noway

What technique would you use for hunting big high country muley bucks?
Would you prefer to sit on one likely looking basin and glass it for hours or would you prefer to glass a basin for 20 minutes or so and if seeing nothing hurry to the next basin and look there and keep covering country until you find one?

I am talking the high country 8,000 feet plus, timberline and above normally pretty open country.
This would be hunting country you have not had the luxury of preseason scouting to actual know where the big boys are hanging out.

ColoradoBulls

In the early AM, Glass and move, Glass and move then after the sun gets high, spend more time glassing basins looking at likely bedding areas.....

cherokee_outfitters

Glassing in the am like Colorado bulls said and move on. Don't be surprised if you do move on and come back to the same basin and see a bigger buck. The timber line buck is pretty smart on the way he uses his feeding and bedding areas. And especially the way he uses the smaller bucks as decoys. The big muley will feed real early and bed down fast. While the smaller bucks around him will feed and mill around. The smaller bucks not be as wise act as security for the bigger one and they have no clue they are even doing it.

If your not at the basin at first seeing light, I don't mean daylight but the grey zone of light you may not even get to see the big buck if you wait till daylight to start spotting.

You can find these bucks up in the rocks out of the vegetation laying in the rocks alot. Mighty fine bedding area for a single monster mulie while having cover and camoflauge no body's looking for him up there. I've stalked alot of bucks laying in boulders.

No1 thing to do after spotting him is let him bed down. Also if he's with other bucks as usually let them bed down also. You'll have about 45mins to an hour to make the stalk before the smaller bucks will get up and mill around again. Sometimes not even that much time. Watch where the smaller bucks bed down. While you have to know exactly where your buck is you have to watch those smaller bucks. They will be the ones that bust you.

When you get into rifle range and are busted find a good rest and wait it out. What usually happens is the smaller buck will stare you down until he's for sure certain this is not a good situation for him. Alot of times even if the smaller buck bolts the big buck will continue to lay right where he is unless its alot of comotion. And other times he'll stand up and see whats going on. Perfect time to put a bead on him.

Timber line bucks are so much fun to hunt. Just remember to be very patient on stalking. If it takes all day to get in position it takes all day.

Last year I took a client on a 800yd belly crawl across a flat bench and in the end we got a nice mulie buck. The stalk took probally 2 1/2 hours to get in position. And yes the smaller buck busted us about 75yards away. We waited it out and when the smaller buck took off the bigger one stood up about 10min later. I'm just glad it was a muzzleloader buck not a bow hunt that time.

BareBack Jack

I like to hunt them when the snow is deep and they are moving down from the high country this is when I glass the sunny side of the riges when they are basking in the sun.

Also in they early to mid morrning,look for them under ridges were they can see a long ways and watch to see who is coming.Also don't forget the rut,these big boys get stupid when the does come in heat and you can get some easy stalks on them when they are rutting.

Wolf killer

I will tell you how I do it. I am not saying I am doing it the right way or the only way, but this way works for me. I should also say I only hunt mule deer after I have killed my elk. This allows me to dedicate 100% of my time for deer hunting.
I will get into position well before daylight & start glassing a basin. I will stay there hidden in the background in good cover all day. I take a good spotting scope & 10x50 binos with me and just sit there and glass until its too dark to see. This has been the most productive way for me to hunt mule deer. You will need to bring a lunch, snacks & water. This can be non-productive & boring at times. If you have the time to hunt like this you will spook fewer deer. During Montana's 11-week long hunting seasons, 6-weeks archery & 5-weeks rifle. I have a total of 7-weeks off. This allows me the extra time I want & need to hunt this way. If I waste a few days hunting this way it will not hurt me because I have time on my side.

rather_be_huntin

I would hunt a new area different than an area I knew well. Big mule deer bucks can dig in deeper than ticks on a bloodhound. So I usually glass for at least 2 hours before I get up and move but I usually stay about 4. Buts thats an area I know.

If I didn't know the area I would try to find where the does are hanging. We all know how to do that, glass for 15-20 and move on. The big bucks probably won't be with the does but you can kind of get a general idea. Especially if its a drought year this will give a great indication of general areas. Once I find the does I dial in a little more. I'll go a ridge or two further from the nearest road and glass for at least 2 hours and then maybe move to another spot for another hour in the AM. If nothing shows up then I would start walking ridgelines stopping every little while to glass hillsides. Stop for lunch (in my daypack) and a nap. In the PM I would again glass for long periods of time depending on sign and "good-looking" areas I found while walking during the day.

James B

I will glass a meadow in the AM and again in the PM. In dry years or warm weather, staking out water holes may be the best method of all through the day.