What's the smallest mule deer buck you would shoot?

[squirrel]

I'm a trophy guy, nothing less than a four point!

K1900C2619_1000339 by squirrel2012, on Flickr

 

[missjordan]

Smallest buck i would take would have to be 130’s for a mule deer. Never drawn a limited entry type tag yet but I’m really hoping to set my sights on something that would be 165 or better for that when the time comes.

But in reality if I’m looking at a deer and i feel like I’d be satisfied then Ill probably harvest him


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[Jimmy]

Looking back, the size of the buck I shot had little to do with the level of enjoyment and memories I had of the hunt.

But I do still dream of big bucks....

 

[Rich M]

So being your first year your going to see one on the sky line and think holy shit that is huge shoot it and be happy as a pig in crap score will be what it is.

This is pretty much where I'm at - all things being equal, I'd like a symmetrical 4x4 at ear width or more. The area will ultimately dictate how big the deer run and how many there are. And yes, I'll be a happy camper with whatever I shoot.

How do you judge the width? A whitetail at the ears is about 15-inches, how wide are a mule deer's ears?

 

[Lawnboi]

Depends how bad I want venison in the freezer.

Having a bow in hand changes things as well.

Can’t eat the antlers


I’m all for shooting a mature deer but I don’t feel bad at all if I shoot a smaller one. I’m out there for meat first, head gear is down there on the list for reasons I hunt.

My first Mulie with a gun I decided to shoot the first 4x4 I could. That said I also knew the area and what was in it from scouting

 

[KurtR]

This is pretty much where I'm at - all things being equal, I'd like a symmetrical 4x4 at ear width or more. The area will ultimately dictate how big the deer run and how many there are. And yes, I'll be a happy camper with whatever I shoot.

How do you judge the width? A whitetail at the ears is about 15-inches, how wide are a mule deer's ears?

I would look at Mike Eastmans book on mule deer that will give you way better instructions on judging mule deer than i can.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Mulie ears are around 9 head 6.
9+9+6=24
Estimated

 

[Bobbyboe]

Mulie ears are around 9 head 6.
9+9+6=24
Estimated

I would agree. I shot a 160-165" deer his past fall that was out to its ears. He measured 24" on the head. It was my biggest and I thought for sure the was 26+"..... Not the case.

 

[cwegga]

Well, my goals for hunting are two things: Spending time with family and bring home some meat to slightly offset the cost and have healthier meat in the house. With those in mind I try not to shoot tiny guys the first few days of the season but realistically I only get out for maybe 10 days spread across the season so later on I shoot anything that's legal. Also mule deer are what we have here so I'm not spending on a big trip to shoot a fork horn. I pretty much only hunt within an hour of my house.

 

[Osprey]

Depends I just try and shoot a buck that gets me excited. My last muley hunt I saw a decent 3x5 but I decided to pass since I saw a giant 4x4 with a heavy dark rack. Of course that 3x5 gave me 200 yards shots every day after too. I decided once I saw that big 4x4 buck it was him or eat the tag. I ate the tag but came really close to killing that big one saw him a few times over 8 days I have no regrets on it.

Personally I find it really hard to shoot a lesser buck if I've found a toad. But I also dont live in a muley state so I'm not able to spend weeks scouting. My expectations coming into a hunt are also realistic with that in mind too.

 

[Gumbo]

I hunt MT public land so I set the bar at about 165 or a buck that I like. I've never shot a good one with a bow so this year I'm aiming for 165 with stick and string.

 

[bigmoose]

I saw a handful of pictures from a trip some guys took - everyone shot the first little bucks they saw, small 2x2 and 3x3 bucks. They were as happy as clams and I have no issue with that.

What is your "size limit"?

I'm hoping to hunt an area I was led to - fellow told me "lots" of 1.5-2.5 yr old small bucks, some decent 3.5 yr olds and that he saw some 170 plus bucks - he hunted hard for 7 or 8 days, 10-15+ miles per day. Ended up with tag soup cause he had limitations on what he'd shoot. Not sure if I have that kind of will power.

My ambition is to find a buck that makes me happy. I'm not sure what it is and I don't know if I'll just shoot the first one that is outside its ears or what. Will see - never shot a mulie before.

Can you-all help me understand what different year class deer look like?

If your ambition is to find one that will make you happy, then you are on the right track. Look for one that has symmetry, whether he's a forked horn, three pointer, or a four point...or more. The idea that the antlers should be out to his ears or beyond will insure that he's older. Also, look for mass on older deer. Score is not everything but it's good way to compare antlers.

