Desert Muley - 4 days

[Mike1187]

D) Get down in there, look for their pathways between bedding and food, find a really good ambush spot between the two along that route (especially at an entrance, if you can find one that looks consistently high-traffic), and be there from before sun up until after sundown the next day.

That crossed my mind but worried I’d blow them out and not be able to locate again. With only 4 days, I guess being more aggressive is probably necessary.

 

[RockAndSage]

That crossed my mind but worried I’d blow them out and not be able to locate again. With only 4 days, I guess being more aggressive is probably necessary.

Muleys in general will come back within a day or two if you bust them out, with the bigger ones sometimes taking a little more time. But they come back - they're there for a reason, which is almost entirely about security and food access. They go to a backup spot, but it's also a backup spot for a reason - it's not as good as the primary spot.

So, yes, you might bust them out when first locating their entrance/exit spots into a treeline/brushy arroyo, etc, but you can also just hunt for their likely pathways between the arroyo and any given food plot you've seen them browsing through, and never go near their bedroom. Find their commute pathway.

The biggest thing will be the wind though - if you can find an ambush spot where the wind is in your face, you're gold. But if the wind shifts while you're there and takes your smell to them, you're done. So, ensure studying the prevailing wind morning, midday, and evening is part of your site selection.

 

[willfrye027]

Bringing this back up after putting some boots on the ground in the area.

The majority of the WMA is a dry valley, with mountains on the west and east. Morning glassing sessions from the eastern mountains (sun to my back) turned up several bucks, at lower elevation. Deer fed at low elevation along heavy covered arroyos then disappeared back in for bed time. Could not find them once they returned to the arroyos. It was low 90’s mid-day, deer did not start moving until just before dark.

Scenario:
You’re solo, locate a buck in the morning, watch him until he disappears into an arroyo and you never see him come out again. The brush is thick along these and hard to know exactly where he bedded and near impossible to find another angle that allows glassing:
A)Do you still hunt near where he entered, hoping he exits in the same area?
B)Do you make a move, walking along the arroyo to see if you can locate him inside the cover?
C)Do you still hunt the morning feeding area he came from hoping he returns for the evening?

Good question and one of the reasons sticking a desert buck is tough.

1) reconsider if you are at the highest, best glassing knob. Even a hundred feet of higher elevation will help you see down into the washes better and increase the chance that you can see what bush he lays under. Consider a different knob that allows you to see down and into the washes, instead of looking across/over the top of it.

I will stalk a deer even if I’m not 100% sure the bush they bedded under. I’d try to pinpoint as much as possible, and then get into range of that area. Every scenario is different of course. You can try to spot them bedded and just be super super slow and patient on the stalk. I leave for a stalk and plan that I’ll be down there all day. The deer is not going to be laying in one spot all day; they will get up and move around a little bit throughout the day even if they don’t come out of the wash. Get yourself into the game with good wind and you might get lucky (he feeds towards you or gets up in a good spot for a shot) or unlucky. This is part of the reason 4 days is a challenge—you can do everything right and it might still take a few stalks.

This was the 3rd time I relocated and stalked this buck. The final time he and his does got up from their beds (which I could not see) and fed down the wash right to me for a 22 yard shot.

 

[Mike1187]

This is why I like this site and it’s nice when guys can point you in a direction you weren’t evening considering. I appreciate everyone’s different approaches and tips from past successful experiences.

 

[Mike1187]

Here is my hunt recap. First though, I’d like to thank all that gave suggestions based on their experiences. This was the first time chasing mulies.

Tag - Limited Entry Wildlife Management Area. Only 6 tags for this area. Bucks had to be minimum 18” and only 3 days to get it done.

First Day (1/2 day of hunting):
After hunter orientation (11:00am), I got familiar with my area (about 3k acres) and hit the mountain for an afternoon/evening of glassing. I located several doe and fawns but no bucks the first evening. Encouraged by the deer movement I planned to be in the same spot for the next morning hoping to pick up a buck.

Second day (first full day):
This day built on to the first. Started in the same glassing spot as the previous day and saw even more doe and fawns scattered across the flats and arroyos, but still no bucks. For the evening, I chose to move and glass another area which proved to be the right move. I saw several bucks and finally picked up two shooters right before dark, 3/4 miles away. Knowing they were in the area, I planned to be in that same glassing spot well before sunrise, which I was.

Third day (2nd full day):
Early morning wake up came with excitement knowing where a couple of shooters were hanging out. I got to the same glassing spot extra early so I was ready to catch any glimpses of the bucks before they hit their beds. The deer were in their beds every morning by 9-930am and weren’t moving until 3:30-4pm.

Well before sunrise I spotted one of the bucks, he was only a couple hundred yards from where I left him the evening before. He fed and later joined the other buck he was with. I watched them both feed and then eventually bed about 9:30ish in a small patch of desert shrubs and trees. Excited, I kept watch and started to plan my stalk and develop a game plan based on the wind which was blowing pretty good. Every step out there sounds like stepping on a bag of chips, so having a stronger wind help cover some of that sound.

