1 . Did you know? There are eleven subspecies of mule deer stretching across the western portions of North America?
2. Bucks grow velvet antlers each spring as the new feed arises.
Depending upon each different subspecies geographical location(s), Bucks start and finish growing their new velvet antlers between August and October. Typically, the northern subspecies start and finish the new velvet growth sooner than the mule deer that occupy the stretches of the southern portions of North America. Northern to Central geographically located mule deer bucks typically finish growing their velvet antlers from August 1-15. As opposed to the southern mule deer bucks that live in places like Tiburon Island and the Sonoran deserts. Southern bucks may finish their velvet growth in the later portions of October.
3. Velvet Mule Deer begin their summer season patterns in the best feed they can possibly find.
This time of year is when they are most patternable because their only goal is body replenishment. The best feed is where you should start looking for your mule deer when scouting. In the later stretches of summer, bucks velvet will start to tighten. Where the blood flow to those areas has now slowed down, this is the beginning of the personality shifts in the mule deer patterns.
4. Scout and scout often!
Time on the mountain during the summer when the deer are easy to find is great. But spending time as the velvet starts to stiffen and bucks start to adjust their summer personalities is crucial. Bucks that act one way in July start to act extremely different in those middle to ending stretches of August. Being on the mountain during these days is important to finding success in hunting mule deer. Bucks will begin to use tree line habitat. Where in the first and last moments of daylight, bucks can still get high quality feed easily. But also, can quickly adjust and be covered up without much effort as well. Tree line habitat is very important to key in on and find those stretches of cover that those bucks like to use when they are on their feet for the short amounts of time when they are mobile during the day.
5. Once you find a group of bucks or a buck that you plan to pursue during your mule deer hunt, You'll have found the bucks common areas that the buck likes to use.
Take a look at the pattern cycle and attempt to visualize where the most pressure will be coming from once the hunt begins.. If you can, assume how the buck could receive that pressure. Don’t be afraid to go ahead and bump that buck. This time of year the bucks haven’t been bothered or pressured so you can get away with some pressure in order to help you learn where these bucks like to go. Learning where the buck could naturally end up DURING the hunt when more hunters are in the field and applying that pressure, could give you the knowledge you need to be successful during those early hunts.
-Braxton Jacobson
