king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated - October/November 2007 - Index

buck country - conifer stands and
open meadows on steep slopes and
rock outcroppings. I don't believe
the grouse are intentionally "hanging
around? the bucks, but they naturally
seek the same environment. Next
time when I'm out deer hunting and
I see a pine hen perched atop a rock,
I'll make sure I'm ready for a shot.
Q. I bowhunt California mulies
during late August and early
September, long before the rut.
Will a buck's curiosity allow him
to respond to rattling or fawn
bleating shortly after rubbing off
the velvet?
Don Hinton - Paradise, CA
A. Don, occasionally a hunter is
successful by thinking out of the
box. On a few different occasions
while calling coyotes in August and
September, I have been surprised
to see a buck following a doe to
investigate the call to within bow
range. It was always a young buck
that was too small to hang with the
big boys and still hanging with his
momma. By using a call or rattling
antlers early in the season, you could
possibly bring in a curious, young
muley, but I believe you would be
better off using the early season
mule deer tactics that have been
proven to be effective through the
generations.
Q. I've always hunted water holes
in the evenings. Are mule deer
as prone to water in the morning
hours?
Jimmy King - Hobbs, NM
A. Evening is a good time to sit
on water since deer regularly bed
throughout the warm day, and the
first thing they crave when they get
up is to quench their thirst. However,
many bucks have been killed around
water in the early morning hours as
well. Before hunting season begins,
take your camera and go and sit at
your favorite water hole and find out
what the deer are doing. Mule deer
Do grouse like to hang
around big bucks?
that live in an undisturbed environment
may visit water holes whenever they
get thirsty - whether it is morning,
afternoon, or evening. Once mule deer
sense danger or have had some hunting
pressure, their watering patterns are
broken and it is difficult to predict when
they will come to the water. By the time
a buck has matured, he has learned that
water holes are also danger zones that
attract not only two-legged predators,
but four-legged predators as well. These
big bucks will use the tanks during the
night when it is safest.
Q. When it is raining, do the deer still
move around?
Koe Robertson - Deleon Sprints, FL
A. Some of my favorite memories
include wet clothes and big bucks. If it
is a mild or short rain that comes from
an afternoon rainstorm rapidly cooling
things down, deer will often get up to
either switch beds or take advantage
of the moisture on the plants and begin
feeding a couple hours earlier than
normal. If it is a substantial rainstorm,
most deer prefer to stay dry and look for
protection. Many times the deer will
bed in a heavy canopy to protect them
from the downpour. When it is really
coming down hard, it is time for you to
take advantage of the disruptive noises
5MR.MULE DEER5
perfect stalking conditions.
of rain and the soft ground, which make nutrients around.
Q. Is it true that mule deer are
mostly grazers in the summer and
browsers in the winter?
Ira Waldron - Dixon, WY
A. Ira, your statement is true to
an extent. Most biologists would
consider mule deer browsers primarily
(they eat shrubs, forbs, trees). Their
narrow muzzles and chisel-like teeth
allow them to clip food off stems or
forbs close to the ground. Grazers,
such as cows, have wider muzzles
and wider rows of teeth to mow
the grass down. These "wide rows?
muzzles make it difficult for grazers
to be specific when selecting certain
parts of plants. However, in order to
survive, mule deer adapt to changing
environments and alter their foraging
behavior. Mule deer seem to forage
on whatever is available seasonally.
In the winter, the snow covers the
dried-up grasses and deer tend to
browse heavily. In the springtime,
as green grass sprouts from the
thawing ground, mule deer will
decrease their browsing activity and
increase their grass consumption. If
there are rye-grass or wheat fields
nearby, once again, the deer will
graze and take advantage of the best
nutrients around.
October/November 17