One point of advice

[mikeafeagin22]

Don’t camp on top.. it’s tempting when you find a flat spot right by your glassing knob but the first time you wake up at 2 in the morning in the middle of a lightning storm will be quite a learning experience. It’s worth hiking up that 500’ in the morning

 

[Tater1973]

Being an Eastern flatlander like yourself, here is the best advice I can give you after having done 10 Western mule deer Spot & Stalk hunts. Get the best glass you can afford and let your glass do the walking for you. Pick apart an area and then pick it apart again and then pick it apart again... As stated before "Do not SKYLINE yourself"! Lastly, move slow when you're in the game or final approach. Good luck and enjoy the ride!!!

 

[Zekeworldwide]

Being an Eastern flatlander like yourself, here is the best advice I can give you after having done 10 Western mule deer Spot & Stalk hunts. Get the best glass you can afford and let your glass do the walking for you. Pick apart an area and then pick it apart again and then pick it apart again... As stated before "Do not SKYLINE yourself"! Lastly, move slow when you're in the game or final approach. Good luck and enjoy the ride!!!

Appreciate that. I’ve been glassing with my spotter here for whitetails and have been struggling with eye strain/fatigue only after an hour. Sounds like I need to live behind the glass in the west... any pointers to avoid strain? Or should I just go with 15 binos?


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[Mule3006Elk]

Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. Biggest limitation to Western hunting is being out of shape.

Eye strain. Keep both eyes open. Get an eye patch if you need to. Honestly, it helps.

 

[mikeafeagin22]

Appreciate that. I’ve been glassing with my spotter here for whitetails and have been struggling with eye strain/fatigue only after an hour. Sounds like I need to live behind the glass in the west... any pointers to avoid strain? Or should I just go with 15 binos?


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I like running 15s until it’s time to pick apart every little detail. Better FOV and like @Mule3006Elk said, both eyes open. Also try backing off the zoom on your spotter if it’s giving you a headache. The foggier the edges, the worse the eye fatigue.

 

[Shadow Walker]

When it’s time to squeeze the trigger, relax, and make the shot you’ve been practicing all summer.

 

[Zekeworldwide]

Great pointers from everyone. Appreciate y’all


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[COLD SMOKE]

Free advice worth what I gave it for.

Get strong, and run/ jog. Train at elevation, I’d you have no elevation them to a little further/faster to compensate.

Early and late. Maybe bring a bivy and watch the stars one night so you see what animals are doing at night. Or set up a perfect shot at dusk/dawn.

If the latter, then Visualize your shot see where they traversing and patiently wait until they visualization turns into reality. I’ve found usually they will happen if your patient/persistent enough.

* Caveat I just like this thread.
Personally I have exactly 0% experience hunting mule deer in Colorado. So definitely take that into account. I do train at elevation and Try to practice these ^ in my Hunting. Seems to work with limited success so far.

Hope your shoot an absolutely massive buck and bring home the meat and stories.

 

[Fatcamp]

Appreciate that. I’ve been glassing with my spotter here for whitetails and have been struggling with eye strain/fatigue only after an hour. Sounds like I need to live behind the glass in the west... any pointers to avoid strain? Or should I just go with 15 binos?


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What spotter? Better quality = less eye strain.

 

[fngTony]

Take the shot if you have it, don’t assume you’ll have another or a nicer buck. This is a new experience make the most of it.

 

[Zekeworldwide]

Free advice worth what I gave it for.

Get strong, and run/ jog. Train at elevation, I’d you have no elevation them to a little further/faster to compensate.

Early and late. Maybe bring a bivy and watch the stars one night so you see what animals are doing at night. Or set up a perfect shot at dusk/dawn.

If the latter, then Visualize your shot see where they traversing and patiently wait until they visualization turns into reality. I’ve found usually they will happen if your patient/persistent enough.

* Caveat I just like this thread.
Personally I have exactly 0% experience hunting mule deer in Colorado. So definitely take that into account. I do train at elevation and Try to practice these ^ in my Hunting. Seems to work with limited success so far.

