When it comes to high country mule deer bowhunting, my mind immediately shifts to neon green alpine basins and BIG, velvet covered antlers above timberline. In my opinion, chasing these bucks in the high altitude environment that they call home, during this time of the year, is as good as it gets! These bow hunts are a real challenge and those who prepare accordingly, are those who will land an opportunity at a mature buck. In my experience, these types of hunts all come down to preparation, long before the hunt starts and that will undoubtedly make, or break a hunt. I’ve identified the five best ways to not find an opportunity and land success on this kind of hunt, and I suggest you stay away from all five of these mistakes.

1. Having NO Concrete Plans to Start the Hunt

Let’s set the stage. You’ve drawn a coveted, Colorado mule deer tag in a fantastic unit, that you’ve waited years to get. Being from the Eastern part of the country, you’ve never stepped foot in Colorado, let alone hunted there. With the unit your tag is good for spanning hundred of miles, you’ve got your work cut out for you with only 10 days to hunt. Where do you begin? What area do I start my hunt in? Where do I camp? Get water? What trails are open? Etc. If you were to show up to your hunt and just start the planning process of all of these things, you may spend 9 out of your 10 days doing nothing but making plans. All of these plans need to be done long before this hunt begins! E-scouting in today’s world will open up an abundance of opportunities for a bowhunter to map out his hunt plans and details months, or even years before the hunt. This will allow you to become as familiar as you can with the area, road systems and mountain range that your unit entails. These starting points and initial plans will give you a foundation to work with and build off of, saving you ample time and energy once your hunt starts!

2. Not Knowing Your Gear

I’ll never forget my first solo backcountry, mule deer hunt above 12,000 feet. I had packed in all afternoon and that evening I finally arrived at my camping spot. Starving from the long hike in, I decided to immediately fire up some dinner. For the next 40 minutes, instead of cooking and replenishing lost calories, I fumbled around trying to figure out how to put together and work my new backcountry stove. Lesson learned, know your gear! On a high country bow hunt, your gear is your lifeline. What you pack in with you is all that you will have and if you’re not efficient with the gear you have, you will undoubtedly not thrive on a hunt of this caliber. Typically, you will have months to plan and prepare for a hunt like this, once you know what tag you have drawn. I recommend immediately putting a list of gear together that you will need, or have to buy. With new gear comes learning curves and the months leading up to the hunt are perfect times to practice with your gear. For example, if I buy a new shelter I will pitch it multiple times in my yard throughout the summer, learning the details and design of this tent. This will allow me confidence in the field and will also make me very efficient when using this piece of equipment on a hunt. Remember, you’re only as good as your skills, so if you don’t practice with your gear, don’t expect to be very proficient with it on a hunt.

3. Physically and Mentally Lacking Toughness

The high country is a beautiful place, filled with amazing scenery, lots of game and an abundance of opportunities for a bowhunter! But, it is also a place overloaded with steep mountains, extreme terrain, thin air and challenges that few will want to seek out and conquer. In order to make the most of your hunt, in a place where big bucks live, you better be physically able to chase them. Known for its thin air and super steep slopes, the areas above timberline, where a mature buck will call home early in the season, is no place for someone who is not physically up to the task. Training, which should include strength and cardiovascular, should be done for months leading up to a hunt of this magnitude. A bowhunter will have no fun in these elements if they are not physically able to hike around and live in this environment for days on end. I personally recommend doing weighted hikes, multiple times a week and strength training, as well as stretching, at least three to fives times a week leading up to a hunt like this. You can never be in “too good of shape” for an adventure hunt and this will only allow you to squeeze even more out of your time there by being in good shape and not sucking for wind and cramping up the entire trip!

Many times, success on a hunt of this type will come down to the bowhunter being mentally tough. Pushing through adversity, overcoming tough obstacles and thinking on the fly will certainly all be key components to a hunt in the high country. Being mentally sound, long before the hunt takes place, will pay off in a big way once you’re out there and facing adversity. Embracing the “suck” moments that come with a hunt like this will keep you mentally in the game, motivated and eager to find your opportunity for success! Before going on a hunt like this, I try to train myself to get mentally ready to be “comfortable in the uncomfortable”. What I mean by that statement is that on hunts like these, there are no hotels, comfy beds, AC units and home cooked meals. You’re basically living in the dirt, off your back and must be prepared to mentally handle any obstacles thrown your way. Those who mentally are prepared for the challenges and adversities that lie ahead will have a major upper hand against those who are not.

4. Incapable of Adapting to the Hunt

As a mule deer fanatic, I lie awake at night dreaming of glassing up a buck, watching him bed and then making an afternoon stalk on him, while the thermals are in my favor, as I drop in on him from above. This is a textbook, high country stalk scenario that we all would love to be in. But, unfortunately it doesn’t always happen that way. On a hunt like this, those who always seem to find success, are those who can adapt to what the hunt is giving, or not giving you. If the basin you E-scouted all summer, that looked like a perfect deer hangout, isn’t producing bucks then it’s time to pull up tent stakes and move. Maybe the hot, summer heat has burnt off most of the grass in the local basins, resulting in bucks moving down into the timber, where the greener feed is. This will now require a different approach to glassing and hunting these bucks, versus when they were feeding and bedding in the open basins. My point here is that if you want to find success on a hunt like this, you have to be able to adapt to what’s working and what is not and base your hunt accordingly. Do not box yourself into a one track mindset, or you will spend half of your hunt in the wrong area, or bowhunting the wrong way all because you didn’t allow yourself to adapt to the hunt itself.

5. Botching the Moment of Truth

It’s all come down to this – 67 yards bedded! You’ve waited 7 days for this opportunity, as you meticulously stalked your way from above the buck and are now in perfect position. With the thermals rising and the afternoon wind being consistent, you’ve made every correct move to put yourself in position to arrow the buck of your dreams. Now, you patiently will wait for him to stand from his bed and stretch, as all that’s left to do now is one final step- execute a perfect shot. You’ve drawn the tag, spent the money on top notch gear, have trained for months and dreamed about this moment your whole life, now is NOT the time to rush the shot and waste your opportunity. Bow hunts all come down to the finer details leading up to the shot and then the shot itself. Be ready for these moments. Shoot your bow and learn every detail of your archery setup to the best of your ability. Practice shooting from your knees, sitting and even kneeling halfway down. Shoot from steep angles and make sure you understand how to use your rangefinder accordingly to help you with tough uphill and downhill shots that you may be presented with. Leave no stone unturned with your shooting confidence and be ready to make the shot count when your opportunity presents itself. Statistics show that more times than not, on a bow hunt like this, you will only get one opportunity, so make it count!