Around the Greater Yellowstone Region
of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana
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Trophy Mule Deer buck in the woods of Jackson Hole Wyoming |
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Wyoming nontypical mule deer buck |
Mule Deer are one the most exciting and beautiful big game animals in the world. Large mule deer bucks are very crafty and are a challenging hunt. Sport hunters kill about 1 million mule deer annually and hunting generates hundreds of millions of dollars and maybe billions in revenue for the economy of the west and is a valuable asset for hunting communities. Mule deer are also an asset to the thousands of people in cities that manufacture hunting and camping products.
The mountains and plains of Eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and southwestern Montana are all famous for producing big mule deer bucks. Most early hunting expeditions were by pack train to the fabulous backcountry and today’s hunts remain quite the same. For many this remains part of the attraction, to saddle up the horses and load up the packhorses and mules and setting out for hunting camp high in the mountains. Many outfitters in the Greater Yellowstone region hunt this old time style, with packhorses and tent frame camps because this is still the most efficient way to get to the remote areas where the hunting is best. Many bighorn sheep and elk outfitters provide hunting camps like this as well.
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Trophy nontypical buck mule deer with drop tine |
Mule deer hunting is considered by some to be easier than hunting whitetails. While the bucks of the West generally inhabit more open landscape than whitetails do, they're far from easy, especially because they live in a variety of environments and our Yellowstone region trophies tend to want to be at the mountaintops in mountain goat terrain.
One of the hardest things to do in a new area is to know where to start hunting. Since hunts, for most of us, have a limited time frame, time becomes an important element. Hunters must minimize search time and figure out in a hurry where the deer are. In territory you are unfamiliar with it is helpful to hire a guide you first time to the area.
In the Greater Yellowstone region, there are five zones: desert, pinyon-juniper forests, brushy, aspen, and conifer forests. Each zone has characteristics that hold advantages and obstacles for both the mule deer and the hunters who pursue them. The south sides of mountains and ridges will generally have the most feed on them and early morning and evening it’s a good place to be. It is unwise to hunt in areas where you can’t see you are wasting your time. You can’t shoot what you can’t see. Your best hunting will probably be in the higher elevations where rugged country limits access to all but the most hardcore hunters and outfitters in the know.
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A nice Wyoming buck peaking through the sage |
Most big bucks are nocturnal and only come out in the open at night. By the time the sun is up, they are bedded down. About an hour before daylight, most bucks are within a few minutes of where they want to snooze. They watch, smell, and listen for predators, once spotted; they are long gone like the wind. To beat them at their own game, try to position yourself so you catch them slipping into bedding areas at first light.
Hunt smart, use the lay of the land to your advantage, and keep on high ground, especially if you are hunting alone. Nothing can beat being in the right place at the right time, serendipity can be your best friend. If successful mule deer hunting is one of your goals, learn about the different environments that they inhabit and the techniques that work best within them. Your results will improve dramatically as you apply your new knowledge and skills in your mule deer hunting adventures.
Idaho is one of the better options for elk and deer due to their over-the-counter tags and abundant public lands. A large swath of Southern Idaho is desert or prairie, but the eastern and southeastern edges also have significant Forest Service lands. This area has long been known for its excellent deer habitat and herd genetics. Controlled hunts in the Upper Snake region are coveted for the opportunity to hunt mule deer during the rut in late November. The Caribou/Targhee National Forest hosts plenty of hunting opportunities.
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| Gros Ventre River Valley Trophy mule deer buck, Jackson Hole Wyoming |
Wyoming is an easy state to get deer tags for first time nonresident hunters. Northwest Wyoming has large Forest Service holdings. Most of the designated Wilderness areas are in the northwest, near Yellowstone National Park, so be careful when selecting a unit to stay out of those areas if you don't plan to hire a guide as a guide is required by law in wilderness areas. Nearly all of Wyoming's state trust lands are open to hunting if they can be accessed by public road. Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest and Bridger/Teton National Forests have thousands of square miles of government land to hunt.
Montana is a great state for nonresident hunters Western Montana has large Forest Service holdings, some large, rugged wilderness areas, with the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area being the largest and most famous. Deer hunting can be had throughout the state the prairies, badlands and southern mountains are mule deer country. Southern Montana’s Gallatin National Forest is h a hunters paradise, it wraps around the north end of Yellowstone National Park.
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Mule Deer hunting Guide Clark Wheeldon scoping out the high peaks of the Gros Ventre Range. |
Wildlife management agencies and hunters recognize the need to maintain mule deer ranges and keep them habitable and productive so most western states have purchased critical game areas, especially winter ranges, to help maintain healthy populations of this valuable resource.
All federal, state, and provincial land and wildlife management agencies recognize the need to maintain mule deer range. To counter the trend of development of critical habitat areas, especially winter ranges, these agencies have purchased various mule deer habitats. The problem is mule deer habitat programs involve coordination between government bureaucracies that often have missions that do not share the same goal. Since mule deer production is not a primary goal on most private or public lands in west, habitat protection projects often suffer. Due to a scarcity of funds and political opposition to government buying privately owned lands, the government has acquired only a small fraction of mule deer range. However hunting and conservation organizations like the Mule Deer Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation pick up some of the governments lack of ability. Although mule deer were not the targets of all these private conservation /hunting groups they are still beneficiaries of these elk/duck habitat acquisitions.
