Let’s face it, everyone can get lucky on occasion. It seems like every fall we hear a similar story of how some lucky mule deer hunter just happened to be in the right spot at the right time and was fortunate enough to put his/her tag on the buck of a lifetime. While this is great and nothing should be taken away from the hunter on this great accomplishment, often times, that same hunter will never put his/her tag on another trophy buck the rest of their life.
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On the other hand, you have the mule deer hunter that consistently puts their tag on a quality buck. They just seem to get it done year in and year out. What is the difference between these two types of hunters? While luck may get you a good buck, it’s going to take more than that to do it on a consistent basis. In my honest opinion, what sets the successful trophy mule deer hunter apart from the rest of the crowd, is that they adhere to the following mule deer tips and tricks:
- They spend great amounts of time in the field
- They have proficient glassing skills and techniques
- They have behavioral knowledge of the animal they are hunting
- They have the ability to read mule deer country
- They have the proper equipment
- They are physically fit
- They have true grit
Be honest with yourself….how would you rank yourself in each of these seven categories? I’m not saying you need to be ranked high in every single one of these mule deer tips and tricks to consistently take big bucks, but I will say, the more of them that you are proficient in, the more success you will enjoy!
The premise of this eight-part series is to provide you with information that will help you improve yourself in each of these categories in order to give you an edge over other hunters - to truly become a modern day trophy mule deer hunter!
Part 1 will be a short summary of these categories, while Parts 2-8 will delve into the details of each individual subject.
Part 2 of 8: Mule Deer Scouting Tips
This one is relatively straight forward. The more time you spend out in the field hunting the more you can sway the odds in your favor. Think about it, even if you rank poorly in all of the other categories listed above, your odds of taking a good buck are increased simply because you are in the field more often. As the old saying goes, “you can’t kill ‘em sitting at home on the couch.” Ok, to be honest, I’m not really sure if that’s an old saying or not but it is definitely applicable.
Part 3 of 8: How to Glass For Mule Deer
I can’t stress enough the importance of good glassing skills. I feel this is the number one advantage you can have over your quarry when hunting the high country so it is critical you take full advantage of it.
The high country is relatively open and because of topography, it is set up perfectly to where you can cover a lot of ground from a single vantage point with your optics. Often times you can glass numerous drainages from the same vantage point. I will break down my Four-Phase glassing method that I have used with great success in detail. It is a very simple concept that works! The main point I will try to drive home is to have a structured glassing method rather than simply glassing with no rhyme or reason to your process.
Part 4 of 8: Mule Deer Habits and Behavior
This is the category that is often overlooked and the majority of people rank the lowest in. For some reason, hunters seem to underestimate the value of understanding behavioral patterns and habits of mule deer. To me, I find it fascinating. I love to read everything I can get my hands on regarding them. I can’t get enough. I am a sponge when it comes to absorbing any and all information regarding mule deer. You should be as well!Part 5 of 8: Where Do Mule Deer Live
Early in most people’s hunting career, this is normally one of their main weaknesses. I was no different. I spent a lot of time hunting low density deer areas that were very pleasing to the eye, but lacked in the necessary habitat needed to hold a good number of bucks. Had I known then what I know now, I would surely have a few more big bucks hanging on my wall as a result.
We will look and compare several types of high country terrain and discuss why bucks don’t utilize certain terrain as well as why they use other types. Hunting the right type of terrain during the right time of year is critical.
Part 6 of 8: Mule Deer Hunting Gear
I still remember when I began hunting as a teenager and the inadequate equipment I used. Simply put, I was clueless. I had cheap optics that always fogged up, wore denim jeans and cotton long johns and never carried a day pack or any extra gear or food. It was a recipe for failure, but luckily, I made it through those years and eventually began to incorporate quality gear into my arsenal.
Nowadays, I only use high quality hunting clothing such as SKRE, and I evaluate every single piece of hunting gear at the beginning of each year and make any necessary changes. If you want to be serious about pursuing high country mule deer, you will need to have quality gear – period. Having quality gear is not a luxury - it is a necessity.
So instead of trying out a bunch of gear that may or may not meet your standards, pick up SKRE Gear's Mule Deer Bundle that has been tested by successful mule deer hunters and is designed for comfort and success in the field.
Looking for the best camo for mule deer hunting?
SKRE Gear® created the Mule Deer Bundle to facilitate success for trophy mule deer hunters in the harsh environments these animals call home.
Shop Mule Deer Clothing
Part 7 of 8: Hunting Fitness
The modern day trophy mule deer hunter is an athlete. They don't wait until a week before the hunt starts to start getting physically prepped for hunting season. They work out on a regular basis and maintain an above-average level of fitness.
You can have the best equipment money can buy, along with all of the mule deer knowledge in the world, but if you can’t get to where the bucks live and have the fitness to hunt it hard over the course multiple days, it does you absolutely no good. I am not saying you need to run marathons to be successful, but you will need to maintain some level of fitness.
Part 8 of 8: True Grit
Last but not least, we have true grit! This my friend, may be the most important of mule deer tips and tricks of all. This is something that I can’t teach you. It is an attitude. It is typically defined as a trait based on one’s ability to persevere despite meeting many challenges and setbacks while attempting to achieve a set goal. In other words, it is the trait that tells you to stay positive and keep busting your ass even at times when it looks like failure is imminent or Mother Nature is throwing a curveball at you.
The mountain doesn’t care how hard you have worked, it is very unforgiving and offers many challenges. Ultimately, it will come down to one thing: how bad do you want it?
Check out all the posts in the series Modern Day Trophy Mule Deer Hunter:
Part 1: Mule Deer Tips and Tricks
Part 2: Mule Deer Scouting Tips
Part 3: How To Glass For Mule Deer
Part 4: Mule Deer Habits and Behavior
Part 5: Where Do Mule Deer Live
Part 6: Mule Deer Hunting Gear
Part 7: Hunting Fitness
Part 8: True Grit