Stupid mule deer?

[robby denning]

Young bucks often an amaze me that they can even survive. However I've never seen big ones act that way, unless they're a city buck

 

[the big Mao]

Leavenworth's a "theme" town in the Cascades-LOTS of clueless Seattle tourists who decide to hike the mountain trails behind my house with their dogs and kids. It's National Forest where I live (thank God I don't live in town!!), but they treat it like it's their own private greenbelt. My plan one season was to drag my longbow out, dress like a tourist, and take a doe. The deer were all around the tourists, but me......not so much. I have to believe they knew the difference between a hiking stick and a bow!

 

[gelton]

Easier to hunt is also a subjective term. With vast wide open spaces and optics mulies are easier to locate, however those wide open spaces also make them harder to stalk. Easier to hunt with a rifle, especially a long range one. But much harder to stalk in close on a mulie in those wide open spaces than it is to shoot a whitetail out of a stand...especially with a bow. I definitely wouldn't call them stupid though, too many people on here know better, especially the ones who take home the big ones each and every year.

 

[justin davis]

Whitetails seem pretty easy. Find buck. LocAte bedding area. Locate food source. Find trail in between. Sit on trail. Mulies are less unpredictable

 

[alecvg]

I have seen alot of dumb, young, mule deer. But to be fair, I have seen alot if dumb, young whitetails, blacktails, elk, bears, antelope, coyotes, etc.

You see a heck of alot more young mulies killed than mature, just like you see alot more people calling in and killing young raghorn bulls than mature bulls, or alot more fork and horn whitetails than mature bucks.

Coming from a mule deer junkie, I don't think a mature animal from any species is easier to kill than another; they each just present a different and unique challenge.

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[rbljack]

Yall are killing me....LOL. we just got done with a 5 day mulie hunt in the mountains of NM. We couldn't locate a single buck!! saw does, but no bucks. We could of killed elk and turkey, but no deer to shoot! I think they were still up real high. My wife had a bad foot, and it was her hunt, so we were somewhat limited on mobility and couldn't get up to the peaks where the bucks were probably hanging out. I don't think they are stupid though...on the contrary I think big mule deer know when they are being hunted, and go nocturnal just like big whiitetails do, and go "stupid" during the rut....LOL.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I have to say it's about education, hunting Muleys my whole life it is easier to kill a younger buck than an old weary timber buck. I was a there hunting a few years ago found one of these old heavy bucks bout 3/4 a mile away. He was with a forkie. I put him to bed he laid on a pretty open hillside with some brush, he bedded side hill so he could watch below them. The forkie he almost made bed facing straight up the hill to watch above them. He looked super uncomfortable I knew the way they bedded I had 0 chance coming in from below them but if I could crest the ridge just right a little below them I would be coming from above the big buck and a little down from the 2 point who was watching straight above and up the finger. When I barely crested the finger and looked down the 2 point had me pegged already and never got the shot. Imo that big buck put the small buck to where he'd get shot first. Much like a bull sending his cows out to feed before he comes out, they can go out an see how safe it is before he puts his neck on the line.
Perfect example of that will be on Wildgame nation tv this fall where we had a bull and come come to a wallow, the cow came out about 5 minutes before the bull showed up. She was out in the open checking and the bull finally made his decision to show himself. He set for about 3 minutes in the back part of the meadow til he figured was safe and then came in to wallow.


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[jlrichesin]

I think it has a lot to do with the "sixth sense". I think a hunters heart rate and behavior is different when you have a tag and are "hunting them" vs just another mammal in the woods. Think about when you get the weird feeling that someone is watching you. For example, stair at your significant other for about a minute and they will probabley notice even if they are watching tv. Just a theory, but I do think they get a feeling like that when being hunted. Just my theory.



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