To be honest, Mule Deer and I, well, we don't know each other very well. Each September I focus my archery time on elk. Don't get me wrong, I always have my deer tag with me and if the opportunity presented itself I would take it. In the area I hunt elk I don't see a ton of deer. I have ran into a few but usually just a couple does.
So when I heard about the fact that I could used my deer tag in another zone for a late archery hunt, I was ecstatic. This gives me more time with my bow and time to focus solely on mule deer. Something I know I need to be able to hunt them better.
With a 3 a.m. alarm I got up and set out for the unexpected. In the days leading up to, I had studied the map extensively. I had taken some input from friends. As I drove in I saw another truck in front of me, which is immediately a little disheartening. I knew his plans. Same as mine. He took the spot I had intended to get close to. So I moved on, found another spot and then again notice another truck parked already. So again, I moved. I went further in and took the first spot I didn't see anyone. As I got ready, a truck or four wheeler drove by.
I knew what this meant, that I would have to go in further and put more miles in to avoid the pressure. Based on where the other hunters were, I knew I would have to make my way around down through some steeper drainages to avoid the path I figured they were potentially on. As I came over the first ridge and was heading down, I could hear a deer snorting at me. I stopped and scanned quickly to find it but couldn't locate it through the thick brush.
As I descended down the hill, I heard hunters again and move inward away from them. This caused me to take the long way. Once I reached the next ridge, I stopped and spent some time glassing. Most of the north facing ridges were covered in heavy pine trees, not always ideal for optimal glassing.
I kept moving and glassing. As I came along the private fence line, I heard movement and spotted a buck, not within reach. On the other side of the fence. With that being the most action I had seen all day, I tried to make a way to glass him up better and see if potentially he may move back to my side. So I sat on him for a while and glassed the other side of the ridges in the mean time. Then treading a long came three hunters, walking every so loudly as if they were announcing their presence. I waved a cordial wave, they kept going but I could hear them drop below me not too far from where I was. This spot was no longer a good spot.
So I pulled out my map and studied. And studied. I found a pocket that appeared to give good views of a few drainages and if the deer would do what I thought, well, I would have on tin sight. So I slowly made my way down. As I headed down, movement caught my left eye. I turned and saw a doe. I dropped down below the sage brush. Peaking my head between the branches, I counted them 7 does. Where was he? There he came a buck. And a decent buck.
I slowly dropped my pack off my back, stayed low so they would stop looking in my direction. I grabbed a shot of him and started belly crawling closer as they fed. Slowly they were making their way down the hill as they would stop and feed. A doe looked my direction, unsure if she busted me. I stopped. They kept their pace as they dropped just below my visual.
Then the hail started. Since they were just below the ridge of the drainage I could stand and walk. The sound of the hail allowed me to walk swiftly undetected, drowning out the breaking of leaves beneath my feet. As I reached the edge, there they were in my sigh but they were not stopping. I kept some distance as to not go noticed. I slowed and stayed on their tail until last light. I just could not gain enough on the gap between us.
This was a huge learning experience for me. But to go out for my very first archery mule deer hunt and actually notch my arrow was a relief. The knowledge I have gained through September has paid off. I am understanding this animals to hunt them. The practice now happens on the stalk. Moving and gaining the ground. This was a huge step but just the beginning of my chase to get a muley.
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