Mid-day mule deer strategy?

[Newtosavage]

My mid-day strategy for Muleys has always been to find a great vantage point that doubles as a great napping spot. Not sure which of those things has served me better over the years, but it's probably the latter and not the former. Getting up 2 hrs before sunrise and hiking uphill for miles leaves me pretty gassed around noon or so. If I don't get in a solid nap, I'm dragging by prime time in the evening. But if I do, I am usually ready for round two and can cover ground when I finally do spot something.

 

[kota]

My hunting partner has killed a 165 and 170, both between 11 a noon, and both while he stopped to dig something out of his pack. 1 was a granola bar and one was a drink of water. Biggest thing is to stay out all day and keep your head in the game.

I have glassed up a lot of bucks during the middle of the day. After being bedded for a few hours and as the shade moves, they will often get up to feed for a few minutes and then bed again to follow the shade. The window is really short, but every once in a while you can catch one on their feet, and a feeding deer is a heck of a lot easier to find than a bedded one.

Long story short, if it’s:
Open-glass
Thick-still hunt
Snow-cover ground to find tracks
New/dead country-cover ground to move
When in doubt-take a nap!

 

[Scorpion]

Depends on the weather and the terrain but I’m either glassing bedding areas or still hunting in the timber or cover. I have had the most luck with still hunting. If you’re hunting with others a little push/nudge through bedding areas can also be productive.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

If you’re hunting with others a little push/nudge through bedding areas can also be productive.

Two hunters that know how to employ the "fish hook technique" in dense juniper and can move at the same snail's pace, unseen by one another, are a deadly duo.

 

[NickyD]

For those of you that glass into bedding midday, are you staying back or are you pushing closer to shooting range?

 

[Wmcknight]

I always thought you shut it down in the afternoon, but recently I’ve been doing some research and some of the big name hunting guys I follow say they’ve killed more bucks in the afternoon. Between 12-3 than not. They suggest that since they are bedded down stalks are easier and since it’s hot they are in shaded areas which limits the area you have to look. Never done it but interesting perspective

 

[TaperPin]

Always remember that mid day a bedded buck often likes to stand up and stretch then lie back down - one of my all time best bucks was spotted around noon about a mile away doing just that. By 1 I’m ready to move a bit and still hunt areas that can’t be glassed, then glass toward evening.

 

[RockAndSage]

For those of you that glass into bedding midday, are you staying back or are you pushing closer to shooting range?

Absolutely pushing closer, ideally within 300yds for rifle hunting. The 12pm-3pm timeslot is excellent for this, as it's often when the wind is calmest in my part of the country, and when the fewest deer (note: sentry does and younger bucks) are up and alert.

Muleys will randomly pop up for a minute or two across the midday to adjust bed as the sun moves across the sky and they readjust for shade, so it's definitely not a free pass for a stalk. But it's an excellent time for that, and it's also very viable in turning up a buck if you haven't yet, taking advantage in glassing while trying to catch them popping up during that mid-day shade readjust.

 

[NickyD]

Absolutely pushing closer, ideally within 300yds for rifle hunting. The 12pm-3pm timeslot is excellent for this, as it's often when the wind is calmest in my part of the country, and when the fewest deer (note: sentry does and younger bucks) are up and alert.

Muleys will randomly pop up for a minute or two across the midday to adjust bed as the sun moves across the sky and they readjust for shade, so it's definitely not a free pass for a stalk. But it's an excellent time for that, and it's also very viable in turning up a buck if you haven't yet, taking advantage in glassing while trying to catch them popping up during that mid-day shade readjust.

I like this idea considering how loud and clumsy I am, I’d love to but I’m not sure I’m the right person to be still hunting

 

[Jaden Bales]

My hunting partner has killed a 165 and 170, both between 11 a noon, and both while he stopped to dig something out of his pack. 1 was a granola bar and one was a drink of water. Biggest thing is to stay out all day and keep your head in the game.

I have glassed up a lot of bucks during the middle of the day. After being bedded for a few hours and as the shade moves, they will often get up to feed for a few minutes and then bed again to follow the shade. The window is really short, but every once in a while you can catch one on their feet, and a feeding deer is a heck of a lot easier to find than a bedded one.

Long story short, if it’s:
Open-glass
Thick-still hunt
Snow-cover ground to find tracks
New/dead country-cover ground to move
When in doubt-take a nap!

This feels like the best summary in the thread. Especially that last one. Lol.

I've had pretty good luck finding deer between 10-3 pm just be staying in the glass in open country and burns and catching them re-bed or picking up tines. Picked up last year's buck at 12:12 pm.

 

[WCB]

I think it really depends on time of year and weather. I've hunted the same area early when it is in the 90s and then a month or two later when it is in the 60s then again late when it is teens. Early in that area there are deep narrow brushy/wooded draws...you just are not spotting deer in them unless you jump them. Just by accident or watching one go in and not seeing them come out...mid day I would creep along the edge to try and find them and most the time they would jump out and run up the far side sometimes giving me a shot (archery). If you just sat and glassed until basically the shadows really stretch out you wouldn't think there would be a deer in the entire country.

When it cools off they will just be laying out in the open or up midday day feeding and move from one draw to another so really productive midday.

Rut and late season they seem to be everywhere and easy to spot laying in the open sunning or chasing.

 

[Or.hunter]

In Wyoming last year we killed both our bucks mid day. We would watch a basin in the morning and locate a buck wait for him to bed and then make a move to get in position. Those big bucks always get up mid day to either reposition or take a pee and eat a little bit. We would have about a 5 min window before they laid back down, but if you’re in the right spot it’s all you need. We found it to work the best for us.


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[CC11]

Like others have said, midday can work out great. Last year we watched my buck all morning until he bedded then made a move. Had to change plans a couple of times on the stalk but eventually ended up 270 yards from him and were able to pick out one of his antlers through the sage. Waited about 45 minutes and killed him seconds after he stood up at 12:30. This year I will be glassing and covering country all day during my rut tag.

 

[WestTexas]

Lots of good content and suggestion for day hunting. The only thing I'll add is putting a little more emphasis on tracking. Obviously, glass can cover a lot more area with elevation, but in a thicker and flatter environment--tracking can beneficial. If you find deep, fresh tracks you may not even need to glass any more for the day. My buck last year was a late morning kill that began with me finding his tracks. Followed them all the way to his bedding area.

 

[ELKMO]

Booner bucks are vampires, they only come out at night, they are before light/after light (should be a new clothing line). They don't live in conventional places, they've adapted to us and our perception of what we know about mule deer bucks (5+ yo/180"+). The attitude and discipline it takes to find and hunt them every season is on another level than anyone really understands unless you live in this world. Your entire year is devoted to one or two bucks, that's it. I believe everyone here is on the right path, just keep at it and think unorthodox and have an open mind. The juice is finding them and that's the game.

Deer don’t own mirrors, the genetics of his antlers does not change his behavior that evolution has spent eons creating and sharing with all other deer. The idea that any ungulate will go hide till nighttime during the rut when many states seasons are open is ridiculous. Similar to “Outdoor Life” articles that claimed at the first gun shots during deer seasons the bucks all ran to the nastiest cover and holed up until the shooting stopped. We tend to romanticize the aura surrounding large bucks because we will never see or let alone kill one.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Deer don’t own mirrors, the genetics of his antlers does not change his behavior ..... We tend to romanticize the aura surrounding large bucks because we will never see or let alone kill one.

Precisely /\/\/\

 

[Gotcha_]

I think mid day changes from warm to cold, regardless of the season. thoughts? from what i've seen if youre freezing your nutz off so are they and when you want to move so will they (under 15 F weather)