Mule Deer Rut Hunt

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This where he fell and my first look after the shot. I was pretty sure that he was a better buck than my last one in 2017, but was afraid there would be some ground shrinkage. I was happy with what I found.

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As usual...I took a lot of photos:

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I moved him for a different background.

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Im not sure if I'll do a shoulder mount, but I kept the cape just in case. (I was a taxidermist before moving West.). That added a half hour to the breaking down process. I went gutless. That's been my standard routine for a while if I can't drag it out whole. The bullet had went in at center height at last rib and stopped at offside front shoulder.

A little bloodier photo:

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I strapped on my pack, slung my rifle and grabbed two meat bags to climb up the steep side of the coulee 50 yards to near where I saw him on too of ridge. I had a hind over one shoulder and the loins and neck meat over the other. The toughest part was not sliding back down the hill.

Second load up was a hind quarter on one shoulder and the two fronts slung over the other. Slipping was a little worse after I turned it into a sled hill tracking up and down.

Third load was the head and cape.

All three probably only took 30 minutes max.



After getting it out of hole, I put on pack and rifle and headed to truck for sled. I was lucky that from there it was a gradual incline through scattered sage for half a mile or so to a relatively flat snowed in 2 track for another half mile to truck.

On the first hike out with pack and gun only.



The wind was howling, so whatever the temp was the wind chill was a lot worse. I dumped pack at truck, warmed up in cab, guzzled some water, ate a granola bar and headed back with sled. No pack, no gun. The whole round trip took an hour and fifteen minutes. I couldn't have asked for much easier. I only used headlamp while loading the sled with meat and head. The moon was so bright that it wasn't necessary. The wind never let up.

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I'll pick up Kassie from kennel tomorrow two days early and we'll look for some roosters.

[jsh909]

Awesome read. Great story, great buck. Thanks for sharing and nice hunting!

[xarcher]

Thanks as well. Very nice buck. Your patience and hunting skills payed off.

[Hognutz]

Great story, Hobbes! Congrats on the very nice buck! I always look forward to your well documented hunts and travels. Great documentary and better pictures!
Well done, my friend!

[GobbleNut]

Great running dialogue and pictures, Hobbes! Thanks for making the effort,...very enjoyable read for another avid mule deer hunter! Not sure how that buck compares to most up that way, but he would be considered a whopper down here in southern NM where even a really good mature muley taken on public ground will score in the 140-150 class. Of course, a "classic" typical like that is a rarity down this way. Most mature bucks here will be missing a fork or two. On the other hand, most mature bucks here will have well-developed eye tines, so I suppose there are some trade-offs everywhere.

From the pics, I am guessing 165 +/- gross for that buck?...

Behind spring gobbler hunting, mule deer hunting for big old mature bucks is my next passion. Unfortunately, deer like that are as rare as "hens teeth" around here. Again,...great read!
Jim

[Swampstalk]

Awesome hunt Jeremiah! Always enjoy the pictures and your stories. Congrats on a great buck!

[Hoobilly]

Beautiful mulie Hobbes!!!!

Sweet pictures as usual

Next buck I shoot I will probably do a skull mount. Unless it’s a genuine monster then I might do a skull mount anyways

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Great running dialogue and pictures, Hobbes! Thanks for making the effort,...very enjoyable read for another avid mule deer hunter! Not sure how that buck compares to most up that way, but he would be considered a whopper down here in southern NM where even a really good mature muley taken on public ground will score in the 140-150 class. Of course, a "classic" typical like that is a rarity down this way. Most mature bucks here will be missing a fork or two. On the other hand, most mature bucks here will have well-developed eye tines, so I suppose there are some trade-offs everywhere.

From the pics, I am guessing 165 +/- gross for that buck?...

Behind spring gobbler hunting, mule deer hunting for big old mature bucks is my next passion. Unfortunately, deer like that are as rare as "hens teeth" around here. Again,...great read!
Jim

I wasn't passing anything 150 plus. A general season during the rut us fun, but the 130" 4 pts get pounded. I'm not complaining though. I like hunting the rut

He's an awfully clean 4 pt for this country. A lot of them are missing a fork or have crab claw fronts or backs. There are some bruisers around but this isn't Colorado.

