king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated April/May 2008 - Index

ASK MR. MULE DEER
Q. I’ve been scouting some mule
deer since last year, but it appears
like they are going to be tough
to get a good shot at as they are
inhabiting thick cedars. How
should I hunt them?
Jake Alan – Pocatello, ID
A. Low cedar forests surrounding
higher country hold some of the
oldest, smartest, and biggest bucks
16 HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
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around. The reason why is that, as you
mentioned, it is hard to hunt deer in
thick cedars. For the most part, these
thick cedars have low deer densities
unless they are adjacent to agriculture.
You need to outsmart those big juniper
bucks. Position the wind in your face,
keep your weapon in ready position,
and very slowly move through areas
where bucks would likely bed (rock
outcrops, saddles, cool ravines). Stop
and crouch regularly to look under the
juniper branches for any sort of
movement or piece of deer.
You want to see the deer
before they notice you. If
you hear a deer bounding,
drop to your knees, watch
and listen. If you are working
the wind right, there is a good
chance the buck didn’t go far and
is waiting for your next move. An
old buck will play the waiting
game longer than you will. Be
patient. The name of the game in
thick junipers is to move slowly and
keep alert at all times.
Q. Why does the deer and elk rut
happen on different days each
year? It’s always in the same
season, but the dates differ
every year.
Ben Cameron – Tooele, UT
A. The timing of the deer and elk
rut is triggered by three major
factors you should be aware of:
Photoperiod (length of day),
weather, and the condition
of the herd.
Photoperiod, which
5MR.MULE DEER5
is no doubt the most prevailing
factor infl uencing breeding season,
serves as the deer’s internal calendar
and directly affects a buck’s and
bull’s annual life cycles such as
testosterone levels and shedding
antlers. It also arouses estrus levels
in does and cows, causing them to
come into estrus.
Contrary to what some
hunter’s believe, weather is not
what makes or breaks good rutting
activity. It can, however, affect deer
and elk movement. Deer and elk are
more active during periods of colder
weather. Weather that is too warm,
too cold, or too windy will keep
animals holed up longer and slows
down rutting activity.
Herd condition will decide
when cows and does are ready to
breed. Healthy females in optimum
condition are ready to breed in the
fi rst estrus cycle. Some females will
enter estrus earlier than others. Have
you ever been in a canyon where
the bulls are bugling non-stop and a
few canyons over the elk are acting
like the rut is still a month away?
More than likely, in the canyon full
of bugles, a cow is “hot” and the
bulls can defi nitely detect it. Quite
the opposite scenario is occurring in
the other canyon where none of the
cows have gone into estrus yet but
the bulls are nearby waiting.
Other factors worth
mentioning that may infl uence
timing of the rut are moon phases
and hunting pressure.
Q. I am hunting the second rifl e
season in Area 48 in Colorado. I