I see you are from Orlando. Probably not many mule deer hunters in your neighborhood. If you know of any nearby that will let you look at their antlers it will help with your judging. Nothing like hands on. Check out local taxidermists.

"What's my size limit" First of all, I grew up in mule deer country and started hunting them at a early age. I killed a bunch in my youth, mostly small to medium bucks. Finally I got my first "big" buck and from then on I became very picky...nothing but mature bucks. Then I started hunting for big outstanding bucks. Depending on where I was hunting, I've passed up many 170 to 190 type bucks, just looking for that once in a lifetime buck. I'm still looking. LOL. Now, my legs and back have given out and I'm back to looking for just a nice big mature buck. I have enjoyed every hunt, even the ones where I brought my tag home. For me, there's nothing like being out among 'em.

"What different age class deer look like" It is easy to spot the young ones. Their antlers will be spindly and the points will be short. Their racks will be mainly inside their ears. The older, more mature bucks will have heavier antlers, bigger bodies, and their racks will usually be between 24-26 inches wide. If you are lucky you may find a group of bucks to study.

The old adage that you need to pass up the small ones to get a big one is true. Take whatever makes you happy.

 

[Farmerlentz]

First legal buck. It's more about the adventure and trip than horn size. Plus tag soup doesn't taste very good

 

[Sleeperls]

How hungry are ya? If it's a 5 day hunt 2 days are spent horn hunting. Rest is how.many pounds is it

 

[Wtwallin]

I haven't hunted muleys with a bow yet, only elk, but I tell myself that I'd take the first one I got a good shot on. However, if I'm seeing lots of animals in the field, I might talk myself into waiting for a mature buck.

 

[Oregon]

My brother killed 150-175” bucks every year for 6 straight years.
On the 7th year he shot a spork. Blew my mind.
“Why you shoot that spork”

“The shot intrigued me”

Good enough.

Does it really matter???????

 

[ColoradoV]

Shoot what makes you happy then dont worry about it...

This year I passed on 207" and 197" and 2 others I put in the 190" class. Also passed on 2 bucks that were for sure over 30". I also was hunting a unicorn this year - think 30" inside spread..

I choose to put the time in scouting and hunting solo. I hunt biggest buck I can find in a calendar year and hunt him til the end, he gets killed, or I get him. Hunting like this is not for everyone (I get a buck about 1 in 3 years with my bow). Our family eats elk and if we get a buck most likely it will just become jerky and since I dont see the need to mount them It would just be another in the stack in the garage or at my fathers house.

Some guys claim to but few hunters I have met can hold off a real big buck (190"+) but that is what it takes to get a monster - I only know 1 maybe 2 guys getting monsters every year with a bow on public land - as bucks as well as guys like that are far and few between.

 

[Rich M]

Great comments guys! Got me thinking.

I am from Orlando - can size up mouse ears real well. LOL! Might be interesting for you-all to know that we primarily hunt on wildlife management areas for long weekend type hunts and use quota permits down here too. A good WMA will take upwards to 5+ pts to draw. A FL "registry buck" is 100 inch size. The larger bucks weigh 150# whole. Deer hunting is difficult down here for me - extremely thick and a whole lotta wet (cypress swamps).

Will be driving out and planning to hunt up to 10 days. My first mule deer hunt - no preseason scouting. My intel is from a friend.

I did my first antelope hunt in 2017 and saw 2 mule deer bucks that were larger than forks. That big barrel body shape of the mule deer seems huge to me. The first one I'd question myself, the 2nd I would have shot. So I guess I do have some idea of what looks nice to me.

Someone mentioned the adventure - right on! This whole thing is an adventure.

 

[hjcruger]

This year I decided I was going to hunt hard and go for a big buck. After a couple days of not seeing anything 8 miles back, a buck popped out above me while I was hiking. As soon as I saw antlers I dropped down on a rock and anchored him. I had no idea how big he was until I walked up to him. He was a decent 4x4, but I realized that size didn’t matter to me in that moment. In my opinion, if an animal gets you fired up to the point of that overwhelming hunter instinct kicking in, don’t try to suppress it. I don’t think you can go wrong with that attitude.


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[beardedbowhunter]

Last year was my first year hunting mule deer. I told myself I was going to hold out for a mature buck. I hunted 8 days and only saw does and spikes still with their moms. Then at the end of the 8th day, I was exhausted and had just hopped in my truck and I saw a very small three point by himself that I had a shot on. Took the shot. He was the biggest buck I had seen all season. Antlers were about as long as his ears. I was grateful beyond belief that I had finally shot a buck. Just a dink, but I worked my ass off for it and never saw anything bigger.