Im sure this topic has come up before but I cant find anything when I searched for it. I started to do some aerial scouting via onx, google earth ect for an area in Wyoming that we will be hunting this fall. It seems to be mostly wooded and just curious if anyone has and tips or thoughts on how to go about it. We hunted the same region 2 years ago but it was south and had more open areas for glassing etc. Im just not sure how to go about hunting muleys if its a mostly wooded area with limited vantage points to glass from. Any help? Thanks. Luke
Hunting the Big Woods
- Thread starter mustang8
- Start date
Hilltop
Veteran member
One area I hunt has large sections of timber. There really isn't any good answer other than time investment. After years we have learned some of the areas the deer will frequent for one reason or another. In those areas we will hunt the most open ground available- clear cuts larger draws without a lot of under growth etc. It's tough hunting but we have taken a few nice deer there. A lot of locals will simply road hunt the timbered areas hoping to blindly stumble into a legal buck.
JimP
Administrator
Most big wooded timber areas have nothing to offer mule deer. There is nothing that they eat in them. They will pass through them to feeding areas and might bed in them but that is about all.
Concentrate on small meadows and stream beds areas that have sagebrush and bitter brush in them. Or look for fringe areas that might have some Gamble oak brush where the deer can feed.
Concentrate on small meadows and stream beds areas that have sagebrush and bitter brush in them. Or look for fringe areas that might have some Gamble oak brush where the deer can feed.
I completely agree with JimP. In all my scouting, trail cam pics, and hunting elk in vast sections of timber with little to no meadows, or open creek beds I see very few mule deer. I'd look for areas that have 20-60% open areas. They most definitely will hole up in the thick ugly stuff to bed, but want the vegetation available in the aspens, and open areas to feed on.
wy-tex
Veteran member
JimP
Administrator
If there is brush that they like the will feed around them and inside of them. Remember mule deer are browsers and not grazers. Sagebrush makes up a lot of their diet. Not the huge bushes but the small tender growth of new plants. That along with the buds of bushy plants like bitter brush and young trees.
There is usually a lot for a deer to eat both in and around aspen pockets.
There is usually a lot for a deer to eat both in and around aspen pockets.
I killed my best MD at easy bow range still hunting fairly thick woods between an open meadow and a suspected bedding area. As has been mentioned, hunting the edges can be very productive. I’ve seen plenty of MD in the woods near feeding/bedding areas. I try to be closer to feeding areas to minimize blowing them out when I have to hunt near timber. I prefer more open country, but have made it work around the forest.
Lots of good advice so far by more experienced muley hunters than me.
I hunted an area in 2017 in Wyoming that didn't have much for open country. We found what pockets we could and glassed the heck out of them. I missed a heck of a buck in one of them, but overall we didn't see to much. We got a big snow the first night of the hunt and then had warm enough temps it crusted. It was extremely loud to go almost anywhere except a couple late afternoons on the warmest days after that snow crusted.
I think some of those heavier cover units hold some awesome bucks, but that they also require a lot of hunting time to catch one making a mistake. It seems to be a better fit for someone with a lot of time to scout and hunt one particular buck or area than for a non resident trying to do everything in a short window. I recommend reading Robby Denning's book, it goes pretty in depth hunting muleys in cover.
I hunted an area in 2017 in Wyoming that didn't have much for open country. We found what pockets we could and glassed the heck out of them. I missed a heck of a buck in one of them, but overall we didn't see to much. We got a big snow the first night of the hunt and then had warm enough temps it crusted. It was extremely loud to go almost anywhere except a couple late afternoons on the warmest days after that snow crusted.
I think some of those heavier cover units hold some awesome bucks, but that they also require a lot of hunting time to catch one making a mistake. It seems to be a better fit for someone with a lot of time to scout and hunt one particular buck or area than for a non resident trying to do everything in a short window. I recommend reading Robby Denning's book, it goes pretty in depth hunting muleys in cover.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Jim is right...deer don't eat trees. They tend to like more open country with pockets of small trees & brush, especially if they are high and offer good views over the lower country. They will bed in the thicker cover, especially if they can escape over the top in a few jumps. I don't hunt heavy timber for deer. The more brush, draws and especially if there is some water nearby.