New to the mule deer world

[d_camp]

I came across this forum on my search to do as much research as possible on mule deer as it’s my next venture. I current spend a lot of time chasing white tail in my home state, as well as the Midwest with a few elk trips scattered in in Wyoming when drawn so the entire western hunting thing I’m kind of familiar with but not well versed with. What would you guys tips, or recommendations be for someone just wanting to dive in the Muley world to chase quality bucks. I’m currently looking into colorado zones and figured I mine as well dive in head first and start sinking points for the coveted
Zone in Arizona by the time I draw it I should hopefully have some old experience. Fully understanding no one’s going to tell you their spot zone etc is there any recommendations for something in Colorado to apply to but a decent zone to still be able to jump in get your feet wet while chasing a quality buck? Everything I’ve found is either a boat load or reported as terrible for quality. Nothing seems to be in the middle.

 

[Wacko]

Just my opinion here. Hunt wherever you can Colo, Wyo, Mont, ID etc. Get out there. Best way to learn. I can say there are representative bucks in pretty much every area. If you want 180" or better is when it gets tougher. The areas that produce the bigger bucks are getting harder to draw.

Of course Robby Denning here has a book that can help......"Hunting Big Mule Deer".....

 

[PNWGATOR]

Read everything written and watch everything filmed and listen to every podcast with Robby Denning for starters. There is SO much good content here on this forum by members who get it done year after year. Dig around here and you’ll figure out who they are and quickly realize that it’s more about the how vs the where that makes these members successful.

 

[wytx]

Buy PPs for Wyoming. We have some region tags that can be drawn with 0-1 PP and mature bucks can be found.
Give yourself multiple state options for drawing a tag.

 

[d_camp]

Buy PPs for Wyoming. We have some region tags that can be drawn with 0-1 PP and mature bucks can be found.
Give yourself multiple state options for drawing a tag.

The current issue with Wyoming is my father has been goin there for 25-30 years. He’s dead set on his zone 100 elk and his top tier mule deer zone and with 18 some points he’s going to stay set till he draws or dies. So till we draw Wyoming it’s pretty locked and he doesn’t want to stray from it. Part of the reason why I was looking at Colorado and the neighboring states as well as just started some research into Montana and its opportunities. Do you guys wall tent it like elk high up or is it more zone specific not a necessity deal?

 

[OKHunter84]

You're going to be way behind the game trying to draw Arizona tags on famous zones. I'd try to get in hunting with general tags in Wyoming or Utah, maybe easier tags to get in Colorado and go from there. I feel like you're best bet to having a chance at mature animals is learning a unit. The only way to do that is to find a spot you could hunt fairly often. I've never hunted Montana or Idaho but I know there's places there that aren't super hard to get tags as well.

 

[ElDiablito]

First thing to learn is that we don’t call them zones in Colorado, Arizona or Wyoming….

 

[Hippie Steve]

Just know that there are big bucks in most OTC units if you put the work in and you just don't need to waste your life on draw tags. Read @robby denning first book as well as David Long and Mike Duplan's books. Just hunt every year and learn mule deer habits and you will be successful. CO and ID would be good states to get tags every year and learn. We are successful at taking big bucks because we hunt every season on OTC tags. The more you are in buck country the more successful you will be. Good looking out!

 

[Tmac]

Seek areas/tags you can draw often, say 3 of 5 years or better. In my experience you are better off to hunt and learn a decent/good area you can draw often vs drawing a demand/top unit and hunting only once or every 10-15-20+ years. If one applies to multiple states, you can shoot for top units in a couple and have 2-3 states where you draw often. Unless you spend tons of time scouting a top unit, odds are you will get as good or better bucks from a decent area you know well over the course of 3-5 hunts.

 

[OKHunter84]

First thing to learn is that we don’t call them zones in Colorado, Arizona or Wyoming….

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Figure out what type of environment you want to hunt them in and go from there. Do you want to hunt them on rolling prairie? Do you want to hunt them in the desert? Do you want to hunt them in mountains? Pros and Cons for all but go with whatever interests you the most.

Folks on this site tend to be pro-DIY no matter the cost in time, energy, and money. But if it makes sense, you should consider doing a guided hunt or two with the specific intent to get all your answers in real-time in actual hunting conditions which can dramatically shorten your learning cure.

Here's one last piece of advice. Focus more on learning to hunt than learning to hunt a specific species. Animals tend to need the same things no matter the environment nor species: food, water, shelter and during a certain time of the year, a mate.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

First thing to learn is that we don’t call them zones in Colorado, Arizona or Wyoming….

Yep, when the word "hunting zone" comes up in a conversation about the western states, pretty much have to figure that it IS NOT a sincere inquiry.

 

[d_camp]

First thing to learn is that we don’t call them zones in Colorado, Arizona or Wyoming….

Yep, when the word "hunting zone" comes up in a conversation about the western states, pretty much have to figure that it IS NOT a sincere inquiry.

Zone / Unit didn’t realize something so little would mean so much to some. Every state is broke into units including my own. Typically would refer to it as area then the number or unit and number not a zone but whatever. At the end of the day a wmu is still a sort of zone.

Just know that there are big bucks in most OTC units if you put the work in and you just don't need to waste your life on draw tags. Read @robby denning first book as well as David Long and Mike Duplan's books. Just hunt every year and learn mule deer habits and you will be successful.

