Colorado Mule Deer: Baseball and Bucks

Wild Game Burgers

It might seem strange to find something as simple as a game burger recipe in a cookbook, but in my opinion, burgers deserve every sentence that’s ever been written about them. They are just that good. In fact, I’ve probably eaten more pounds of wild game as burgers than any single other preparation. Back in college, when we lived off whitetails, I probably ate my weight in venison burgers every year. For my general all-purpose ground meat, I go...

Ep. 198: Hunting with the Home Run King

Steven Rinella talks with New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Cody Fahrion, Rick Smith, Seth Morris, and Janis Putelis.Topics discussed: All those home runs; the value of a high ass; Steve and Jani’s disagreement over “natural”; shooting a duck on the ground and a turkey in the air; chocolate milk, squats, and yodel-sounding farts induced by chocolate milk; what it feels like to win a million dollars, meet Seinfeld, and then hunt with Steve...

Hunting Mule Deer Habitat

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 blend of productive alpine summer range, large aspen groves, and sage-covered winter range. More than any other factor as a do-it-yourself public land...

A Guide to Hunting Mule Deer

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, obstacle-filled terrain between hunter and hunted in a hurry.  Luckily for you, after reaching relative safety, the mule deer will often stop and take a...