Killing mature rutting buck?

[PaBen]

I recently found the podcast and have enjoyed it so I thought I better check out forum. I have never been mule deer hunting but I drew a archery tag in north east Nevada during the rut. I have been reading as much as I can on mule deer hunting but most of it is for the early high country hunts. My question is once I locate a deer I want to stalk what is a good tactic to get with in bow range. Can you call or rattle in mule deer like a whitetail. Would a decoy be a good investment or a waste of money. Do I wait till he’s bedded down or get on him as soon as I see him. I’m 2 months away and very excited.

 

[PaBen]

Thanks Lone Hunter. I’ve thought an ambush is probably my best bet. I still might throw some rattling horns in the truck. Just to see what happens.

 

[chops24]

Very good advice LH.

Definitely hunt all day. The deer are typically active all day and in the midday when they bed down i have seen bucks pick a doe and chase her around solo while the others are bedded giving you better odds. you will also find bucks cruising solo who havent herded up yet looking for does.

 

[PathFinder]

Hunt all day for sure. Move from one group of does to another until you find the buck you're looking for, and remember new bucks will move in. Decoys are a stupid waste of time IME. Does will bust you and take the buck with them. Bucks are less wary that time of year, but the does are wired up, they'll be what you have to worry about.

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[Devildogg]

Has anyone had any luck rattling mule deer during pre rut?

 

[Dvidos]

I have never tried the call and rattle tactic so I am not going to say it doesn't work but it isn't a common tactic on the late archery hunts around here.......There is usually crunchy snow making stalking hard during those hunts so getting in close while they bed can be hard (If the snow is powder it works well though or if it is really windy). The best scenario for me on the late hunt around here was learning pinch points the deer would use on the mountain and setting up in front of them before the deer would go through them. or spotting a group and predicting where they would feed to and trying to set up an ambush while they fed by me...... Those hunts are tough because of the amount of doe with the bucks means a lot more eyes and noses to defeat. good luck.

+1

 

[PaBen]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I’m planning on hunting hard all day. If it’s like the whitetail rut you never know when a giant is going to be cruising for a doe. Thanks again and good luck!

 

[idahohikker]

Tough to sneak up on a group. Try to get ahead of them and guess right while they’re feeding.

 

[Macegl]

I've never rattled for mule deer, I have however seen large bucks run off smaller bucks that were sparring on multiple occasions.
The problem with trying to rattle for mule deer is low buck densities. Unless you know a buck is there, you could be rattling and not have a buck within miles. And generally if you know where a buck is you're trying to stalk in, not setting up to rattle him in.

That being said, if I knew for sure a large buck was in a specific area, and I knew a successful stalk wasn't possible, but I thought I could get within earshot, I would give it a go. Given the right circumstances, I think it would be successful.