Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping System

E-Scouting Questions - Wyoming Mule Deer

TJT96

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2017
Messages
38
Location
South Dakota
I burned the few deer points I had to start getting some experience under my belt for mountain hunting and have many questions that I was hoping to get help with. I’ve been to the area that I’m going to before and have seen plenty of deer but it was in December so I’m not sure if any of the info I gathered would translate to mid-October. I’ve left the region out but those of you that know Wyoming could piece it together pretty quickly, I reckon.

That being said, I’m an absolute newbie at mountain mule deer and am hoping to narrow down my e-scouting. Here’s some broad info on the unit and a multitude of questions. Even if you had an idea/answer for one of the questions, I’d be happy to hear it!

Unit Info:

Wyoming NR General Mule Deer
Mid-to-late October
4,000ft - 10,400ft elevation (excludes Wilderness)
Windward side of the mountains

Questions:
  • Is there a general elevation band that deer are usually in during this period?

  • Are bucks bedding on the north or south facing slopes during this time of year? How cold/windy does it need to get for them to switch to the south slopes?

  • I understand that mature bucks will most likely be alone and in thicker cover, what kind of terrain features should I focus on while e-scouting to find their bedding areas? (e.g. basins, steep slopes, avalanche chutes, etc.)

  • What does thick timbered bedding area look like on satellite maps?

  • Are sagebrush patches productive forage during this period? What other forage is productive in mid-October?

  • What are the mule deer does focusing on for forage during mid-October?

  • Other general tips for finding deer?
 
Don’t overthink it. Pick at least 5 areas with the type of terrain you want to hunt and go hunting. Chances are you’ll think you found the perfect spot through e scouting and you’ll get there and realize a road isn’t accessible, there’s too much hunting pressure, too few deer, the mountain you planned to hike over is 1000x gnarlier than onX made it look, there’s topless yoga hikers on your glassing knob, etc. Most hunts I end up hunting plan C, D or E because of various factors. Don’t get too hung up on the details from behind a screen. It all looks way different on the ground.
 
there’s topless yoga hikers on your glassing knob,

So, was this supposed to be a negative?
I burned the few deer points I had to start getting some experience under my belt for mountain hunting and have many questions that I was hoping to get help with. I’ve been to the area that I’m going to before and have seen plenty of deer but it was in December so I’m not sure if any of the info I gathered would translate to mid-October. I’ve left the region out but those of you that know Wyoming could piece it together pretty quickly, I reckon.

That being said, I’m an absolute newbie at mountain mule deer and am hoping to narrow down my e-scouting. Here’s some broad info on the unit and a multitude of questions. Even if you had an idea/answer for one of the questions, I’d be happy to hear it!

Unit Info:

Wyoming NR General Mule Deer
Mid-to-late October
4,000ft - 10,400ft elevation (excludes Wilderness)
Windward side of the mountains

Questions:
  • Is there a general elevation band that deer are usually in during this period?

  • Are bucks bedding on the north or south facing slopes during this time of year? How cold/windy does it need to get for them to switch to the south slopes?

  • I understand that mature bucks will most likely be alone and in thicker cover, what kind of terrain features should I focus on while e-scouting to find their bedding areas? (e.g. basins, steep slopes, avalanche chutes, etc.)

  • What does thick timbered bedding area look like on satellite maps?

  • Are sagebrush patches productive forage during this period? What other forage is productive in mid-October?

  • What are the mule deer does focusing on for forage during mid-October?

  • Other general tips for finding deer?

Just my opinion here, but you may find that finding out the answer to these questions first hand with experience on the ground is the most rewarding part of your upcoming hunt.

Good luck!
 
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