Mule Deer Rut Hunt

[Hobbes_mobile]

I'll make this as live as possible but it will likely be more of a semi-live hunt where I'll update in the evenings due to poor cell service. I'll be heading out with my truck loaded early tomorrow morning and hunting until Thursday next week. My primary focus is rutting deer, but I'm bringing Kassie (one of my griffons) since I'm on my own this year. I'll hunt hard, but this is typically a laid-back hunt that I look forward to and I like the company on the drive. I'll be roughing it from a hotel room.

I'll start off by hunting pheasants a little Saturday afternoon and glassing for deer. I'll do the same on Sunday. Kassie will go to a kennel afterwards and I'll hunt full days Monday through Thursday for deer. If I'm lucky enough to kill a buck early, I'll pick up the dog and finish up hunting with her.

The region can produce some really nice bucks, but with a general season open during the rut, "really nice" is relative. I won't hesitate on any mule deer that looks close to 150ish or up. I may not hold out for that if the deer is framed well enough and the mood strikes me. I found a couple bruiser whitetails not too far from this location so I may start off glassing for them.

My gear isn't anything special but it will suffice. I'll be shooting my same Remington 700 in 7 mm rem mag. I did upgrade to a Timney trigger and an inexpensive Stocky's Accublock stock. I'm not a long range shooter so shots will have to be within reason.

I've posted these photos years past, but these are the bucks taken on this hunt the last few years.

2016, my first mule deer (not even close to 150)




2017 (almost 150)


2018, my buddy's first mule deer


Remington 700 with this year's improvements.

[Hobbes_mobile]

Weather forecast

[Hobbes_mobile]

Part time traveling companion

[soiltester]

Be safe and enjoy your time

Keep warm and take lot's of pics. also


I'd love to be there "roughin' it" at the hotel at least

Have a great time and shoot often and straight
Hope you do well and I sure hope Kassie points ya' a bunch of birds

Keep posting the great pics of your hunts harvest that are done right and beautiful scenery

[Hognutz]

Good luck, Hobbes. Stay warm, shoot straight and keep your powder dry!
I will stay tuned!

[Hoobilly]

Looking forward to seeing and hearing what your hunts gonna bring this season!

[xarcher]

Are you hunting the Breaks? Good luck

[Hobbes_mobile]

Are you hunting the Breaks? Good luck

No, but some of it is similar country.

[Hobbes_mobile]

Saturday 11/9

7:30 AM
I'm about halfway there. I've stopped and had my oil changed and picked up a few things. I should have done all of it yesterday, but everything piles up at once whenever I leave work and home for a few days.


9:30 AM
I've stopped at a piece of public land that I've glassed from no my truck before and was planning to let the dog run. I've spotted a muley buck with four does bedded at the back of this draw. He doesn't appear to have much for forks but looks big bodied. I may have to take a closer look to be sure.

9:45 AM
Another better buck just popped out of a draw cruising. First is not a shooter, second is getting closer. More does up hill. Going to keep an eye on them for a little while

10:15 AM
First buck got up at sight of second and the does with him. Neither were shooters. Ive glassed this before with no luck but stop here because I hunted birds just below this in December once and saw a bunch of deer including a couple borderline shooters.
On to the destination.

1:00 PM
Made it to hotel. Room isn't clean. It gets dark at 5ish, so guess we'll look for roosters then glass for deer before unloading in hotel. Someone is getting antsy


3:00 PM
One rooster for the princess


Glassed a few mule deer does this evening in a spot that I saw a big buck last year following does. The spot will probably get another look.

Everything is muddy. The place had ice and snow, but it warmed enough today to melt it and make it a mud hole. Temperature is dropping and it's now snowing. I hope that stops because it'll warm up early next week and the mud will be worse. It'll all be frozen in the morning and tomorrow's high is 18. My plan is to bird hunt in the morning then drive to where I saw the stud whitetail a few weeks ago and glass for him or something similar. The place has mule deer too.

