Mulies and water.
09-09-2010, 07:45 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: 30 miles from park city UT on 1,500 acres.
Posts: 884
Mulies and water.
Do mulies go to water only in the evenings and mornings? Or do they visit water sources through out the day? I am gonna hunt a water source this week. Should I stay all day or would I be wasting my time? 
09-09-2010, 08:49 AM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
If it is hot hunting around water is a smart move for all large animals. Most movement though will usually be at either end of the day. I thought you were a guide????
Last edited by Champlain Islander; 09-09-2010 at 08:53 AM.
09-09-2010, 09:23 AM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
I would hang out there during grey light then as the sun rises I would get on a high position and try to spot them going to a bedding place in the shade. When they go down you can try to stalk in for a closer shot for when they get back up. I have found they will bed right in the shade of even a single tree or bush. Where I hunt the mulies are usually down lower in the sage flats and the elk are usually much higher. But my hunting is more of a arid dry semi desert location than where you are.
09-09-2010, 11:54 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320
The CDOW put out an article a couple years back clearly stating that mule deer can avoid actual water for more than two weeks and at times get the majority of their liquid intake from what they eat. I'll see if I can't locate it or a link to it. We hunt the open and very dry prairie so this would be common in our area.
With that being said if they are accustomed to a water source and frequent it they no doubt have a schedule. I'd say early morning....just from regular observations.
With that being said if they are accustomed to a water source and frequent it they no doubt have a schedule. I'd say early morning....just from regular observations.
09-09-2010, 04:19 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,832
The CDOW put out an article a couple years back clearly stating that mule deer can avoid actual water for more than two weeks and at times get the majority of their liquid intake from what they eat. I'll see if I can't locate it or a link to it. We hunt the open and very dry prairie so this would be common in our area.
With that being said if they are accustomed to a water source and frequent it they no doubt have a schedule. I'd say early morning....just from regular observations.
With that being said if they are accustomed to a water source and frequent it they no doubt have a schedule. I'd say early morning....just from regular observations.
Water source is near the bottem of my list when I choose areas to hunt these animals.
09-13-2010, 08:48 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cedar Valley Utah
Posts: 977
Yes it's true that muleys can go quite a while without water. Couple that with the lush green vegetation in Utah right now and all the water we've had in the late summer and hunting a water source may not be the best choice.
When it's hot and dry it can produce good results though.
When it's hot and dry it can produce good results though.
09-15-2010, 02:24 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: orygun
Posts: 379
remember,mulies usually bed on the south side and will eat on the northside of a hill ridge ect.early morning and dusk is when they usually water,they travel alot more than whitetails and are hard to predict.im gonna make it over to utah someday
09-20-2010, 10:49 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: West NE
Posts: 1,455
There's no telling without your own observation. Where I usually hunt near my home, the only water sources are sparse cattle tanks, the climate is quite dry, and I've yet to see a single deer drink from them- then again, I pay little mind to the tanks and perhaps I miss them on the rare occasion that they do. They favor the greener vegetation in the draws between hills, and that is where I focus my attention. Spotting them is the hard part, as brush can provide significant cover, but the good thing about mule deer country is the hills can be a huge advantage to sneaking up on them once spotted.
Bottom line: observation is key. You may note that water sources are fairly active, whether by seeing the deer or noting tracks. Or your deer may be like the ones I hunt and they stick to the draws and cover.
Bottom line: observation is key. You may note that water sources are fairly active, whether by seeing the deer or noting tracks. Or your deer may be like the ones I hunt and they stick to the draws and cover.
