One piece of advise.....

[The Ri Guy]

Everyone will tell you to pick a spot and glass all day... I honestly think that’s some of the WORST advice possible.

I think this is highly dependent on the terrain, season, pressure, etc. Where I traditionally hunt, which is highly pressured, the deer will be moving from before light clear until 10AM most mornings, and there's absolutely no way you're seeing 1/10th of them unless you're up high glassing. The local herd knows the game and they will hold up and wait in the thick stuff while all the road hunters and trailblazers go right on by.

As for my one piece of advice, it's called "still" hunting for a reason. If you're on the move, especially in thick stuff, then you need to be moving at a snails pace and you need to be cognizant of where and how you're placing your foot/weight. You never know what little pine, buck brush, etc. a deer is hiding behind. I've blown a lot of opportunities on bucks because I was going way too fast and they were tucked up in stuff you'd never guess a deer could hide in, and were either in the next county by the time I knew they had been there, or had gone right out my backtrack.

 

[WCB]

I'll jump back in since there is a little bit of a debate going. hahaha.

Don't plan on glassing all day or still hunting all day. Also, don't plan on any combination. Let the terrain and the deer tell you what you need to do. I agree that first light and last light you should be glassing or in a good ambush/intercept type spot. Some days I have not moved more than a couple hundred yards to get a better angle on a drainage or patch of timber. Other days I have put on 10 miles.

The one thing I would plan on is being out and hunting all day however that is. If there is snow and cold and the rut is going at all the bucks can move all day just traveling to find does. If you find pockets of does you can sit on them or bounce from group to group seeing if a buck has moved in yet.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Another useful one: Read the regulations. All of them. Learn how much orange you need. Learn how far from the centerline of a road you need to be to shoot. Learn the rules on firearms in the vehicle. Learn where to attach a carcass tag.

Nothing would ruin your dream hunt faster than a ticket and having your deer / truck / rifle confiscated.

 

[Siscokid10]

This is all really good stuff! Appreciate any and all advise.

 

[5 shot group]

Find a stair master, put on a pack, and start climbing. Don't stop until you walk that thing into the ground

If you can't do that, then get some good binos and let your eyes do the walking

 

[Pwells10]

Bring baby wipes

 

[TheHardWay]

Bring baby wipes

This is solid advice. If my nooks and crannies aren't clean, I'm not enjoying myself!

 

[Huckforjesus]

I'm a newbie and this thread was super informative thanks all!

 

[greaseywater]

This is a great thread. Thanks everyone. I sorted out all the advice in this thread here, in case you want a summary.

Preparation
- Fitness (x 100): Cardio, Hills or Stairs, With Pack, In Boots
- Scout, don't let your hunt be the first time you look at the area
- List what you are bringing, revisit after the trip to add what you missed and remove what wasn't needed
- Research first aid and medical kits, bring the essentials
- Practice shooting, at the ranges and positions you expect to hunt (standing, sitting, with or without bipod, shooting sticks, across pack etc)
- Practice with your optics, at distance in low light
- Books to read: Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life by Robby Denning; The Edge-A Complete Approach to Hunting Mountain Mule Deer by Duplan and Long
- Read the regulations, know the rules that apply to your hunt

Clothing and gear
- Warm and cold weather boots, for hiking in steep terrain, comfortable. Break them in
- Bring a spare rifle, in case the primary gets damaged
- 1 (or more) charged headlamps
- Wet wipes

Elevation
- Go slowly at first, both speed and elevation gain
- Hydrate often, slow deep breaths
- Bring (and use) saline nasal spray to prevent dry sinuses and nose bleeds
- Bring (and use) chapstick
- Look in to an altitude sickness prophylactic - like Diamox
- Check rifle zero if going from low to high elevation

Weather
- Lows in the teens and highs in the 70s are possible in the same day
- Be prepared to drive through snow and mud: tire chains, tow straps
- Be prepared for cold nights: warm sleeping bag

Hunt locations
- Pick out areas prior to hunt from boots on the ground scouting, e-scouting, and local knowledge
- Hunt the aspen/sage transition zone
- Look for spots more than 1 mile from the nearest road, don't forget the next road over the ridge
- Broken-up terrain is better

Glassing
- When: at least first and last light; be prepared to glass all day
- How: slowly, don't pass on a seemingly open hillside; let your eyes do the walking - don't constantly scan with binos
- What: buy the best you can afford; use a tripod
- Be prepared to walk to and from your glassing spots in the dark, stay until you can't see
- Be able to navigate back to camp in the dark
- Don't rush, and blow, a late stalk when you could use that info for a morning stalk

Deer/Buck behavior
- They don't always look back
- They don't act like whitetails
- They will be looking for does in CO 3rd season
- Map hunting pressure as you see it, anticipate deer movement

When to move
- It depends on personal preference
- When you have glassed the area completely (30 minutes to several hours)
- More often, if you want to see a lot of different ground (or changing perspective on the same ground)
- Less often, if you want to pick apart the area you think has a good chance of holding deer
- Not at all, if you're confident that the buck you want is there
- Still hunt when moving between spots through "bucky" areas; walk slowly, be aware of each step and possible sounds, eyes up and looking

Expectations
- Expect low deer density out West compared to Midwest
- Hire a guide for higher chance of success
- If first DIY hunt, don't be surprised or discouraged if you don't fill your tag
- Have fun, don't take yourself too seriously
- Have a positive attitude, and keep dry socks in your bag
- Hunt all day

 

[TheHardWay]

Another thing to consider. Have realistic expectations of the quality of animals that are in the particular unit you are hunting, and set your expectations accordingly. For example, don't expect a 200"-plus buck in a unit with poor quality or tons of hunting pressure.
I come from the school of thought that "you can't shoot a big buck if you shoot a small one", and therefore have ended the season empty handed more often than not, and I am completely fine with that. Conversely, there is also the school of thought of "you can't eat the antlers" and if given the opportunity to harvest a legal buck, you had better take it. To each, their own.

 

[PhotonSlinger]

Great thread, newbie here so all good things to think about.

 

[Idahowapiti]

Get to your glassing spot earlier and stay there late. Bring plenty of stamina and don't put the glass down. Know your gun, and be coming up with game plans for stalks while your are glassing for the areas you are glassing so you don't have to figure things out after the fact.

 

[Elkfitness]

Be ready to hunt the pressure in 3rd season. I shot my biggest buck in a pressured unit in 3rd season by letting a group of other hunters push a big deer out of a draw.


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