# Early Muzzy Tactics



## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Alright guys, what muzzy tactics do you use during this early season hunt? I've covered 26 miles the past two days and seen one two point. As far as I can tell the bucks are completely nocturnal right now. The only ones I've really seen are after dark driving in my truck and they are starting to move around then. 

I've seen quite a few guys just pushing slowly through the brush. Pretty much all day long they are doing that. Does this work for people? I've always tried to find a good vantage and just sit and wait. It's not working. 

What tips do you guys have?


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## Tall Tines (Apr 16, 2017)

If I KNOW that there are bucks in a certain area, I'll get up high, plant my butt and glue the glass to my face. All day if I need to. Even deer that are nocturnal, will get out of their beds mid morning to reposition due to the rising sun and shade changing on them. My 3 biggest deer have been killed mid day, after I saw them get up for just a few minutes are reposition beds. Had I been at camp, i would have never seen them. But that's where scouting comes into play. I had watched this area all summer and through the bowhunt. I KNEW those deer were there somewhere. Most guys don't do their scouting and just assume since they don't see them right off the bat at first light, that they must be gone. Hardly ever the case.

In some cases in high pressure areas, I've witnessed the older smarter bucks that won't move or feed at all until around noon. I think they have figured out the hunters usually give up around 10 in the morning and are off the mountain back at camp, making this the safest time to get up and feed. The bigger bucks aren't stupid. They will pattern people, just like people pattern them.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Got it. Well that's what I've been trying to do. I definitely know there are bucks in there. Had cams there during the summer and there were tons of bucks there. Been in the same area during the open bull hunt and seen tons of bucks. Just seems to be the time frame from what I can tell.


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## JC HUNTER (May 18, 2015)

My buddy hunted an area on Wed where we've had a lot of luck in the past. He sat all day and only seen one 2 point. I got up there later in the afternoon and took him into a new spot that I stumbled across during the bow hunt. I had seen several deer in there and even killed my buck in there during the archery hunt. We spent the last couple of hours of light in this area and we didn't even see a doe. It just seems like the deer patterns completely changed from a few weeks ago. I wonder if it had something to do with the snow we got last week.


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## JC HUNTER (May 18, 2015)

Like Tall Tines said, if the deer are in there then they will get up and move eventually. I would stick with the glass and really focus on the south facing ridges in the morning.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

My 16 year old daughter has the Muzzy tag this year. So far we have just been sitting and waiting for a buck to get close enough to shoot. The most frustrating part is glassing so many deer out of range. We typically see around 60-100 deer in the evening in our spots. We were walking back to the Jeep last night and stumbled upon a doe and a decent buck, but he didn't give us time to do anything. 40 yards away, but was outta there quick. We will head back up again tonight and give it another go. I agree with using your binos and having patience. Good luck!


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## flyfisher20 (Aug 5, 2011)

After 3 days we have yet to see a buck. Actually it's been pretty difficult to even find does. Maybe they are being nocturnal as we've seen quite a few tracks in the snow and mud. From what I've seen they are staying in the aspen groves all day. Talked with several other hunters and nobody has seen a buck as of this afternoon. Not to mention that all trees are full of green leaves still. Can't remember a muzzy hunt up there with no leaves changing color yet.


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## Raptor1 (Feb 1, 2015)

Tall Tines said:


> In some cases in high pressure areas, I've witnessed the older smarter bucks that won't move or feed at all until around noon. I think they have figured out the hunters usually give up around 10 in the morning and are off the mountain back at camp, making this the safest time to get up and feed. The bigger bucks aren't stupid. They will pattern people, just like people pattern them.


Saw this first hand this year, look in areas you wouldn't expect a deer to go. Some we saw this year were up in the cliffs where you might expect a goat to be. Got up around 1 ish and started to feed.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Deer seem to be a bit more territorial than say elk. You can bump them and they seem to just go around you and back to the same general area.

We were seeing deer early morning. Not so much in the evening.

Elk on the other hand can and will run for miles.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

26 Miles, really, and only saw one little two point. It is exactly 26 miles, as the crow fly's, from the heart of Heber City to the ladders on Strawberry reservoir, you must not be seeing them or there ain't no deers left.


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

I believe the 26 miles. It happens.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

BPturkeys said:


> 26 Miles, really, and only saw one little two point. It is exactly 26 miles, as the crow fly's, from the heart of Heber City to the ladders on Strawberry reservoir, you must not be seeing them or there ain't no deers left.


Yup, 26 miles, tracked by the ol' Gaia GPS app. Hiked, not driven.

I'm actually closer to 50 as of Saturday. Seeing tons of doe, but that's about it. Luckily I was able to fill a control cow tag on Saturday. So tossed some meat in the freezer. Now if I could just get a buck...


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