What makes a good mule deer hunter?

[huntin24/7]

I’ve only hunted muleys in NE MT where it’s mostly private ranch/farmland with a scattered mix of block and public. I only know a couple guys that consistently kill large bucks(this isn’t counting guys with access to large managed ranches). They scout lots, are willing to pass on nice bucks by most standards, and have lots of time to hunt(like able to hunt at least part of the day 5-7 days a week throughout the season). And they usually kills these bucks very close to well managed ranches when they stray off them. For the areas most guys hunt Muleys, I would guess scouting, time to hunt, and passing younger bucks would still be important along with willingness to hike past most guys threshold.

 

[antlerradar]

With the caveat of not dragging your buddies, relatives, etc. Pretty easy to shoot out a good mule deer spot.

That just proves you are a dumb hunter.

 

[squirrel]

Given the intentional lack of specificity... Location, location, and also location. (and his twin brother timing, timing, and timing aka the rut) Having a back-up technique you can excel at when the weather does not give you what you were wanting. (tracking a mature buck and whacking him in his bed comes to mind) when spot n stalk aint getting it done- just one example.

Mastery or at least competence in all 3 habitats would be nice to have but difficult to gain until way too many birthdays have passed. Knowing, within miles of nearly identical habitat, which few acres to spend your premium time of first and last light picking apart.

Equally difficult is the ability UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS to see, judge, recognize, and pass on nice, but not big, bucks, even from the rear. Passing on a 30" 160" buck is not a skill most acquire, no matter how many birthdays they celebrate.

Telling true stories but false locations.

 

[nrpate05]

A "good" deer hunter is one that can be plopped down on any piece of land that has the species and figure out how to kill one. A lot of successful hunters hunt the same areas every year and can have similar results every year. A truly good hunter is one that can figure out a place during the allotted days of a hunt. In regards to mule deer in open country, sit down and look around, repeat until deer is dead or season is over.

 

[wyoboypt]

Define "good mule deer hunter" further. Killer of BIG, killer of MANY, killer of MATURE??? Or my favorite all of the above? I guess the also ran dept would be able to go to any habitat and kill the desired class of MD, be it alpine, timber, or sage/desert.

Just to kill a MD is hardly difficult using modern firearm, they are not the sharpest tack in the animal kingdom drawer by a long shot.

Unless they’re an old trophy buck. I would say killing a 180+ mule deer is arguably one of the tougher things to accomplish. Of course half of that battle is finding one that big in the first place.

 

[joelweb]

I agree with much of the above. I'd add that good hunters also make the time to hunt. It's hard to kill a big buck with just a handful of days in the field.

Good mule deer hunters -- at least successful ones -- also hunt in places where big bucks live. That could be hunting in big, wild grizzly infested country that nobody else is willing to enter, or hunting different states and being willing to pick up a bow if that's what it takes to get a tag.

I think someone can buy a big buck, but truly earning one on publicly accessible land is a difficult task.

 

[squirrel]

Unless they’re an old trophy buck. I would say killing a 180+ mule deer is arguably one of the tougher things to accomplish. Of course half of that battle is finding one that big in the first place.

To a point yes, but if you hunt a well managed herd with good buck/doe ratios and a healthy overall population even those are very easy during a rut hunt. Which is precisely why it is hard to find a unit/area that fits that description, they are simply too easy to kill off with today's "print -button biology" as practiced. There are not many dumber animals than a rutty MD. And almost nobody turns down that 30" 160 buck, which within those units are dime/dozen.

Most that find it impossible because it is -where they are hunting- they simply do not exist in any realistic context.

If herds were managed for high buck/doe ratios you can pass up 180+ bucks as needing another year or two in much of good deer country . (but not all of course due to the genetic thing...)

 

[shootbrownelk]

With the caveat of not dragging your buddies, relatives, etc. Pretty easy to shoot out a good mule deer spot.

Right you are Buzz. I've made that mistake once, taking a so called friend on a hunt. The next year he was back in the spot without telling me with 3 or 4 of his buddies. I'll never make that mistake again.

 

[HUNTNNW]

time in the field, guys that spend more time scouting and more time hunting are going to be more successful. That way with any animal you pursue. I dont like it when people attribute a score to a buck as mark of achievement.. age of buck is more of achievement if a guy is consistently killing 4.5 yr old and older bucks. A 130" 8 year old buck is no dumber than a 195" 8 year old. Both are tough animals to kill, but we all like to see a guy holding a 200" buck and some guy kills a ancient troll that scores far less and its a lesser buck.

 

[geetar]

The uncanning ability to consistently consume either a 30 of Busch lite or Old Millwaukee Lite on a daily basis all while out cruisin looking for Mr. Right. and being able to navigate a 250 mile of 2 track loop through uncharted territory and not get lost.

Regardless of whether you kill a mule deer or not those are impressive skills

 

[Mallardsx2]

From what I determined from the residents in Wyoming the more miles you put on your side by side, randomly boondocking across the BLM, the better your chances are in coming across a trophy buck. Judging from the handful I saw in the the back of side by sides I would actually believe this may be the correct way to hunt them. lol

 

[Nick_CO]

The uncanning ability to consistently consume either a 30 of Busch lite or Old Millwaukee Lite on a daily basis all while out cruisin looking for Mr. Right. and being able to navigate a 250 mile of 2 track loop through uncharted territory and not get lost.

Slamming domestic beer and driving country roads looking for Deer? We all miss the 80's, but today's Muley hunter hikes in a few cans of high gravity IPA and glasses from a ridgetop with expensive sunglasses that he/she will lose on the hike out.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Slamming domestic beer and driving country roads looking for Deer? We all miss the 80's, but today's Muley hunter hikes in a few cans of high gravity IPA and glasses from a ridgetop with expensive sunglasses that he/she will lose on the hike out.

Maybe in Utah and Colorado up here we keep it real bruh........

 

[EYJONAS!]

Regardless of whether you kill a mule deer or not those are impressive skills

Still am yet to master this skill as well as all of the other ones I mentioned.

 

[geetar]

Little known fact....

Beer goggles, which are widely known to improve a 5 to a 10 in the bar, will also double the score of a mule deer on the hoof.

So that’s how all those guys missed those 190 bucks.

 

[KB_]

Can you hit what your aiming at? Thats how you know if your a good mule deer hunter....or just a good hunter.

 

[noharleyyet]

Hunting with Oak....

 

[antlerradar]

The 4 biggest mule deer that I have seen in my life were all visible from a truck window.

four out of the top six for me.

 

[Gerald Martin]

The primary ingredient of being a good mule deer hunter is good mule deer. You can’t shoot what isn’t there regardless of how good your skills are.

All the other factors are synonymous with being a good ( insert species here) hunter. If you master the other factors you have already figured out my first ingredient on your own.

1. Animals to hunt.
2. Passion to hunt.
3. Time.
4. Skill.
5. Proper equipment.

Some of my prioritized items can be switched around but equipment is always last on the list IMO.

 

[Nick_CO]

Maybe in Utah and Colorado up here we keep it real bruh........

Here in Colorado, Coors is now charging for tours, Trailheads are full of Ford Fiestas, and the dream is dead. Glad someone somewhere is keepin' it real.