STALKING MULE DEER WITH A DECOY

The key to hunting mule deer is being able to cover a lot of ground, especially with your eyes. In other words, be prepared to do a lot of glassing. Use the early morning to look for the big bucks that, especially in the warm early season, are heading for the shadows at first light after feeding in the predawn hours. Check and re-check every crevice, creek, ditch and dark spot.

Suppose that from several hundred yards away, you and your hunting buddy are able to spot a nice buck bedded about 30 yards into a milo field. You can tell by his large rack slowly swaying above the stalks that he is undoubtedly worth going after.

Your trek to get within bow range is going to be about 70 yards into the wind through knee-high sage in order to reach the edge of the milo. If the buck is bedded at 12 o’clock, have your buddy head directly to 11 o’clock with the Miss Mulie mule deer decoy and you to take a beeline to one o’clock; vice versa if you’re left handed. Using this technique, you can take advantage of the buck’s poor vision. He will be so focused on the decoy that he’ll never know you’re drawing a bead on his vitals.

Just remember that a mule deer’s huge ears allow them to pick up sounds that other big-game species would typically miss. Barring a few feet of snow on the ground, don’t be afraid to stalk into bow range in socks or barefeet. Always wear extremely quiet clothing and never talk above a whisper. In fact, if you and your buddy have spent enough time hunting together, you can probably devise a plan without uttering a word.

Montana Decoy has created Miss Muley decoy to get the attention of rutting mule deer bucks or distract the ones you have to put the sneak on. And its 40- by 38-inch frame allows hunters to do just that out in the open country where big mulies tend to hang out. Fold it down to the size of a dinner plate to pack it all over the West or wherever your mule deer hunts take you.