Where to camp for high country muley hunting?

[BSLugnut]

In my scouting for an upcoming archery mule deer hunt, the nearest tree could be 2-3 miles south of the area. And sometimes those pockets of trees are in the bottom of the basin.
For those of you more experienced high country (10-12k' elevation) hunters, where do you typically camp in relation to hunt at these elevations?

 

[cloan11]

Lee side of any ridge, and if possilbe anywhere near large rocks and especially large enough that you can get under if a lightning storm decides to join you.

 

[TaperPin]

Down wind, out of the lightening, and as high as possible. I camped out on the windward side of a big open slope above timberline one year, where we could glass from the tent in one direction, have a short walk over the ridge in the other direction, but we were clobbered by lightning. That was an education being out in the open as a storm rolled through at midnight, the highest thing around with aluminum tent poles as lightning rods, and the worst side of the hill. The leeward side of a mountain or big ridge gets much less lightning, so we moved to a nearby drainage and had a little more of a walk.

 

[Poser]

Find a bench or flat area that is reasonably protected and close to water.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Water is usually my #1. I don’t want to be dropping 1k to haul water up every day. I rather camp close to water and climb up every morning. Generally end up somewhere on the backside of the basin/face I’m interested in.