What area/outfitter for very high success on 180"+ rifle mulie?

[Mike D Texas]

Sonora Mexico. But I can’t help with an outfitter.


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[WRO]

This is a loaded question depending on how much you want to spend and/or how long you want to wait.

Internationally, there are still some free-range options in Mexico, but more and more of that is going towards pen-raised deer that are let out. You can figure this out pretty quickly when you follow outfits on IG and they are posting 3-4 deer in the 200" range every week for months and months in a row. Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan specifically) have historically had some really good areas. However, my understanding is that a chunk of that region was hit significantly with CWD over the past few years and aren't quit as good as they used to be. I really haven't paid much attention to it, since I haven't looked at hunting those areas, but that's just what I've heard, so take it for what it's worth. You can probably do some research and turn up more info.

Within the lower 48, there are really good units in multiple states (Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona), but unless you want to spend a lot of money buying a landowner tag or tag from an outfitter, then you are more than likely looking at a decade plus (sometimes two decades plus) to draw the better units. Some of the top areas in the world for mule deer are the Arizona Strip, Kaibab Plateau, and Paunsaugunt. There are multiple good outfitters in all of those areas and you actually have a pretty good chance of killing a 200" deer.

You’re realistically never going to draw any of those, Pauns tags can be purchased for the cost of a nice 3/4 ton diesel.


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[TxAggie02]

That’s not true. I just drew 12BW, which is at the base of the Kaibab a couple years ago with only 6 points.

 

[WRO]

That’s not true. I just drew 12BW, which is at the base of the Kaibab a couple years ago with only 6 points.

Shithouse luck isn’t the standard to make decisions, without max points it’s near impossible.

My buddy drew the pauns last year in the random as well, 1 in 1600 odds aren’t worth making plans on.


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[Hnthrdr]

Western Kansas, Eastern Co, Alberta.

 

[TxAggie02]

Meh. I’ve pulled multiple tags well in advance of what I was supposed to. I’m not saying I’d bank on it, but it does seem to happen quite often. But, that’s the reason my original post had other options. There are plenty of areas to kill a 180” muley. Its just what you want to pay and/or how long you want to wait.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Meh. I’ve pulled multiple tags well in advance of what I was supposed to. I’m not saying I’d bank on it, but it does seem to happen quite often. But, that’s the reason my original post had other options. There are plenty of areas to kill a 180” muley. Its just what you want to pay and/or how long you want to wait.

When did you pull the tags? In the last 5 years or the previous 10-20, back in the early 00’s unit 44 co was a handful of points for 3rd rifle

 

[TxAggie02]

Pulled 12BW in 2023.

Look, I agree with you that it was a lucky pull. Just saying that it does happen. And if you do pull, there is a very good chance of killing a 180" buck. I had one within 100 yards on the second day, but was looking for something bigger since I know what that area produces and I had also just killed a 198" buck in Utah a couple weeks prior.

 

[WRO]

Pulled 12BW in 2023.

Look, I agree with you that it was a lucky pull. Just saying that it does happen. And if you do pull, there is a very good chance of killing a 180" buck. I had one within 100 yards on the second day, but was looking for something bigger since I know what that area produces and I had also just killed a 198" buck in Utah a couple weeks prior.

So does winning an argument with your wife, although possible, not fukin likely.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Bull basin outfitters, eastern Colorado outfitters, Hill guides and outfitters. They are all in Colorado and all kill lots of bucks over 180 but it isn’t cheap

 

[Macegl]

As many have alluded to already, I think the bigger questions are how much do you want to spend? What kind of a hunt do you want? And how long are you willing to wait?

A true 180 + inch deer is not a high success proposition on any single hunt. There are a lot of factors that are out of your and the outfitters control.

That said, if you have the resources to buy a tag, or the points to draw a tag. I would wait for a good water year on the Paunsaugunt and hire Travis Roundy or David Virostko.

 

[Foldem]

Mogollon Rim Outfitter (Greg Krogh) in So Nev and a landowner tag.