Suprising Mule Deer Tag Draw - Tips and Tales?

[Anye425]

I got a shocker and drew an archery muley tag - super stoked! So I am picking my recurve back up and getting back into the groove, I lightly dabbled it shooting trad a few years ago but this is my first archery tag since having our son last fall.

I would love to hear any tips and tricks on aiming and your preferred methods as well as why! And I would also really like to hear success stories as well!

I'm presently using the "split vision" method for aiming and seem to do alright on consistency, but I'm always open to hear ways to improve over all accuracy and consistancy
Appreciate you all in advance!

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Depends on the part of the county your hunting them in, high country I feel the stick is a blessing.

Low county or open it’s a curse since 60-100 yard shots are common.

I’ve killed a few with a stick. I just have a high anchor and low point on for eastern whitetails, so I just adjust my anchor to get the point on I want

 

[Anye425]

It's a tag that would easily run either way for how the unit is laid out. We are going to shoot for down low but there is actually good cover and usually a good variety of bucks around where we will be
Going to be scouting though to see what's hanging around!

 

[Beendare]

As you know, it's one thing seeing them....and it's a whole different skillset getting to 25y on them.

My experience stalking Desert Mule deer has not worked out well. The stalk has to be so slow and deliberate...by the time I did all that the shifting wind would give me away. I could get 50y, but that extra 20y/25y was the killer.

Animals like Pigs and Javelina are made for trad bows...but deer in the wrong terrain are tough.

 

[Tilzbow]

^^^Not only is it really difficult to get from 50 to 25 it’s even more difficult to get a shot off inside of 40 withiut spooking the deer in a spot and stalk situation.

When I was backcountry hunting using horses or backpacks I probably stalked within 20-30 yards of 10+ bucks that exceeded 180” and never released an arrow with my recurve. Many times I’d get close enough for a shot, wind would be good, one of the smaller bucks would see movement, the entire group would get up, walk out of recurve range, stand at compound range and look around trying to figure out what’s happening.

 

[nevadabugle]

So much to say here and not enough time to say it. Mule Deer hunting is great. Mule Deer hunting with a bow is amazing. But nothing beats the feeling of sneaking into trad bow range of a muley and making the shot.

I could go into tactics and strategies, but I don't have the time right now. All I will say is what I tell myself on every muley hunt.

"Getting a Mule deer with a trad bow is impossible, right until it isn't "

In other words, don't get discouraged, give it your all on both the glassing and sloooooooow stalking, and it will eventually all fall into place. I believe that if you can get a stalk a day, over a weeks period, eventually one of those stalks will stick. Atleast that's been my experience.