Mule Deer Hunting Articles
Confessions of a Crossbow Convert
In our eternal quest for new opportunities, lots of hunters are turning to crossbows. Where legal, they offer a unique challenge. This medieval weapon combines the restricted range of archery equipment with the added convenience of a rifle. I've been watching this trend for several years and finally, this past fall, I decided to give it a try myself.
Lighten the Load: New Approach to Dressing Big Game
The following method of handling big game has evolved over several years. It was originally motivated by the necessity to extract animals from rugged terrain, sometimes miles from the nearest road. It has since become 'standard operating procedure', whether distant from our vehicles, or right next to. The method has also evolved as such to produce premium-tasting table fare. Basically we 'de-meat' our animals in the field. We do it to produce a minimum of weight carried out, and we do it in a way that best 'cares' for the meat itself.
Call Them, and They Will Come
Nose to the ground, the buck grunted feverishly. Scouring the woods for a doe in estrus, he was on a mission! Easing the can call from my pocket I gently rolled it over. Emulating a doe bleat, I hoped to attract the giant buck and then halt him long enough for a bow shot. At first it looked like he'd skirt my stand outside of bow range. But then, at the sound of my call, his head snapped to attention and he plodded straight toward me!
Understanding Mule Deer
Infinite volumes have been written about whitetailed deer. From their reclusive nature to their sex lives, virtually every aspect of their lives has been dissected. But, for those of us intrigued with variety, far less is written about their counterpart, the mule deer.
4 Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make on Mule Deer
In sock feet, I started easing my way towards what I hoped was the right sagebrush bush, taking painstaking measures to ensure that each step was in silence. As I slipped behind the taller of the two clumps, I caught a glimpse of movement twenty yards ahead. My heart began to pound as I first made out the ear, then the head and body of my prey. Bringing my Darton bow to full draw, the mule deer stood up, as if on cue, and presented a beautiful quartering-away shot.
The Scoring Game
What is it about antler mass that gets hunters so worked up? I've gotta admit, I too fall victim to the bottom line score now and again. So prominent is the numbers game that it frequently defines our hunting success.
Game Eyes
The ability to distinguish shape and form, light and dark, color and texture is man's most valuable attribute. We amass and dispense knowledge, we record and communicate thoughts, we entertain and are entertained through the miracle of sight. It's true that we can exist without ever beholding the world about us, yet we are what and who we are because we, as a species, see.
The Other Hunting Rut
When the word "rut" is mentioned in a conversation among hunters, chances are the discussion will include talk of screaming bull elk, or big whitetail bucks, that for a brief period of time drop their defenses and act like teenage boys. There is another rut out there, however, that doesn't receive a lot of attention. This one affects the hunter rather than the animal and actually decreases our odds of success.
Shed Hunting - In Search of Lost Bone
Any antlers are always appreciated, but I was searching for one set in particular. Worn by a mature buck, I guessed he would be dropping approximately 180-inches of bone. Picking up the matched set the year before, this year the buck was in his prime. Although I’d only seen him once myself, I’d heard rumors that he was still skulking through my favorite deer woods. I’d made it my personal mission to find his sheds.
Scent Detection - How Does it Work?
Have you ever experienced sitting absolutely still in the woods when a nice buck starts your way and suddenly he stops, sniffs the air, then stamps his feet and the next thing you see is the white flag bounding at hyper speed in the opposite direction? Alternatively, after miles of hiking and climbing, did you spy a trophy bull elk and after crawling through the briars and bushes for what seemed eternity, to see it simply disappear when you poked your head out of the scrub? What happened?
A Guide to Butchering Deer
Many deer hunters cringe at the thought of having to butcher and prepare a deer for the freezer. While I am far from an expert at the task, I do know the basics of getting my animal from the field to the freezer. It is not that difficult of a task, as long as you take it slowly and know how all of the bones fit together.
Field Dressing a Deer
The wind was light, but the air was cold as I walked from my tree stand to where I had hit the big buck with an arrow. I saw the arrow go through the animal’s body and knew it was a good solid hit the minute I released. Most bow hunters have the feel of a good shot or of a bad one, you just know if the arrow was released properly and you know if your form was good as well. In this case, I knew I would soon have meat on the table.
Mule Deer Mysteries
We spotted the bucks just after sunrise, grazing on an open face far above timberline. We were far below. There would be no time to get in position for a shot before they went to bed down in an almost impenetrable thicket of krummholz, the dense, short pines found above timberline in the Rockies.
What Trophy Should Really Mean
When we hunt we must work hard, we obey the law, we are ethical, and we are reverent. Every animal taken - young or old, buck or doe - is a "trophy". They are gifts of the land.
Where have our mule deer gone?
While there always seems to be a good buck harvested here and there throughout the west today, the general consensus seems to be the same; our mule deer are in trouble. Some of us have turned to hunting elk and are excited about the increasing elk numbers, while others have been riding out the storm in hopes of the deer someday returning to their numbers of the past.
Welcome to Hell
I felt like a pincushion. Countless grueling stalks on hands and knees over a carpet of cactus, around boulder after crude boulder, and through a spirited tract of unmerciful landscape, had left my body in a state of agony. Two weeks prior I had pursued elk for four days in mountainous terrain – topography only fit for a mountain goat – yet on this day my lungs begged for mercy, my clothes sagged – saturated with perspiration – and my oxygen starved muscles screamed bloody blue murder.
A Field Dressing Guide for Elk and Deer
Field dressing game is as much a part of the hunt as target practice and scouting. Unfortunately, correctly field dressing game can be challenging and awkward for the inexperienced. If you have never cleaned out game in the field or have had trouble in the past this feature article walks you through how to field dress, debone, and pack out your next deer or elk kill.
Blacktail Hunting, The Ultimate Challenge
Blacktail hunting, what the heck is that? Sure, you know about whitetail and perhaps even mule deer hunting, but what do you know about the blacktail? Perhaps more importantly why should you care? Well, if you want to hunt the most challenging member of the deer family you'll need to know! Believe me if you ever come out West to hunt this phantom deer slivering through the pacific woodlands, you are in for the ultimate challenge.
Kings of the High Country
When talk turns to hunting in the high country, one may assume that the discussion is usually about stalking bighorn sheep or mountain goats. However, while lesser known, mule deer will also inhabit the terrain above timber line. In fact, some believe that the only place to bag a trophy class mule deer is above timber line. If you are up to the challenge of stalking the mountain tops, read on, Gary Hubbell shares his experiences in pursuing the kings of the high country.