Mule Deer Hunting Articles
Winter Scouting
For the deer hunter, winter is a long period of nothing but waiting. The fall hunt is over and there is little activity related to hunting deer, plus it seems like the new season is such a long way off. Around here, winters are tough, so even the fun stuff like getting out and shooting the bow or going to the rifle range is out of reach. There is one thing winter is great for, and it is a way to stay connected to your favorite hobby. Winter is the best time to get out and scout to see what the deer have been doing at your hunting spots.
Weather's Role in Hunting
Weather conditions play a big role in where animals will be at a particular time of day. Sounds simple doesn't it? Weather conditions force wildlife to develop habit patterns to deal with existing weather. Deer seek relief from summer heat and winter cold that is outside their normal comfort range. During the extreme heat of summer animals take refuge in shaded areas to escape the heat. The animal still experiences heat, but at a lower temperature than if he was standing in direct sunlight. Ambient or prevailing conditions are measured in degrees of thermal heat.
Triple Sixes: Do-It-Yourself Colorado Hunt
Six bulls, six bucks in six days, a successful Colorado do-it-yourself hunt on a budget! New York State residents, Dan and Janet Wescott, had been hunting together almost as long as they had been married. They had been on both guided hunts and do-it-yourself hunts and the results from the guided hunts were impressive and are mounted in their living room. The do-it-yourself hunts on public land turned out to be unimpressive and more times than not they returned home tired and empty handed. It wasn't from a lack of hunting skill.
Hunting Preparations That Help Insure Post-Kill Success
Typical hunters spend months in preparation for that moment when a coveted big game animal is in their sights. Many of these same hunters, however, give little thought to what they will need to do after they have killed a dream animal. That's unfortunate, because what happens after the kill can determine whether a hunt becomes a cherished lifetime memory or a recurring nightmare. The list of potential problems that can occur after an animal is down is nearly limitless.
Colorado Mule Deer Hunt: You Must See Them First!
Rifle, Colorado, has always produced big bucks from backcountry pockets; the tough part is getting them out of that pocket. When hunters come to town, the first question they ask locals is, "Where did Rifle get its name?" Although no one knows for sure, the consensus is the name originated with an old cowboy that had left his rifle leaning against a tree near a local creek. Once he realized the gun was missing he always referred to the area as "Rifle" and the name stuck.
Hunting the Mule Deer Rut
After a four-year wait, my wife Heather and I finally drew coveted deer tags. Not just any tags mind you; these permits would allow us to hunt on a military base from November 26 through 28 of 2009. So what's the big deal you ask? This annual event is a management hunt designed to cull deer, but more importantly it would allow us to hunt the early stages of the mule deer rut. Each hunter is given three tags, all of which may be used for either mule deer or whitetailed deer, and only one has be used on an antlerless deer. Now, where else can a person harvest two mule deer bucks?
Retrieving Game
Thank goodness for snow and a downhill pull! Effortlessly tugging the rope, my toboggan slid as though it were self-propelled. Ankle-deep, the powdery white stuff was a blessing. Fortuitous indeed, I'd brought my sled and it's a good thing. Not long before, I'd been hiding in my blind. Overcast skies kept things dark for a few minutes longer than usual. As daylight finally illuminated my surroundings I heard the welcome sounds of a buck grunting in the trees nearby. This would be my last deer hunt of the season. I'd decided to take the first deer that presented a shot.
Field Judging Deer
Some might call it buck fever. In my opinion it was just plain misjudgment. Sure, my heart races the same as the next guy when I get a big buck in my crosshairs, but I've usually got it well under control. No, this particular instance was a result of poor judgment and a split decision. Too many variables and too little time, that's what this one was all about. Had I been afforded another 30 seconds to evaluate the buck's antlers, I'm certain my decision to hit the switch would have been stifled.
Nonresident's Guide to Western Hunting
A not-so concise look at the opportunities available to those who have decided to come out West for an elk, deer or antelope hunt and don't know where to start. This won't address bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or moose as those are typically once-in-a-lifetime hunts. This is also designed for DIY hunters, not for those looking for private land or outfitted hunts, as there are various other aspects regarding transferable tags that could also be addressed.
