Mule deer in heavy timber

[peterk1234]

The other day when I was hiking in to meet my son in law and to help him haul out his bear I came across some great mule deer sign. Heavily use game trails and fresh droppings the were practically the size of an elk. The area is heavily timbered, steep and full of deadfall. I'm thinking this is an area to scout for next season.

My questionn is this.... short of climbing a tree and waiting over a trail, what is the most effective way to hunt areas such as this? Certainly can't glass it. Do you just park yourself, or can it be still hunted? It's thick stuff. And I have rarely seen such heavily used trails. Challenge is, they are all over the place in there. Thx Pete

 

[MTTW]

Where abouts?




Just kidding, still hunt them late season when they are rutting hard. Later the better. Colder the better. Eventually they screw up or just look at you. Early season they run like hell.

 

[Ben Long]

Any chance to have tracking snow? Also, the biggest mule deer I've ever shot (the biggest I've seen in the wild) was in heavy timber, sniffing does in late October. A month before peak rut. I called him inside 25 yards bleating a cow elk call like a fawn. Get creative.

 

[FREAK]

I've had a couple really nice deer get away trying to track them through timber in snow. I've also had a couple go the right way. I started carrying a grunt/bleat call this year and it seems to stop deer in their tracks even from a bound. Haven't tried it on a big buck yet but I'm definitely going to try it next time I bump a big one in the timber. Might give me that extra time I need to get a shot off.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

The other day when I was hiking in to meet my son in law and to help him haul out his bear I came across some great mule deer sign. Heavily use game trails and fresh droppings the were practically the size of an elk. The area is heavily timbered, steep and full of deadfall. I'm thinking this is an area to scout for next season.

My questionn is this.... short of climbing a tree and waiting over a trail, what is the most effective way to hunt areas such as this? Certainly can't glass it. Do you just park yourself, or can it be still hunted? It's thick stuff. And I have rarely seen such heavily used trails. Challenge is, they are all over the place in there. Thx Pete

Bow or rifle, and if not hunting the rut, what's the feed situation like? You might catch a big buck just before sunrise moving back from an "open" feeding area, or coming out on the timber edge to feed right before shooting light ends.

Rifle hunting I've tried to go slow through heavy timber/deadfall for mulies but only had luck a few times, and it was definitely all luck. Have mostly bumped bucks out of those places including a few bachelor groups holing up during season. Virtually impossible to take shot.

 

[peterk1234]

I would consider hunting both. I think I need to camp in there this summer.

 

[EKYHunter]

What’s wrong with taking a climber in there and waiting them out? I’ve got one you can borrow, I’ll bring it

 

[peterk1234]

What’s wrong with taking a climber in there and waiting them out? I’ve got one you can borrow, I’ll bring it

I did many years in a tree. Still occasionally do it here using my diy saddle. I'm not ruling it out.

 

[R.K.]

Biggest muley I’ve seen in Montana was in an area that would be nearly impossible to glass with tight terrain and heavy timber. Not even sure what they’re eating in there during rifle season, or how else to go about targeting them short of good tracking snow. I only got to see him because he was chasing a doe in my headlights.

 

[TexanSam]

I did many years in a tree. Still occasionally do it here using my diy saddle. I'm not ruling it out.

I'm honestly curious why treestand hunting isn't more popular in the thick timber out west.

 

[MTTW]

I'm honestly curious why treestand hunting isn't more popular in the thick timber out west.

I have put up trail cameras on what looked to be heavy trails in the mountains and went 2 weeks or more without a doe walking by. Maybe that is why.

 

[JT88]

I'm honestly curious why treestand hunting isn't more popular in the thick timber out west.

Critter density has a lot to do with it

 

[KipCarson]

Get in there and hunt them from a treestand like whitetails. I’ve killed several that way under those conditions. Yes critter density is low and I’ve sat for days without seeing a thing sometimes, but sometimes it comes together and makes it all worthwhile.

 

[conibear]

Where abouts?




Just kidding, still hunt them late season when they are rutting hard. Later the better. Colder the better. Eventually they screw up or just look at you. Early season they run like hell.

MTTW and all of us assembled here are willing to help you. Kindly drop a pin on Google Earth and I'm confident we can put our minds together and construct a great plan for 2024.