ESPN Hunting

Some people call it the toughest dream to fulfill for Western big-game hunters: the tagging of a true-blue monster mule deer buck.

Such a task has become more difficult in recent years as mule deer herds continue to decline across much of their range, thanks to habitat loss, drought and, perhaps, competition from burgeoning elk herds.

But while tagging a bruiser mule deer buck may not be easy — hey, even getting the tag can be tough — it isn't altogether impossible, either.

Salt Lake City bowhunter Bryan Reed realized his monster muley dream in August 2002, tagging an impressive southern Utah buck.

The 5X6 velvet-horned mule deer featured a Pope & Young gross score of 190 inches and a net score of 177 5/8 inches.

But lest you think the Utah bowman was simply struck by a lucky bolt of big-game lightning, think again.

Hunt Planner facts

Species: Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Range: Mule deer are generally found in the mountains, prairies and desert valleys of the western United States and portions of southern Canada. North American population: Between 3.5 million and 4 million mule deer. (Note: This loose figure was obtained by adding up available mule deer population numbers. At least two states do not differentiate between deer species, and another state had only limited population figures available.) Hunting seasons: Mule deer seasons generally occur between mid-August (early archery) and January (special late seasons). Mule deer rut: While rut dates can occur as early as October and as late as January in some areas, the peak of the rut generally occurs in late November and early December in much of the mule deer's range. Top mule deer states Colorado: While mule deer are declining in much of the West, Colorado's deer herd is doing well, some 563,000 strong (most of those are mule deer). Since the state's move to totally limited deer licenses in 1999, there are older age-class bucks wearing serious headgear. Both the Eastern Plains and various high country units are producing big muleys, some in the 170-200-inch class. The best units need nearly a decade's worth of preference points to draw, others just a handful of points. The limited draw application deadline is April 6 (postmark). Leftover tags will be sold beginning Aug. 10. Utah: Utah may not be as good as it once was, but Utah remains a great place to draw a mule deer tag from with a herd some 280,000 strong. From 2001-2002, bowhunters entered 69 mule deer into the Pope & Young record book from Utah, second only to Colorado's total of 76. In the all-time P&Y records, a total of 501 Utah muleys have been entered, again, second only to Colorado's total of 805. Although the Jan. 31 application deadline for limited entry tags has passed, some general tags for archery, muzzleloader, and general season hunting will be available beginning June 17. Nevada: Drought remains a concern and tags in this mega mule deer state aren't always easy to draw, but the Silver State's 120,000 mule deer herd remains near the top of the list. That's because Nevada continues to spit out whopper muleys in the 180-200 inch class. If unsuccessful in the draw, hunters are awarded preference points if they have purchased a hunting license. This year's application deadline is April 19. Wyoming: The Cowboy State has plenty of mule deer, as many as 488,000 in recent years. Still, recent drought has hurt and 200-class mega-bucks aren't plentiful, but Wyoming is a great state for hunters hoping to tag a buck measuring up to 180-inches. The March 15 application deadline has passed, but a drawing for any leftover tags will be held in mid-July. Hunters need to take note that Wyoming is prime grizzly bear country and that hunting in designated wilderness areas necessitates the use of a guide. Oregon: Believe it or not, the Beaver State is not a bad choice for mule deer hunters when one casts a quick glance at recent record book entries. In 2001-2002, Oregon has 29 mule deer entered into the P&Y record book, just ahead of fourth place Wyoming's 26 such muleys. All-time, Oregon ranks fourth in the P&Y books with 232 entries just behind Wyoming's 234. Some general tags exist, but the deadline to apply for controlled hunts is May 15. Idaho: The Gem State has plenty of