Lots of folks hunting, so they could always alter my plans. Saw one decent dead 4 pt on the back of a side by that was towed behind a camper.

[Hoobilly]

Saturday 11/9
7:30 AM
I'm about halfway there. I've stopped and had my oil changed and picked up a few things. I should have done all of it yesterday, but everything piles up at once whenever I leave work and home for a few days.

9:30 AM
I've stopped at a piece of public land that I've glassed from my truck before and was planning to let the dog run. I've spotted a muley buck with four does bedded at the back of this draw. He doesn't appear to have much for forks but looks big bodied. I may have to take a closer look to be sure.

things are progressing nicely! I hate the last minute things that happen just before a trip. I feel that pain often!

looking forward to pictures when your able

[Hobbes_mobile]

I edited about the same time you responded.

[xarcher]

Are you hunting the Breaks? Good luck

No, but some of it is similar country.

Just guessing cause it certainly could pass for it. Neen a few years since I’ve been out there. Love hunting muleys there.

[Hoobilly]

I edited about the same time you responded.

yep I missed the pictures the first time

excellent as always!

[Hobbes_mobile]

Sunday

Snowed 4"
Cold and breezy

8:30 AM
Planned to hunt phez but wanted to start glassing for deer. A pile of does with one tiny buck so far. Hay field above some deep draws.not my usual spots but should be a better buck around


9:30 AM
I've spotted two groups of does on another spot. Both groups have a buck. Closest is a no, but farthest is hard to tell. Too far in hazy snow for spotter to tell other than no wider than ears. Probably a no, but I'm going to make a play on them to see





Far ones are way out there. Again, not my normal mule deer country but if they are there...why not.

10:30 AM
Apparently they didn't stay put and we're gone when I got there. I'll have a lot more room to roam when I start deer hunting only.



This was where I started. Deer should have been over the far ridge on skyline. Thank God for gaitors.


I hate barbed wire. Not something you'll here said on most deer hunts

11:15 AM
Just found them bedded. Handsome guy, but not a shooter.



2:00 PM
We finally tried to kill a rooster. Birds we wild as heck and Kassie is too excited, not a good combo. I knocked down one rooster then Kassie pointed it. When it took off into the tall grass and snow she lost it. I'm sure it buried up somewhere. Damnit I hate losing birds.

[Hoobilly]

were getting snow tomorrow and tuesday.. gonna be a low of 10 on tuesday. will warm up a little bit for next saturdays gun opener

question for you, the picture of you holding the pheasant, is the jacket-pullover a Cabelas dry plus silent wear?

thats some of my favorite hunting clothes as its water and windproof.

[Hobbes_mobile]

That is a heavy/dense pullover fleece that I bought clear back in 04. I'm not sure who made it, but it's not Cabela's. It's old mossy oak break up more accurately referred to as black up.

[Hobbes_mobile]

Walked across BMA this late afternoon planning to hunt BLM but found a hunter in a truck sitting where I planned to glass. Not supposed to drive across BMA and he didn't come in how I did, so not sure how he even got there.

Hiked back to truck and drove to more public and glassed from truck into some cut up country. I found a probable shooter 20 minutes before dark too far to make a play for (approx 1 mile). Couldn't tell all the details but wider than ears and fairly tall.

After looking OnX over I'm afraid he's across the property boundary but I may look for him again tomorrow. I just don't want to waist time on a buck that is unlikely to be on my side of the fence.

No photos this evening. Everything looks the same....snow.

[Hobbes_mobile]

Just figured out that I can go after the buck that I saw this evening. He could well leave the country but hopefully he's hanging there close with does.

[SwampDrummin]

This is great stuff.

[Hoobilly]

Just figured out that I can go after the buck that I saw this evening. He could well leave the country but hopefully he's hanging there close with does.

Hopes he nicer than expected!

[Hobbes_mobile]

Monday
Nov 11

Colder than a well digger's….. this morning. Dog is at kennel so nothing to interfere. However, the company was nice. While she can be somewhat of a princess, there are no clashing personalities like can be found in a hunting buddy.

