Trophy Mule Deer Hunting Tip #1
By: Frank DeVito

The best time to scout an area is in the spring the temperature and weather is usually at it's best and hiking up and down mountains is still something you can actually enjoy with sweating every ounce of fluid out of you body. Also the foliage is just starting to come in so you have a much better view of the terrain in most cases. Now I'm really not looking for deer during my spring mule deer scouting. I know that the chances that they would be in the same area all year long is slim to none. What I am looking for is what I like to call mulley history. I'm looking for signs that the deer leave during the ruts and also during the cold winter months.

Hunting can be arranged to suit your desire. We offer stand hunting, hunting with dogs and still hunting.

Meals and lodging can be added to any hunt. Just let us know at the time of booking. Take a look at some of the hogs we have taken during the past year.

I like to try and find out what trees the deer's may have been rubbing. If I can find several good rubs I know that when fall rolls around the deer are probably going to be coming by these trees again. I'm also looking for sheds. I've had times where I have found a couple of antler sheds within a close proximity of each other. These sheds are all the proof that I need that the deer where here last winter and next winter when a cold spell hits the area they will most likely come back.

I also like to find areas that offer late season hunts where there's a real good chance that a cold spell will hit and maybe even a good dose of snow. Once this happens the deer will immediately start migrating towards their winter grounds. In Idaho you have some great opportunities in November and in Colorado during the 3rd and 4th season hunts.

I have so many friends that hardly do any scouting at all. They think they now the areas and don't need to scout anymore. I have to admit that some of them do but most would be much more successful harvesting that trophy mule deer if they just spent a little more time in the woods scouting. They usually go ahead and hit their favorite spot and if the deer aren't there they spend the next two days trying to scout and figure out where they might be. If you only have a couple of days to hunt a year this really decreases you changes of harvesting that trophy mule deer.

By going out early I'm more familiar with the lay of the land and can better adapt to changes. Also we've all seen how progress, if you want to call it that cuts in on our valuable hunting spaces. I've seen spots that only a couple of years ago where full of deer but do to changes in the environment, new homes and naturally or unnatural changes have caused the e mule deer's to move to another area.

Last but not lease it's a great time to take your kids out into the woods. They love to scout and the extra set of eyes and ears don't hurt a bit.

Good luck and great hunting.