mule deer (262,000 in recent years) and occasionally lives up to its nick-name with a real gem of a mule deer buck like Zach Shetler's 257 0/8 non-typical in 2001. The state has produced 18 P&Y bucks during the 2001-2002 time-frame, fifth best in the West. All-time, Idaho has scored 221 such bucks, again for fifth place. According to the Idaho Fish and Game website, most deer tags have not sold out in recent years and have remained available over-the-counter. Also, general season tags are available OTC until quotas are reached. The Jan. 31 deadline to apply for SE Idaho deer tags has passed, but the May 31 deadline for controlled deer hunt applicants still looms. Arizona: Like much of the West, Arizona's mule deer herd may not be what it once was. But big muleys still roam the North Kaibab Plateau and the vaunted "Strip," not to mention the occasional whopper mule deer being tagged in the southern deserts. With a herd some 114,000 strong and temperate winters, trying to obtain a Grand Canyon State muley tag is still a wise annual investment. The application deadline for limited tags is in early June. Honorable mention: New Mexico and Montana offer hunters plenty of mule deer and reasonable hunting opportunity. While some quality bucks annually fall in New Mexico (not to mention world-class trophies on some Native American Reservations), Montana is a better quantity state although still capable of spitting out the occasional jaw-dropper itself. The application deadline for controlled hunts is April 24 in New Mexico. The March 15 non-resident combination license deadline has passed in Montana, but some leftover licenses could be available after the mid-April drawing. Again, hunters need to note that Montana is prime grizzly bear country. Methods of hunting: Spot-and-stalk: Use high quality optics to spot feeding muleys early and late in the day. Mid-day hours while bucks are bedded down are good times to plan a stalk into shooting range. This is a challenging, but effective way to tag a muley with archery equipment. Stillhunting: Rifle hunters wearing hunter orange and having good optics can slowly work their way through prime mule deer country, ready to capitalize if a shooting opportunity presents itself. Ground blinds and stands: In arid landscapes, erecting a blind or stand near a waterhole is a good way to fill a tag. In agricultural lowlands, such blinds can be placed to take advantage of chow hall muleys that are feeding in alfalfa and other crop fields. Hunting migration corridors: As snow deepens in the high country, hunters positioning themselves along travel routes leading to mule deer wintering ranges can knock over a whopper. Rut travel corridors: For those fortunate enough to have a tag enabling them to chase muleys during the rut, any funnel or route that has mule deer does traveling through frequently is a good spot to anchor. Trophy field judging tips: Symmetry: Look for racks that look very similar or even identical from side to side. Mass: Trophy muleys will typically have first circumference measurements of four inches or better and carry that mass throughout the rack. Brow tines: While often not present on mule deer racks, antlers possessing good G-1 browtines are off and running towards a good score. Tine length: Look for long G-2 points measuring 12-inches or better. Good G-3 forks off the G-2 tine are also important. And if the buck has long G-4 points, he's a definite keeper. Main beam length: Look for main beams measuring 25-inches or more. Inside spread: Many hunters consider the holy grail of mule deer hunting to be a 30-inch inside spread buck. In truth, many trophy bucks have lesser spread measurements. Trash points: If the mule deer has good mass, good tine length, long main beams, a decent spread and a myriad of "sticker points", he's often a shooter, symmetry issues aside. (Sources: "The Bowhunter's Handbook" by M.R. James; Bowhunter Magazine's website; Mule Deer Foundation website; Boone & Crockett Club Records of North American Big Game, 11th Edition; Boone & Crockett Club's 24th Big Game Awards; Pope & Young Club Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America, 5th Edition, Pope & Young Club's 22nd and 23rd Recording Period Statistical Summaries; and ESPNOutdoors.com files.)