Just sent an order out for them.

You're going to be way behind the game trying to draw Arizona tags on famous zones. I'd try to get in hunting with general tags in Wyoming or Utah, maybe easier tags to get in Colorado and go from there. I feel like you're best bet to having a chance at mature animals is learning a unit. The only way to do that is to find a spot you could hunt fairly often.

I understand I’m already waaaaayyyyyyy behind. I figured by the time it’s my last “whoo raaa” I’ll
draw the tag. I’ve found multiple units that can draw with minimal points but all my research points to the “yeah there’s mature bucks but it’s mainly a meat zone”. There’s always a mature buck somewhere hiding in some out of the way overlooked or hidden pocket and I’m fine going home empty handed but like you mentioned a lot of it’s learning much like all of you on this forum have done in the west just trying to take what I can learn from others in. I know the amount of absolute hammer Muleys we’ve seen hunting elk in Wyoming in our previous unit should’ve ticked the trigger on muley hunting sooner than it had but I consumed with chasing it’s little brother throught the Midwest.

 

[OKHunter84]

Zone / Unit didn’t realize something so little would mean so much to some. Every state is broke into units including my own. Typically would refer to it as area then the number or unit and number not a zone but whatever. At the end of the day a wmu is still a sort of zone.

Just sent an order out for them.

I understand I’m already waaaaayyyyyyy behind. I figured by the time it’s my last “whoo raaa” I’ll
draw the tag. I’ve found multiple units that can draw with minimal points but all my research points to the “yeah there’s mature bucks but it’s mainly a meat zone”. There’s always a mature buck somewhere hiding in some out of the way overlooked or hidden pocket and I’m fine going home empty handed but like you mentioned a lot of it’s learning much like all of you on this forum have done in the west just trying to take what I can learn from others in. I know the amount of absolute hammer Muleys we’ve seen hunting elk in Wyoming in our previous unit should’ve ticked the trigger on muley hunting sooner than it had but I consumed with chasing it’s little brother throught the Midwest.

I get it. I have a couple states where I'm starting to have quite a few accumulated. Some of which isn't my fault, last few years I've put in thinking I'd draw in a couple states and point creep got me. Lucky for me I've gotten lucky with long shot tags the last two years.

I have several friends that are way more obsessed with whitetail as well. I love hunting them and do every year. Just whenever I went out west the first time I knew I wanted to do that as much and as often as I could.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Since you're interested in building points over at least a decade or two or three (30 years) and meanwhile, hunting so-called "meat deer" until at which time you MIGHT draw a tag, I'd look at California, Washington State, Colorado, Texas and Wyoming for the "meat deer" and and apply for permits anywhere else you'd like for the so-called "trophy deer".

 

[d_camp]

Since you're interested in building points over at least a decade or two or three (30 years) and meanwhile, hunting so-called "meat deer" until at which time you MIGHT draw a tag, I'd look at California, Washington State, Colorado, Texas and Wyoming for the "meat deer" and and apply for permits anywhere else you'd like for the so-called "trophy deer".

I think you took the “meat deer” comment wrong. It’s just what my searching just turned up. For example I read into I can’t exactly remember what three zones in colorado it is that was mentioned you can draw just about every year but they mentioned it as more a management unit for meat than a quality unit. Which is what was said about almost every low drawing unit. Any unit can turn up a mature animal some just more than others. Just trying to get some knowledge from those that have been in the muley game and are knowledge to learn as much as possible.

I have several friends that are way more obsessed with whitetail as well. I love hunting them and do every year. Just whenever I went out west the first time I knew I wanted to do that as much and as often as I could.

I love spending time in a wall tent up in the mountains of Wyoming when we’d elk hunt every 3 or so years with our group. Then the unit went through burns so we pushed off drawing, access routes got closed, and we switched to a different unit for quality of bulls then creep and etc. No matter how much time I spend in the Midwest there’s just something that pulls you back to the west.

 

[Fatcamp]

Turn around now. Unless you are a fan of intense obsessions. Then by all means continue.

 

[PNWGATOR]

This is a process. Read, listen and watch what’s mentioned in the above posts. Find a unit to hunt every year, put in for points and move forward and learn how to kill the bucks you’re after.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I think you took the “meat deer” comment wrong ..... Just trying to get some knowledge from those that have been in the muley game and are knowledge to learn as much as possible.

Yep, that's why I posted what I did in this thread. Been hunting mulies the past 53 years. I know a little bit about it.

 

[TaperPin]

Hunting the aspen speckled foothills is not the same as more open country. Dry areas with wide expanse of pinion juniper (P-J) are not anything like timberline hunting. I suggest you pick the type of hunting you are most interested in - at least at first.

For instance, I love hunting high ridges at timberline. Looking at a new area it’s second nature to identify likely bedding areas. Some of my best hunting has been a single ridge that looked good in person, or on a map and the first time exploring the ridge kicked up old bucks. For 1000 years old bucks gravitate to these same spots. This exact type of hunting exists anywhere bedding areas are ridges with waist high brush - from the foothills on up.

I have no idea how to hunt P-J. Aspen draws hold a lot of big bucks, but I’ve never done well there. Foothills or rolling hills with few distinct ridges are a mystery to me. I wouldn’t know which end of a clear cut to look at first. Avalanche chutes are hit or mis.

Pick your hunting tags based on the type of country it contains and style of hunting.