2023 MULE DEER OFFICIAL MEAT POLE THREAD

[AOberti]

Wow, he’s a cool boxy one- Genetics like the bucks in NW Montana/North Idaho. Awesome deer!

He's a central Idaho buck.

 

[NDGuy]

Brother bedded this buck down and the stalk worked out perfectly for my dad. Even more special his 3 sons got to watch it all unfold. Made some core memories that day. That’s what this passion is all about!

 

[NDGuy]

Montana success, last light on opening day.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Had a great time with my son and cousin, we were fortunate to find a good one.

 

[WeiserBucks]

 

[Idaho Brad]

8 year old son’s first big game animal! Didn’t go 20



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[go_deep]

First I'd like to say I suck at mule deer hunting, like really suck. I've even read Robby's books, and several other authors on mule deer hunting, and gawd do I suck. This is my son's 4th year hunting and he's yet to get a mule deer buck, no problem with buck antelope and elk, those seem to come easy. A lot has to do with him only have one day, or two half days, but I'm still not very good at mule deer hunting, so this year he only has one night and one morning, no pressure.
Boy it was different this year though. First night we had a buck out in front of us, just a little too far. Next morning I thought he was going to seal the deal on a pretty nice 3 or 4 year old, just couldn't get him comfortable, minutes later a descent 3 point comes up and out of the bottom, same thing close, safety off multiple times, he just didn't feel like it was a good shot. After seeing 4 bucks in a couple hours of hunting his season pretty much over and so close, but on the walk back to the truck God blessed us and put this 2 point right in front of us. A great offhand shot at 80 yards and the impossible, became possible. We boiled the head ourselves and every thing in his room had to get reorganize so that mule buck is right in the middle, he's very proud. Even though most wouldn't even look at this buck on many a hunts, it's a trophy to my son and me.

 

[Ens Entium]

Our first out of state hunt in Nevada. Big country but had a great time with my father in law. I like the bit of velvet still attached.

 

[yellowbeard]

Glassed him up in his bed at 400 yards and closed it down to about 100 to make the shot. Bullet went through his neck first then took the top off his heart off, he fell right over.

 

[IDMuleyKid]

10/27- my Dad, Brother and I set out for steep and physical day hunt. Probably the last one before my brother enlists in the military.

We began hiking at 5:05 AM and gained 2100 feet of vertical in 1.1 miles then trekked another 2 miles west.

Immediately, we spot a couple does and a nice buck. We get off the ridge and start to side hill out of their sight and towards them.

We look to our left and a group of hunters getting a late start (9 AM) are making quite a commotion in brush about 1000 yards away from these deer and the deer bumped into the rockiest/steepest terrain I’ve ever been in.

Pretty stalk-able position at that, so my brother and I make a mad-dash to a buck-brush ridge and separate to glass the two different draws.

I see nothing and my brother finds around 70 deer, mostly does and 2-points.

Evidently, he forgot a big buck was what we were after and took the nice little guy above lol.

I wasn’t mad though, it was a great day, full of life and I’ll try to get the big one, the 29-31.

 

[IDMuleyKid]

View attachment 619421View attachment 619423
10/27- my Dad, Brother and I set out for steep and physical day hunt. Probably the last one before my brother enlists in the military.

We began hiking at 5:05 AM and gained 2100 feet of vertical in 1.1 miles then trekked another 2 miles west.

Immediately, we spot a couple does and a nice buck. We get off the ridge and start to side hill out of their sight and towards them.

We look to our left and a group of hunters getting a late start (9 AM) are making quite a commotion in brush about 1000 yards away from these deer and the deer bumped into the rockiest/steepest terrain I’ve ever been in.

Pretty stalk-able position at that, so my brother and I make a mad-dash to a buck-brush ridge and separate to glass the two different draws.

I see nothing and my brother finds around 70 deer, mostly does and 2-points.

Evidently, he forgot a big buck was what we were after and took the nice little guy above lol.

I wasn’t mad though, it was a great day, full of life and I’ll try to get the big one, the 29-31.

View attachment 619430

I purpose left out the rocky terrain to avoid landmarks, but when I say dangerous, I mean dangerous!

I was seriously worried for my dads health and probably won’t take him back there. 45 degree slopes with 15 foot cliffs and slick/snowy boulders everywhere.

