Thick, high country

[GrizMountain]

I have graduated in my life to hunting mule deer; specifically in far, western Montana. I have also been fortunate enough to draw the 2016, 202-50 deer tag. This means I am set on a location that is steep and thick. My concern and reason for outreach is this: This country is so thick that glassing is often a hard earned rarity that only grants limited vision of the area. Most tree-less terrain is grown in with thick underbrush of varying species that oft grow higher than head height. What tactics, books, people, did I say methods, anything you have for me.

Now I can find deer and even bucks in the dark, but it ends there. I won't know their antler size and honing in for the kill is a whole different book. I will hunt with each weapon as season allows until this tag is filled; or else the ducks will know about.

All help is greatly appreciated and it seems some of you are close enough for beers.

 

[Bubblehide]

Since I am completely blind on the type of thick your talking about, I am going to make some assumptions. I am assuming that this is a bedding area, and not so much a feeding area, although I imagine there is some feed in this thick stuff. Personally, I don't like to go into the bedroom of a buck, unless it is pretty much a last resort thing, where there appears no other way to harvest an animal. Lots of guys will disagree me on that, and at some for good reason. But from my experience, if I blow a buck out of it's bedroom, it moves to another one of it's bedrooms. So I end up finding myself hunting (literally crawling) their bedrooms. If the bucks are completely nocturnal, and in the thick stuff well before any daylight scantly hits the sky, you may not have many choices. But the obvious choices is to put yourself close to any trails, and be ready. Or, get above such an area, to where you have some reasonable view of the area below. Otherwise, I tend to hunt such areas sliding a foot or so along at a time, either on my belly, or on my butt. I suggest on your belly, as you get a much better view. The key here is spotting them before they spot you (or smell you). You will need to go super slow, for any success. The bad thing, depending on how thick it is, is that you really don't have time to judge an animal. In the areas I have done this, I knew the buck from scouting per-season, so I just needed a glimpse to know if I had the right buck or not.

But frankly, I'd suggest lots of scouting before the season opens, and if you have any places that hold bucks, with an area where you can get above this thick stuff, do yourself a favor, and do some selective thinning, so you have a chance of taking an animal without having to crawl through the area. With that said, if the bucks are not bedded before first light, and possibly leaving their beds before sundown, find those bedding areas. Know the trails the bucks favor, and put yourself in a spot where you can see them coming and going to feed and water as they come out of the thick stuff. I doubt the deer that are utilizing the thick stuff are making a living in it. As such, they need to be coming out of it for feed.

Best of luck!

 

[GrizMountain]

Bubblehide, Thank you for the great response.

For clarification, this is most of the landscape. Menziesia, or false huckleberry, is my prime competition as it is everywhere. It permeates into the spruce-fir stands and climbs the steep mountain sides. It is a food source and cover. I have spooked bull elk, moose, griz and plenty of black bears out of this stuff and it is never any fun unless you are getting out of the sun. The HD is prodomitately a northern aspect off of a main spine with finger ridges form southerly off of it. Lots of moisture, lack of sun, and lots of vegetation. This veg crops up to cliffs and peaks. Do not be fooled though, there is still plenty of food for these bucks.

What I am understanding here is to still hunt on my belly or to stand hunt over an open trail or feeding area. All of your advice is sound. Thanks again!

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

There any good burned country in the area? Got to have been some sizeable fires in the last 10 years there.

 

[GrizMountain]

Muledeerfanatic, Thank you for your very good point. Amazingly this area has been greatly neglected by recent fires for decades. Interestingly enough though, this area's history is deeply seedly within the Great Burn of 1910 and the HD is amongst essentially a non-designated wilderness. I have considered chasing lightning strikes and small scale fires but I do not know how effective that would be. But, I will look further into fires I do not know of (which will be a lot I am sure).

Thick, steep, wet country.

I am starting to beleive that this particular spot shares many characteristics with blacktail deer hunting...


A November rifle hunt will surely prove productive. With them following their other head and coming down lower into more manageable and sun beat areas. However, I guess my specific concern is an early season attempt at some the big bucks that may not have any more interest in chasing tail; or maybe even keep in this more difficult habitat terrain where they may remain, snow allowing...


Thanks for the reply!!

 

[bigmoose]

I would also look for avalanche chutes. You can often find bucks feeding and bedding in them. The hard part will be figuring out where and how to access them. I took one of my biggest bucks in Southwest Montana near a avalanche chute that I'd found him in the day before.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I agree on avalanche chutes. I'd focus my scouting in that July/August time frame, and I'd look right at the alpine/timber interface along with every avalanche chute I could find.

