2025 Best Mule Deer Hunt Photo Contest, sponsored by Kryptek

[RockAndSage]

View attachment 957778Well after three years and passing a lot of smaller deer it finally happened. Idaho 2025 buck. Glasses him 1.7 miles away in a burn and stalked 3.3 miles to him. Never will forget this one.

That's some class A perseverance right there, especially coming out from PA. Congrats on your hunt - definitely looks like you worked your butt off on that landscape to get him.

 

[Pafarm]

That's some class A perseverance right there, especially coming out from PA. Congrats on your hunt - definitely looks like you worked your butt off on that landscape to get him.

Just gotta keep learning and sticking to it! We killed him about 11 miles in. Backpack hunt 12 days killed him day 9 134 yards. We ended up doing 31 miles of walking and 5500 feet of elevation gain in two days. Between stalk, pack out and grabbing camp. I would be lying if I didn’t say it was tough but if so it all again tomorrow. We also got socked in two days. Honestly the stalk should have never worked but it did. Killed him right on the edge of a big burn. He may not be a giant but he’s my favorite trophy because how hard we worked to get him. Shot him at 9800 feet I’d love to add pictures of the terrain but out of respect for the deer I will refrain.

 

[RockAndSage]

He may not be a giant but he’s my favorite trophy because how hard we worked to get him

Big yes. Wish more people appreciated the hunt for what it represents, and not just the B&C score...

 

[robby denning]

Big yes. Wish more people appreciated the hunt for what it represents, and not just the B&C score...

Agreed and why this isnt just a big buck contest

 

[Pafarm]

Big yes. Wish more people appreciated the hunt for what it represents, and not just the B&C score...

Once you figure out your after the adventure not the antlers that’s when the real fun begins. That buck I’ll be telling my kids about.

 

[jonnyviceroy]

No challenge as satisfying as giving a hard earned OTC buck a backpack ride to the truck.

 

[Marble]

Pretty happy with this one.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[IDnativeHNTR]

2025 OTC Idaho Buck. First buck I’ve hunted completely solo. Found, harvested, and packed out solo. There’s really no more satisfying feeling than that.

 

[wytx]

Hubby's Wyoming buck.

 

[HunterGatherer]

 

[208hntr]

View attachment 950770

WOW that's an impressive buck

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Wait a minute............. I have an entry!

First Mule deer

 

[Eric30]

WOW that's an impressive buck

Thank you, I was very fortunate to find a buck of this quality on my hunt!

 

[dgfavor]

Going Over What's Next - Max, 10yo, after a few days of good-tries and close-calls, bagged his first buck at end of day, dad Colten:

 

[NICKJ]

Trophy hoof

 

[MNGrouser]

We had another great trip to Montana. Here is my brother walking up on my dad's buck.

 

[Sawdust145]

2025 Colorado 2nd Season

 

[Killerhiller40]

Might be the smallest buck in this thread, but I’ll throw this shot in the hat anyway

He was the culmination of the most physically demanding, and absolute favorite hunt of my life. The 5 mile, -3000 ft pack out with camp on my back too really put the cherry on top.

 

[RockAndSage]

Might be the smallest buck in this thread, but I’ll throw this shot in the hat anyway

He was the culmination of the most physically demanding, and absolute favorite hunt of my life. The 5 mile, -3000 ft pack out with camp on my back too really put the cherry on top.
View attachment 962820

It's the hard hunts that are the most satisfying. As a friend's dad once said, "it's the same reason nobody marries a hooker."

 

[Killerhiller40]

It's the hard hunts that are the most satisfying. As a friend's dad once said, "it's the same reason nobody marries a hooker."

Absolutely! Doing hard stuff is good for us