WY question... S...

[Rich M]

what can be said about hunting sage brush and rolling hills?

are those areas any good - or is it only productive after snow pushes deer down out of the mountians?

 

[Jaden Bales]

I understand a lot of attention is put on the mountain mule deer but sagebrush and rolling hills country can be significantly more productive habitat for mule deer...especially in the last 20-30 years as major logging ops have ended and fires have been suppressed in the timber country.

If you look at Region A in Wyoming, for instance, you can get that tag second choice and hunt mule deer in November because it's highly productive. Now you might have to fight public/private boundaries and hunting pressure, but it's all good habitat. On the other end of the spectrum, units 101 and 102 are considered some of the most sought after hunts there in Wyoming and really don't have any true high country or much for timber at all. Sometimes animal density in the sagebrush can be quite low if it's super dry and you don't have other vegetation around for cover and browse, but a lot of big deer come out of those desert areas as well.

Kind of a broad question you asked there but hopefully, that's helpful a little bit.

 

[Bookhead]

 

[LJ Buck]

Mule deer only live in the high country.

 

[idahohikker]

I understand a lot of attention is put on the mountain mule deer but sagebrush and rolling hills country can be significantly more productive habitat for mule deer...especially in the last 20-30 years as major logging ops have ended and fires have been suppressed in the timber country.

If you look at Region A in Wyoming, for instance, you can get that tag second choice and hunt mule deer in November because it's highly productive. Now you might have to fight public/private boundaries and hunting pressure, but it's all good habitat. On the other end of the spectrum, units 101 and 102 are considered some of the most sought after hunts there in Wyoming and really don't have any true high country or much for timber at all. Sometimes animal density in the sagebrush can be quite low if it's super dry and you don't have other vegetation around for cover and browse, but a lot of big deer come out of those desert areas as well.

Kind of a broad question you asked there but hopefully, that's helpful a little bit.

This accords with my experience in Idaho. Some low elevation sagebrush and desert hunting is overlooked and has great hunting. Others you could look for weeks and see only a couple deer. It’s about the productivity of the browse community ultimately. The popularity of high country hunting is creating additional opportunity in desert low country.

 

[Rich M]

I'm doing some shopping around for units in WY for 2021 hunt. Liking the idea of foothills, and sagebrush as opposed to desert or mountain hunting. Trying to figure things out enough to ask sensible questions.

I'm closing in on some units just keep hitting a wall with some being 30% units and others being 50% units. Hoping to figure out why - less deer or less hunters willing to shoot forks?

 

[Cowbell]

Remember private land can inflate success ratios. Just something to keep in mind when looking at hunts.

And honesty on surveys

 

[wytx]

Look for the browse, if it';s lower the deer will be there.

 

[Rich M]

The areas w lower success said less deer in units but chances for larger deer.

 

[aidan_downey]

What I have learned about the mule deer in Wyoming is that they migrate hard. Meaning if there is high country around then the lower foothills dominated by sagebrush will hold little to no deer until the heavier snows push them down. Even down here in south eastern Wyoming I was struggling to find deer in general units lower than 8500 feet because they were all still up in the high country. However if you get farther from mountain ranges and into the desert or rolling hills country the deer will usually be there year round. If you are looking for the rolling hills sagebrush hunt I would recommend the north eastern side of the state. There is a lot of private land up there but there are also quite a few deer and some really solid bucks. I would stay out of the low lands by Pinedale and the green river basin as most of those deer strongly migrate down from the high country.

 

[Rich M]

Solid stuff, thanks, Aidan.

 

[NUGGET]

While snow will get the deer moving it does NOT start the migration for deer in WY. The further the deer migrate to their winter range the earlier they exit the high country. Lots of areas in the high country are void of deer around Oct 5th, even if there’s no snow. If you are lucky enough to hunt deer around this time frame transition zones are key. If you go to the eastern part of the state the deer hardly migrate. If you in regions G H K and a few others migration can be a factor.

Some of the biggest bucks shot in G every year spend zero time in the high country. Sagebrush bucks can be some of the smartest bucks around.

 

[Rich M]

Can I ask about what to look for to find deer in sagebrush environments? Do they typically key in on say gullies or is it more of a find tracks and then glass the heck out of an area at first light and see if the deer are there - if not move on til you find some?

 

[willfrye027]

I tend to hone in on little gullies and patches of taller sagebrush or bitterbrush. Bucks can really disappear in that stuff even when it looks wide open, and they know it. That being said they are where you find them

Deer in my profile was up in the rocks on the highest little peak of the surrounding foothills. He had a good vantage point to watch hunters approach and could quickly bail off the backside into thick bitterbrush. The only way to get a shot less than 700 yards was to sneak over the top and shoot him from 40 yards away.

To answer your original question some of the spots I like in Wyoming are “winter range” but have lots of deer in the summer and fall. It just depends on the area I think. No expert here by any means but I enjoy hunting the country you are asking about.

 

[justin84]

What I have learned about the mule deer in Wyoming is that they migrate hard. Meaning if there is high country around then the lower foothills dominated by sagebrush will hold little to no deer until the heavier snows push them down. Even down here in south eastern Wyoming I was struggling to find deer in general units lower than 8500 feet because they were all still up in the high country. However if you get farther from mountain ranges and into the desert or rolling hills country the deer will usually be there year round. If you are looking for the rolling hills sagebrush hunt I would recommend the north eastern side of the state. There is a lot of private land up there but there are also quite a few deer and some really solid bucks. I would stay out of the low lands by Pinedale and the green river basin as most of those deer strongly migrate down from the high country.

All of the WY mule deer I've taken have been in early September right in that 8000-9000' range. Combination of timber and drainages with a lot of sagebrush. There is some 10000+ alpine country in the general area I go that I have yet to explore, but plan to this year.

 

[Rich M]

OK - Justin just hit something I wondered about too. Is it better to focus on a given elevation range?

 

[willfrye027]

OK - Justin just hit something I wondered about too. Is it better to focus on a given elevation range?

Call and ask the biologist where you end up drawing a tag. They will tell you if that particular area is mostly migratory herd or if deer reside all over the unit. There’s no way to generalize without know the exact place you’re interesting in.

 

[WCB]

I've hunted NE WY and it may seem like a lot of open and sage brush....but buy the second week of season on public land it seems the deer move to the trees and aren't in the open sage brush as much. Not saying some don't hang out in the gullies and washes in that country but they definitely congregate towards transition areas of river bottoms or wooded hills.

You will see them in plain sight in sage brush and ag fields on private though. FYI, there is no shortage of guys willing to shoot forks that is the biggest problem.

 

[Plainsman79]

Can I ask about what to look for to find deer in sagebrush environments? Do they typically key in on say gullies or is it more of a find tracks and then glass the heck out of an area at first light and see if the deer are there - if not move on til you find some?

This is a pretty good resources for hunting the sage covered hills. It’s a little dated, but the ideas are still the same. We hunt the sage country in Wyoming and Colorado much like we do on the hard grass prairies. Big open country that’ll hide a big buck right in front of you. Those big fellas are incredibly smart to be able to survive in the wide open.

Hunting Open-Country Mule Deer: Dwight Schuh, Dale Burk: 9780912299235: Amazon.com: Books

Hunting Open-Country Mule Deer [Dwight Schuh, Dale Burk] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hunting Open-Country Mule Deer

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