Aspiring mule deer hunter

[Andrew12gauge]

I don’t think you’ll be hunting mule deer in Kansas every other year with a rifle, if I were you I’d plan to hunt Montana nearly every year and try to do Wyoming or Idaho the others. SD may be a good place to start building points too just because of proximity and the points are relatively cheap


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[duckcarver]

Reading and following this thread with interest.

 

[mtodd]

Tip. Get some “Leukotape” for your feet. This helps prevents blisters from forming and stays in place very well.

 

[Rich M]

I didn't read the other replies, so forgive if anything is repetitive. I'm from FL and have been out west 2x.

Mule deer aren't rocket science - you have a background in whitetails that you can apply for muleys. There are similarities. Find the food, find the deer. The deer move early and late - which is when you should be glassing for them. Look for tracks and water. Don't be afraid to park yourself up on a cliff and watch an area with tracks, etc.

So, you get your permit and head out with your trusty 308 - just use the 308. 150 gr bullet is more than enough for a muley. Bring a shooting stick. I shot a 160-inch on my first DIY hunt with a 100 gr 243 bullet. 300-400 yds seems to be a decent max distance. My buck was 220 yards - I was seated on ground, gun up on stick, elbows on knees - steady as a rock. Get a rangefinder if you don't have one already...

I woulda told you a bunch of stuff about glass a couple of years ago. I had $500+ glass and my buddies got $175 binoculars (Leupold McKenzies I think) (10x40mm binoculars). The deer were easier to see with their binoculars. Then I got a Vortex Diamondback scope for a 350 Legend and while it isn't my Leica ER (on the 243), it is good enough for what I do day to day and is good for legal shooting times. Diamondback isn't a bad glass

So get a pair of 10x binoculars. Use em from daylight til about 0900 and from 3 pm til dark. Be where you need to be before daylight! See where the deer are. If you see nothing in 1 day, move. Midday, the deer are bedded and you can still hunt canyons and timber or go scout for tracks & sign - just don't mess up your glassing areas.

We spent 4 or 5 days hunting the hills, valleys, canyons, etc., saw a 2x2 and maybe 12 does for our efforts. Buddy seen a big whitetail buck and does while watching a canyon with a water source. Pretty much, we found it and he camped out on a ridge while I was standing on a finger ridge somewhere else - both of us seen deer, just no muley bucks.

Turned out the deer were in the sage brush. After that was figured, we saw lotsa deer. Think it was day 4 I saw a handful and buddy 300 yds over a ridge saw the motherload including the buck I ultimately shot. Day 5 it snowed and we did our own things - sat in an area that evening and had 2 does and 2x2 walk up to us. Day 6 we went out for evening hunt, set up 200 yds apart. I watched a herd of deer walk across a hillside and turn to feed about 600 yds out front. They got spooked by something and moved to 400 yds, then again to 200. Shot him at 220. Buddy who was 200 yds behind me did not see a deer at all - crazy how the folds in the land hide stuff. Day 7 he had a gorgeous 3x3 at 150 yds but didn't connect. Day 8 He same on a 2x2 at 80-100 yds and called it a fun trip. He didn't want to hunt day 9 and be rushing around for check station stuff the morning of his flight on day 10. Was it dumb luck? Not exactly, but we coulda done better if we had glassed more. Just kept covering ground looking for deer or sign.

I have a big pack and used it cause everyone said you have to. Got tired of lugging it around and used a lumbar pack I prefer - will leave big pack at home from here on out. Tailor your stuff to where you are hunting and how far you'll be from the truck at sundown. If you feel better setting up camp you'll need a fire starter and a smaller tarp - I think mine is 5x7. Used it in the rain once. Very handy.

Boots. You'll be walking a bit - 800 seems heavy but maybe you'll be there late season. I run 400 gr with cabelas ultimax socks. Has been good to me. Get a comfy boot with good support.

I found layers to be more important than jackets and stuff - a breathable raincoat is my outer layer. Fleece and synthetic or wool long johns beneath that. Good gloves, beanie for head. I did carry a change of socks but never changed em.

That's about it. Take my stuff with a grain of salt.

Did an antelope hunt and found a nice muley buck, shot 2 speed goats. Did the muley hunt in a diff state and found some deer. If I can do it, it's not rocket science. Find the food sources, find the deer. Practice w your rifle enough so that you won't miss any shots and go have fun.

Good luck.

 

[TheGDog]

Echo'ing what this gentleman says, the terrain will also dictate how you can hunt that area. Area I mostly focus on is very thick all around... except for some area that passes by the back of some private. So I get in before sun up. Set up to be comfortable for a looooong sit. Put on the leafy gear, take out anything I think I might wanna reach for to drink. Set out my rangefinder, binos, sticks and have weapon on lap whole time very ready to go. If think I hear something approaching, or see something approaching, carefully take off safety silently. It's a place where some trail lines criss-cross. And while bucks seem to usually come by after dark per the trailcams... sometimes they'll come by early in the am. There's this gullie in front of me, and I put dead-fall at a spot in front of my sit to force them to have to come out of it if they are in it. One side of the gullie has a steeper wall, so they usually go this other way which leads them around a tree, where they usually will stoponce they've cleared it to make sure they don't see anything, before they proceed again, which gives me a shot opportunity. It's a numbers game though. I have to put in a lot of days there just to have a single opportunity. But the opportunity is very close in range, from 25 to 60yds tops. So the key is just to be ready at all times.

Sometimes have luck using a grunt call doing extremely short brief grunts. Single syllable. Just two, maybe 1 second part from each other. With a "Hey... anybody there? Just checkin'" tone about them. Then just waiting 15-30min before do again. Doesn't work, until it does. But I'll usually only try it after a couple days have passed.

Can't stress it enough about staying out until complete end of light. And getting in there BEFORE light begins.

 

[EdP]

Let me address the pack issue. The more expensive packs definitely make packing heavier loads easier, but with the loads you are talking about it's worth further consideration. If you are a big, young, strong guy, you don't need a high end pack to do the job. In my case, at 66, fit but only 5'8" and 150 lbs, my MR Beartooth lets me backpack a heavier load than I have ever been able to handle. It was expensive though, and mayby not what you need at this point.

 

[highcountrymuley]

kelty frame pack is a good pack. I use a similar styled no frills Slumberjack frame pack. 60 L rei bag will fit quarters in it. cotton Allen game bags from wal mart, pillow cases will work too! Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binocs (usually can be found at around $220 on sale). Halo rangefinder $100. don't bother with tripod, it is a bitch to carry. i use a walking stick about head high to steady binos when standing, use your knees while sitting. i think you will be fine sleeping in truck, don't let the pansies tell you otherwise... watch the weather and be smart. your guns will work out west. Get good boots and break them in before the hunt. Polypropene liners and smartwool or darn tough socks. face gaiter and gloves for the wind. go hunt

 

[ffben]

Also being from WI and having my first trip out west a few years ago. One of my biggest takeaways is having good optics. I went with the Razor hd 10x42. WI company, not top of the line but a good middle ground. Couldn’t be happier with them.