Looking at hunting Mule deer in more of a prairie areas like 4-6k fee elevation. Looking at Wyoming no points, I know no one wants to give out there zones or spots so I am not looking for that. I am just curious what is the hunting like in the lower elevations would be hunting right around the 10/15 opener. Last season I hunted in the Big Horn Mountains and I loved every second of it. Everything I read up on Mule Deer hunting was focused on mountain hunting. This year I want to take my father out west with me. He has COPD and Asthma and there is no way he could handle hunting in the elevation. So for my planning I am focusing on lower elevation areas. Anyone have any tips for hunting these lower areas? Are there even mullies at the lower elevations that time of year?
Lower Elevation Mule Deer
- Thread starter islandlaker
- Start date
They will be in there. They are hyper alert of their surroundings, and they know what people and vehicles look like from a hell of a long ways out. You will still need to try to find the high ground, but realize the bucks may already have it. Your best opportunity may be to crest the tops and catch a buck at close range looking away.
Glassing can be questionable in the lower elevations because of the smaller rollers instead of sharp ridge tops. You seldom get to see as much area as you would like. Play around on google earth in the area you intend to go. You should be able to pick a few spots that will allow you to look up or down multiple big draws in one setup. If you guys intend to spike out, this will also help you pick the best camp spot. It may help avoid some extra miles on your Dad.
Glassing can be questionable in the lower elevations because of the smaller rollers instead of sharp ridge tops. You seldom get to see as much area as you would like. Play around on google earth in the area you intend to go. You should be able to pick a few spots that will allow you to look up or down multiple big draws in one setup. If you guys intend to spike out, this will also help you pick the best camp spot. It may help avoid some extra miles on your Dad.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Another idea is to consider South Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas. Depending on weapon type, season, and state some tags are OTC and some you have to draw. Those three states would meet your low elevation requirements. I grew up in Laramie so low elevation to me in Wyoming is 7,000 feet. Most areas that I know below that elevation are mostly private or limited draw on the tags requiring preference points.
woodtick
Veteran member
Scott, originally Antelope was what we were thinking and what my dad would prefer, but that looks almost impossible to draw without points in WY. Or areas that we could draw we would be looking at trespassing fees.
Hilltop, in region R the areas at the base of the bighorn while hot and kind of arid would be something my dad could manage. It was almost dessert like. We drove around for a bit looking at areas and saw a couple does but we never got out and scouted too hard because we all wanted to go back up to the mountain where we saw a ton more deer. From what I understand this past season was drier and less snowy then most. So maybe that is why we saw so few deer down below.
Toadman, thanks for the advice I appreciate it!
Woodtick- No I haven't so far I have spent most of my time researching WY. I will start to look into that area of MT. Offhand would you know if a nonresident would have a decent chance of drawing there?
Hilltop, in region R the areas at the base of the bighorn while hot and kind of arid would be something my dad could manage. It was almost dessert like. We drove around for a bit looking at areas and saw a couple does but we never got out and scouted too hard because we all wanted to go back up to the mountain where we saw a ton more deer. From what I understand this past season was drier and less snowy then most. So maybe that is why we saw so few deer down below.
Toadman, thanks for the advice I appreciate it!
Woodtick- No I haven't so far I have spent most of my time researching WY. I will start to look into that area of MT. Offhand would you know if a nonresident would have a decent chance of drawing there?
okielite
Banned
Plenty of good antelope spots in Wyoming with 0 points. Especially if you spring for the special draw. That is by far your best bet IMO.
woodtick
Veteran member
Unfortunately it's been 10+ years since I was out there, I'm pretty sure it's still a general tag in most of the area and those are pretty easy to come by. I'd dig around a little and just take my input with a grain of salt just cause it's been so long I haven't kept up with things.
Okie, I am looking at the random draw odds for non residents for antelope and everything I see with a decent chance to draw is in areas where you would have to get rancher permission to hunt.
Woodtick, I just checked out that area on Google Earth and it looks great. Thanks again for the suggestion.
Woodtick, I just checked out that area on Google Earth and it looks great. Thanks again for the suggestion.
hoshour
Veteran member
Last year there were 28 WY pronghorn hunts that could be drawn in the regular draw with 0 points and 14 of them have walk-in areas. While public land is generally 10% - 30%, a couple are as high as 60% to 70% public land.
There another 23 pronghorn hunts that can be drawn with 0 points in the more expensive special draw. Some of those have good amounts of public land.
Check out the digital edition of the last issue of Eastmans' Hunting Journal where Guy has listed more hunts than are listed in the print edition.
There another 23 pronghorn hunts that can be drawn with 0 points in the more expensive special draw. Some of those have good amounts of public land.
Check out the digital edition of the last issue of Eastmans' Hunting Journal where Guy has listed more hunts than are listed in the print edition.
Play the lottery and if you win take him on a outfitted hunt in the eastern side of the state. Or spring for the money and try to draw Region C in the special app. Not a lot of public land but at least the majority of it is lower elevation than the Big Horns.
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missjordan
Veteran member
There are a lot of general tag options and areas that are fairly easy to draw in mt. I think as a nonresident you shouldn't have a problem drawing deer tags for Montana.
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
- 1,220
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As woodtick and missjordan stated MT has been a pretty easy draw as of late, it's been 100% with leftovers selling out later in the year for the last few years, since they raised the prices. Pretty much all the Breaks area except one unit is general tag (for deer). It should be a good solid option for your Dad. Don't forget to check out the Block Management Areas. If the leftover tags are available as late as they have been in recent years you could even use MT as a back up state for years when you don't draw WY.