 

[Bubblehide]

I agree on avalanche chutes. I'd focus my scouting in that July/August time frame, and I'd look right at the alpine/timber interface along with every avalanche chute I could find.

Okay, I got a better picture now, and I agree with the above comments. When I hunt an area, I really want to know the food sources in the area, and when they come into season. From there, I am looking at the foods with the highest caloric value. I view it this way, survival and thriving is about taking in more nutrition/energy than one expends. So the wildlife will want the most bang for their buck, so to speak. Early on it will be forbs, and the deer should be using these chutes and interfaces. I would guess that later in the season, they would use them to a lesser degree, as generally the utilized food sources will change. Obviously the area is going to take some work, and a lot of patience.

 

[GrizMountain]

All, you guys are killing it, thank you for these awesome comments.

The ave chutes are indeed tree free areas. I call them bear elevators as they work up and down based on season and food source; same as our deer friend. However, I cannot stress the difference in habitat type from typical CO mountain mule deer I see folks boast so often. These shoots are often filled with mountain ash bushes that are comparable to trees and many other pliable species that literally spring back after the snow clears everything solid. And boy does it all spring back thick and tall.

Now I am sure I am getting eye rolls by now for my over-exaggeration of thick and tall vegetation; but I cannot stress this leafy problem obstacle enough. And with such necessity to stalk through this stuff I am really working my brain to consider strategic options.

I am deducing that I hopefully spot the one, form a pattern and then setup in his usual corridor(s) and wait for him to walk by. Should I stop over complicating it? Maybe bring a brush hog to clear some sh!t

You have all been tremendously helpful and I appreciate it. Thank you for bearing with me.

I must let you know I consider myself a fairly successful hunter, but a terrible killer in comparison.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I know what you are referring to, and I know that it IS brushy. That said, I think you can quickly narrow down the areas that have been suggested. Alters in avalanche chutes are good. I've seen some dandy bucks right at treeline hitting the alder trees.

I would focus my summer scouting right along the ID/MT border. Find what the southern exposures and focus on those. Let the heat and bugs and sensitive velvet antlers help narrow your search. As for how to hunt them? However you have to. Stalking mule deer with a bow is a lot easier in more open country. You might try to pattern them a bit and then set up an afternoon ambush in a funnel point.

 

[PNWGATOR]

I'm also working to solve this riddle....following this thread with great interest.

You also asked about books. I highly recommend Robby's Hunting Big Mule Deer. It'll give you some insight on how he was effective in similar habitat.

 

[Bar]

Sometimes you have to admit an area is too tough to hunt. I hunt dark thick timber, because game feels safe in those areas. However, if it's so bad I have to crawl through it. I'll pass on it. I have to be standing up to find the game. Whether it's elk, deer, or bear. Crawling is what i'd use in open country to sneak up.

Look at the terrain in this picture. That's what I like. It's much easier to sneak up on game in that sort of terrain, but I can walk through it.

 

[GrizMountain]

I hear and agree with all of you. You have enlightened this dark question (pun intended) with many great tactics. Sometimes country IS too much for a circumstance but with brute force and ignorance I believe it can be done; although that brute force and ignorance must be combined with subtle grace and great skill in this case. And besides, I am committed to this unit due to tag, I find this area perfectly challenging, and I wouldn't change it for the world; yet.

I plan on ordering Mr. Denning's book, but I see his experience triumphant more in the open spaces of Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and even other areas of Montana. This is why I wanted to broadly reach out to the many of you great hunters out there. In fact, I smile knowing a few of you on here :-D

I was born and raised still hunting thick timber for elk and deer. It is the most successful tactic for me. But I have to caution about what might be around the next corner, tree, or rock. Sometimes it is too successful. For those who read Tom Brown Jr., remember to look up from the track more often than not and observe the rest of your surroundings; if not for what you are tracking, as much for what you do not what to track...
View attachment 36055

That is why I am digging so hard for tips and tricks, in other areas of skill. Especially regarding the scouting, finding, glassing, and setup for these mountain mulies. I have already warned my fiance about my camping/scouting this summer and fall. I must admit, I am controlling myself from loading up the skis and poles to head out and scout already!! Ill beat em to their own bedroom!

This is a difficult realm of hunting and I appreciate all you people for contributing!

 

[Rizzy]

Geomac viewer is the easiest for past fire activity research.
Data layers- past fires- historic fire perimeters.
It only goes back as far as 2002. Look for the edges

Muledeerfanatic, Thank you for your very good point. Amazingly this area has been greatly neglected by recent fires for decades. Interestingly enough though, this area's history is deeply seedly within the Great Burn of 1910 and the HD is amongst essentially a non-designated wilderness. I have considered chasing lightning strikes and small scale fires but I do not know how effective that would be. But, I will look further into fires I do not know of (which will be a lot I am sure).

