Question on Mule Deer Summer Areas

[MLHSN]

Scouting question for you all.

I'm looking through some Mule Deer migration study maps to see winter/summer areas and migration corridors. They only collared does for these studies.

I'm trying to best spend my time scouting. How different is the buck summering areas from the does? Are they just a little higher up and more secluded within the same general area? Or do they tend to migrate a lot higher and farther?

 

[robby denning]

…. Are they just a little higher up and more secluded within the same general area? Or do they tend to migrate a lot higher and farther?

all of the above. some places they’re very close to each other and other places, not so much. I always look for the rougher country for the most bucks. And remember they don’t eat rocks.

 

[roadhntr]

It really does vary from unit to unit, mountain range to mountain range.

 

[TaperPin]

Scouting question for you all.

I'm looking through some Mule Deer migration study maps to see winter/summer areas and migration corridors. They only collared does for these studies.

I'm trying to best spend my time scouting. How different is the buck summering areas from the does? Are they just a little higher up and more secluded within the same general area? Or do they tend to migrate a lot higher and farther?

Depends on the terrain. In areas that lack “timberline” or high steep ridges, or even low steep ridges, does and bucks are all in roughly the same elevations, but not hanging out together. Does and fawns naturally gravitate to the best and easiest feeding areas. In steeper terrain the bucks are primarily up higher, but not always. I’ve seen lush green high country bowls that attract deer of all kinds, but a little lower on the ridge where feed is more sparse it has a distinct elevation line where does rarely go above and old bucks don’t go below.

As an extreme case, in my favorite area I’ve never seen a mature buck below the top 1,000’, ever - not in a dozen years of hard scouting throughout the summer, through the season until the snow pushes them down. Does will sporadically be above that line, but old bucks never go below. Two guides from Montana hunting there on their personal tags, were stopped at that mark glassing downhill, where they won’t ever see a big deer. I would have been glad to tell that important tidbit of information, except they were annoyingly cocky. Apparently where they guide bucks are often lower. Lol

 

[MLHSN]

Good to know it varies. In the Washington Cascades, it's all pretty rough terrain. The doe summer holdover areas appear to stop at the 3-4k' elev range. That country is pretty brushy and closed in around the river bottoms. I've walked many of the ridgelines around 6-7k' and rarely see deer up high. I might start dropping down off the ridge lines a couple thousand feet where I can still glass into the pockets in the 4-5k' range and start there.

all of the above. some places they’re very close to each other and other places, not so much. I always look for the rougher country for the most bucks. And remember they don’t eat rocks.