Frosty fog has blown in so can't see far. One of those cold fogs that coats the trees with what looks like snow, if there were trees. Sun appears to be trying to burn through.

I've seen a lone doe bedded in one spot and a lone buck that is not my shooter but close to same area. I don't really think that either are alone. I just can't see the others that are surely there.

Going to have to let this clear out or I'll just be stumbling around blind.

8:30 AM
The fog isn't clearing. Rather than waist the whole morning, I'm driving 20 miles to where I hunted last year to see if I can actually glass.

9:30 AM
There are definitely no secret spots around here but this spot didn't have much pressure during the week last year.....two campers parked here this year. I'll get on high spot near road and glass for an hour or so.

11:00
Glassing is tough with this snow and bright sun. It's blinding. I've not found a single deer and I can see a lot of country. Im sure I've missed deer and could hike back in farther than I hunted last year but don't like the two campers and a couple trucks that I've just noticed are glassing down the road. I'm going to try somewhere else. I may drive on 40 miles or so and look at spot with big whitetail. There were mule deer there too.

[Hobbes_mobile]

11:45
I had to drive by some good looking mule deer country that is a BMA bordered by BLM. I've considered it before. Now's as good a time as any. Been some folks at sign in box today but no one crossed fence walked in from here. High spot for glassing not far from sign in box. I'll glass it for a little while from there and only go farther if I see deer, if not then head on to original plan. (This decision was where I got lucky)

12:20
I'd just started glassing and spotted a buck a half mile out skylining himself before crossing a saddle. I had just thought he doesn't look bad when a bigger buck came into my field of view following the first. He skylines, posed, then dropped over.

12:30
Everything crammed back in pack. Running (more of a fast walk) to try and catch him over ridge.

[Hobbes_mobile]

1:30 PM
Two bucks crossed ridge into this. First was a nice one second was a tank. Going to peek in from a couple angles but not going in there unless I see him. Probably going to be a wait and see if they show up. So many holes to hide in.



Damn it's cold, but I'm surviving. Also, the combo of sun and snow is blinding.

[Hobbes_mobile]

1:45
I've went right to get a better look. Dropping behind sandstones to peek into next coulee.

2:00
Found them 450 to 500 yards. I've seen smaller buck nudging a doe and I think a glimpse of the bigger one behind him Moving around point of next ridge. Moving behind this ridge to get closer.

2:20
Just spotted bigger buck on top of next ridge, 340 yards. Too far. He's dropping back in toward does below my line if sight where he can't see me. I'm hoofing it toward knob without much cover but he's below.

2:25
Half way there does start coming out of draw up on ridge where buck was. I extend tripod full length and drop to shooting position. Here comes buck behind them. I've got him in scope......No, wait that's not him is it...darker antlers, not as tall I don't think. I better decide now, all 5 does are looking at me. He's broadside wide open, no straight on confirms that's not him. They all start running.

I wait for the big one to come out then decide he may be sneaking out the other end so I take off to knob so I can see into coulee. I barely get started and there's the buck.
I put the scope on him, no that's an even smaller buck. Damnit did I just let the bigger buck run with the does. No way, even so I didn't want him if that was him.

2:28
I'm fast walking for the knob only 20yards ahead. I just start to ease around it when I spot the bigger buck in the bottom walking away nose down. He doesn't even know I'm here. He doesn't know anything is going on.

I run forward 20 feet to a flat spot, drop into a sitting position put the scope on him. Yes, that's him. Close enough I don't need a range and down hill. He turns to his right and quarters. I don't want him behind the cedars are walking straight away around point. I center the cross hairs and squeeze the trigger, lose the sight picture, but hear the hit. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, kicked a time or two and was done. My fresh round and watching him through the scope wasn't needed. Buck down!!!

[Hobbes_mobile]

Photo taken from where I shot. The shot was 167 yards line of sight. He's laying just to right of big cedar down toward lower left of photo. In zoomed photo, he's Midway up cedar just to right. He dropped into a little swale so was hard to see.