Bowhunting Mule Deer Tactics 03

  I have an impatient friend that moved his tree stand after opening day because the buck took a different route. He then got trail cam pictures of the buck the following day from the tree his stand was in the just 12 hours earlier while he was sitting in a tree a few hundred yards away. Should have stuck it out!Spot and Stalk BowHunting Mule DeerYou should have a good idea of where there is going to be a good buck on opening morning if you did much preseason scouting. It is best to be in position to spot him from a far when that first ray of light begins to show. Once you have found the intended target, you will want to assess the situation and determine if the conditions are right to put on a stalk right away or to watch and wait until the conditions have improved. This is where only experience and common sense can help you out, as every spot and stalk situation is different. Knowing when to go on it and when to not, as well as how to go about it will vary a lot depending on how things fall into place.

  The same factors that are responsible for most mule deer bucks not being able to achieve maturity are the same factors that make them so hard to get with a bow. Many of the areas they inhabit lack cover for them to escape rifle bullets that can shoot in excess of 500 yards. This same fact is why it is hard to get within bow range of a mature mule deer that has managed to sneak past rifle hunters. There simply is not a lot of cover for a bowhunter to hide behind in order to get a good shot. In this case, you have to use the lay of the land in order to get close enough for a bow shot.Bowhunting Mule Deer Equipment:Bow hunting mule deer can be made easier with the right equipment. In fact, some equipment is necessary to give bow hunters the upper hand. Below is a list of the archery equipment you will want to consider buying before you begin mule deer bowhunting. Just remember you get what you pay for, so go with the best you can afford, and then upgrade as you can. Rangefinder: Knowing the exact distance to your target is a huge benefit especially when shooting long distances or bow hunting. There are certain specs that you will want in a rangefinder, so make sure you check the link below to be sure you get the right one. Binoculars: Spot and stalk deer hunting requires you to find the deer. It is amazing how many more deer you can find with the use of binoculars that you would not see otherwise. They also are essential in the stalk as you need to find the deer before they find you, which means using your binoculars to pick out the tip of a horn or the flick of a tail. Spotting Scope: Both used for spotting deer and then being able to judge them to make sure they are worthy of a stalk.

  Spotting scopes are also important to find other deer and anything else that can compromise your stalk that is in your intended path. It is very easy to get busted by an animal you did not know existed. Spotting scope are a must have for Spot and Stalk Hunting. Boots: When stalking deer, it is important to be as quiet as possible. I have taken my boots off and stalked in my sock successfully before, but with cacti and thistle prevalent where I hunt, this is just not doable. Therefore I wear lightweight boots made for stalking to close the final distance to within bow range. They have saved my feet and helped me to be much stealthier. Camouflage: With deer vision it is not as important to be the same color as the back ground, but more so to break up your silhouette. Plus, in typical spot and stalk habitat the foliage can be dry and yellow in grasses, or green in trees and shrubs. Therefore it is important to have a camo pattern that is very versatile. There is other gear that will give you an edge that you may want to take advantage of that we will talk about later.Experience: Now Go Learn For YourselfYou can read a hundred books and still not know everything about bowhunting mule deer (click link for article on Spot and Stalk Hunting). The best teacher is experience, and even after years of mule deer bow hunting, you will still have a lot to learn. Hopefully you can take something from this article and use it to your advantage and hopefully you can experience the thrill that only an elite amount of hunters have had the opportunity to have.