Scouting Strategies for New Property

[jvidrine]

Scouting Strategies for New Property - Updated w/ picture

This year I'll be hunting on a 6,000 acre lease near Paducah, Tx with a solid herd of mule deer. Given that I've only ever hunted whitetails, how should I begin scouting and what methods should I use? What areas should I be looking for/ focusing on? Are mulies that much different than whitetails? Do mule deer bed in the river bottoms and come out on the plains to feed?

The majority of the property is plains with river valleys through out. I do not believe there are ag fields on the property.

I plan on putting out 3-4 cameras over corn to get an inventory of what's there.

Also, I was going to locate any water tanks and try to put camera there.

All advice is welcome! TIA

UPDATE: The road along the bottom of the image is the entrance to the property and everything to the north (between HWY 1440 & county line is the property) is the lease. On the right side of the lease are cotton fields. Today my father informed me that all the mulies are in the cotton fields in the evenings.

 

[Hilltop]

Challenging to give you a good answer without seeing the property. In our area, mule deer do not bed in typical whitetail areas along the river. Can you post a google earth of the property?

 

[rcfireninja]

Best thing you can do is find a high point and glass. Mule deer do not follow the same day to day routines as whitetail. They can bed in different areas, feed and water in different areas also but will remain in the same general area. Once you watch them for a while you will start to notice some tendancies about them. In my area they like to bed during the day around the top third of a hil/ridge with the wind at their backs. They water in the morning on the way to bed and at night on the way to feed. Once you know the area from scouting you can pick spots to ambush from there.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I also would look for good travel routes and put the camera on a well used path. Glassing would be your best bet tho. Once you get them pattern then you can place your cameras and get a better look.

 

[jvidrine]

Challenging to give you a good answer without seeing the property. In our area, mule deer do not bed in typical whitetail areas along the river. Can you post a google earth of the property?

Yeah once I get home I'll post an image of the property.

 

[tdcour]

I hunted around there for coyotes growing up and had a buddy hunt out there for deer for a long time. Good area for deer. The mule deer usually don't bed in the thick stuff like the whitetail will. They like to bed in the pastures, big clumps of tumble weeds, and occasionally will get into the trees. Glassing is your best bet, but can be a little difficult in that area depending on where you are. A lot of times visibility is limited there without large elevation gains. Should be a lot of fun though! The herds in that area fluctuate pretty regularly so scouting will go a long way in size potential. Rains have a big impact on horn growth there as well.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Can you ask the landowner where they see the deer? Especially during the time you will be there. If you happen to be hunting the rut, find the groups of does and check them often, bucks often bed downwind from does, they are not always with the group, if a doe is missing, likely a buck is with her not too far off.

Get up hi and glass without pushing the deer is what I'd try, been known to sit in top of my rig on flats, or slowly drive ranch roads like you are checking cattle. I've seen mulies bed in fairly open bottoms and come out to feed, and if there are the smallest of cuts, depressions, bush piles/bushes on the flat, they'll bed there too. Glass for antler tips and parts of a deer head, ears etc. The worse the weather/wind, the more likely they will head to the river bottom to shelter in the cut banks, absent other good shelter.

Mulies are different from Whitetails in many ways. Generally more difficult to pattern and likely to roam. But if they have feed, water, cover, shelter, and privacy, all in close proximity, they can behave surprisingly like Whitetails. Bump them and all bets are off. I've successfully patterned pre-rut mule deer many times on private property, so you may have an advantage patterning some if the deer are left alone. If the lease is not exclusive, all bets are off. If all you are finding is does and small bucks, look where no one goes, with glass from a distance.

 

[jvidrine]

OP has been updated with picture.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Then glass those cotton fields in the evening, without pushing the deer. Apparently they feed on the cotton plant? Once you ID their main access points into the fields, you know where to hang some cameras. If you are not glassing any good bucks, hopefully your cameras will catch them at night. Odds are the big bucks are using the same feed source, but no guarantee they access it the same way.

I've been known to walk the ag field boundary at mid-day, brushing out all tracks, then check for large tracks the next day. Have found a few solitary bucks in a desert area I've hunted that way that go in and out in the dark, solo. They make about a 2 mile walk from public where I could hunt to a private creek bottom with feed, always in the dark. We usually stalked them mid morning in finger draws, gets exciting. The less disturbed the herd is, the more likely everybody will show before dark and probably hang around till daylight, but you never know, so I'd check.

Do you know when the cotton is harvested relative to your hunt dates and if they still use it for feed post harvest? Depending on those answers, you may have a very different hunt. Odds are those draws near the field are pretty good bedding areas. Good luck!

 

[jvidrine]

Then glass those cotton fields in the evening, without pushing the deer. Apparently they feed on the cotton plant? Once you ID their main access points into the fields, you know where to hang some cameras. If you are not glassing any good bucks, hopefully your cameras will catch them at night. Odds are the big bucks are using the same feed source, but no guarantee they access it the same way.

I've been known to walk the ag field boundary at mid-day, brushing out all tracks, then check for large tracks the next day. Have found a few solitary bucks in a desert area I've hunted that way that go in and out in the dark, solo. They make about a 2 mile walk from public where I could hunt to a private creek bottom with feed, always in the dark. We usually stalked them mid morning in finger draws, gets exciting. The less disturbed the herd is, the more likely everybody will show before dark and probably hang around till daylight, but you never know, so I'd check.

