Montanans how long since your last mule deer

[Rie Bread]

Even better - both my kids have taken Oct bucks higher in October there. People think R7 has declined - can’t imagine the great spike buck hunting to be found in the wilderness. As for the bars - Dupuyer has a much better one than Bynum and an excellent display of how to goat fucq taxidermy on a beautiful MT bison.

Locals bought us beer in Bynum so I’m biased

 

[mtmuley]

My kids and I hunt mule deer in MT every year. My son shot a MT mule deer buck on Thanksgiving day. It's his 3rd mule deer buck in 11 years of hunting, all taken on public land. He had a limited quota permit this year - as did my daughter. They drew as a party of 2. My daughter hunted several days, passed a several younger bucks, and ended up taking a doe WT yesterday afternoon for the meat. She's taken 3 mule deer bucks in 8 years of hunting. I've shot 2 mule deer bucks in MT in the last 8 years. Adult bucks on public used to be more regular. My son's buck from Thanksgiving. It was really an excellent day.
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You got him out whole? mtmuley

 

[INMT]

Locals bought us beer in Bynum so I’m biased

Usually folks in the sanctuary look at you cross eyed.

 

[cgasner1]

You got him out whole? mtmuley

Wonder where hanes learned that trick at? Had to of been @The Hedgehog

 

[The Hedgehog]

You got him out whole? mtmuley

About a half mile drag. Easy with a 24 year old kid. Of his 3 muleys - the first out whole.

 

[mtmuley]

About a half mile drag. Easy with a 24 year old kid. Of his 3 muleys - the first out whole.

I kinda remember being 24. mtmuley

 

[brockel]

2009

 

[Nick87]

2009
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12th birthday?

 

[brockel]

12th birthday?

19 and clean shaven for oilfield fit testing

 

[Nameless Range]

Though I think Montanans that have largely stopped or severely restricted their own mule deer hunting is overrepresented on HT, I do wonder about that change of pressure to whitetail, and how it will affect them. I have started to largely solely hunt whitetails, and I know others who have too. My hunting partner and I went on a hunt this year where he shot the largest whitetail he ever has and I have ever seen up close. I wonder if we are kind of living in the golden age of whitetails in Montana, and the pressure that once (and still) is put on mule deer will continue to transition to the Whitetail and cause an analogous decline to them as years progress.

It's easy to just view whitetail as an other, but I don't think they are impervious to an overfocus either.

 

[Fire_9]

Last one for me was 2015

 

[tkhuntsman]

Just curious when the last time my fellow montanans have harvested a mule deer in our home state. For myself it's been 7 years. With the current state of our mule deer I personally don't have the desire to take one unless it would be a great buck which is like finding a needle in a haystack imo. Even the limited entry units aren't producing as in years gone by.

Absolutely no judgment here but I'm just curious

Last mule deer I killed was in 2017 I even had a decent draw permit this year and all I could turn up was dorkiest and 2 you 3 points so needless to say it also went unfilled.

 

[cgasner1]

Though I think Montanans that have largely stopped or severely restricted their own mule deer hunting is overrepresented on HT, I do wonder about that change of pressure to whitetail, and how it will affect them. I have started to largely solely hunt whitetails, and I know others who have too. My hunting partner and I went on a hunt this year where he shot the largest whitetail he ever has and I have ever seen up close. I wonder if we are kind of living in the golden age of whitetails in Montana, and the pressure that once (and still) is put on mule deer will continue to transition to the Whitetail and cause an analogous decline to them as years progress.

It's easy to just view whitetail as an other, but I don't think they are impervious to an overfocus either.

As a guy that whitetail hunted the same days as mule deer hunted this year. Who has never whitetail hunted please delete this post. Last couple years I’ve been seeing better white tails than I ever have so why not