After letting them settle in their beds for about an hour, I hiked back to the truck and drove to the other side of the pasture to check the wind. I didn’t want to hike directly at them because I would have pretty exposed and loud hiking down to them. Once getting to the other side, I determined the wind was not what I needed so I ended up driving all the way around to the other side of their beds. Parked the truck about a mile away and started making my way their direction, the wind was perfect to flank their bedding area.

Once getting close, things started to look way different than they did from the glassing point I was on, which is normally the case. It took me a bit to finally set my sights on the right group of desert shrubs. I slowly approached, moving only one, two or three steps every few minutes. Once I got close (100 yds), I started glassing looking for antlers, an ear flicker, or any other sign of life but was not able to pick up anything. It was thick brush and their beds were deep within the vegetation. I started to question ‘did they move while I was driving’ ‘did they change beds because of the sun’. My next move was the decision I’ll always question…

By now, I’m in their bedroom (within 40-50yds) but still no signs of deer. I contemplated still hunting from my location with the hope that they’ll get up in a couple of hours and feed in that area which would provide a possible shot opportunity. I finally settled on that but needed to be in a spot where I had some cover but could also have some shooting lanes. It took me 10-15 minutes but I moved up about 20 feet to my spot. As I get to the spot and glass, looking for any signs of life, both bucks jump from their beds and hauling arse the opposite direction. They were 20-25yds when I bumped them.

Was a swirl of wind or the slightest movement, I wasn’t sure but knew I had screwed it up. A sick feeling hits my stomach, knowing I just blew possibly my only chance. Questioning everything, the only conclusion is I pushed too hard and got caught. Hanging my head, it was too late to drive back around to elevation, hike, glass, spot, and then get in position for another possible stalk so I elected to sit a nearby water source for the evening. Water provided no animals for the evening.

A glimmer of hope…Heading back to camp, I pass a different water source and spot the same deer nearby with some others. Excited that they didn’t leave the area and using the same logic as before, I found myself in the same glassing spot for the last morning, hoping for redemption.

Last Day (1/2 day):
The hunt ends at 12pm so I knew I needed to located the deer as early as possible, and get on them early. I was in the glassing spot well before sunrise, hoping I could turn the bucks up well before the sun came up. As it got later and no shooter bucks, reality started to set in. Glassing until about 10:30am with no luck, I knew my hunt was over.

I now understand why the success rate is so low for this particular hunt. The amount of deer is not the problem. It being archery gear certainly provides challenges, but the amount of hunt time is real the challenge. Nonetheless, it is hunting and sometimes you learn instead of harvest. I learned, I have to find a way to hunt these desert mulies way more than every 8 years (what it took to draw). It was a blast! Thanks again for the help, maybe the next go around will include some LDPs

 

[RockAndSage]

Here is my hunt recap. First though, I’d like to thank all that gave suggestions based on their experiences. This was the first time chasing mulies.

Tag - Limited Entry Wildlife Management Area. Only 6 tags for this area. Bucks had to be minimum 18” and only 3 days to get it done.

First Day (1/2 day of hunting):
After hunter orientation (11:00am), I got familiar with my area (about 3k acres) and hit the mountain for an afternoon/evening of glassing. I located several doe and fawns but no bucks the first evening. Encouraged by the deer movement I planned to be in the same spot for the next morning hoping to pick up a buck.

Second day (first full day):
This day built on to the first. Started in the same glassing spot as the previous day and saw even more doe and fawns scattered across the flats and arroyos, but still no bucks. For the evening, I chose to move and glass another area which proved to be the right move. I saw several bucks and finally picked up two shooters right before dark, 3/4 miles away. Knowing they were in the area, I planned to be in that same glassing spot well before sunrise, which I was.

Third day (2nd full day):
Early morning wake up came with excitement knowing where a couple of shooters were hanging out. I got to the same glassing spot extra early so I was ready to catch any glimpses of the bucks before they hit their beds. The deer were in their beds every morning by 9-930am and weren’t moving until 3:30-4pm.

Well before sunrise I spotted one of the bucks, he was only a couple hundred yards from where I left him the evening before. He fed and later joined the other buck he was with. I watched them both feed and then eventually bed about 9:30ish in a small patch of desert shrubs and trees. Excited, I kept watch and started to plan my stalk and develop a game plan based on the wind which was blowing pretty good. Every step out there sounds like stepping on a bag of chips, so having a stronger wind help cover some of that sound.

After letting them settle in their beds for about an hour, I hiked back to the truck and drove to the other side of the pasture to check the wind. I didn’t want to hike directly at them because I would have pretty exposed and loud hiking down to them. Once getting to the other side, I determined the wind was not what I needed so I ended up driving all the way around to the other side of their beds. Parked the truck about a mile away and started making my way their direction, the wind was perfect to flank their bedding area.