How to Accurately Judge Target Distance
A gentle breeze lazily wafted the tall blades of fescue to and fro across my field of view. Muscles tensed and eyes straining to focus on my target, I was confident I could make the shot. What bothered me was my less-than-perfect ability to accurately judge the long-range distances. I was certain the pronghorn was over 200 yards but just how much further was unknown. In my opinion, antelope are one of the most difficult animals to shoot at; not because they're particularly elusive, but due to their size and where they live. Wide open spaces and a relatively small target can make for deceptive shooting.
Ready or Not, Here I Come
As a bowhunter, I spend most of my spring and summer dreaming about the return of fall. It may appear on the outside that I'm in a thoughtless daze, but inside my mind is filled with a longing for the solitude and joy that can only be found 20 feet up a tree. Then one day, it inevitably happens. I walk by the calendar and realize that deer season is quickly approaching. The adrenaline starts pumping, but I take a deep breath and try to take the steps to ensure a safe and successful season.
Deer Diary: How to Keep a Hunting Journal
Twentieth Century philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Chances are he wasn't thinking about deer hunting when he spoke those words, but the principal still applies, none-the-less. If you are like me, just remembering what happened on your last hunt is challenging enough. Being able to recall specific details of the hunts from years past would be dang near impossible without having some type of written account. That is why a hunting journal can be such a great resource for the serious deer hunter.
European Skull Mounts: The Easy Way
After having seen hundreds of inquiries from members of various hunting web sites asking how to do European Skull Mounts, the idea and appearance of the finished product began to pique my interest. Not wanting though, to go through the mess of boiling the natural skull or use flesh-eating beetles to clean it, either of which would have resulted in my wife JC ejecting me from the house instantaneously, I embarked on a search for a cleaner, more practical way of accomplishing the task.
After the Shot: Deer Tracking Tips
You wait until he's broadside, then, as the big 12-pointer lowers his head; you raise your rifle and centre the crosshairs behind his shoulder. You breathe, control your nerves, and squeeze the trigger... In a perfect world, he'd drop right then and there. But, as any experienced deer hunter knows, that's not always the case.
Still-Hunting: The Woodsman's Dance
Though it's certainly no Swan Lake, in a very real sense, still-hunting is the dance of the woodsman. Done properly, it is choreographed and precise. It's planned out so that every movement combines agility, grace, and stealth, so that each step, head turn, and pause serves an artful purpose - to collect venison.
Judging Distance
Accurately judging distance is the first step toward proper shot placement. Instinctive or calculated, bowhunters rely on it for close range shooting. Gun hunters count on their ability to estimate longer distances. Over time we all learn our own tricks for calculating distance but with the advent of laser rangefinders many of us won't leave home without them. Regardless of how you go about it, determining yardage can make or break your hunt.
Communicating with Big Game
Minutes after climbing into my stand I began my calling and rattling sequence. First grunting, then working the antlers, I stared down at the mock scrape I'd been religiously anointing with doe-estrus scent for the previous two weeks. I hadn't even finished my first round of clashing antlers together when I saw a nice buck run in from the heaviest cover. In a magnificent display of dominance all four feet were planted firmly in the center of my scrape as he swung his head back and forth in defiance! My efforts to communicate had sent this buck a clear message and he responded on cue.
10 Steps for a Successful Hunt
I have been hunting big game, mostly deer, for over forty years and I am still surprised by the lack of preparation most hunters take before the season starts. Most of my buddies simply throw some gear in the back of a truck on opening day and head for the woods. By the way, most of my friends are not very successful hunters either, because they don't do their homework or fieldwork. See, some serious planning is needed to insure your hunting efforts pay off and you get that big buck you've been after. Well, I suggest we prepare for our big game hunt both at home and in the field, and perhaps months in advance.
Hunting Early Season Mule Deer
Ask most North American hunters and nine out of ten will probably say that early season mule deer hunting is for archers. As a committed bowhunter I've spent many early season days in the mountains, along river valleys and in the prairie grasslands chasing mule deer. It is indeed a great opportunity to catch deer relatively uneducated. But in recent years I've been hearing more about gun hunting these great deer in the early season. Aside from opportunity, the early season also presents several unique challenges. The heat alone is usually enough to keep most of us out of the woods.
Mule Deer: Those Western Deer
It was clearly the peak of the rut and, in the narrow draw below me, a doe pranced coquettishly through the brittle cottonwoods, keeping well out of reach of the husky buck that dogged her trail. Though confident that her magic scent would draw him on, she stopped every 50 meters or so to gaze intently down her back trail, evidently impatient for the buck to catch up.