Early Season Mule Deer Tactics: Spot-and-Stalk Success in Velvet
By Michael “Mickey” Luby
If you’ve never chased a velvet mule deer buck in early season, you’re missing out on one of the best opportunities the West has to offer. August and early September hunts mean high-country basins, long glassing sessions, and the chance to slip in on a bachelor group while their guard’s still down. But velvet bucks aren’t a gimme, in fact, they’ll humble you quick if you’re not ready.
Here are my tried-and-true tips for spot-and-stalk success when the velvet’s still soft and the sun’s still high.
1. Start Behind the Glass
Your boots don’t mean much if your optics can’t find deer. Early season is all about long-distance glassing. Velvet bucks are more visible this time of year, especially in the first few hours after daylight and again before dusk.
Glass from afar, and let the spotting scope do the walking until you find a buck worth your effort. Look for shady benches, cool north-facing slopes, and alpine meadows near water. Bucks in velvet are still grouped up and more patternable, take advantage of it.
Pro Tip: Set up before first light and glass into the shadows. Bucks often bed down early, so spotting them before they settle makes a stalk much more doable.
2. Plan Your Stalk Like a Puzzle
Once you’ve located a buck, don’t rush. Use terrain features, wind direction, and the sun to your advantage. Velvet bucks are less jumpy than post-rut deer, but one blown stalk and they’ll ghost out of the basin and not come back.
Approach from above or on the same level when possible, and always stay out of sight lines. Early season vegetation can help, but it can also work against you if you’re making noise.
Pro Tip: Wait for the buck to bed before moving. A bedded deer is easier to stalk, and if you’ve got eyes on him and know the lay of the land, you can often predict his next move if you don’t close the gap on the first try.
3. Mind the Wind and the Thermals
Nothing ruins a stalk faster than blowing your scent into a basin full of deer. Early in the day, thermals move downhill and once the sun hits, they start rolling uphill. Know your timing. I’ve backed out of more stalks than I’ve finished simply because the wind told me it wasn’t time.
Bring wind-checkers. Use your face. Feel what the air’s doing, and don’t force it. If you’re patient, the wind will shift in your favor eventually.
4. Lighten Your Load and Slow Down
This isn’t November, you don’t need to haul a whole pack of layers and survival gear for a day hunt. Trim down your kit, keep quiet, and move like you’re trying not to leave a trace. Early season bucks aren’t dumb they just haven’t been shot at yet.
Take your boots off for the last 100 yards. Crawl if you have to. I’ve stalked barefoot, in socks, and once in wool gloves on my knees. Velvet bucks are a gift, treat them like one.
5. Know When to Shoot — and When Not To
A buck in velvet is a beautiful thing, and it’s tempting to force a shot when you’ve worked all day to get into range. But early season also means hot temps and long pack-outs. Know your effective range, and take the time to get steady. Whether it’s with a bow or rifle, make your first shot count.
And if the buck busts you and bolts? Tip your hat, back out, and go find another. There’s a fine line between aggressive and stupid — stay on the smart side of it.
Final Thought: Patience Kills Velvet Bucks
Early season mule deer hunting is a long game. You might spend days glassing and never make a stalk — or you might get it done on the first morning. Either way, keep your head in the game and your ego in check. Velvet season rewards the patient and punishes the reckless.
If you want to keep hunting velvet mule deer in wild places like this, support the folks working to protect those opportunities.
Help us conserve the ground these bucks call home. Join the Mule Deer Foundation today.
Because chasing velvet bucks under a western sunrise isn’t just a hunt — it’s a tradition worth fighting for.
Join the Mule Deer Foundation!
Send any success pictures or stories from the field to [email protected] and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the Mule Deer Foundation or the Blacktail Deer Foundation or both. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/ or https://www.blacktaildeer.org/
Michael “Mickey” Luby – Writer Bio
Michael “Mickey” Luby is a modern-day mountain man and unapologetic traditionalist living deep in Western Montana. A seasoned mule deer hunter with decades of experience chasing high-country bucks, Mickey has earned a reputation for grit, stubbornness, and a sixth sense for finding big deer where the air is thin and the trails are long forgotten.
