Newbie question....

[huntstrong2850]

So I've hunted Arizona muleys on the flats, coues on the mountains but very open country, and done a lot of scouting in Utah of deer in the high basins. That's all the background I have so far and I'm from the east. I want to hunt a unit that is none of those things above. The area is mainly dark timber, and even above treeline is more rocky and steep than it is the picturesque high basin mule deer habitat. So that's where my question comes in, from you guys that have experience in this type of country where glassing is scarce and you'll find the bucks in the timber how do you do it? What's your tactics to finding deer? I figure there's multiple ways to hunt this type of country I'm just trying to have ideas to work with when boots hit the ground. Any suggestions would be great, I just love to deer hunt regardless of species and I love to learn new ways to hunt them. This forum has been great for me in the past on my previous hunt in Arizona as well as finding deer in Utah when we done a 6 days scout/hiking trip to learn last August. Thanks for any help!


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[ianpadron]

I got into a dark timber covered slope last year and was absolutely blown away how many deer you can see if you go slowly. I'm talking like 100 yards per hour slowly.

I went trucking through on my way to a different glassing point and got busted by a group of at least 30 deer feeding/bedded in the timber.

I went back in the next night and went so slow it was painful and STILL blew them out.

So GO SLOW, and then when you think you're going slow enough, go slower. Use low power, high res glass to see antlers and ear twitches as you creep through instead of being in a hurry.

Tough hunting and I didn't care for it much, but the bucks calling that stand home were worth the price of admission.

Last year was my first full season chasing muleys, so it was a valuable learning experience to hunt timber like that for sure.

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[kjack_74]

Even within timbered areas there will still be areas used for feeding and areas used for bedding, and most importantly for me and my hunting in timbered situations, areas used for travel. Saddles, draws and other areas where travel is concentrated because it is quite simply easier. In timbered situations topo maps are more valuable for me and my "desk scouting" then aerial/satellite images on Google Earth and onXmaps.

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[kjack_74]

Sorry I also meant to say that I focus my hunting around those movement areas and "still hunt" which involves moving very slowly going and even stopping all together for 10 or even 20 minutes in areas with greater visibility especially if those shooting lanes are also in one of those saddles, benches, draws, trails or other similar feature.

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[BGLEMIN]

Are you hunting archery in September or rifle in October?

 

[archer wapiti]

Yeah. I found that going slow is tantamount, having never killed one, but shoulda coulda woulda if only I had gone slow enough. Finding where the deer hang out first is helpful of course.
Areas where there's food and especially water seem to be key in the area that I hunted. I found two bucks bedded on benches in one day, but just couldn't get close enough before the wind swirled. Staying focused while moving that slow is hard. A moment of inattention and you've messed up your hunt for that day. I found a bench on my GPS that I though would have deer. In the 5 minutes I took to walk up there, I had lost focus and the next thing I knew I was looking at a group of about 12 bucks heading off into the timber.
My biggest shock on that hunt was walking at a fast pace through a burned area mid-day (no vegetation on the ground, just dead standing conifers everywhere) and bumping a toad who was bedded, head on the ground, dead to the world (well, almost) he stood up, stuck his nose up at me in a kind of flippant sniff, and trotted off. Dangit! I guess he felt safe because he could see quite a distance in all directions.

 

[tttoadman]

I have a hard time not blowing stuff out before I see them. I find that changing your field of view is key. It is a little movement, but before I move I will try to drop lower and pick up a different view at ground level. It is amazing how you can see legs moving when a slow moving body blends in.

 

[huntstrong2850]

Are you hunting archery in September or rifle in October?

I'm unsure yet. I prefer archery but the unit I'm speaking of I can draw archery or second season with 0 points.

I was looking for a unit I can go hunt every year. But I also could build points for a 4th season tag in said unit while hunting that unit. This one really appeals to me as I knew to most it wouldn't. It's not your glamours high country unit, and figure the masses will avoid it other than the elk hunters.


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[huntstrong2850]

.
My biggest shock on that hunt was walking at a fast pace through a burned area mid-day (no vegetation on the ground, just dead standing conifers everywhere) and bumping a toad who was bedded, head on the ground, dead to the world (well, almost) he stood up, stuck his nose up at me in a kind of flippant sniff, and trotted off. Dangit! I guess he felt safe because he could see quite a distance in all directions.

Did you find or notice that in the timber the wind is more predictable or unpredictable?


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[BGLEMIN]

I'm unsure yet. I prefer archery but the unit I'm speaking of I can draw archery or second season with 0 points.

I was looking for a unit I can go hunt every year. But I also could build points for a 4th season tag in said unit while hunting that unit. This one really appeals to me as I knew to most it wouldn't. It's not your glamours high country unit, and figure the masses will avoid it other than the elk hunters.


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If you hit the area during early archery there's a good chance that bucks will be hanging near the treeline. Often there are patches of snow right at the edge and those areas provide a lot of nutritious forbs. Avalanche chutes in this situation are prime real estate for bucks. Most often they will bed in the dark timber just off the edge of the chute. Chutes are typically choked with willow and various other high elevation shrubs, contain water sources , and again forbs. Forbs are a prime food as deer can easily convert them into fat.

Ridgelines are equally important to chutes. The wind typically blows hardest near the crest of a ridge. Late summer/early fall is also prime time for bloodsucking bugs. Deer hate 'em as much as we do. Where the wind blows strongest, you'll find fewer bloodsuckers. If you're hunting a prominent ridge with multiple finger ridges, focus less on the main ridge and hunt the fingers. While a lot of deer will utilize the main ridge as a travel corridor, most mature bucks will travel the fingers. The main ridge is used more for saddles and other funnels to cross from one slope aspect to another.

Slope aspect is the direction a slope faces, north slope vs. south slope/ east vs. west. Each aspect will determine habitat usage. From my experience the SE slopes trend to have more deer. Though true west facing slopes are a close second place. Again more forbs grow on these slope aspects than any other.

Habitat is one thing, the other is survivability. Whether you're predator or prey, the moment something sneaks in from behind it usually ends in demise. Deer bed so as not to be pounced on from behind. This is why many of us hunters recount never seeing a buck until he busted out. So if hunting through a stand of timber and you spot a log jam, thicket of brush or extreme topo feature like a cliff; stop and glass hard. If the approach looks impossible then a buck just might be there.

The wind is never predictable!!

 

[huntstrong2850]

Thank you BGLEMIN for taking the time to go into such detail. That's a lot of help. And I can even picture in some ways exactly what you're saying.


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[BGLEMIN]

Huntstrong2850 have you decided on weapon choice?