Mule Deer

I didn’t expect to kill a buck. Didn’t deserve to. Last year, by the second to last weekend of Montana’s month-long rifle season, I’d gone deer hunting a grand total of zero times. My focus had admittedly been elsewhere: it was my bird dog Gunney’s first season, I was deep in the grips of the fall...

In this video, I’ll demonstrate how to score a mule deer buck. The main difference between scoring a whitetail and a muley is how you handle the tines. You’ll begin by measuring both main beams, all tines, four circumferences, and adding those numbers up. The last measurement you’ll take is the...

There’s nothing mule deer hunters love better than a rut hunt, and for good reason. That’s the season of the year when bucks are most visible and vulnerable. But not every hunting season coincides with the breeding season. Nor does every hunter have the chance to tread the deer trails in mid to late...

We’d barely walked a half mile from the trailhead on the first morning when a respectable, dark-horned 4×4 strode out into the icy breeze 100 yards ahead. The appearance sent my four buddies into a flurry of conversation. “Nate should shoot it; it’s his birthday.” “No, Carson, you’re up, we wanted...

A few weeks ago, we told you about the potential new world record whitetail killed by a teen in Oklahoma. Now, it’s rumored another record was broken by their neighbors to the south. Greg Simons of San Angelo, Texas, shot a mule deer last week that seems likely to break the Texas non-typical record...

Aside from its big ears, the second thing most new mule deer hunters notice is the deer’s fleeing gate, known as “stotting.”  Stotting has been described as bounding, hopping, even “pogoing.” At first it’s a funny sight, until you realize that this goofy looking jump puts a mountain of steep...

I’m fortunate to live in the epicenter of the country’s best mule deer hunting. Central Colorado has high numbers of my favorite big game animal and has long been known for producing trophy quality bucks that, despite some misinformed detractors, are very good table fare. Colorado has the perfect...

Words by Steve Reid Spending time behind your optics can greatly increase your odds of harvesting a buck.  There are three main factors that I focus on to maximize my glassing efforts: good vantage points, good optics, and patience. Whether I’m hunting sage-covered hills or high alpine basins, I...

On this hunt, Joe Rogan joins Steve for a late summer archery mule deer hunt in the mountains of Nevada. Here, mule deer bucks are gathered together in bachelor groups on vast expanses of public BLM lands. While there’s no shortage of bucks around, daytime deer movement this time of year is limited...

On this hunt, Steve heads to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains with his friend Brody Henderson to track down their favorite big game animal, mule deer.  To reach the best hunting, they use a raft to gain access to some public land hidey holes. The November mule deer rut is beginning but unseasonably warm...

"The key to mule deer hunting is covering ground. Out west we have a saying, “let your eyes do the walking.” This does not mean you won’t have to put in some foot work, but the most successful mule deer hunters are ones that know how to glass. When looking for mule deer, I get steady and do an...