Hunting muleys in October vs November?

[cornfedkiller]

I have hunted muleys the last 3 years in mid november (generally somewhere around the 20th), and we've always seen good rutting activity, but the deer have definitely been pressured and shot up by that time. Our strategy has always been find the does, and there is a good chance there is a buck around somewhere too.. We've always had great luck with the weather while we were out west, but we also know the weather in mid november has the chance to be nasty..

This year, I have the opportunity to go earlier, and the thought of deer that have been less pressured and less chance of bad weather got me thinking - only problem is I have no idea what the hunting is like then..

What are bucks doing in late october? Are they still in with the groups of does, just not pushing them around? Are they by themselves and bedded up most of the day?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

A lot of it depends on location, but I cannot think of anywhere I’d rather hunt mule deer in October vs November, I would just go earlier in November. 14-20 or if wanting to beat some of the crowd and still get some pre rut, 7-14.

 

[Wapiti1]

Generally speaking, the bucks will be mid to high on the mountain in the timber throughout October. Might be solitary, or with a couple other bucks, but not the larger bachelor groups you see in August. Only the little guys will be with the does.

In lower country, the bigger bucks will be anywhere, but generally solitary. Not a lot of movement during the day, so you'll have to hike a lot to find them and really pick it apart with the glass.

One strategy is to glass timber edges and meadow edges at first light and last light. Then still hunt through timber throughout the day.

In thicker country its more of a luck of just running into one than it is finding it and making a plan.

In my experience, I've never seen rutting activity in October with mule deer. This is mostly Montana deer hunting.

Jeremy

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Late September through October can often be some of the toughest mule deer hunting around. They aren't rutting yet, temps can be warm, and bucks are typically in sit tight mode. If you have Intel on an area and have pre scouted it can be good. If it's a migration area you may not find much at all. If bucks are in the area, prepare for some long hours of watching and waiting for mature bucks to show themselves.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

Late October they are usually staging for the rut. If it’s a high pressure unit I would start concentrating on cover in travel corridors. If a solid patch of snow comes in this can be the first time the big bucks venture far from cover since they stripped their velvet.

 

[WCB]

Where are you hunting them? Many times they are still pretty bachelor grouped up still. In my experience it really depends on weather. When it is warm it is like hunting real early in the season they go to bed early and hide out in the shade....Cold snap they can be out during the day moving around and feeding.

If you are in or around heavy timber it could be hard because they will be bedded most the day if you are in fairly open country just spot them in the morning and follow them to bed and sit on them.

I will say until the rut starts if you see the same few bucks a couple days in a row and they arent what you are looking for move on. When the rut is on I normalyl cover ground every day checking doe groups because new bucks just come out of nowhere.

 

[Laramie]

I'll agree with others above in that it really depends on your location, how far the herd you hunt has to migrate, and hunting pressure. In some areas, late October is amazing hunting. In others, it is the toughest hunt out there. In my favorite area, the last 5 days of October would be great hunting but there is no season open past October 14th.

 

[Mt Al]

Hunt October to early November: plan on glassing a ton and watching movement early and late. It's awesome to be out without the hunting pressure. However, takes more patience than I mostly have and it's really depressing to have looked all over a hill side, knowing you couldn't have missed anything, then see a buck stand up and take a piss. Not that this has ever happened to me many times.

Hunt late/rut November: look for does and movement.

 

[robby denning]

Hey man, good questions, my gut feeling is that once you’ve hunted mid November, you’re going to miss it. Unless you get a really good snowstorm that you can still hunt in without getting fogged out, I think you’re gonna find a world of difference between hunting bucks in October versus when you have in the past. There’s only two good times in October to hunt them, when it snows, and opening day. Having said that I’ve killed a bunch of them in October because that’s when I have to hunt. Now if you’re hunting wide open country with low pressure, October can be pretty good. But the average unit with cover and pressure, it’s going to shock you how few mature bucks you see. And maybe you’re not even after mature bucks?


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[slick]

I’ll be honest, I think Oct mule deer hunting plain sucks. Robby put it best.

