We should most likely start this off by backing up a touch and first addressing that everyone has his or her own right to consider any and every animal he or she is able to harvest as a trophy. While my idea of a trophy may be considerably different than that of another, I would like to think that every last one of us would like to be a part of taking down a buck who has weathered many seasons and matured into a heavily antlered beast with a big boxy frame and lots of extras!
After several seasons in the saddle, gaining confidence in your abilities, it is natural to gravitate toward a quest for older age class animals and bigger racks. It’s what keeps us up at night, fuels the countless hours of exercising, miles of scouting, and, of course, a lot of money spent along the way.
I used to be wet behind the ears, green, so to speak. With no hunters in my family, I had to figure it out on my own. It is a tough road, and there’s not much help for an aspiring hunter. I spent time on forums, even met a few good people along the way. As many of you know, though, no one is ready to start handing out hunting areas. For one, a good hunting spot is way too tough to come by. Once you find one, it is only good because not many, if any, people are ever in the area. However, the one thing I did have was a burning desire and hunger for success.
Taking trophy mule deer consistently has more to do with being a student than the actual killing part. First and foremost, you cannot kill big deer unless you are hunting the country in which big deer live. I live by this and preach it. Unfortunately, with special draw tags being almost out of reach for many of us, the DIY hunter has to be smart and hunt efficiently with OTC tags. Believe it or not, my personal research has yielded results on general units you can draw every year, where you can consistently hammer P&Y-class bucks. Since I predominantly hunt with a bow, it opens many doors in terms of hunt opportunity.
In order to crack the code on trophy class bucks, remember that the country they live in is a real key to understanding what makes a specific area worthy of your focus. Think in terms of cover, water, and forage. Next, think about predation, road access, and proximity to large densities of people and finally, age class along with genetics!
No matter how hard you hunt an area, if the predators are out of control, your chances of taking a trophy buck there diminish greatly. Older age class bucks are often targeted by predators due to their solitary habits. After the rut, an old buck will often isolate himself for the better portion of a month or so, feeding, resting, and trying to survive winter. Many bucks will die because of this vulnerability.
In terms of cover, water, and forage, it is important to understand the importance of each in order to establish if there is true potential. For example, I have seen the most devoid, arid Sonoran landscape yield 220- to 250-class bucks where you wouldn’t expect much else to live besides jackrabbits and coyotes. Likewise, I have seen the most pristine, gorgeous summer tundra yield nothing at all. Remember that migrating herds rely on quality winter range and bucks need sufficient feed in order to recover from the rut to pack on fat. If the winter range is in poor condition 100 miles away and the summer range is in great shape, it makes no difference. The carrying capacity is split between two completely different ecological zones.
The most significantly overlooked fact for buck maturity and growth is how well they’re set up to recover from the rut and being born during drought years. If a buck does not have the adequate feed to recover from the rut, no matter how good the spring and summer browse would be, he will suffer in body condition, which directly relates to antler growth. Keep in mind that spring monsoons only help to finish off antler growth. It does not propagate the development post rut. Likewise, if an animal is born in a drought year, he is likely to suffer in antler growth his entire life or show willow/paper horned characteristics. Genetics are a large factor in selecting a hunt area; however, if any of the above indicators are present and obvious, you will see a significant impact on quality regardless of genetic traits.
The best places to hunt mature deer are the places that see very mild winters consistently, say, for in excess of six years. Even when buck-to-doe ratios are below 20:100, if you have mild winters with good cover and good post rut precipitation, you have a great chance to see a stud buck come season.
The most important aspect on this type of hunt will always be relegated to the hunter willing to work the hardest while hunting the smartest. Both will be requirements, since going to the farthest basin away from a road may be a good start but will not always yield you the results you seek. Being the hungriest guy you know is also a great start to collecting lots of trophies; however, there is an “instinct” that you must have in order to be successful. You have to be “bucky.” You need to know for what to look for, how to look for it, and when you see it, be cognizant enough in order NOT to walk past it.
