Mule deer country starts in the Great Plains, continues over the Rockies and Sierra Nevada, and eventually bumps into the territory of the smaller blacktail along the Pacific Coast. There are also whitetails in much of the mule deer’s range today, plus Coues deer in desert mule deer country. However, the muley is the primary quarry for most Western hunters, pursued annually and avidly. It stands to reason, then, that Westerners know their deer, just as Eastern deer hunters are the real experts on whitetails.
Many whitetail hunters journey to mule deer country every fall, and others dream of a trip out West. With millions of acres of public land, hunting mule deer is a doable deal, but hunters from elsewhere are going into new country after unfamiliar deer. Research is essential. There’s good stuff out there, but much of what is commonly believed about mule deer and mule deer hunting is outdated … or just plain wrong!
Whether mule deer live in your back yard or occupy a spot on your bucket list, having solid info on the species pays off when it comes time to hunt them. Let’s set the record straight on some of the muley’s habits and characteristics so there are no surprises, and so that you’re prepared to make the most of every opportunity.
MYTH NO. 1 A mule deer buck always stops to look back.
This has been bandied about since I was a kid. Maybe they once did, but if so, it must have been before my time. The inference is that mule deer are more trusting, or dumber, than whitetails. Youngsters, maybe, but when they’ve seen the orange-clad army advancing up their
