck is in a hurry, looking to bed, whatever.
drink as much water as possible.

good luck, muleys are the bomb
brad

[NVMIKE]

get some good bino's and an aluminum tripod. never skyline yourself, stalk everywhere you go, even when you dont think there is a buck in the area, they'll surprise you. they also like to bed where they have several escape routes, just below the crests, usually in a sadle where they can drop into several drainages with a short run. Also they can and do hide in some pretty tiny bushes, bushes you wouldnt believe would coneal a squirrel, let alone a big mulie. glass, glass, glass.

[BareBack Jack]

Watch and glass the end of coulee's,canyons and rock walls.Big bucks like to get high and look out on below.Use the timber and creek beds to break up you movement and don't glass into the sun,you will give off location and glare and they will watch that spot cause it is out of normal.

If you find a bunch of does and little bucks look higher or farther back.

Look at alot of big bucks and know what you wan't,you might jump a big'un and have to make a choice at 40 yds,shoot or don't shoot.If you catch a good buck on the edge of a canyon,coulee or breaks.Don't gauk,get you gun up and take a look thru you scope don't judge with your bino's up,cause in a blink he could be gone and out of sight.
I have alot of guys make this mistake,also big bucks like the sunny side of the mountain when they can catch the sun rays and bask.
BBJ