Do you know when the cotton is harvested relative to your hunt dates and if they still use it for feed post harvest? Depending on those answers, you may have a very different hunt. Odds are those draws near the field are pretty good bedding areas. Good luck!

I'm not sure if they are feeding on the cotton plant or just using it for a bedding area. I was hoping someone could provide some insight.

"brushing out all the tracks" What do you mean by that?

"Do you know when the cotton is harvested" I don't know but I will find out. I'm assuming the cotton is still there during the winter months.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

"brushing out all the tracks" What do you mean by that?

"Do you know when the cotton is harvested" I don't know but I will find out. I'm assuming the cotton is still there during the winter months.

I believe Tim is referring to taking a branch or something and sweeping it across the tracks so when you walk back through a bit later you can see the fresh tracks.

I know nothing about cotton, but the first listing on a Google search said this: "The cotton plant is by nature a perennial, but is grown as an annual because commercial crops must be turned under each year shortly after harvest to prevent diseases and to help combat the boll weevil."

 

[JimP]

One problem that I have with a photo from Google Earth is that is doesn't tell you just where the deer are moving around at. We all can guess but that is it, just a guess. For mule deer you are going to have to put some boots on the ground and get out there and watch them to see just where and what they are doing.

 

[Tim McCoy]

I believe Tim is referring to taking a branch or something and sweeping it across the tracks so when you walk back through a bit later you can see the fresh tracks.

I know nothing about cotton, but the first listing on a Google search said this: "The cotton plant is by nature a perennial, but is grown as an annual because commercial crops must be turned under each year shortly after harvest to prevent diseases and to help combat the boll weevil."

Yep. If you brush them out, with a branch, broom or even your foot, makes it very apparent how much use that trail is getting. If it is super rocky or sandy, does not work so well, but most ag fields have good old dirt. Know zero about cotton too. Mule deer love to feed on forbs and bushes, but whether they eat there or bed there, a harvest can change things. If you can't find out if they eat it, call a TX biologist who covers that area or ask a local cotton farmer. Get out there and observe, then you'll know.

 

[jvidrine]

That's some great insight fellas. I've never heard of brushing but, I can tell you that I'll be using it to my advantage this summer.

I don't have a workable relationship with the owner of the property(YET) because he is hard to contact. I will definitely be calling the county biologist though. That's a great asset that I forgot about.

 

[jvidrine]

Well, I spoke with Dana Wright the Wildlife Biologist for the county yesterday and she provided some quality information.

She first told me that the mule deer do eat the cotton bowls before they open and become white. However, the cotton is harvested and disked under by August. She did tell me that the mule deer in that county will travel long distances to eat winter wheat and whomever has it will hold deer throughout the winter. She went on to tell me that planting wheat is dependent on ground moisture.

She encouraged me to call her back at any time and was thinking about other questions that would be beneficial.

 

[tdcour]

Well, I spoke with Dana Wright the Wildlife Biologist for the county yesterday and she provided some quality information.

She first told me that the mule deer do eat the cotton bowls before they open and become white. However, the cotton is harvested and disked under by August. She did tell me that the mule deer in that county will travel long distances to eat winter wheat and whomever has it will hold deer throughout the winter. She went on to tell me that planting wheat is dependent on ground moisture.

She encouraged me to call her back at any time and was thinking about other questions that would be beneficial.

Man, I don't remember cotton getting stripped in August, but it looks like that is dryland and everything I worked with was irrigated, so maybe. It's pretty sandy there too so that doesn't help the moisture situation for the cotton to hang on longer. Winter wheat is great there as well. She is spot on there. If you find the wheat, you will find deer. They have good moisture now, but it all depends on summer rains how much wheat will get planted and how good it will be.

Never knew deer ate cotton bolls... learn something new everyday I guess.

Best of luck, wish I could help more. Water will be a very important factor out that way as well. It can be few and far between with stock tanks being the best source.

 

[packmule]

It may get stripped this year, last few dry land has been more about the insurance check. It's Texas....find water, put the food source next to water (cotton seed, alfalfa, corn) put cameras on it around the property and get a survey of animals you're working with that are utilizing the property.

 

[jvidrine]

Solid input fellas! Thank you for all of the advice. I'll report back later in the year when I start getting pictures.

 

[Alabama]

My dad, brother and I used to farm over 2000 acres of cotton per year and I've never seen a deer eat the bolls. They will definitely eat the leaves especially the young tender leaves at the top. I'm not saying they won't eat them but I've never seen it. Remember that cotton takes about 165 days on average to mature so August seems early to me for harvesting but it all depends on when its planted. Cotton stalks make excellent bedding cover if left standing in early fall. The boll weevil has been eradicated in the southeast so we no longer have to mow or plow ours under. I saw quite a lot of cotton un-harvested last October when traveling through central and west Texas.

I realize none of this info really helped you, I guess I just wanted to chime in lol. Good Luck patterning mule deer unless it's before they loose their velvet. They will come to the same field 5 days in a row but from 5 different directions!

 

[Jdavis9753]

You only have 2 weeks for mule deer right? In my experience (because I have hunted around Childress and now hunt near Benjamin) is that patterning them is near impossible because they will move ranch to ranch especially in those Caprock flats. Just spend your time scouting from the truck or at the week leading up to season.
Then you will see more of what has moved in on the property.
Good luck this year, great genetics in the herd there!


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