Whitetail vs Mule Deer - who has harvested both from the ground and is one easier than the other?

[Woodchuck16]

Mule deer are thought of as being more stalkable because of the terrain they tend to inhabit. Spot and Stalk can be done on whitetails too (in certain terrain). If you could have either a WT or MD in the same spot for a stalk, which one is easier to stalk if all things were even?

 

[Crowmangler]

Muley ...100x

 

[406RoadToad]

It’s not even a comparison. WT take off like a shot at the slightest hint of danger and a MD will stand there and look at you even after you tripped over a tree at 45 yards.

 

[MeatMissile]

Mule deer have a curiosity that is their undoing. Practice 250 yard shots. That’s as far as they bound before they stop and give you a shot.

 

[longspeak74]

Mule deer, hands down.

 

[diamond10x]

Mule deer and it’s not even close.

 

[MallardSX2]

Mule deer are super stupid compared to whitetails. Its not even a comparison. Killed them both from the ground many times.

If mule deer acted like whitetails there would likely be a LOT more big bucks running around.... That is for sure.

 

[Laramie]

Mule deer are easier but I have encountered a few old muley bucks through the years that had similar wariness to a whitetail.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I’ll agree that whitetails seem to spook easier, and are more cautious in general. Although, all the mule deer bucks a found last year were super sketched out. I was maybe 800-1000m away, pretty hidden and no wind. He kept looking right at me while feeding and acting nervous. I moved the smallest amount to try to get feeling back in my leg, and he bolted. Spent the rest of the season trying to find him again. Biggest buck I’ve seen. It seems all mature deer are cautious, that’s how they get old.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Mule deer as a whole

 

[rodney482]

I have

WT are smarter but way more of them…

 

[Pony Soldier]

For most of my life, both lived in the same mountain range. The mulies lived on the top and the whitetails on the bottom third. Depending on the day and year there was an overlap zone in the middle that you never knew what you were going to find. Even a few hybrids.

The biggest issue was that mulies occurred in herds (mostly does) and whitetails occurred as a solitary components. Mulies always seemed dependent on the herd for decisions ( similar to elk) while the whitetail ( bucks especially) relied on paranoia.

On both, a long shot was 50 yds in heavy cover. Threading a bullet through 4 inch holes in the trees is a challenge. Easy deer were defined as 'on the road' for many reasons.

In the 70s and 80s, a normal day was 250 - 350 mulies. So many that I reached a point of occasionally 'tatooing' a doe with a bullet through the ear to get them to leave. Only during the rut did the bucks show up.

I can honestly say that I have never hunted deer. I just shot them while I hunted elk. They all died 92-93 and the era was over. No one has ever addressed the cause.

 

[fishslap]

I’ve taken numerous mule deer from the ground and three whitetail from the ground (WT were 8-9 point 2.5-3.5 year old bucks). I was much closer to each WT when I killed them (within 60-80 yards maybe). If you learn how to still hunt and have the right terrain and wind, killing WT from the ground can be very effective. WT don’t do the stop and look back like muleys but I think the main difference between hunting the two from the ground is primarily habitat vs behavior.

 

[Dos Perros]

I hunt western Kansas where there are huntable populations of both, sometimes mixed together. In my experiences the muleys are easier to stalk. Whitetails can hear you think.

 

[Botay]

My experience has been pretty much the same… WT seem more sensitive to changes in the environment, including smells and structures. I do my shooting lane pruning and site set up months ahead of bow season. Noises? Forget it… with a big buck, you’ll ruin a good hunt with the click of the safety. Button bucks are the exception— they’re often very curious and careless.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Yes I have multiple times. Muke deer hands down.

 

[MuleDeerMike]

Whitetail are crackheads. They're always so ridiculously switched on and if (when) you spook them they will run 3 counties over before they stop. Mule Deer bounce away for 200 yards then turn around and look back. Blacktail will watch you walk right up to them until you accidentally step on them, all the while thinking and hoping you don't see them, which most of the time is the case.

 

[justin davis]

Old mule deer are a totally different critter than a younger buck. I’ve seen them do some pretty amazing things to avoid danger.

I haven’t hunted whitetail a ton. They don’t do it for my like mulies do thou. I’ve killed a few spot and stalk on the ground. Here one whitetail I shot at 17 yards on the ground with my bow on public land.

I’ve found coues whitetail to be much tougher than their Midwest cousins

 

[Tradchef]

I think it really depends on the situation. Young whitetail and mulies are pretty curious. A 4 or 5 year old mulie is a whole other kind of animal. Just like big whitetail bucks. I think Mulies always have the run than stop and look back thing where whitetail dont stop unitl they are three counties over. Stalking mulies is easier but ive killed a good amount of whitetail stalking. Nothing big and mostly young bucks and does.

 

[jimh406]

Terrain is usually different. I agree it depends.