 

[bigunit]

Found this guy yesterday. Cwd and harsh winters have really impacted the mature bucks where I typically hunt (saskatchewan). This is that best buck I'd seen all fall so I made a stock and shot him at 140yards with the muzzleloader. I'd never shot a drop tine (left side) muley before so was happy to hang my tag on him. I would have had 2 weeks for rifle starting Nov 1 but now I can help my dad fill his tag instead.

 

[The Ri Guy]

Brutal season in the N. Central WA.

Last light, last day, with a snowstorm impending and a long ways from basecamp. The storm started while breaking him down and dropped ~6" by first light the next morning.

The few homesteaders & timber fallers in the valley floors claimed it was the worst winter in 50 years, combined with wolf encroachment leading to a high deer mortality rate leading up to this season.

Generally we'd be glassing up and reviewing a couple mature bucks per day, but this was the only "mature" buck we ever truly laid eyes on this season. Averaged ~7 miles and 1500' elevation gain/descent for 9 days straight, saw 6 bucks in total myself, with only two of them being 4x's.

Definitely the hardest I've ever worked for a deer, almost gave up on the season to be honest.

 

[Beagle001]

FINALLY notched an archery mule deer tag. I found a horseshoe (literally) 20 minutes before getting this guy, and he was close enough to drag to the truck.
I’ll likely never take one smaller, but I’ll also likely not have to work as hard and long for the next.

 

[littlebigtine]

great moments, great season

 

[np307]

First mule deer trip, first mule deer. Low point WY area.

 

[nubbin]

My dad and I doubled up one a couple bucks opening evening in SE Montana. My second Mule deer and his first one. Was an awesome experience. Deer were few and far in between and 2 other guys in our group didn’t punch their tag, but we managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

 

[tmorty]

Colorado first rifle mule deer.

 

[hdc77]

Got my first mule deer ever this season, tough hunt in SE MT after a snow storm the day before my arrival. Very little deer movement the whole hunt. Last day with 3 hours remaining, Ridge to ridge 380 yard shot with 215 Berger out of a 300 Norma. Pretty happy with my last minute buck.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I wanted to learn some new area this year, and drew a tag in a unit I had never been to. Summer and fall got away from me and I never got a chance to put boots on the ground until the night before opening day. I saw a ton of deer, and my rough calculation was about a 1:8 buck to doe ratio. Sounds great, right?
I spotted one decent buck on the opposite side of some private property, and watched as he and his does started towards a road. I figured I'd watch them cross, then I would hike around the private to the public they were going onto and find him. The only truck I saw on the road that day appeared at that moment. The deer crossed the road, the truck stopped, the driver got out and off the road, and killed the buck. Crap.
I found a lot of little basket racked 2.5 year olds, and what seemed like a million forkies. I had very limited time to hunt, and was pretty sure it was going to be a 12" wide 3 point I kept seeing or tag soup. I decided to stick with it and let the little ones grow up.

Finally, I found a little pocket of deer, spike, does and fawns. I glassed them from about 1000 yards away for a while and caught a glimpse of a buck moving beds up on the hillside. There was a lot of open country and I spent quite a bit of time getting close to the pocket of cover he went into. I got closer and closer, and he finally stood up where I could see him at 18 yards. He stared at me for a few minutes then bounded away across the hill. He took his 3 other buck buddies (that I had no idea were in there) with him. The biggest was a 4x4 that was well inside his ears and only about as tall as his ears. Smallest 4x4 I have ever seen!

I went back 2 weeks later and kept seeing small bucks. I saw a branch of an antler above a rock way up a little draw, so I crept up the next ravine over and got to where I thought I would be about 80 yards from the rock. I saw 4 deer walking up the hill and got my glass on them. Nope, he wasn't in that group. Then I see another 4 deer. Just does. Then I spot some elk. Now I'm second guessing if I mistook an elk antler for a deer antler. I continued over the hill towards where what I thought was a buck should be. I'm 80 yards away and I see a deer butt! Yes! No. It was a doe and fawn. They have no idea I'm there so I sit down and watch them for about 30 minutes. I decide the buck either was never there, bailed before I crested the hill, or is still bedded somewhere I can't see. Curiosity is killing me, but the doe and fawn are between me and where he should be. Finally, I decide to softly bump the doe and fawn and see if they pick the buck up with them. I'll be damned if it didn't work! Buck stood up, looked around, walked a little bit, stopped and turned broadside.
26" outside spread with cool eyeguards.