I don't know score yet. Last buck I shot was a clean 4 pt at 142. He's noticeably bigger so I was hoping he'd make 160 mark. I've not scored enough mule deer to be good at guessing.

[GobbleNut]

I wasn't passing anything 150 plus. A general season during the rut us fun, but the 130" 4 pts get pounded. I'm not complaining though. I like hunting the rut
He's an awfully clean 4 pt for this country. A lot of them are missing a fork or have crab claw fronts or backs. There are some bruisers around but this isn't Colorado.

No hunting down here during the rut except for bow hunters,...thank goodness. We just don't have the deer herds to handle that. A 150 inch deer is a good one here, as well, but because of our genetics and generally young age structure due to the hunting pressure, there ain't many that make it to 150. The ones that do have an uncanny ability to evaporate into the landscape as soon as the camps start showing up.

I had a 175 class buck (a 200 inch equivalent for those places with the genetics) before the season, but he vanished during my hunt. I was pretty frustrated that I couldn't find him in our five-day season. Passed on numerous youngsters, including a young 4X4 in the 140 class that has great potential for the future,...if only he can make it another year or two. ...Wishful thinking, I suspect....

[timbrhuntr]

Awesome hunt and deer !!

I'm thinking I need to get a rifle and head back one year after archery. I see all knds of good bucks but never seem to get one in a good spot to stalk to bow range or if I do I mess up and shoot high lol

Again great hunt thanks for taking us along !

[toasty]

That is a great buck and great report of your hunt. I have never been able to hunt rutting mule deer and bet it would be a ton of fun. That buck has great tine length and good mass, but lacks a bit of width. I am betting he tapes out just under 160", a solid buck for sure and bigger than anything we killed this year.

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That is a great buck and great report of your hunt. I have never been able to hunt rutting mule deer and bet it would be a ton of fun. That buck has great tine length and good mass, but lacks a bit of width. I am betting he tapes out just under 160", a solid buck for sure and bigger than anything we killed this year.

Thanks. Going to go by local hardware and pick up a tape so I can put a score to him.

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Someone is happy to see me. We'll hunt phez this afternoon. I just dropped meat off at processor and donated it (I kept steaks and neck meat since they were all frozen in same bag) to Hunters Against Hunger. I've never done that and have mixed feelings about it, but I suppose someone will be happy to eat it. I've got an antelope in the freezer and a little bit of deer leftover from last year. Hopefully I'll put an elk in there. My wife has no problem with elk (actually loves elk) and likes whitetail, but these Badland country mule deer are not something she likes at all.

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Kassie and I didn't start hunting until 1 PM today. We hunted three different spots and killed one rooster at each. Also got into a couple bonus sharptail.

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Hotel supper of champions


Laundromat is next if they have one in town. My base layers are getting ripe and I kept getting the scent of mule deer today. Must be the gloves.

I'm considering picking up a whitetail doe tag in the morning since I've seen them on the BMA I plan to hunt pheasants on tomorrow. It may just be waisted money because I'm not going to put much effort in it and won't be back in the region after Thursday morning

[Hoobilly]

I would eat ramen noodles, but the salt in it will kill me. wish they didn't have a lot of salt in them

wish we had the birds here. Early see pheasant or quail

I usually see them a couple times a year tho but thats when I am out every day hunting and bump into them

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I finally put a rough tape to the buck in the back of my truck while the laundromat's machines run. He's brushing against 160. I'm sure I could pencil whip him on up there.. The score could be off either direction by a half inch or more considering the measuring conditions, but it may not be the direction I'd like. I probably won't look any closer.

Gross score 159 4/8
Net score 156 6/8

[Hoobilly]

my motherinlaws dentist has one in the 140's and I looked at it this afternoon. Yours definitely looks 160+ to me


I would pee myself to get a mulie like that someday

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my motherinlaws dentist has one in the 140's and I looked at it this afternoon. Yours definitely looks 160+ to me


I would pee myself to get a mulie like that someday

The one I killed in 2017 was 142ish. This one is a lot nicer, but mule deer can get so danged big.