Hunting your Elk Area for Mule deer.

[2rocky]

For 4 years I've been hunting the same unit in Wyoming for elk. In that time I've only seen one mule deer buck in the unit.

Now I know people kill deer in the unit, but I'm surprised that with 2 weeks in the summer riding trails and 4 elk seasons I haven't seen a shooter mule deer buck. Granted I haven't been looking specifically for deer, but that has been when I've seen my best in other areas.

When you think about what you consider places to get a mature buck, is it somewhere you see a lot of deer often outside of hunting?

Do you think an active elk rutting area is at a disadvantage for being a good mule deer area?

 

[ScottR]

For the most part, mature mule deer bucks avoid areas where elk are rutting like the plague.

 

[laxwyo]

You've been hunting elk with a rifle?

Normally, I always see better better bucks during the elk rifle than I do during the deer rifle. That probably had more to do with the elk season being the second half of October as opposed to the first half for deer. More weather plus bucks start moving more the closer it gets to November

 

[2rocky]

Well I've been hunting the last week of September and the first week of October. I'm trying to compare and contrast the country I've seen Wyoming Bucks in during that time.Bucks have been in open grassy meadows on steep hillsides, and old burns between 6-8000 feet. We seem to catch them heading back to the dense timber after feeding during the night. Like these bucks

Ironically saw this guy in the same draw...

My elk unit has meadows but they tend to be flatter, and at a higher elevation. It has country above timberline but it is mostly rock.
The kicker is that there are good deer that are visible after the season is over when they move down to winter range. I'm surprised I don't see the deer tracks in the trails during the summer and I haven't glassed any up above timberline. The one buck I've jumped was within 200 yards of the first elk I killed in the unit. Haven't seen another buck in 3 years.