An example would be if you saw a good buck somewhere last year and you continue to hunt there regardless of whether or not you continue to see deer using the area. Thinking, “I know there are deer here; I’ve seen them here before,” will get you nowhere fast. Be adaptive, and constantly re-invent yourself.
Mule deer are constantly adapting to their environment and the constant changes within it. I have seen bachelor groups keyed in on chokecherry in canyon bottoms one year only to be higher on the mountain the next year, focused on oak brush acorns… Depending on the crop, depending on the moisture… If you don’t evolve and think outside the box and hike up higher by two thousand to three thousand feet and go the extra mile or two, you may throw in the towel and think to yourself that they moved out of the country. The key is to always stay on your toes and realize that moisture controls movement.
High moisture years, anywhere from high alpine tundra to the desert, will result in dispersed deer herds. On the other hand, if there is little water, it will focus the herds on drinkers, potholes, and green areas in the desert or take migrating deer to the highest peaks during the summer. I have thought to myself, on countless occasions, how the year was getting so much good precipitation, “The deer are going to be huge and plentiful,” only to show up, hunt hard, and find few deer and young ones at that. Mature deer simply won’t migrate high on good moisture years, sometimes preferring the dense cover of what many would consider staging country. Simply because the moisture was very good, the bucks stay put on staging grounds and never really make it to the high country.
Another key is to realize that if you get a good frost early, the insects will not be as bad and likely kick the bucks off the highest ridges, inversely, that frost also kills the nutrients in most high country salad bars. So key in on your environment. If you see dying vegetation and yellowed skunk cabbage, the deer will move.
The good thing about most good deer hangouts is that rarely do they go completely dry. Most often, if you leave the young deer alone, you can come back every year and find a shooter. Deer are creatures of habit and routinely return to familiar summer range. I have found bucks that will use the same bed from year to year without fail. Most mule deer summer range is going to be quite small. Just like your own routine from work to home, to the gym or a restaurant, you have your haunts, and it is only the exception that you go outside of your routine.
Mule deer generally have a two-square-mile summering range. If you kick a great buck out of his bed, rest assured, he is still using that country. If he gets a lot of pressure, you will need to be persistent to turn him up since most likely he will go from alpine tundra to utilizing the timber or bed before first light, using the darkness to feed and socialize. What you are looking for at that point is when he gets up, stretches, and changes beds. It’s a shot in the dark to be in the right place at the right time; however, that is how a savvy buck hunter will play his cards.
The only time in which the two-mile rule gets thrown out the door is generally during the rut, when bucks become very dominant, attempting to mark territory, covering large areas of land, searching for does, or during migration. Just like a whitetail, a mature mule deer will rub the gland on his muzzle on nearby bushes when he urinates on his tarsals. This is always a dominance trait and lets other would-be suitors know to steer clear.
In summary, being successful on trophy bucks has a lot to do with the effort you are willing to put forth in becoming a student of your quarry. The more you watch them and learn behavior in regards to body posture and ear positioning, along with daily routine, the closer you are to consistently sealing the deal on every tag you acquire.
Last and certainly not least is the fact that you must look in the mirror and be able to say to yourself that you left it all on the field. You have got to be able to say that you gave the hunt your every technical and physical effort in order to make your luck. People who catch naps back at camp come home empty-handed more often than not. Also, be comfortable with working on your weaknesses. If you are a great bow shot at 80 and 90 yards, then start practicing at 100-110 yards. Likewise, if you find yourself digging deep to make it to a certain ridge before they cross a saddle, work on your conditioning. I’m in no way endorsing taking long shots at game; what I am saying is that shooting long distance makes the shorter distances a guaranteed thing!
Remember that you are the ultimate weapon. Your weapon of choice only gets the job done once you are in position. Do not let your weapon or yourself down by not being prepared when the moment of truth arrives. Success stories are always the ones we love to tell others. Obtain the results you seek in consistently harvesting trophy mule deer by leveling the odds. Make each factor listed in this article a key and integral component in reaching that strategic advantage. There are many more relevant factors to success than the ones listed in this article; however, if your home in on these first and create your own list as the hunts pile up, you will see notable success on all of your future hunts.
this is a great read!