2025 OFFICIAL MEAT POLE THREAD

[mtnwrunner]

Well, another year went by and now all of a sudden it's 2025. You're another year older but don't be depressed because it's time for the annual mule deer meat pole thread!
This is the thread for great stories and photos from your 2025 mule deer adventures that don't quite make the best photo contest.
And as we all know, this is the only thread that matters.

So, post up!

Randy

 

[nevadabugle]

I guess I will get us started off....

 

[Pistolpete28]

Nice buck!

 

[nevadabugle]

Nice buck!

Thank you sir!

 

[CascadeHunter180]

I guess I will get us started off....View attachment 921342View attachment 921343

Nice stickbow buck!

 

[nevadabugle]

Nice stickbow buck!

Appreciate it! Not my best by a long shot, but all are trophies with the recurve!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

This little guy allowed me to get within range.

Funny looking mule deer….

 

[WeiserBucks]

Funny looking mule deer….

It's a far northern sub species.

 

[HuntInWild88]

It's a far northern sub species.

I didn't see this was in the Mule deer thread.

 

[ThreeOhSeven]

This will help my motivation, but hurt my sleep.

 

[maxp]

 

[tylerb4613]

My first archery mule deer hunt.

 

[CascadeHunter180]

View attachment 930718
My first archery mule deer hunt.View attachment 930726

Wow what a stud!! And a first buck too!!! Congratulations!!

 

[Jmoore]

View attachment 930718
My first archery mule deer hunt.View attachment 930726

Well you got a good one. Congrats on a heck of a buck!

 

[Garryett]

My 2025 Muley

 

[nm_nomad]

My 2025 Colorado Archery Buck

 

[caltex]

My first buck of any kind and first archery deer. Colorado 2025.

Scouted all summer but glassed up his bachelor group just the day before the opener and decided he was the one. There was only a single way into his basin that wouldn't blow everything out and it wasn't a pleasant one. It took 11 hours, 8 miles, and 3k' of vertical the next day to get into position to make the stalk.

I 100% had buck fever and didn't even think about compensating for the heavy crosswind. Arrow drifted ~12" right on a broadside 67 yard shot. Somehow the arrow found the jugular/carotid - he dropped within 90 yards/15 seconds.

Thankful for divine intervention on this one. Will never make that mistake again.

 

[PONYBOY]

My first buck of any kind and first archery deer. Colorado 2025.

Scouted all summer but glassed up his bachelor group just the day before the opener and decided he was the one. There was only a single way into his basin that wouldn't blow everything out and it wasn't a pleasant one. It took 11 hours, 8 miles, and 3k' of vertical the next day to get into position to make the stalk.

I 100% had buck fever and didn't even think about compensating for the heavy crosswind. Arrow drifted ~12" right on a broadside 67 yard shot. Somehow the arrow found the jugular/carotid - he dropped within 90 yards/15 seconds.

Thankful for divine intervention on this one. Will never make that mistake again.

View attachment 932148

Congrats man! Cool buck, hell of a stalk, and amazing scenery, Hell yeah! Congrats.

 

[nphunter]

The bucks bedded a little under 30 yards below in the first pic. You can see him by the brush looking down hill pretty big cliff he’s under.

 

[Greatwhiteyonder]

Left the baby with grandma, and my wife hesitantly obliged me in taking a hunting trip for my archery mule deer tag ON OUR ANNIVERSARY(my wife is a damn trooper) I made a deal with her that if I harvested my first mule deer with her, then I wouldn’t hunt without her (I’ll regret that later)

I have been hunting for 4 years, just about every weekend after the opener, put in anywhere from 30-40 miles every season for elk and deer hunting. Every weekend I hunt, no success. Had opportunities with elk and deer walking out in front of me at 30-50 yds but they’ve always caught me with my pants down. (One time literally!) haha

First day, we hiked 7 miles round trip, from 9000’ elevation to 10350’ to glass. Saw absolutely nothing but moo cows. Nothing gets my blood boiling more when I see a body moving through the timber and get behind my spotter and it’s a dang McDonald’s cheese burger with legs lol. The highlight of that first day was sitting on the mountain, enjoying some fig bars with my wife. We saw some beautiful ruffed grouse walking right next to our glass spot. Shortly after, I start scanning the tops of the mountains as the clouds pass by, watching the shadows swallow the mountains behind. When all of a sudden I spot a herd of about 15 mountain goat very far away. It was so cool to watch them feed up the mountain, disappearing against the back of the mountain as the clouds pass by. For something being so white, it blows my mind how they blend in so well.

Walked back down the mountain to camp and saw no deer or deer sign. We packed up to drive to another drainage. We e scouted a few different options and I ended up just allowing my wife to pick the spot. I wasn’t sure about it and wanted to go somewhere completely different but ultimately let my wife choose. We had a great place to set the tent up and decided to take it easy during the heat of the day and go out for the evening.

We walked up the trail about 1 mile and then walked off trail to a saddle another .5 mile. Looked up on a meadow about 400 vertical feet up and about 500 yards away and spotted a nice buck with 2 does with him. Looked at my wife with the biggest smile, she looked at me with an even bigger smile and her eyes lit up with excitement. We wanted to make a play on the deer up top, so we went into some thick timber for cover and talked strategy. About that time, a couple of good sized bachelor bucks busted out of the timber 100 yds away from us and our wind went right to them. They locked eyes with us and just calmly walked into a burn scar on our left. We were so discouraged. We looked at each other and both said “damn” At the same time.

We decided not to persue the buck up high and see where those other two deer went. We start walking through the thick timbered burn scar being as quiet as we can. About a half mile in, we decided to start heading back to camp as we didn’t have hardly any light left.

All of a sudden my wife whispers my name, followed by the words “2 bucks” (MY LUCKY CHARM!)

I slowly look to my left and two good size bucks at 90 yds (a 3 point and a very tall and unique 2 point). I would have been ecstatic about either so I decided to make a stalk on them to get into a more comfortable shooting range. It felt like forever as I slowly crept from tree to tree. I nocked an arrow behind a large tree and peeked my head out to range him. 49 yds! (Me getting 49 yds away from my first mule deer, with a tag in my pocket and my wife on my tail would have been a success to me!) I stepped out from the tree and came to full draw, took about 3 seconds to find the deer looking through my peep sight, as the light was starting to fade.(I was still within legal shooting hours)

Put my pin right on the crease, and let it fly.

Thumped him.

Took off like a bat out of hell and dropped before he hit 20 yds.

I looked back at my wife with her mouth open, and goosebumps on her skin and a tear in her eye. I have never seen her light up with excitement as much as I did that evening. She was so happy and seeing her like that will not compare to any joy I experienced before her.

We would have given him more time but we heard a good crash and thrashing so figured it would be okay to go look for blood. We didn’t find him that night, as it was dark and it started to pie the rain and lightning all around us. I hung my head and we walked back to camp. I was positive my shot was perfect but that night could not pass fast enough. We ended the night with some freeze dried meals and a few games of Yahtzee in the tent to distract myself from possibly wounding a deer and not being about to find it. Sleep was not my friend that night lol.

Next morning we woke up at first light with game bags, kill kit and tag in hand. Walked up to the spot I shot from and he was laying not 20 yards from where I shot him. Got all the meat and nothing went to waste as it stayed very cold that night.



Ate backstrap and made some birria tacos with a hind quarter that weekend and it was great to reminisce with my wife with each bite. Even gave my 10 month old son some.

Not the biggest buck but it’s ours so I’m more than happy.

Thank you for reading and sorry for the long post.

Will be one of my most fond memories forever.