Best week to hunt mule deer

[bergie]

Let's say you have a tag in the Rocky Mountain portions of Montana/Idaho/Wyoming that only allows you to hunt mule deer for 5 days. The catch is, you get to pick any 5 consecutive days between October 10 and December 1 to hunt.

What days are you picking, and why?

Since there is low population of mulies around home, I have little to add to this conversation. But, I have hunted whitetail since I was a kid somewhere in the above range and the 5 days I would pick would be November 14-18. I find that the most big bucks are on their feet during daylight and haven't yet taken to the brush to hide with a doe all day like the will later in November.

 

[schwint11]

I’d say thanksgiving week based on what I’ve seen

 

[Mojave]

Last week or next week.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Nov 1-5, I’ve usually seen the best bucks chasing in the mountains of Idaho during the 1st week of November and the rut usually seems to be mostly over by the time late archery season opens on the 10th. If I had to pick another week it would be the last week of October before anything later in November


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[Plainsman79]

I’ve been pretty blessed to be able to hunt rutting mule deer for over 25 years. I spent some time a couple years ago, looking at old (filled) tags. Most, but not all of our mature bucks come from November 16-22.

Early September on pre-scouted summer bucks would be a very close second.

 

[Ross]

Anything around 11/10 in north Idaho and nwest Montana, I’ve seen some crazy rut fests around this day and most of my filled tags are within a week of this day.

 

[Dakota Dude]

Middle/late November.

 

[Tmac]

Mid-Nov. Any 5 days from 11/5 to 11/25, with the best being right in the middle.

 

[Pistolpete28]

November 5th to 10th

 

[NeSurfcaster]

I'm hoping for the 4th to the 9th for eastern montana. I should of did the following week but I couldn't have at the time I made my reservations(hotel and BMA). I was working w/ another company when I made reservations and had to take those days off to not interfere w/ the boss's montana deer trip.

 

[manitou1]

I’ve been pretty blessed to be able to hunt rutting mule deer for over 25 years. I spent some time a couple years ago, looking at old (filled) tags. Most, but not all of our mature bucks come from November 16-22.

Early September on pre-scouted summer bucks would be a very close second.

This has been my observation too.

 

[jimh406]

Bigger Mule Deer bucks were chasing does today on the opener and have a few days. That being said, I'd avoid the weekends if given 5 days to avoid the people chasing random deer. Someone on my neighbors place shot a very small 2x2 today, for instance. His season is over, and he's out of the woods. I guess he just wants a deer or doesn't have much time to hunt. Today is Saturday, October 26.

There isn't a guarantee on weather, but for this year, I'd go week of October 28th or week of November 4th or 11th. I'm not sure how to translate to the future without knowing when the season opens ... it might be listed, but I didn't look it up.

I'm not in a rush to shoot since I live here. I factor things in like when do I think the processors are busy, how warm it is, so I can hang the deer if needed, etc.

 

[tracker12]

Last 5 days of NOV.

 

[Grundy53]

November 18-22

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[Jtb.kfd]

Let's say you have a tag in the Rocky Mountain portions of Montana/Idaho/Wyoming that only allows you to hunt mule deer for 5 days. The catch is, you get to pick any 5 consecutive days between October 10 and December 1 to hunt.

What days are you picking, and why?

Since there is low population of mulies around home, I have little to add to this conversation. But, I have hunted whitetail since I was a kid somewhere in the above range and the 5 days I would pick would be November 14-18. I find that the most big bucks are on their feet during daylight and haven't yet taken to the brush to hide with a doe all day like the will later in November.

In Idaho for the lower elevation mule deer I have done best near the beginning of Nov say five weekdays around the 5th. For backcountry hunts in higher elevation I would tty to shoot for Nov 10-15 and catch the mid/tail end of the rut timed with their migration. The later dates would hopefully provide more snow/weather to get them traveling with new deer showing up in the area every day or few days. Don’t care about weekdays with these hunts as I usually don’t run into many other hunters.

 

[robby denning]

a Mon-Fri as close to Nov 15-20 as possible

 

[The Ri Guy]

This thread gives me depression as a WA general modern hunter.

 

[Lytro]

I'm off work 16-24 November this year to hunt muleys in NW Montana. It was a tossup for me to take off the week of the 11th or 18th. I think the unusual warm weather this year could tip it in my favor.

 

[Pharmseller]

November 10-15





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[AHayes111]

It depends. If have hunted a spot for many years and found a good buck, the first week of the season is when you want to hunt. If you are going in blind and hoping for lady luck to come your way, any time between the tenth and the twentieth of Nov. If you are hunting an OTC unit I would go earlier as many of the bucks will not be around on the later date, if you are hunting LE, I would go later because of the better chance of snow and cold.