Escouting lowish elevation Mule Deer in Wyoming

[BrentD]

I drew a Wyoming mule deer tag - Area 36 (North and East of Shoshoni, WY), fwiw.

I've been sorting through it on OnX and Google Earth, trying to find interesting, promising locations to hunt in mid-late October.

There are roads every where, so escaping them is just a "relative" thing, and there is at least one "Wilderness Study Area" that I have found so far.

But what I don't know is what to look for in the way of habitat. I am attracted to the rolling, broken country along the northern third of this unit, but I don't really know why. Consequently, I have already discarded the entire South 1/2-2/3rds of the unit. I have hunted and killed mule deer in WY, NE, and AZ, but that doesn't mean I knew what I was doing then or now. Anyway, this is mostly 6500-7500 ft elevations, "forested" areas appear to be scrub where "trees" are too far apart to close canopy. I suspect they are mostly juniper and thickest, of course, on the North facing slopes. Are these where I'm going to find all of the monster bucks? More trees = more big bucks?

There seems to be very little water of course, and most is on private ground (of course), and there are very few private walk-in areas. On a scale of 1-10 for "greenness" the whole place looks like about a 3 with little variation and whatever slightly greener spots there are, seem to be on private (surprise).

So the bottom line is, I don't know WHAT to look for with respect to where mule deer - especially mature bucks - can be found in this type of real estate. Of course, if you want to tell me where that 220" Typical is tied to a stump, please feel free, but I'm hoping some of you would be willing to teach me and others how to fish in this type of country, rather than just serve up a meal, if you follow.

Any recommended books on, let's say, for example, "The Habits of the Shrub-Steppe Mule Deer Buck in Pre-Rut" would, for sure, also be welcome.

 

[Bigjav]

Look for glassing areas where you can see a lot of terrain. When you get there look for sign in saddles especially in areas near any thickets

 

[3855WIN]

We antelope hunted near your unit last year. The more broken and rocky the terrain was, the more deer we saw.

 

[Nick87]

We hunted a similar area the last couple years. If the roads are that abundant try to find canyons where bucks will hide around the corner from plain sight of the road. Maybe we were just lucky but that is how we filled pretty much all of our tags is by checking the smallest pockets around a corner or in a dip that the road hunters can't see. Sounds overly simple but like I said it worked for us.

 

[BrentD]

Rocks? I would not have guessed sounds like big horn escape cover. Bucks or does?

 

[3855WIN]

Both.

 

[Nick87]

Both.

Agreed they tend to be around those rock outcroppings on the steeper hills.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Whatever security you can find. Broken and rocky terrain is good. Don’t overlook washes and rimrock in prairie country either. Pre rut bucks want security and high quality feed. Absent a alfalfa field, look for any green browse, usually found in the creases of the rough stuff.

 

[Yooper Bob]

PM sent

 

[wytex]

I would hunt iut the very last week ,and days ,of Oct. The mature bucks should be getting into pre rut and hanging with and close to the doe groups.
Yes look for shady spots in the rock outcroppings for bedding spots. We hunt very open terrain and the deer bed up at the base of rock outcrops.
All good advise above, good luck this fall.

 

[icebreaker12]

I would probably reach out to the bio and game warden in the area and get their suggestions.

 

[BrentD]

It can icebreaker, I will definitely be pestering the biologist for the area. He is a former graduate student of mine

But meanwhile, I'm just trying to figure out how to ask intelligent questions. I would not have expected to dear to be attracted to rocky outcrops for example.

I am curious what they need for food in these kinds of areas. And water must be important.

 

[wytex]

Look for some buckbrush/bitterbrush.

 

[3855WIN]

Brent, you have mail.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Look for some buckbrush/bitterbrush.

Yep. Sumac, currants, anything green and leafy with fresh woody growth.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Big bucks and rocky outcrops/cut banks are like peas and carrots.

 

[BrentD]

Here are 3 places that I was thinking looked good to me - they have shade and some vegetation on North-facing slopes. I would be focusing on the denser trees (Junipers?), glassing and then waiting for them to reveal themselves at dusk.

I'd appreciate comments on any of them.

This is a more badlands-like area. Maybe not what you guys mean by rocky areas. To me, this place looks devoid of food and I can't find water either (but then I can't find water anywhere in this unit except in very isolated private ground areas.

 

[wytex]

Inquire if any guzzlers in the area, biologist might know or perhaps those one shot hunters provided one through the water for wildlife.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Might be able to see water tanks in google earth if you zoom in and see multiple cattle trails heading to one spot it's likely water. Also look for 2 track roads that seem to dead end as those could be water tank locations.

 

[270WSM140g]

[QUOTE="BrentD, post: 2725118, member: 36549"] I drew a Wyoming mule deer tag - Area 36 (North and East of Shoshoni, WY), fwiw. I've been sorting through it on OnX and Google Earth, trying to find interesting, promising locations to hunt in mid-late October. There are roads every where, so escaping them is just a "relative" thing, and there is at least one "Wilderness Study Area" that I have found so far. But what I don't know is what to look for in the way of habitat. I am attracted to the rolling, broken country along the northern third of this unit, but I don't really know why. Consequently, I have already discarded the entire South 1/2-2/3rds of the unit. I have hunted and killed mule deer in WY, NE, and AZ, but that doesn't mean I knew what I was doing then or now. Anyway, this is mostly 6500-7500 ft elevations, "forested" areas appear to be scrub where "trees" are too far apart to close canopy. I suspect they are mostly juniper and thickest, of course, on the North facing slopes. Are these where I'm going to find all of the monster bucks? More trees = more big bucks? There seems to be very little water of course, and most is on private ground (of course), and there are very few private walk-in areas. On a scale of 1-10 for "greenness" the whole place looks like about a 3 with little variation and whatever slightly greener spots there are, seem to be on private (surprise). So the bottom line is, I don't know WHAT to look for with respect to where mule deer - especially mature bucks - can be found in this type of real estate. Of course, if you want to tell me where that 220" Typical is tied to a stump, please feel free, but I'm hoping some of you would be willing to teach me and others how to fish in this type of country, rather than just serve up a meal, if you follow. Any recommended books on, let's say, for example, "[I]The Habits of the Shrub-Steppe Mule Deer Buck in Pre-Rut[/I]" would, for sure, also be welcome. [/QUOTE] I'm going I chat with the Bio for 36. Units t seem to easy to draw worry me. I'm wondering if most of tge deer are on private since water and feed are more abundant?