E-Scouting for Mule Deer

[Muley_Addict 317]

I'm a new mule deer hunter (only one buck under my belt). I've been staring at OnX and trying to find areas that "look good" in the unit I'm putting in for this year in CO. Problem is... there is no system or logic to how I was determining that an area looked good.

Do you have a system when it comes to e-scouting for mule deer? For example, where do you start? Do you decide to look at elevation bands first and break it down from there?

I want to give myself a head start this year and have a good plan going so my boots-on-the-ground scouting is as productive as it could be.

Let me know what your system is, or point me to a good video or thread!

Best,
GC

 

[graniteghost]

Elevation bands that deer travel will vary so greatly be region, range, and time of year. They are useful if you know the area well and hunt it year after year to determine where else you might look to find bucks. All things considered, I’d start high for early season bucks, and then work lower down the mountain for later hunts.

As far as terrain to look for, I’d suggest a look at the thread about plants species every mule deer hunter should know, and then focus on areas where those species of plants should grow. You won’t be able to see the plants by air most of the time. But you can observe where the vegetation looks different. I focus on those areas the most.

In terms of actually scouting and finding bucks, boots on the ground will forever be better than e-scouting. Online you can find the terrain that may attract bucks, but in person you can look and see what bucks are actually using the area. E-scouting is great to kill a buck, boots on ground is the way to kill a big buck consistently.

Boiled down, e-scout multiple areas where the terrain looks like it should have good vegetation, and then get in the field and have a look.

 

[Muley_Addict 317]

I'm a new mule deer hunter (only one buck under my belt). I've been staring at OnX and trying to find areas that "look good" in the unit I'm putting in for this year in CO. Problem is... there is no system or logic to how I was determining that an area looked good.

Do you have a system when it comes to e-scouting for mule deer? For example, where do you start? Do you decide to look at elevation bands first and break it down from there?

I want to give myself a head start this year and have a good plan going so my boots-on-the-ground scouting is as productive as it could be.

Let me know what your system is, or point me to a good video or thread!

Best,
GC

Also, I'll be hunting the CO 3rd season. Probably good information to share here.

 

[eggerhunts]

Like granite ghost said, boots on the ground scouting always wins, mule deer are kinda weird and unpredictable. I find that most of the e scouting i do nowadays is looking for areas that look similar to places I’ve found bucks in the past and working backwards from there, also areas where i think they have the right combination of security and feed to grow old.
High country is definitely easier to e scout but deer can live at any elevation most of the year.

I feel the desire for your boots on the ground scouting to be efficient but I’d bet if you ask most successful mule deer hunters, they probably hike into or check out a lot of spots that don’t pan out for every one that does hold bucks. So in the end, I do kinda just pick spots that “look good” and meet those other criteria. Then check them out and hope to find something special. Eventually you’ll start to put together a rotation of areas you can check

 

[RockAndSage]

What everyone said above is solid. Given that I haven't hunted Colorado, the only thing I can really add is this: Use OnX to begin your hunt for access. Do route planning with it from the aerial view, then get out and actually drive it, long before your season starts. You'll find both unrealized possibilities as well as restrictions/obstructions/closures from the ground that just will not be possible to perceive online.

Also, read everything in the Mule Deer thread going back at least a year. It'll be one of the best free educations you can get in hunting muleys. Among other things, there are several entire threads titled "E-Scouting for mule deer".

Good luck with your season!