Mule Deer Hunt

[BizCT]

Any recommendations for a Rifle Mule Deer Hunt?

[Pygmy]

A good way to find a good hunt is through a booking agent.. It doesn't cost anything to use them..The outfitters pay them to drum up business..The good ones will find you a hunt that fits your budget and even help you apply for tags, etc...

I ( and a number of my friends) have had good luck with Butch Manasse's Outdoor Adventures.. I don't have the website addy at hand, but it's easy to find on the net..

Give 'em a call...Talk to Wally, Butch or any of the reps and tell them what you want to hunt and what you can afford..  They are nice folks and very honest and down to earth..They'll find you a good hunt..  Mulie hunts for decent representative animals can still be had pretty reasonable...Keep in mind that if you want to hunt areas with high trophy potential, you'll probably have to pay more $$$..

Good luck and let us know how you make out..

[BizCT]

Thanks, but no interest in a booking agent...I can do all the research myself....I have emailed 100+ different outfitters from several states....was just seeing if anyone had any "1st hand" experience on a Mule Deer Hunt.

[Pygmy]

Yeah, it's fun researching hunts yourself... Most of my hunts have been DIY...

I took my one and only muley buck on a DIY early high country hunt near Eagle, Colorado in The Holycross Wilderness area...

[BizCT]

that's cool....

[Dinsdale]

I haven't used an agent too much but they can be worth it if you don't know where to start and depending on the $$$ involved.

I don't know where your experience level is at for booking trips.....

But I would suggest blindly emailing 100 outfitters makes it harder to narrow down a hunt. I don't mean that unkind, just that it can be information overload.

First you want to know what kind of experience you want, and then find an outfitter that fits the bill; ie horseback/wall tent back woods; lodge with day excusions, sit over crop fields, glass and stalk, still hunt, open terrain/timber. Nothing worse than planning a hunt, but getting there to find out you drive around some logging roads shooting from the truck, when you thought you would be on a horse in the mountains.<<<this happens more than you think>>>

Then you should understand relative trophy quality for an area and what that score means. In addition have an idea of what your expectations are for that animal. Muleys can have different mass and spread for general areas based on genetics, food and water,  prior weather years in an area. Areas of drought or excessive winter kill, high harvest rates etc can make some areas more attractive than others. easy to show your best kills for a brochure, but how many like them big ones do you get every year?

I've only done one Muledeer hunt, but have booked well over a dozen guided/semi guided hunts for the past several years. I try to set the parameters of what I'm looking for and then find a short list of outfitters to choose from that can give me a decent hunt with those ideas in mind.

For example; High desert, glass(spot) and stalk, New Mexico, landowner tag, unguided, but lodge supported.......

High desert in general= lighter mass

Open terrain to glass and plan a stalk in

Land owner= better than average chance for a deer

Lodge supported= hot shower and good meal+bed; map for area; drop off and pick up

Expectations for me were 4x4 typical, expected scores 145-170,24-26" spread (even with the ears or a little outside;30" for example is well past for spread) I like open country glass and stalk hunting. Because I was unguided this hunt was about half of a typical guided hunt including my airfare.

This deer was 4x4 25" and green scored 159......about mid average for the area.Taken 3rd day of the 5 day season; 1st season.

terrain;

cleaned up a bit;

[BizCT]

Who did you use? I have been many on guided hunts before (Whitetail, Wolf, Bear, Mt. Lion, Elk, Bobcat in December of this year) just never for Mule Deer....looking to go in 2012, not this coming fall since I am already going to Minnesota for a Bobcat Hunt.

Nice Buck by the way! cant believe you didnt do a head mount???  My Dad got a nice 4X3 in Colorado similiar to yours and then a huge 7X5 in colorado as well...his 3rd mule deer was a 4X4 but had the thin short antlers of whitetail so he didnt mount it..just kept antlers like you.........none of the guides he used are still around.

[Dinsdale]

I have the cape and its due back from the tannery in the near future.

If I get a bigger one, I'll keep the cape as a spare; or someday maybe get a shoulder done if I feel like it. Doing a full skull keeps ones options open for the future.

This guys tags are sold through 2012(I have a 2012 and an option for this year) and after that not sure the ranch will still be under his control. There are changes coming to the NM draw for outfitters and private tags will be climbing in price in the near future.

I would talk to Aaron Neilson....company is Global Hunting Resources;

He's also an agent but guides for Muley and Whitetail in Colorado as part of his operation; that's how he started in Colorado. Good guy in the industry and a strait shooter.

[BizCT]

just looked at their website...im not looking to spend $8,500 on a mule deer hunt that doesnt even include food or lodging.

  Colorado Deer hunt Prices:

Archery

2on1, 6-day hunts $3,750.00

1on1, 6-day hunts $5,000.00

Muzzleloader

2on1, 6-day hunts $4,500.00

1on1, 6-day hunts $5,500.00

Rifle

2on1, 5-day hunts $5,500.00

1on1, 5-day hunts $7,500.00

    Specialized Trophy unit:

Archery

2on1, 6-day hunts $4,000.00

1on1, 6-day hunts $6,000.00

Muzzleloader

2on1, 6-day hunts $6,000.00

1on1, 6-day hunts $8,500.00

Rifle

2on1, 5 day hunts $6,250.00

1on1, 5-day hunt $8,500.00

[Dinsdale]

He is a frequent poster on another forum I post on and has steered me in the correct direction a few times pro-bono for outfitters other than the ones he represents and those noted are for HIS hunts(notice the scores? LOL).YMMV

But you should easily sort through your options by bracketing expectations with price/location.

Good hunting!

[JOHN]

IF YOU WANT TO SHOOT A GIANT OF A MULE DEER LOOK UP AMERI- CANA EXPEDITIONS NOTHING BUT GIANTS I WENT ON THIS HUNT AND SAW OVER 300 MOULE DEER THESE GUYS ARE PROFESONIALS. THEY WORK THEIR REAR OFF FOR YOU TO GET A B&C 6,000

[BizCT]

Already booked Bear Trak Outfitters in Wyoming for October 2012, thanks.

[pistolp71]

What is the price? Rifle? I'm looking for a mule deer outfitter myself.

[BizCT]

http://www.beartrak.com/ I am doing the Mule Deer/Antelope combo with Rifle. $5K

[pistolp71]

Thanks, I'll check that out. Good luck on your hunt.

[steve863]

http://www.beartrak.com/ I am doing the Mule Deer/Antelope combo with Rifle. $5K

Wow, $5K for a muley/antelope hunt?? Back in the late 80's, thru mid 90's you could have had the same hunt for $2K and even less. Good thing I made a few trips out there back then instead of now. NO way would I be paying this kind of money, plus the high cost of airfare, licenses, the hassles. It's become a big money game, that's for sure.

[BizCT]

Yup, like everything else though....

[steve863]

Yup, like everything else though....

Lots of outdoor type activities could be done for WAY less money than that. Hunting probably has always been more costly, especially if you are going to a distant place, but it just seems to be getting ridiculous in my opinion. I'm glad it's your money and not mine.

[BizCT]

I agree, it is crazy.......I just went to PA to hunt for a week and it cost me $595 only, that was an insane deal....motel + food for a week would have been more!

[blkbearklr]

If anyone is still looking at a mule deer hunt you can contact bearpawoutfiiters.com

He hunts in Washington, Idaho, Utah and Montana. Dale himself is usually on the hunts or his wife Tara, or son Brian. He is a super great guy I used him 2011 for my cougar hunt.

He guides for bears, cougars, moose, whitetail and mule deer.

Joe

[blkbearklr]

Oh and Antelope