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Forty two inch Mule Deer Buck south of Jackson Hole Wyoming. |
Your best hunting will probably be in the higher elevations Grand Tetons, Absaroka Range, Gros Ventre Mountains or the Wyoming Range where rugged country limits access to all but the most hardcore hunters and outfitters in the know. This area has long been known for its excellent deer habitat and herd genetics. Controlled hunts in the Upper Snake region are coveted for the opportunity to hunt mule deer during the rut in late November.
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Deer Hunters, Gros Ventre Range, Jackson Hole Wyoming |
Why do some areas produce giant bucks, while others do not? The answer is genetics. If you were to check the Boone and Crockett record book, you'd find that some areas have produced many giant bucks. You can also find area's that have never produced a record buck. Genetics are clearly better in some areas. Big buck hunters are looking for bucks with 30-inch spreads of better. If you' hunt an area like the Greys River Range of Wyoming the Big holes in Idaho that are known for wide bucks, you'll have a better chance of getting a shot at one.
Stalking is the most popular tactic for hunting mule deer but tree stands and still-hunting are fruitful as well. Stalking involves spotting deer from a distance using binoculars or spotting scope, then stalking to within shooting range. Upon spotting your deer, scout for other deer and other wildlife between you and your target; they can end a stalk prematurely. If everything looks good plan your route, consider the wind, terrain, and available cover, Sneak quietly like an Indian and you can meet success stalking your prey by judging the speed and direction of travel, circling around and setting up an ambush.
If you aren't going to hire a guide the key to the success of a mule deer hunt is preseason scouting. It’s best to do your scouting a couple of weeks before your hunt. Glassing with binoculars or spotting scope in the mornings and evenings can pay off well during your hunt. Because mule deer hunters tend to do a lot of walking in rough, steep terrain it is helpful to go into hunting season in good physical condition and be familiar with your weapon because muleys often require shooting from several hundred yards after a long hard grunt up a mountain.
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Mill
Iron Ranch • (Jackson Hole)
Mill Iron Ranch has been a Wheeldon family tradition for three
generations.
We carry on the old cowboy traditions around here, showing
the Jackson visitors how to ride, fish, hunt and camp. |
| Hidden
Basin Outfitters • (Jackson
Hole) Jackson Hole is home to some of the finest big game hunting
on earth, where hunters have the opportunity to pursue animals in
their natural habitat. Our experienced
and fully-licensed guides will lead you and your party in search of cow elk,
bull elk, moose, sheep, mule deer, antelope, and bear. For Big Game Hunters Looking
for a True Wyoming Experience! |
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Trophy Mule Deer Buck in Velvet |
B&C WORLD'S RECORDS MULE DEER
WORLD'S RECORDS TYPICAL MULE DEER
SCORE: 226 4/8
LOCATION: Dolores County, CO
HUNTER: Doug Burris, Jr.
OWNER: Cabela's, Inc.
DATE: 1972
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 30 1/8 - Left 28 6/8
Inside spread: 30 7/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 2/8 - Left 5 3/8
Number of points: Right 6 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL MULE DEER
SCORE: 355 2/8
LOCATION: Chip Lake, AB
HUNTER: Ed Broder
OWNER: Ed Broder
DATE: 1926
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Dueling mule deer bucks, Jackson Hole Wyoming |
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 26 2/8 - Left 26 1/8
Inside spread: 22 1/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 - Left 4 7/8
Number of points: Right 22 - Left 21
WORLD'S RECORDS COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 182 2/8
LOCATION: Lewis County, WA
HUNTER: Lester H. Miller
DATE: 1953
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 24 2/8 - Left 24 5/8
Inside spread: 20 2/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 5 2/8 - Left 5 2/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 208 1/8
LOCATION: Polk County, OR
HUNTER: Frank S. Foldi
OWNER: Bass Pro Shops
DATE: 1962
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Nice Buck |
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 21 7/8 - Left 20 4/8
Inside spread: 17 5/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 4 2/8 - Left 4 3/8
Number of points: Right 9 - Left 9
WORLD'S RECORDS TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 133
LOCATION: Juskatla, BC
HUNTER: Peter Bond
OWNER: D.J. Hollinger & B. Howard
DATE: 1970
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 20 4/8 - Left 19 4/8
Inside spread: 19 6/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 3 6/8 - Left 3 6/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 5
WORLD'S RECORDS NON-TYPICAL SITKA BLACKTAIL DEER
SCORE: 134
LOCATION: Control Lake, AK
HUNTER: William B. Steele, Jr.
OWNER: William B. Steele, Jr.
DATE: 1987
KEY MEASUREMENTS:
Length of main beam: Right 19 6/8 - Left 20 3/8
Inside spread: 16 3/8
Circ. of smallest place between burr and first point: Right 4 5/8 - Left 4 4/8
Number of points: Right 5 - Left 6
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Trophy Mule deer buck, deep snow, Jackson Hole Wyoming |
Two big buck mule deer, grand teton mountains, Jackson Hole Wyoming |
