Background: early season hunt (late September/early October dates). I have scouted a location that has a lot of deer (does, fawns, small bucks, and medium size bucks), I know there are big deer but I have not personally found any. I have scouted other locations with less deer as well, again no big buck sightings. All areas have good road access.
Should I hunt where I find the biggest concentration of deer or hunt in lesser concentrated areas? Goal is a big mature buck.
Mule deer behave a little differently in different ecosystems, especially if they migrate or not. What general area are we talking about, and what type of terrain (Colorado timber, NV high desert, etc)?
More generally though, when you find concentrations of muleys, it's commonly because they've got a great food supply right there, fairly local. The more arid and desert we're talking, the more they will concentrate on those sparser places while they feed. They may commute a bit from better shelter, but if they're in any given spot in higher numbers, it's usually because of the feed situation.
And the more deer there are in that locale you're talking about, the higher likelihood you'll find a buck older than 4 or 5 years, often one that matured out of that very herd - but they'll generally be on the
far periphery of where that herd tends to congregate (up to a mile or two, sometimes more). Everything comes down to security for those big, older bucks. So those herds are there because food is there, but those herds are also predator magnets, and the big, older bucks will often use them as an early-warning system. Often, that means finding them in places
very secure from approach, that gives them good awareness with their eyes, ears, and especially noses, as well as escape routes. Usually, if terrain permits, well above and often overlooking the herd. Even better if it has good positioning for thermals.
Think of that herd you've found - now think of where you could overlook it, with your back to a secure spot a predator couldn't get over or through easily, with lots of shade, where the prevailing wind might come from behind you, but the thermals would come from below you in the morning and from above in the evening, and you'd hear or see anything coming from the sides. That's often what those big bucks are looking for. Those spots are so good, that if a big buck gets taken in one, a couple of years later there will often be another big one there - because it helps in their daily survival.
All that said, there are
always exceptions, and you can find a buck almost anywhere that has shade. But I wouldn't walk away from that herd you've found - I'd use it as a starting point to begin thoroughly hunting its periphery. It's the biggest lead you have in finding a big buck.