Thick, steep, wet country.

I am starting to beleive that this particular spot shares many characteristics with blacktail deer hunting...


A November rifle hunt will surely prove productive. With them following their other head and coming down lower into more manageable and sun beat areas. However, I guess my specific concern is an early season attempt at some the big bucks that may not have any more interest in chasing tail; or maybe even keep in this more difficult habitat terrain where they may remain, snow allowing...


Thanks for the reply!!

 

[Bar]

Griz........Let me comment on what you said about looking up from the ground. As someone who only still hunts I love talking about it. Most guys who try it move too fast. Way too fast. They take 2-3 steps and then look around. Some take more. I take just one step at a time. I look at the ground for the step. This has to be done to be sure what you're walking on. Sometimes I won't complete the step, but pull off it and move to a different spot for my foot. Then complete the step slowly. Very slowly. You can walk on very crunchy ground if you do it slowly enough and wear the right footwear. I wear buffalo hide slippers over my boots with the hair pointed out. After the step is completed you hold there for as long as it takes you to check the whole area for game. Look everywhere. Even though you did the same thing on your last step. You're now in a different position and may see see something new. I may stand there for 1-5 min. I believe that's the reason it's called still hunting, because you're standing still more than you're walking. It's kind of like a moving ground blind. It's amazing how close you can get to game if it never see's you move. Never move when they're looking at you. It takes a lot of patience and balance sometimes to hold frozen longer than the game will stare at you. At some point they'll think of you as a non threat and look away. That's when you move again. Don't get caught when you do. There's so much more I could write about it.

Sorry, I wrote more than I planned to. It's my favorite subject. If i'm telling you what you already know. Maybe someone else can benefit from it.

Be sneaky and hunt like a cat. It's very rewarding.

 

[GrizMountain]

Bar,
Totally with you on this and we are adding and taking from the same book and chapter. I often joke that I harvest my animals the same way as usual, just walked up to it. So let me throw this out there for you...
With so much vegetation scratching and pulling and catching and poking and springing and all the other stuff it does... The ground is no longer my concern as much as what is 6 to 66" above it. One will hit pockets and veins of this stuff, which can seem like an impenetrable wall; something that is more comparable to swimming once in it. Sometimes it is a large obstacle to get around.
But also, there is hunting while hunting and then there is moving while hunting. Sometimes you gotta do both.

I do not think there will be any beating of this thick vegetation, so I am trying to best join forces with it. Animals have the same struggles and needs we do; without all of our luxuries. But this double edged sword tends to cut me more than them.

And be careful threatening me with a good time. I like to bury these types of topics in the pet cemetery just so I can beat it to death all over again.

 

[Bar]

I never feel forced to hunt an area here in Colorado. We have millions of acres to choose from. Your area sounds pretty bad for being quiet in. The best you can do is wear quiet clothing and do your best to pick routes through it that rubs on you the least. I'm constanly changing my route through the timber. As long as it's still in the general direction I want to go and I keep my nose in the wind.

Wish I could help more, but you have a challenging situation.

 

[Jarrod Renaud]

I'd say find water. I've had cameras on water in some thick colorado country and have caught some big boys on there.

 

[bigmoose]

This type of habitat you are talking about is more ideal elk country than deer country and I would think there may not be many bucks. I would scout/hunt any open areas you can find. These areas have the best chance for deer to find the browse they need for feed. I would spend time hunting the ridge tops, always looking for tracks. Check out any saddles and secondary ridges coming off the main ridge. Look off through the tree tops to other ridges and check them out for likely spots. You may find tracking them to be your best bet. I would expect the bucks to be in the upper third of the mountain and to bed on points or flat spots in the heavy timber. Water may not be a concern. There's usually lots of little springs and bogs in this habitat. Your shots can be real close or real long as you may have to shoot across to an opposite ridge.

I would not be surprised to find big bulls in this area. They love those alders. My brother, the elk hunter, has killed many mature bulls in the Panhandle in this exact habitat. You can hear their antlers as they move through this stuff and zero in on them. He's killed a bunch of them in their beds at close range.

This type of hunting is very challenging. I bet you have the mountain to yourself.

 

[GrizMountain]

It seems ideas are slowing down, so I will throw this out there.

This area does hold very nice mule deer. Not that many and in a very big country that is very crowded with flora. Since this is the case, how dispersed from any high elevation peaks and cliff areas will these mature bucks establish a home range (outside of rut)? I know they can park on 1x1 mile area if needs are met, but it is obviously not all mule deer habitat out there either.