Up at 4:45 so I could come in a different way and see more country. Crept in about 60 minutes before sunrise and as I got within 150 yards of where I wanted to be, spooked a lone small 4 pt. I immediately backed out and figured I’d hunt somewhere else as I can’t be spooking those deer or the big one will never show.
Then about sunrise, another hunter walked up behind me and asked if I’d seen the bucks as he pointed to the area I’d just left. I said I’d spooked a 4 point so I backed out. He immediately headed for the area and last I saw him he was skylined and moving like a bull moose. Those bucks are gone for a few days…
I hope you all don’t mind my long posts. I’m just trying to give you a feel for what it’s like to be here and what I’m thinking. I’ve hunted big mule deer almost exclusively for 22 years and hope to share some of what I’ve learned in that time to help you be more successful if a big mule deer is what you’re after. There are nine ways to skin a cat and almost that many ways to kill a big deer. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned and hope it doesn’t come across as “know-it-all”. Believe me, I have much to learn.
Big deer hunting this time of year can be pretty boring. Whenever I hunt with someone who’s new to it, they are surprised at how short the hunting time is and how long the days are. Why? Basically if you’re hunting deer in and around the cover (where by the way many of the big bucks live), they have all the advantages: hard to see, abundant feed, no need to travel far, and ample bedding/hiding cover. Couple this with their winter coats coming in (all the bucks are gray now, 2 weeks ago, most were reddish/tan) and warm weather, and the rut still 7 weeks away, the bucks just aren’t all that active now.
I only have about a good hour in the morning to spot bucks then maybe an hour or so to figure out where they are headed. That bigger buck is likely right here somewhere but since bucks like that behave totally different than these young bucks, catching him out of the cover will be tough. Going in the cover blind will be about as productive as lighting firecrackers at first light.
I know that these smaller bucks could lead me to him, though, and is why I’m so careful not to spook them. My good friend killed an awesome 33” buck on the Uncompahgre Plateau with a muzzleloader years back by paying attention to smaller bucks in the area that eventually led him to the giant. In 2003, I killed my widest buck to date –a 36” 7x7—by watching bucks in the cover. I’ve learned to never ignore other deer.
If you followed the bowhunt last week with Cindy Wamsley, we used the same tactic of watching and waiting and paying attention to the other deer in the area. Although we never killed one of those good bucks, I can say that we did not pollute the area by spooking them or lots of other deer. Up until the day we left, we were still seeing them daily. We just needed more time.
Same tactic here but I can be a little more aggressive with a muzzleloader than with a bow as I have another 75 yards I can play with, which is quite a bit. For example, on the bowhunt, unless we see the buck bed, our chances of intercepting him are very very low for reasons I spoke about in that thread.
However, with the muzzleloader effective to about 125 yards, I stand a little better chance of catching these bucks on the move. Two nights ago, I stalked in to their last known location on a steep open ridge about 1 hour before sunset and sat down in front of a bush to hide my silhouette. I had about 150 yard circle I could see and if they would have come out AND the big buck would have been with them, I may have gotten lucky. With archery, you just don’t have that advantage and is why I focus on bedding the bucks then stalking in. If I can’t bed them, I’m better off to back out and watch from a distance in the evening so I can plan the morning hunt.
Cindy and I never hunted in the evening, just scouted/glassed from a distance. This time of year in this type of country, the bucks usually only leave the cover right at dark and with a bow, you just can’t do much.
Some of you know that bucks get up throughout the day to feed, pee, change beds, whatever. I agree, but unless you’re in wide-open country like high country or low desert sage country, it’s tough to glass bucks at midday unless you know where in the cover they bed. I’m hoping for that chance, because with a muzzleloader you have half a chance of creeping into that bedding area, without knowing exactly where the buck is bedded, and get a shot if he stands. Also, creeping around in a bedding area is a good way to spook your buck and he often doesn’t stop when he gets up. With a muzzleloader, I might get a bullet in him, but with a bow, no chance.
So there you all go, my tactics for the week. Of course I’m ready to shoot one from the road, too, if the chance so presents itself
Someone asked about my sight system. Here it is:
That is the XS Ghost Ring with the Williams Long Shank threaded peep. They are interchangeable according to lighting conditions. Installed is the 0.090 but I also carry the 0.050 for bright conditions. Removing the peep leaves the ghost ring which probably measures 0.20 for really low light.
This is what I see approximately. The camera is close so you can see through the 0.090 peep. When my cheek is on the stock, I can only see the white post. Aim point is off the top of the post. Man I’d love to see the front shoulder of a big muley in that view!
Rain is on the way. Hopefully I can keep my powder dry.