It’s the only time I have to hunt them in my new state and I basically have nil interest in it coming from 3 other states who’s seasons were during November.

I’m an early season- Aug/Sept...or late Nov. other than that i find it a bust.


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[sagebuster]

If you aren't sitting on a shooter buck several days before the opener in October, your going to be toast on opening day. No matter where you are, hunting pressure is gonna be your number one enemy from day one on. After that, it's pray for snow, then Halloween time, pre-rut, and cross your fingers...which puts you at the end of October. Then you are looking for unpressured does and the breeder bucks that are looking to get things done early. Know the migration routes in your area because by the last week of October, deer will be on the move. Hunt the snow level or above, especially if it's heavily tracked.

Like Robby says though, once you've hunted November...Snow cover, full-on rut, maybe less pressure...there really isn't another time that's better. Why toss that away to the wind? The whole month of November is magic time for mule deer hunting.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Wow thank you for the great info everyone! I should've mentioned in my original post that this is eastern Montana.

As I mentioned, we've always been able to find deer, but when I sign into a BMA and there are 200 slips already used from the booklet, it always makes me wonder if the hunting would be better on opening weekend instead. Work has always limited us from going earlier, but this year I have the opportunity so I'm just trying to weigh the options, but it sounds like later is better than earlier.

The first two weeks of November isn't an option..

 

[huntnful]

Definitely go later and look for more secluded areas. Branch out. You don't have to go to that BMA behind 200 other people. Learn new country. Maybe even pack in and stay in a new area if you haven't done that yet. There are unpressured, non shot up deer SOMEWHERE on public land, you just need to find them. Even if it takes scouting for the season this year. Late November is way better than October lol.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Definitely go later and look for more secluded areas. Branch out. You don't have to go to that BMA behind 200 other people. Learn new country. Maybe even pack in and stay in a new area if you haven't done that yet. There are unpressured, non shot up deer SOMEWHERE on public land, you just need to find them. Even if it takes scouting for the season this year. Late November is way better than October lol.

Agree, I hunt eastern Montana most years and though it does get hammered, there are plenty of places that don’t. Go where most folks don’t want to, don’t think to, or don’t know how to.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

I've found it almost impossible to find a muley buck in the Idaho panhandle until mid November, and I have tried hardddd to find them. I'd go later and just trek in further if you can find a spot.

I don't know where you're hunting or the population, but from my experience after getting hit by the muley bug, they can almost be complete ghosts until the rut is really goin.

I'd weigh your time available and try to go later, maybe spend extra time e-scouting for places you can go deeper into the bush. One thing I will say from the area I hunt that I learned from boots on the ground, the bucks tend to drop to a lot lower elevation then I was ever told they would.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

Referring to eastern MT, would you all say the best course of action if hunting opening week is to be glassing the areas that a buck would likely be heading to at first light, and leaving at last light?

What about mid day? I'm assuming at that point they're just holed up, sleeping the day off. Do you pick apart the hillsides with glass, do you work your way through draws hoping to bump a buck and hopefully get a shot?

If there isn't any agriculture in the area, what is that buck feeding on that we may catch him trying to go to or from?

 

[Marble]

Referring to eastern MT, would you all say the best course of action if hunting opening week is to be glassing the areas that a buck would likely be heading to at first light, and leaving at last light?

What about mid day? I'm assuming at that point they're just holed up, sleeping the day off. Do you pick apart the hillsides with glass, do you work your way through draws hoping to bump a buck and hopefully get a shot?

If there isn't any agriculture in the area, what is that buck feeding on that we may catch him trying to go to or from?

I work from the outside in. Starting from miles away to identify bucks on ridge systems. Then move closer and find where and when they move and if they are worth going after.

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[wytx]

Last week in Oct here in Wyoming is pre rut and that is when the mature bucks start staging with doe groups. We see lots of bucks never seen before by that last week in Oct.
By Nov. rut, even more bucks never seen show up.
I would weigh the pressure and hunt around it. Last week in Oct can turn up some bruisers as well as Nov.