Typical mulie approach

[Guy M]

Here's how my friends and I do it here in central Washington. Pretty open country, broken by deep draws with heavy vegetation down in the bottom.

Get out and walk, with binos, spotting scopes and rangefinders well before the season. The truck or the ATV or the horse help too, but I like getting out and walking. I slow down and see more. May even take a "walking varminter" with me on some trips.

Take a good map & make use of it before, during and after the scouting trip.

Look for deer. Deer tracks. Rubs. Beds. Feeding areas.

Get back to the area at least a couple of times, to see what's happening as the season approaches. Home in on that area where bucks have been seen. Put yourself there, or where you can observe that area, well before dawn on opening day. A good number of my bucks have been taken on opening morning, before the presence of active hunters in the area affects deer behavior. Here, once hunting pressure has started, the big guys go hide in the thickest nastiest stuff down in the bottom of the draws and they simply wait there - almost impossible to hunt, until the conclusion of deer season - or they simply go nocturnal. Opening morning is when we strive for maximum success, before the game gets much harder.

Sit and wait. Silently. Cold? Yes. Too bad. Glass. Glass more. It's amazing how many bucks seem to simply appear out of nowhere - in an area that's just been glassed. Fortunately deer have white behinds, or I might never spot 'em!

Once spotted - it's then decision time. Take him from the present location or move to create a more favorable shooting situation. This could be to simply close the distance, or possibly to avoid shooting across a road, or across a deep canyon with a nasty wind that could affect the flight of the bullet.

Seems that more often than not, I'm all set up out there with spotting scope, binos, laser rangefinder and a nice long range rifle when I find myself presented with a shot opportunity at much more normal range... Some buck will come up from a creek bed, or some sort of depression, or walk out of the thick brush... I have to admit, that I'll take 'em up close if that's the shot presented...

Regards, Guy

 

[HRstretch]

Thanks for the report Guy. We do not have the opportunity to still hunt as much as most of us would like to here in Texas. Most of here will never have that type of hunt unless we go out of state.

That is some great looking land in which to hunt from.

 

[Buffalobob]

The last mule deer I shot before leaving Utah back in 1981, we used the technique you mention. There was a herd of about five bucks that used a scrub oak hillside. They could not be gotten unless you set up across the canyon on a rock outcrop which was about 500 yards away.

We scouted them during archery season and left them alone during elk season and came back for them when it was rifle season.

Opening morning we eased into position as quietly as we could in the dark and waited silently for daylight. Of course when it got light they were nowhere to be seen on the far hillside. That is until we heard them 20 yards below our rock outcrop. The contrary deer had switched sides of the canyon on us. We had been very quiet getting into our position and had stayed quiet so until we shot they had no idea we were there. We even managed to coordinate by signing who would shot which deer and both got one of them.

 

[bwaites]

Guy, nice buck, nice picture!

Where you at in Central WA?

Bill

 

[Guy M]

Bill, I live and work in Wenatchee. Photos and mulie taken in Douglas County.

I don't see a lot of whoppers where we hunt - but our group of four - me, my son and two of my buddies - generally manage to tag one or two bucks every year.

Regards, Guy

 

[bwaites]

Guy,

Thought so, that looks like the area up on the plateau around Waterville/Badger mountain.

There are a few nice bucks up there, but not as much cover as the really big ones like.

I did almost hit a big 6x6 with my car back around 1995 between Waterville and Mansfield. I heard someone took him later that year, but never saw pictures.

Bill

 

[johnnyk]

Guy,
Nice buck and thanks for the hunting advise. It's kinda coming together for me now. Starting to see more and more game as I travel around Washington, Oregon, Idaho and occasionally Montana. When I first got here I kept telling myself, "there's no way anything can live out here in the open". Wrong answer.
Last Saturday, while unsuccessfully coyote hunting, I spotted 10 mulie does and 1 cow elk. I had just previously looked that way and glassed it, I thought. Bam! there they were. I watched them for about 20 minutes and decided to ease out and leave 'em. Turned the Jeep around to leave and there were two small mulie bucks across the road looking at me from about 200yds away in a hay stubble field.
I proceeded and they took off running away from me but cut back and crossed the road behind me. I stopped to glass them and get a better look at their racks and they "disappeared". For a few moments I couldn't figure out where they'd gone. I kinda thought they might have squatted in the hay stubble, as it's about knee high (I guess it's hay, it's yellow anyway . I took out my "K'meer deer" fawn distress call and gave it a few loud screams. Sure enough, the smaller of the two stood right up.
I thought it kinda comical. the buck saw me and knew that gig was up. I could see the other buck squirming around a little and I could imagine him tugging at the smaller buck saying "sit down stupid, he'll see you!" The small buck slowly sank back down and I watched their ears and antlers just above the stubble for about ten minutes and left.
I'm gonna keep a "distant" eye on them till next season. Hopefully they'll still be there. JohnnyK.

 

[Weda]

Guys has it right...

when you get tired of glassing that's about the right time to do more glassing...

always always hunt them from the top down. if you hunt them from the bottom up all you'll see are asses all day. The biggest one will be in your boots.

 

[NYLES]

WEDA, thats funny right there!

Guy, You got it! I "USE" the other hunters myself on the refuges in MS, over the years we(hunting buddies) have learned where the deer go to get away from everyone else. We dont get to glass as these are some pretty thick places(nasties). But generally we are doing the same thing...cut him off from his hiding place or go right on in there and wait on him.....believe me opening day on these M/L hunts you aint gonna kill many in there usual feeding areas, but cutting them off from the nasties or finding places inside the nasties you can see or use a tree stand...he is doing everything to get to his hideout or Safe Place and well, just aint expecting you to be in there! BAM! Big buck down!

Nice mullie and great tip!

 

[magicofmt]

Here's the country I hunt for Muleys and you have to have good optics and a long range rifle. Glass, glass and glass again. Big deep draws can be 100+ ft down so have a good game cart too, with lots of rope.

 

[Bravo 4]

Magic....ooow-ooow, I wanna go!

 

[bigg_sexy1]

Here's the country I hunt for Muleys and you have to have good optics and a long range rifle. Glass, glass and glass again. Big deep draws can be 100+ ft down so have a good game cart too, with lots of rope.

Very similar to the area that I hunt in southern A when I am lucky enough to get drawn. The deer there are super cagey, run for miles and never stop if they see you kind of cagey. We do lots of glassing and use horses to cover ground as needed. Sure helps to have horses to pack your deer ou if your lucky enough to get one too.

 

[Guy M]

This year's mulie was taken in a higher, more forested area, after hiking in a good distance and doing some glassing. Pre-season scouting was important too.

Regards, Guy