Some Of The Best Locations For Trophy Mule Deer Hunt

By Patty Goff


Hunting is one of the oldest sports or human activities. Although most people do not have to hunt for their food anymore, the sport is as popular as ever. Boasting with a coveted trophy in the form of the head of a lion, buffalo or elephant against the study wall, is to some big game hunters the ultimate reward. For trophy mule deer hunt, there are few better places than the mountains of Northwest New Mexico or those of Southwest New Mexico, also known as the Gila.

These infinite mountainous fields are home to some of the largest, huge-horned mule deer. Finding the big males with antlers topping 190 inches require more than camouflage dress, enthusiasm and luck. That's why most New Mexico ranches offering 5 day hunts have skilled guides to accompany and assist the hunters to ensure they find their coveted prey.

Hunters and adventurers can embark on a 2-7 day hunt to conquer that coveted trophy buck. Only a few hunters are allowed during season to keep groups separate and to provide privacy and exclusivity. Experienced guides accompany the hunters and where needed, teach them the necessary hunting techniques. In most cases, the ratio is two hunters per guide, but one can also request a private guide at an additional cost.

Five day hunts are the most popular and generally cost between $5,500 and &6,500. Meals, accommodation and other necessities such as landowner tags, state tax, guides, transport on the ranch and state licenses are included in the price. Other luxuries such as gratuities, game processing and taxidermy are charged separately.

The mule deer was named for its large donkey-like ears and is indigenous to the west side of North America. Apart from their bigger ears, they are generally also bigger in size than the ancient white-tailed deer from which they are believed to have evolved. Adult males can weigh anything from 92 kg - 210 kg, while the females can weigh from 43 kg to 90 kg. The mule deer also has a typical black-tipped tail that differentiates it from the white-tailed species.

After shedding its antlers around mid-February, it starts to regrow almost immediately. A typical characteristic of the mule deer is the way it moves with all four feet coming down together - called pronking. Adult males weigh on average around 92 kg but trophy specimen can push the scale up to 210 kg. Females are smaller and average between 43 to 90 kg. They are herd animals and especially the does travel in herds of around five.

Finding the truly big bucks - those with racks wider than 30 inches or that have more than 190 inches of antler - is not so easy. Several measures - including drawing for tags - have been put into place since the 1990's to prevent the species from becoming extinct due to over-hunting, predators and famine due to weather conditions.

Since a serious decline in their numbers in the 1990's, several measures have been implemented to save this species from becoming extinct. Apart from humans, the mountain lion, gray wolves and coyotes pose the biggest threat. Thanks to altered tag allotments and other joint conservation efforts, the mule deer population has rebound and more records than ever are documented.




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