2007-ID-buck-hi-res-001.jpg

2007-ID-buck-hi-res-001.jpg

Deliberately:
De·lib·er·ate·ly- consciously and intentionally; on purpose; in a careful and unhurried way.
 
In my last series blog post: Killing Big Mule Deer: Moving in Deer Country, Part I, I wrote about the pace of moving undetected in deer country.  However, it’s not just pace that is crucial, but cadence or rhythm that makes or breaks your hunt… 
 
By the grace of God, I’ve hunted mule deer every year—save one—since about 1977.  Those thousands of days spent in deer country have taught me one important lesson: A human moving at normal pace is completely foreign to the rhythm of the forest.  Mule deer, the most keen of animals, can pick us out like a tuba in the Rose Parade.
 
I’ve also hunted with and studied some very good deer hunters in my life.  While they all had their own hunting styles, I’ve learned the same thing from all of them: hunt slow.  While each of these men (and one woman) taught me bookfuls, my best teacher has actually been my quarry: older, experienced mule deer bucks.  Study these masters of movement and I guarantee your mule deer game will improve drastically.
Except for a few days in the heat of the rut or if he’s spooked, a big buck will move very deliberately.  Before moving, he’ll survey his surroundings thoroughly. Once everything looks safe, he’ll walk a few steps, stop for a few seconds to a few minutes, and repeat the whole cycle again.  This is why he rarely walks into danger.  He’s very aware of his surroundings. 
 
Watch a bachelor herd of bucks feeding. You’ll notice the older bucks move less and slower than their younger, less experienced counterparts.  What you’re witnessing is the fact that older, bigger bucks move very deliberately.  We must imitate them if we want to kill more big mule deer. 

Here are some situations where we spook bucks:

  • You’ve glassed quietly for two hours with no luck.  You stand up quickly and saunter over to our pack leaned against a tree and start rifling through it.  

Any big buck that drifted into range while you glassed will easily pick out that ruckus and simply fade back into the cover, often without you ever knowing he was there.  Rather, stand up slowly and don’t take any steps.  Survey your surroundings, both with the naked eye (wide angle view) and your binoculars.  Then slowly walk to your pack and try not to make any unnecessary noise as you look for a snack.  You’ve just invested two hours into the perfect ambush situation, don’t screw it up now.

  • You and your buddy are pulling the steepest hill of the hunt.  It’s so steep, you’ve forgotten all about being quiet and just want to survive so you can get to the top to glass.  You sound like a rutting rhino as you step over brush, kick rocks, and poke fun at your chubby buddy falling behind.

Big bucks are rarely where we think they are and is why we need to hunt quietly anytime we are in deer country.  Next time, especially if no one else is spooking the deer, give yourself more time to reach your destination so you’re not forced to walk fast and noisily.  That’s what the big bucks do.  I’ve killed several good bucks in surprise places I was only walking through to get where I thought I should be.

You can’t just show up in deer country and live the pace of life like we do in civilization.  Falsely, many hunters walk into deer country thinking that if they spook a big buck, he’ll expose himself and the hunter can shoot him.  That era ended about 1965.  Big mule deer bucks, when spooked, will put every bush, tree, rock, and terrain feature between himself and a hunter in a matter of seconds as he makes his escape.  If you are hunting for a big mule deer by just walking through deer country, give up while you still have knee cartlilage left.  Few big bucks fall for that trick.

I don’t want to sound like I’m some phantom drifting among the forest creatures undetected.  I’m a bumbling human being who also has a hard time leaving the pace of life behind.  However, sometimes, some days, I hit it just right- often for reasons I can’t explain.  My brain and body began to work together in a calmness that allows me to move very slow and very quiet, just like big bucks move. While I don’t kill a big deer every time I move slow, I’ve killed virtually all of my big deer when I’m moving slow.  You will, too.

b2ap3_thumbnail_2007-ID-buck-hi-res-001.jpg

I killed this five-year old (lab-aged) Idaho buck in an area I was only moving through to get somewhere “better.”  I had been moving deliberately anyway, but was completely shocked to see him appear. I made the shot before he ever knew I was there. He was one of the biggest-bodied Idaho bucks I’ve taken. 

Don’t miss my next installment in “KBMD”.  I’ll expose the often silent tattle-tale that sends your trophy buck to flight, usually without you even knowing it. Make sure you “Subscribe to blog” top of page, right side under links “Fitness/Other” so you get an email notification when that blog posts. 

Let’s take a survey here: Have you killed more big deer by moving slow or just jumping them as you walk through the country?  I’m talking big deer here, not young bucks…Post up in the comments.

 

 

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Robby Denning
Robby Denning
Robby Denning started hunting mule deer in the late 1970’s, only missing one season in 35 years. At 25, he gave up the pursuit of all other big-game to focus on taking the best bucks possible. He began hunting the West on a DIY budget hunting an average of 30 days a year for mule deer. Robby loves the hunt as much as the kill and the entire process from research to scouting to hunting. He’s killed four bucks over 200 inches in the last 15 seasons, mostly on easily-obtained tags. He owns a public-land scouting service and runs a private-land outfitting business helping other hunters in their pursuit of deer and elk. Robby has scouted and hunted literally thousands of square miles of mule deer country and brings a wealth of knowledge about these experiences with him. To him, the weapon of choice is just a means-to-an-end and will hunt with bow, rifle, or muzzleloader – whatever it takes to create an opportunity to take a great mule deer. He is also the author of "Hunting Big Mule Deer" available on Amazon. Robby believes all of creation is from God for man to manage, respect, and through which to know its Creator

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8 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve killed two of my biggest by myself using this type of method. I like to call it creepin hahaha

  3. I have never killed a big deer by moving slow or jumping them, all spot and stalk situations. Some spots were relativley close (to a big buck in range) within 500 yrds and required a few hundred yards closer for a shot. But I have yet to quietly move through deer country, spot a big buck, and kill him.
    That’s probably a sign I’m doing something wrong.

  4. The best one i have been a part of was with my dad this year during archery in wyoming. We knew the buck had been in the area and took a chance creepin through due to time. We were able to find him behind a rock bedded while only seeing the tips of his horns 35 yds away. Quite the rush.

  5. Corey, if you think about it, a successful stalk requires moving slowly (usually), so we’re talking about the same thing and you’re doing fine. I’m just trying to bring to light that not all big deer are killed by glassing/spot & stalk.

    Josh, a buck at 35 yards is a rush for sure! Sometimes you have to creep through as you can’t always know for sure where they bedded. As you said, “due to time”. One of my best archery bucks came that way, too.

  7. Great series Robby!
    I would say for sure that I see more animals by moving slowly. My biggest Buck was a spot and slow stalk situation. When I first started deer hunting I harvested a series of small Forkys by basically covering too much ground and jump shooting.
    There is no other animal that moves like a human. I don’t doubt that a big buck can pick up on this unique “cadence” and movement at a farther distance than he can actually see. One thing I have found that helps me mask my humaness is to walk in the exact footsteps as the deer or elk did on the trail you are following. This slows you down and makes you stop in the same places they did to negotiate the terrain and look around. Stop and pick a leaf off a bush every once in a while like a browser would. It also conserves a lot of energy and helps to keep you from stumbling due to stepping on loose ground.

  8. Ron, yes, that is a great way to slow down while hunting the cover- just doing what the deer or elk do.
    I believe as we spook other animals in the forest, they increase the defenses of a buck as he picks up on those disturbances, too.

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