For Reed, the tagging of a big mule deer with a bow boils down to a formula of three Ps: practice, preseason scouting and persistence.

To start his mule deer hunting preparation each year, Reed practices religiously at various ranges to ensure that his equipment is dialed in and his nerves are steady.

"I shoot pretty much year-round," said Reed, who works for archery giant Hoyt USA. "We have company 3D shoots every Wednesday during the summer."

Practice your shooting; the lesson is not only applicable for archers, it's also good advice for rifle or muzzleloader hunters, as well.

"When we get to crunch time right before the season, I just go into preparation mode. It's on my mind all of the time and I don't want to be unprepared," Reed said. "I try to take every conceivable shot that I can take.

"The more you shoot, the more prepared you are. When it comes down to the moment of making a shot, you're just shooting a target."

Because of the expansive mountainous terrain and desert floor that typifies most mule deer habitat, hunters should be prepared for longer shot opportunities than they'll encounter in Eastern whitetail woods.

Reed believes that with practice and well-tuned equipment, hunters can extend their lethal range and still make a clean, humane and ethical shot on a big muley buck.

"I practice most of my ranges from 40 to 70 yards, just because, with mule deer, your average ranges are longer when you get a shot at them," Reed said.

But diligent practice with the weapon of choice is only a part of the preseason preparation that a mule deer hunter must do in order to tag a whopper buck.

Once a tag is in hand, hunters need to do everything they can to familiarize themselves with the terrain that they'll be covering.

In other words, preseason scouting is a must. To start with, use desktop scouting methods to scour the Internet to learn everything you can about the unit that you'll hunt.

But Web site message boards, aerial photos and topographic maps can only take a hunter so far.

If at all possible, there's no substitute for actually putting some boot leather down on the ground that you'll be hunting come fall.

Reed knows very well the role that on-the-ground scouting plays in a hunter's success. While his northern Utah home is some 260 miles away from his mule deer hunting grounds, he still points the truck south several times a year to scout it out.

"I think that gives us a leg up on some of the other hunters," Reed said.

Practice and preseason scouting are two essential ingredients in the formula for mule deer success.

But without the final ingredient in place — good old-fashioned persistence — a hunter could still go home eating tag soup.

A case in point was Reed's southern Utah muley hunt a couple of years ago. After a lackluster opening-morning hunt from a treestand located near a prime water hole, Reed decided it was time for Plan B.

"The treestand didn't work out very well," Reed said. "There was way too much hunting pressure. I imagine that the bucks that I had seen, other hunters had seen them, as well, and there was too much pressure."

"I knew that I had to focus on water and that I needed to get away from the crowds. That required me to hike in farther than most people would," he added.

"With plenty of roads, that can take a little effort and a little sweat, but it's amazing what will open up to you if you'll get a little farther away than others are willing to go."

After quickly relocating to a new area with fewer hunters and a good number of muleys on the prowl, Reed basically spent his first evening in the field in scouting mode.

The next evening, however, the bowhunter's persistence was rewarded, when a behemoth muley paused a second too long on a hillside in the new spot. Reed came to full draw and made good on his shot opportunity, securing a spot in the P&Y record book.

If you'll follow the formula for mule deer success — practice, pre-season scouting, and persistence — you just might secure your own spot in the record books this upcoming autumn.

Top-five typical Boone & Crockett mule deer

(Score, hunter, location, year.)

1. 226 4/8, Doug Burris Jr., Dolores County, Colo., 1972
2. 217 0/8, Unknown, Hoback Canyon, Wyo., 1925
3. 216 2/8, Picked Up, Coconino County, Ariz., 1890
4. 215 5/8, Ray Talbot, Franklin County, Idaho, 1961
5. 214 3/8, Paul A. Muehlbauer, Gypsum Creek, Colo., 1967

Top-five non-typical Boone & Crockett mule deer

1. 355 2/8, Ed Broder, Chip Lake, Alberta, 1926
2. 339 2/8, Unknown, Okanagan, British Columbia, 1890
3. 330 1/8, Alton Hunsaker, Box Elder County, Utah, 1943
4. 325 6/8, Clifton Fauria , Nye County, Nev., 1955
5. 324 1/8, William L. Murphy, North Kaibab, Ariz., 1943

Sources: Boone & Crockett Club Records of North American Big Game, 11th Edition; Boone & Crockett Club's 24th Big Game Awards; and Boone & Crockett Club Web site.

Top-five typical Pope & Young mule deer

1. 203 1/8, Bill Barcus, White River National Forest, Colo., 1979
2. 202 6/8, Carl Gahn Jr., Gove County, Kan., 1992
2. 202 6/8*, Joe W. Schmidt, Goose Lake, Saskatchewan, 2001
4. 201 2/8*, Darcy Bowyer, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, 1994
5. 200 6/8, Ron Cordes, Eagle Creek, Saskatchewan, 1998
(*velvet)

Top-five non-typical Pope & Young mule deer

1. 274 7/8, Kenneth W. Plank, Morgan County, Colo., 1987
2. 274 4/8, Andrew Keim, Lincoln County, Mont., 1978
3. 269 0/8, Dean Hamilton, Lane County, Kansas, 1989
4. 258 2/8, David Glick, Mesa County, Colo., 1976
5. 257 7/8, Brad Smith, Klamath County, Ore., 1992

Sources: Pope & Young Club Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America, 5th Edition and Pope & Young Club's 22nd and 23rd recording Period Statistical Summary.

For more information, see Hunt Planner, Step One: Get into the tag game.