Does this look like good mule deer habitat?

[generalist]

I know e-scouting is huge nowadays. Maybe you guys who are good with it can upload some screen shots of what's good? Here's one of the areas I'm looking at. True north is straight up. This would be for October rifle. Elevation is about 8000ft.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

From a quick glance, I would set up and glass that South facing slope about dead center of the screenshot. In the AM I would expect deer to be moving about, feeding, and looking to bed down about half between the valley bottom and the ridge.
Lots of dark timber in there. The bottom right corner with the small open grassy parks would be where I would look for bull elk sanctuaries that time of year more than mule deer.

 

[GregB]

It's been my experience it is a lot thicker in reality than it looks on GE. So what you think may look like a good open area to glass or glass from might not work. I would agree with lone hunter most of the open areas look pretty sparse for feed, The greenish slop at the bottom right facing northwest might be a good area to glass.

 

[Idaho_Sasquatch]

Too many trees and not enough open grassy pockets. Appears to be shale slide...ugh. Might hold deer but would be difficult to hunt it.

 

[idahohikker]

Very little deer food. Very little glassing opportunity. In my experience there will be deer just scattered here and there in the heavily timbered areas.

 

[GregB]

Herre is a rough idea. Open green areas for feed, Thick timber, deep canyons for bedding and check a map to make sure there is a water source in some of those drainages. Plenty of open area to glass just have to find a vantage point.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

It might be, but that is going to be too heavily wooded for good glassing which will make them very hard to locate. I usually look for south facing finger ridges that have a good amount of openings where you can catch them feeding.

Even if you were able to locate a good buck on the south slope while glassing from the ridge below, it would take a very long time to get over to him. The lack of geographical features on the ridge would also make it extremely difficult to locate the area where you saw the buck when you get over there.

 

[Muley Buck]

I've hunted terrain like that plenty of times. I've been duped by more big bucks than I'd like to admit in places like that. Possibility of some good bucks in there due to not many guys would hunt it. If you have the patience/time and can scout it and learn it, that would be best. Otherwise you could be wasting hunting time. It's a gamble. Places like that you probably won't see a lot of deer, be prepared for that. The key to glassing those hillsides is to get into a position to peer into the trees/brush. It will take multiple vantage points to see most of what you want. Oh and when you find the one spot, you'll know it!

 

[generalist]

How about this? This is looking down into a basin from what would be my glassing spot. Elevation about 8000

 

[justin84]

looks too rocky for me