Q. Does rattling
and grunts work for mule deer?
Matt Stephenson - Naples, Idaho
A. Matt, yes, rattling for mule deer bucks is very effective. My best
time for rattling in mature bucks has been in pre-rut and full rut conditions. The larger
bucks I've rattled come in slowly and will often circle downwind. Very much like calling
coyotes. The smaller bucks will often come bounding in fast, hoping to breed the hot doe
while the two mature bucks are fighting. Rattling is not often used on mulies because
there are very few rut hunts. Grunts. Although mule deer bucks make several grunt like
nose blowing sounds in the rut, I have had little success grunt calling mule deer.
Q. What is the relationship between mule deer and elk? Do they eat the same
things, share the same area, etc.?
Brandon Rowley - Orem, Utah
A. Brandon, mule deer and elk often utilize many of the same range
resources where they overlap. Both species eat similar grasses and forbes during the
spring and summer. However, if sufficient forbes or brows is not available, elk may switch
to greater use of grasses whereas mule deer browse more intensively. In general there is
considerable competition between mule deer and elk where they occupy the same range.
Because elk appear to be capable of adapting successfully to a wide range of environments
and are more flexible than deer in their choice of forage preferences, they seem to be the
more efficient species. This gives them the advantage over mule deer. Can mule deer and
elk coexist? Yes. Would the mule deer do better all over the west without the encroachment
of the elk? Absolutely yes!! Avid mule deer hunters like myself can only hope state
agencies keep elk and deer numbers in check.
Q. Is it true that big muley bucks come out at night during the rut? I did a lot
of hunting during the rut and saw lots of bucks but they were small. It didn't make sense
to me that the little bucks were breeding the big herds. We hunt a nice area here in the
Badlands of Alberta. I know they are out there, but when do they come out?
Sean Philpott - Alberta, Canada
A. Sean, no. Big bucks don't rut at night only. I often hear people say
that big bucks are nocturnal. That's crap. I hate the word nocturnal more than any word
mule deer hunters use. The biggest old bucks that elude hunters each fall are smart and
simply few and far between. The older bucks get, the smarter they become. But when a doe
comes in estrus, no amount of smarts will keep the bucks from chasing the does. Factors
like buck to doe ratios, and more importantly, the amount of mature bucks in the area you
are hunting, could be why you didn't find that buck of a lifetime. Even when hunting in
the middle of the rut we all
need luck.
Q. Where I live, the mule deer migrate in great numbers down to the lower
sagebrush areas for the winter. There are several corridors where they come through by the
hundreds, but only in December, long after the October hunting season. Where are the big
bucks before the migration begins? How high in the mountains? What type of cover? Alone or
with other deer?
Doug Mason - Pinedale, Wyoming
A. Doug, without knowing the area it's impossible to answer your question
very accurately. I'll take a guess that you're talking about the large amount of deer that
winter close to Pinedale. The answer to where deer live in October is; the rugged
mountains of the Teton National Forest that surrounds the winter range on three sides.
Deer in radio collared studies from this area have shown some deer traveling over 50 miles
between summer and winter ranges. Big bucks are where you find them. Some high above
timberline and some never leave the foothills. Early in the summer bucks tend to bunch up
for safety, then go on their own a few weeks before the rut. Get on your hiking shoes
because this country is big and steep.
Q. What causes deer to grow non-typical antlers?
Jarrod Kauffman - Brush, Colorado
A. Jarrod, non-typical antlers are caused by three important factors.
Good genetics: antler shape and configuration is due largely to genetics. Great feed:
antler mass is related more to nutritional levels. And just as importantly, age: a mule
deer buck generally needs to be at least three or four years old before it will start
having extra points. I've found that a buck needs to be from around five to nine years old
to reach his maximum potential. Combine the three and you can and will have non-typical
antlers in most western hunting areas.
Q. Do you have any advice on quality areas/units to put in for, for out-of-state
archery (bull) elk and archery (buck) mule deer? Any information on areas/units to put in
for out-of-state would be a bonus.
Zach Morgan - Selah, WashingtonA.
Zach, there are tons of great archery hunts in the west. One doesn't have to look far to
have a great hunt. Most archery elk hunts take place in the rut and the buck hunts in the
velvet when big mulies are the most vulnerable. Each state has several great hunts for
both species that have great draw odds. There are several companies that can get you going
in the right direction for a couple of bucks.
Q. Many hunters get buck fever from time to time. What's the easiest way to
conquer it in the field?
Garrett Liles - Fresno, California
A. Garrett, I'm not the person to ask how to stay calm. People often say
to me, "You get to see so many giant bucks that you probably don't get excited".
Wrong. Buck fever is a combination of two feelings. One, the excitement of the hunt. Two,
the fear that one might blow his or her shot. As hunters we will always get excited when
hunting. If you lose that excitement then stay home. Buck fever is a nice way to say I
didn't think before the shot. Take a few seconds before the shot, get a rest if possible,
remind yourself to squeeze the trigger, and never rush your shot. The more hunting
experience you get the easier it is to conquer the fever.
Q. How do you know if it's a buck or doe just by
the tracks?
Craig Asay - Riverton, Wyoming
A. Craig, buck tracks are big! Mature buck tracks will often be one-third
bigger than doe tracks. The common mistake made by hunters is looking at bounding deer
tracks. Both bucks and does have dew claws and will both leave dew claw marks when
bounding. Forget all the crap you have ever heard about dew claws. Bucks have a rounder
and longer track than does. While in the field observing deer, walk over and look at the
tracks left by the bucks you see. The more tracks you look at the easier it is to tell
deer gender from looking at a track. When you're trophy hunting for mature bucks and find
a track that makes you question its gender, it's not what you're
looking for. Mature buck tracks are Big! |
Ask Mr. Mule Deer