Hope your shoot an absolutely massive buck and bring home the meat and stories.

Good stuff. So far, my main training has been rucking 3-4 times/week with 40lbs in our Appalachian mountains. They are steep and rugged, but lack the huge elevation gain of course. So to imitate the high altitude air is impossible... but good point to go farther & faster. Thanks for the advice & encouragement


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[Zekeworldwide]

What spotter? Better quality = less eye strain.

Vortex Diamondback HD 20-60x85. I’m sure it’s not helping my problem lol... high quality glass is high dolla


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[Gunnersdad49]

The highest elevation you can get to in the Appalachians is about 6600' (from a quick search). You'll be hunting about twice that high. If you have the time, drive out instead of flying. Spend a day or two working up to the elevation of the trailhead, then as previously mentioned, go slow your first couple of days. Sleeping at lower elevation can also help stave off altitude sickness. If you get signs of altitude sickness, the only real cure is descending in elevation. Stay hydrated and have a good time.

 

[Fatcamp]

Vortex Diamondback HD 20-60x85. I’m sure it’s not helping my problem lol... high quality glass is high dolla


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Ya, that's a problem.

 

[isItFallYet]

Make sure you lined up a water source, or pack water in.

 

[Zekeworldwide]

The highest elevation you can get to in the Appalachians is about 6600' (from a quick search). You'll be hunting about twice that high. If you have the time, drive out instead of flying. Spend a day or two working up to the elevation of the trailhead, then as previously mentioned, go slow your first couple of days. Sleeping at lower elevation can also help stave off altitude sickness. If you get signs of altitude sickness, the only real cure is descending in elevation. Stay hydrated and have a good time.

Yep, our mountains are no comparison. I am going to be driving and plan to just ease into it and camp at 8000’ or less the first night. Altitude sickness is definitely a concern of mine. I have been skiing in the high country of Snowbird, but have never hiked at that elevation I’m sure there’s a huge difference!

Would you suggest a Garmin watch with an O2 sensor?


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[Szwampdonkey]

Keep in mind it is NOT just about killing a Muley enjoy every aspect of your hunt and it will be a success no matter the outcome.

 

[Rich M]

Shoot enough so you know where you will hit at a given range, and what your effective range is. You are shooting an iron-sighted ML so it will most likely be inside 200 yards. (use a rangefinder)

I find a shooting stick to be helpful. Can plop down and get my knees up, gun on stick, elbows on knees, and it is surprisingly steady. Not a lot to rest yer gun on out there and a pack can be difficult at times. Keep things consistent.

Be flexible with your practice - you don't need to shoot for groups from field positions, just try it once or twice so you know how in the field.

And the comment above about hiking in the dark - you get 1, maybe 2 hrs early and late where the deer will be visible. Be there for first and last light or you might not see much.

My experience has been that the deer are visible when they are moving around and they tend to feed in the same area until pushed out. We brought stuff for glassing on my 2 western hunts and didn't really use more than 10x binoculars.

Last comment - my hunts have been vacations. Did some sight seeing, took time to smell the proverbial roses and just plain enjoyed myself. It's not like hunting in the east cause you can see long range and your eastern hunting knowledge will be very beneficial. Good luck and have fun.

 

[TX_Diver]

Don't let any social media "influencers" run off with your BOAL after you shoot it.

Ethics in hunting, the story of my once in a lifetime Buck....

As of today it has been 164 days since I shot my buck of a lifetime. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work, good friends, and some luck. I couldn’t wait to tell this story to my Grandfather, who introduced me to hunting. The next morning, I walked up the gut wrenching reality that deer...

rokslide.com

 

[Tegr0429]

Good morning, I’m an eastern greenhorn heading west this mid September for CO high country mule deer with a muzzleloader. If you can give ONE piece of advice what would it be?


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Be prepared to feel a little off the first few days. I live in GA so damn near sea level. Every time I’m up high chasing mule deer I feel a little “hungover” the first few days. Everyone I’ve hunted with has experienced some form of elevation sickness to a degree. Drink tons of water and have a realistic game plan. It’s a different ballgame than chasing whitetails.