It’s December and you’ve yet to notch your plains mule deer tag. You’ve crawled for miles and your knees are riddled with cactus. You tried a decoy. You grunted and rattled, but other than a few close encounters, there are no backstraps for the grill. Don’t fret, here’s one more trick to try.

Mule deer country is dotted with lone trees — mostly gnarled cottonwoods — standing alone in a sea of sage. In some locales, small creeks slice through the landscape, offering small stands of trees. Your job: Gain a vantage point and watch how the deer you’re hunting navigate the landscape. Chances are, they are walking by a tree or two.

Lone trees in the middle of nowhere draw deer like moths to a flame. Find that lone tree and I almost guarantee a trail riddled with tracks sliding by it. Don’t hang a camera; it’s too late. Simply observe deer movement from a distance, and then slip in and hang your set.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a small waterway winding through your muley area, put on your whitetail cap. Mule deer travel waterways just like a whitetail, especially waterways that lead to grain-rich ag fields.

Once you find where you need to hang, go with a lightweight and maneuverable treestand because most western cottonwoods aren’t treestand friendly. I like Millennium’s M7 MicroLite and Summit's Featherweight Switch hang-on portables.