Do you want to collect intoxicating deer hunting memories? If yes, then exactly when and how? This is the question many of the hunting enthusiasts often ask. You need to get hands on all significantly important information along with eagerness to set out for deer hunting. For this, you are required to know and understand every bit of the tips, tricks and tactics. Moreover, do not even think of challenging wildlife animals if you are faint at heart or not practiced well.
Deer hunting appears to be exciting thing to do but you have to be fully prepared in the first place. Proper planning, accessorizing yourself and the best suitable strategies in conjunction with backup plans are must to take into account before entering into the hunting arena. Or else, you may miss good things from falling in your lap.
Bring Magic in Mule Deer Hunting:
Deer is an intelligent and fast in action kind of animal. If it sensed your presence, it will near to impossible for you to get the same one to hunt. And, if you are not much familiar with the area you are hunting then you might waste your time and energies for the day.
Hence, you need impeccable scheduling, planning and preparation. Avoid running after overcomplicated strategies because it can turn an exciting hunt into something really frustrated. You can easily make your deer hunting venture a treasured experience.
Deer is the most sought after animal with varying habitats in North American states. White-tailed deer is dominant deer specie of Rockies. On the other hand, mule deer is mostly found in west of the Rocky Mountains. Resembling to mule, the mule deer with black-tipped tail have brighter face, long ears and different color of their skin as compared to widely distributed white-tailed deer.
Mule Deer Hunting Tactics:
Knowing your prey, its habits, habitats, regional distribution and hutting jurisdictions etc., are must to learn things prior to set out for the hunt.
There are handful tactics for quick and humane hunting of mule deer in your selected area that can be a public land or the private one. Boost your spirits and you can even bring down the big bucks successfully. For the optimum results, you should remain flexible in applying different tactics depending on your specific hunting areas and situations.
Most commonly used methods to hunt mule deer include:
- Stand/Bait Hunting:
This method is for the hunters who are not willing to trace and track mule deer. They find it easier to make use of stand hunting. But, it depends on the terrain you opted for hunting and also the paths on which mule deer are likely to travel. All you need is to setup bait usually corns in pathway and wait for the deer to get attracted. Hunters can use different types of tree stands to be placed above the ground such as box stand, climbing stand and landing stand etc.
You can also use your preferred hunting blind on the ground. Choosing the best suitable location for food plotting will surely make your job of mule deer hunt stress-free. However, stand hunting is the game of patience.
For the perfect ambushing deer, you may need to spend days to comprehend the most habitual and routine movements of the mule deer. You need to do it watchfully and without disturbing your prey because if they get alert of your presence, they might change the course.
All-day sits are actually effective but sitting at one stand all day long might not be much fruitful. Prime funnel used by deer for feeding and bedding should be your key target for great the great hunt. You can also use trial camera for your ease.
Still/Track Hunting:
In this methods, hunters walk along the edge of the field or move through the woods in search of mule deer. It is actually a track hunt in which hunters look for deer trails to mark its exact location. In this tactic, hunters often need to stop and wait for some time and then continue deer tracking. This tactic is preferably used in flat country or low-elevated areas for mule hunting.
Appeared to be quite challenging because your scent or any noise made by you can alert the deer. Don’t take mule deer a ‘dumb’ specie unable to realizing the danger around and how to deal with the threat. You need slow and quite movement while searching for the mule deer in areas you think they might be inhabited.
You must have fully developed tracking skills and the right time selection to attempt track hunting. Directly after seasonal snowfall, you can bring into play this slow and deliberate hunting tactic for ground animals like mule deer.
- Spot and Stalk Hunting:
Spotting and stalking hunt is one of the popularly used hunting tactics. This efficient and simple to employ method helps the hunters to locate a lot of mule deer without haunting and alerting them. This enhances the chances of picture-perfect hunting.
In this tactic, hunter usually sit at a vintage point that can be a tree stand and spot the deer using binoculars. Optics play great role in this method because you are required to locate the deer first. Spotting scopes are the most appropriate equipment in this regard. After spotting the buck, hunter slowly sneaks into the shooting range to hit his target down.
Do not confuse this method with still hunting tactic because in spot and stalk hunters are certain about mule deer presence in the large visible areas without wasting any time and energies. Hunters do not require intimate and native knowledge of mule deer patterns and hence, this is quite simple and easy method to be used. For this reason, this tactic is considered to be extensively effective for hunting mule deer:
Spot and Stalk Hunting is the best choice for mule deer targeting and shooting the mountainous terrain and also in the rolling hills. If you successfully beat the factors of sight, sound and smell then your stalking will work out the same way as you want along with your desired results.
- Entice/Driving Hunting:
In this method, deer are flushed over to where hunters are positioned. Deer drive is actually the luring way of getting the deer attention and gathering them at your selected point from where you can easily hunt them.
Calling tactics work the best during seeking and chasing phase of the mule deer hunt. Mule deer get enticed more in the pre-rut season and quickly response to calling and rattling. Because, this is the time when they are vulnerable to be sidetracked or to be get out of their safe habitat.
Hunters often make lines and walk through the fields hoping for the seamless shot to drive mule deer to the other line of the hunters usually positioned in tree stands or ground blinds. 100-150 yards is the normally kept distance in between two lines of the hunters. Grunt calls coupled with doe bleats can do the work of a dynamite.
- Hounds Hunting:
Depending on state’s jurisdiction and local hunting laws, dogs can be used to locate, chase and target the mule deer. For instance, Wisconsin state it is illegitimate to use hounds hunting especially for whitetail deer.
Quick Tips for Mule Deer Hunt:
- Get into deer hunting shape and practice a lot.
- You must learn about mule deer and its living style.
- Learn and follow all the federal to state and local hunting laws.
- Get your license or hunting permit from authorized department.
- Accessorize yourself with perfect outfit in line with hunting time and season.
- Get hold on the top quality optics, weapons and ammunition.
- Emphasize on deer scouting and do it vigilantly.
The Verdict:
Mule deer is one of the majestic species for memorable hunting experience. No matter what tactic you use, you will certainly have a fantastic and enthralling time hunting a mule deer in the wonderful open lands of the American west.