Once getting close, things started to look way different than they did from the glassing point I was on, which is normally the case. It took me a bit to finally set my sights on the right group of desert shrubs. I slowly approached, moving only one, two or three steps every few minutes. Once I got close (100 yds), I started glassing looking for antlers, an ear flicker, or any other sign of life but was not able to pick up anything. It was thick brush and their beds were deep within the vegetation. I started to question ‘did they move while I was driving’ ‘did they change beds because of the sun’. My next move was the decision I’ll always question…

By now, I’m in their bedroom (within 40-50yds) but still no signs of deer. I contemplated still hunting from my location with the hope that they’ll get up in a couple of hours and feed in that area which would provide a possible shot opportunity. I finally settled on that but needed to be in a spot where I had some cover but could also have some shooting lanes. It took me 10-15 minutes but I moved up about 20 feet to my spot. As I get to the spot and glass, looking for any signs of life, both bucks jump from their beds and hauling arse the opposite direction. They were 20-25yds when I bumped them.

Was a swirl of wind or the slightest movement, I wasn’t sure but knew I had screwed it up. A sick feeling hits my stomach, knowing I just blew possibly my only chance. Questioning everything, the only conclusion is I pushed too hard and got caught. Hanging my head, it was too late to drive back around to elevation, hike, glass, spot, and then get in position for another possible stalk so I elected to sit a nearby water source for the evening. Water provided no animals for the evening.

A glimmer of hope…Heading back to camp, I pass a different water source and spot the same deer nearby with some others. Excited that they didn’t leave the area and using the same logic as before, I found myself in the same glassing spot for the last morning, hoping for redemption.

Last Day (1/2 day):
The hunt ends at 12pm so I knew I needed to located the deer as early as possible, and get on them early. I was in the glassing spot well before sunrise, hoping I could turn the bucks up well before the sun came up. As it got later and no shooter bucks, reality started to set in. Glassing until about 10:30am with no luck, I knew my hunt was over.

I now understand why the success rate is so low for this particular hunt. The amount of deer is not the problem. It being archery gear certainly provides challenges, but the amount of hunt time is real the challenge. Nonetheless, it is hunting and sometimes you learn instead of harvest. I learned, I have to find a way to hunt these desert mulies way more than every 8 years (what it took to draw). It was a blast! Thanks again for the help, maybe the next go around will include some LDPs

That's a hell of a hunt man, sorry you didn't get a buck on the ground, but you were as close to success as anyone could have asked for given all the circumstances - well done.

I started to question ‘did they move while I was driving’ ‘did they change beds because of the sun’.

^^^ This blows out more bucks than just about anything on a stalk - when we second-guess ourselves, and psych ourselves out. And don't take it super slow and stick to the plan.

A sick feeling hits my stomach, knowing I just blew possibly my only chance.

Welcome to the club.

Questioning everything, the only conclusion is I pushed too hard and got caught.

Short of sitting still for another 20 mins before glassing...maybe. Could have been wind, but it also could have been a reflection from your glass. My guess is that it was the movement. We need to move about 25% of our normal motion speed or less to not trigger a deer's eyes' motion sensors. They literally have the equivalent of slow-motion visual/mental processing, so anything we think of as slow, could be a flash of movement in a buck's perception. The optics coming up, or something hanging down from them, swinging, shifting your torso, etc...but at that distance, still could have been anything. Would be hard to say without knowing more about the time of day, position relative to the sun, winds, thermals, etc.

Impressed you came as close as you did. Thanks for following up, it was great to see, and couldn't have been too much better with that little time.

 

[Mike1187]

You’re probably spot on with the movement and I actually never even considered a possible glare of the binos. I’ll be adding that one to the mental check list for any stalk, especially when you in that tight.

 

[willfrye027]

You’re probably spot on with the movement and I actually never even considered a possible glare of the binos. I’ll be adding that one to the mental check list for any stalk, especially when you in that tight.

Getting within bow range of a shooter is a win. Sounds like it’s a tough hunt with such a short window and archery deer. When I am in tight and the doubts start creeping in..I always tell myself “the deer is here”. Way more often than not the deer IS there, maybe moved slightly, maybe just hiding well. But a bedded deer has almost no reason to get up and leave the country, assuming your stalk was good thus far. Odds are way better being patient and sticking it out when you are close but can’t see them yet. Easier said than done and I constantly have to remind myself of it.

 

[RockAndSage]

When I am in tight and the doubts start creeping in..I always tell myself “the deer is here”

^^^This is gold. I think that just entered my mantras, thank you.

 

[willfrye027]

^^^This is gold. I think that just entered my mantras, thank you.

I’ve made that mistake too many times and I still catch myself trying to rush in or force the issue so I “don’t waste any more of my time” and kick myself when the deer blows out. Same goes with rifle when they disappear…they’re still there *almost every time