Mule deer strategies in coulee country

[T_Nelomz]

I am doing a mule deer hunt this fall on some public. I am pretty familiar with the area, I hunted there in 2018, 2006, and 2003. It is coulee type country, mostly sage with some juniper and pinion pines in a few spots. From high vantage points you can't see too well down into all the ravines and fingers the coulees make. In the past we would glass mornings and night. We would see plenty of does from a distance but no bucks. In 2006 just walking the bottom of a main coulee and looking up into the fingers I managed to take a decent 3 point that was bedded above us. In 2018 we were walking down the drainages and we shot a couple small 3 points. From what I am told there are some decent bucks in the area.I have a bunch of areas within our hunt area E scouted that look good based on what I have read and my experiences with the bucks I have seen. I was wondering what kind of strategies you guys have had success with in this type of country locating better bucks. Do you cut across multiple coulees glassing them, or just pick one and still hunt down them using thermals and the wind the best you can? We have no problem putting on miles on our boots. Just curious what you guys have had luck with.

 

[huntngolf]

I hunt similar sounding terrain in South Dakota. I agree with your assessment that those types of coulees hold lots of does and smaller bucks in the early season. From my experiences, the older bucks won’t be in these places until the rut or a major weather system forces them to. I have found the majority of the mature bucks in these areas in early October will be in the more open type terrain that will have less obvious bedding areas, but can still hide them very well. Things such as a small cut in a hillside or a small group of shrubs is all a mature buck needs to hide. I would try focusing on these less obvious areas for a few days. The number of deer you will see is going to be far less but the chances of a more mature one will be better. Just my 2 cents

 

[T_Nelomz]

I hunt similar sounding terrain in South Dakota. I agree with your assessment that those types of coulees hold lots of does and smaller bucks in the early season. From my experiences, the older bucks won’t be in these places until the rut or a major weather system forces them to. I have found the majority of the mature bucks in these areas in early October will be in the more open type terrain that will have less obvious bedding areas, but can still hide them very well. Things such as a small cut in a hillside or a small group of shrubs is all a mature buck needs to hide. I would try focusing on these less obvious areas for a few days. The number of deer you will see is going to be far less but the chances of a more mature one will be better. Just my 2 cents

That is very helpful! Thank you.

 

[Tmac]

I’ve found some very nice bucks in that type of country bedded in the very top end of some of the smallest coulees. Not what you’d typically call a coulee, more a small dry wash. 2-3’ deep with a little sage above and they are out of sight and the wind. A little deeper with a cut bank, all the better, and you about have to step on them. A couple bushes on top maybe in a slight depression, a sage flat, all worth a look.

 

[Tbone58]

In that type of country I put on the miles walking. I’ll glass first thing in morning and at last night. I try to get to a vantage point where a lot of coulee’s drain together. I have found they move a lot more in the bottoms. When I don’t find one I still hunt up the back side of them and sneak/crawl to the top always prepared for something to be bedded down 3/4ish the way up. I try to get the wind in my face best I can.

 

[T_Nelomz]

In that type of country I put on the miles walking. I’ll glass first thing in morning and at last night. I try to get to a vantage point where a lot of coulee’s drain together. I have found they move a lot more in the bottoms. When I don’t find one I still hunt up the back side of them and sneak/crawl to the top always prepared for something to be bedded down 3/4ish the way up. I try to get the wind in my face best I can.

That sounds a little better than what we did on my last hunt. In 2018 we would pick a main drainage with fingers that looked good and still hunt our way down, side hilling it just below sky line and working our way around the fingers, when we would reac hthe bottom we would walk into the wind and just come up back out the middle of the next one. Tons of walking and I think wasting a lot of time in unproductive parts. Thanks!

 

[T_Nelomz]

I’ve found some very nice bucks in that type of country bedded in the very top end of some of the smallest coulees. Not what you’d typically call a coulee, more a small dry wash. 2-3’ deep with a little sage above and they are out of sight and the wind. A little deeper with a cut bank, all the better, and you about have to step on them. A couple bushes on top maybe in a slight depression, a sage flat, all worth a look.

I bet we walked right by a couple nice ones last time!

 

[Tbone58]

I find that they go up and out when bumped. This way if you are on top you are closer to spot or get a shot. Always be looking through the horizon and not passed it as you come to the tops. It’s kinda hard to explain that part. Not a problem

 

[T_Nelomz]

I find that they go up and out when bumped. This way if you are on top you are closer to spot or get a shot. Always be looking through the horizon and not passed it as you come to the tops. It’s kinda hard to explain that part. Not a problem

That sounds much easier too and covering a lot more ground as well. Walking down a long one side hilling it and around all the fingers then walking back out was a ton of work, and not really covering much..

 

[Fatcamp]

Be deep and set up glassing at first and last light. Tough otherwise as they bed so we'll. I almost never find them bedded as they just hide so well.

 

[T_Nelomz]

Be deep and set up glassing at first and last light. Tough otherwise as they bed so we'll. I almost never find them bedded as they just hide so well.

Yeah it amazes me how they can hide in plain sight!

 

[Fatcamp]

Yeah it amazes me how they can hide in plain sight!

I was stalking two bucks last year that bedded right as I got to 50 yards. I had a clear view through the grass and knew right where they were as I could see the smaller ones rack, but I could not see that bigger buck. Knew right where he was and even with binoculars couldn't pick him out. Unreal.

 

[T_Nelomz]

I was stalking two bucks last year that bedded right as I got to 50 yards. I had a clear view through the grass and knew right where they were as I could see the smaller ones rack, but I could not see that bigger buck. Knew right where he was and even with binoculars couldn't pick him out. Unreal.

Guess that's why we call them the gray ghost!