It’s no secret that backpack hunting is physically demanding. From carrying camp on your back and traversing merciless terrain day in and day out to just going through the motions of the whole thing. And that doesn’t even touch on when an animal lay at your feet accompanied by the effort it takes to handle that situation. The bottom line is everything is harder out there and it should be in your best interest to have backcountry hunting prep on your mind.

You’re excited. With a loaded-down backpack, a desolate trail ahead, and a big game tag in your pocket, adventure is no doubt on the horizon. Each step you take is one closer to a cozy backcountry camp and endless opportunities. Along the way though, you’re greeted by an uninvited guest. A muscle cramp proceeds to begin “cramping your style.” Now with each step you take, all that’s on your mind is “why me, and how the heck do I get this cramping in the backcountry to go away?”

You’ve been lacing bullseye after bullseye most of the year with your bow. Confidence levels are at an all-time high as is the anticipation of the coming archery hunting season. In light of that, you finally pick up those broadheads and give em a whirl downrange. Suddenly, the confidence that once stood tall is squashed into the very ground you stand upon. While your field-tipped arrows rest in the bullseye they’ve grown to know so well, your broadhead-tipped arrow does not. It is the outlier in a suddenly uneasy situation. The reality of broadhead tuning is now present.

There really isn’t anything like it. Being out in the desert during the month of January, bowhunting coues deer. While the rest of the country is hibernating and huddled by a fire, the lucky ones are glassing for coues deer, laying their wits on the table. And hopefully at the end some coues venison on the table as well.

Spot and stalking coues deer with a bow is no easy feat though. In all honesty, they are one of the hardest animals in North America to consistently stalk successfully. Their switched-on nature puts them on high alert at all times and the country they live in is as loud as you’d never want it to be.

With all of that said, and with the month of January fast approaching, I’m going to lay out a sort of blueprint that will no doubt up your spot and stalk success on these little deer. I’ll go into where I’ve found success, where I haven’t, and how I’ve found success bowhunting rutting coues deer.

This past Fall hunting season was no doubt an incredible one. From trekking high into the alpine to calling for black bears in the dense timber. My time spent living in the dirt and out of my backpack was time well spent. One hunt in particular though really stole my heart. And that was hunting mule deer bucks during October in the Idaho Backcountry.

This Fall has sure been an eventful one and I couldn’t be more grateful. I just returned from a wicked trip hunting mule deer in the Idaho backcountry. While the trip was rather short, it was a great hunt that ended with a great surprise(hint hint…). And the best part, all of it is on film.

Throughout my childhood, my Dad would tell me old hunting stories from before I was around. At the time, I hadn’t really experienced much of the hunting life, so these stories sunk deep in my mind. One of those stories was of an archery deer hunt in upstate New York. It was just him and his bow. No rangefinder to speak of.

My Dad was sitting up in a tree and a lone buck came in beneath. He pulled his bow back, aimed, and let it loose thinking that deer steaks wouldn’t be far away. What really happened was he watched the arrow fly right over the buck’s back, followed by said buck running out of his life. “Should have aimed lower” my Dad said. It was my first lesson on shooting up or downhill with a bow.

It was just after Christmas. A new bow rested in my lap and I had a nice buck located in the desert that morning. He was in a lust crazed stare at a few does beneath him. All I had to do was make a small loop and my first archery deer would lay at my feet. Once I reached the base of the hill I needed to climb that would put me in shooting range, I dropped my boots and pack. Long story short, I ended up going way farther than I thought looking for the deer. I also stepped on a jumping cactus in my socks. These two instances made me question if this whole “dropping your boots” thing was really necessary for successful spot and stalk bowhunting. More experience in the coming years would tell me it wasn’t.

Each turn of the calendar I have grown to look forward to a few certain times of year. One of those times that has stolen a piece of my heart is early season high country mule deer hunting with a bow. The views are nothing short of breathtaking, as is the country beneath my feet. It steals my breath in more ways than one. And the sight of big velvet bucks feeding in what resembles a golf course and bedding in what resembles Mordor is addictive beyond measure. This past August I found myself on a solo backcountry bowhunting trip to Utah in search of such things. Along with what I’ve mentioned, I found something else. Something that will hold its weight throughout my days. Perspective.

I just returned from Utah not that long ago. It was a wicked backcountry hunt with just me and my bow that truly threw all of the highs and lows of bowhunting my way. I return to the very area that sparked my love for high country mule deer hunting and this time, the mountains rewarded me in more ways than one. So, naturally I’ve got another film in the works. It’s called “Absolute.” The teaser for this film is down below. Stay tuned in the near future for the full film release.

Absolute Teaser – A Solo Backcountry Mule Deer Hunt

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