Mule Deer

By Chuck Robbins

In Montana mule deer are widespread, occupying every hunting district, from the plains to the foothills to the high country; nearly every conceivable nook and cranny, river
bottom, fertile ranchland, desolate badland, sagebrush/grassland, you name it the odds are good mule deer live there.
Montana boasts about 157,000 deer hunters but given healthy populations of both mule and whitetail deer not all of us pursue mule deer; toss in our millions of acres of public lands and as you can see there’s plenty of elbow room. If you consider much of the 9 million acres of private lands enrolled in Block Management is prime mule deer habitat it becomes clear that finding a spot to hunt is not a problem. Given that mule numbers are generally good to excellent throughout the state this season hunters shouldn’t have trouble punching a tag but…
However, should you have your heart set on hanging that trophy buck on the wall the hunt might not be so easy. In any given area real trophy bucks are never numerous. Even a coveted tag in a special draw area is no guarantee. For instance a lucky hunting pal drew a 652 tag four years ago and a 300 tag last season. I went along on the 652 hunt and though we glassed “nice” bucks nearly every day for 10 days none measured up to his trophy standard, thus he ate the tag. Last season after scouting and hunting hard for weeks he settled on a big 3 point. In his words: “After all that time it was the nicest buck I saw, deep forks, 28-inch spread but really not all that much mass, I probably shouldn’t have shot, another couple of years would have made a big difference.”
So you’ve been shut out in the draw but still covet that wall-hanger, now what? Preseason scouting in country known to harbor big bucks should be a top priority—like the more you know the better your odds. If you were lucky to have shot a big buck in the past that is probably as good a place to start as any. While bucks certainly move seasonally until winter triggers migration they aren’t likely to move far; so that buck you spot in September is likely to still be in the neighborhood come opening day. Once the November rut swings into full gear, however, all bets are off—some, not all, bucks really wander in search of new
girlfriends. It’s no secret the biggest bucks are most vulnerable from about November 10 to the end of season. Hunt high and/or seek out the most remote spots in your chosen hunting territory. In other words skip the roadside/trailside easy stuff and instead get as far off the beaten path as possible. Remember where big antlers are concerned age, genetics, good soil and room to roam are huge A friend owns a veritable truck-load of big muley racks—all but two were shot in the same remote BLM parcel in eastern Montana. I’m sure you know someone with a similar
collection gathered in the western
Montana high country. Good hunting.
Chuck is a freelance writer/photographer and fly-fishing guide. Author of four books, you can check out his latest Great Places Montana at
chuckngalerobbins.com