Ladies and Gentlemen,



jjs asked me to post these pics of his mule deer.

That's a wonderful buck, first or fifty-first. I really like the look of him! Congratulations!

Now jjs will spend the rest of his life trying to beat that and probably failing miserably. My first (and best) muley with a bow was a 24" wide 4X6 that I'm still tickled over. He doesn't hold a candle to that guy. That's a great buck!

You are quite the tease. Great pics with NO story..Waaa ha haaaaa.

Please, give us the story man!!

A super nice buck with loads of character! First or last, that is a buck to be proud of! Well done!!

jjs ----- Looks you have been busy since I shook hands with you at the Mahenge airstrip in Tanzania following your hunt with Peirr'e van Tonder for Buff and other game, that smile lights up the world. Congrats on a fantastic Mule Deer buck. I have hunted Alberta also, for Wolfes not Mule Deer, what beautiful hunting country. I plan to see Pierr'e in Dallas, I will take these pictures to show him what else you hunt. I just got back from Colorado following an Elk hunt that got me meat instead of horns. That Terry Carr is a godsend to us neophytes with the computor. Congrats again on a very good hunting year. Good shooting.

jjs,

You could drive a Mack truck between those antlers... <grin>

Are you the one with the glasses in the pictures?

Oh.. And thanks for the story too... Kinda got me interested in mulies again...

$bob$

Great deer and a good story too.
Congratulations

T. Carr,

Thanks for posting my pictures! very much appreciate you taking the time to do so...

To all,

Thanks for the comments. Now a little bit of the details and story.

This Mule Deer was taken in Alberta, Canada November 18, 2004 late afternoon. It gross scored 201 1/8" non-typical. The pictures really to not do the deer justice as it is much more impressive when actually seen. There was also stickers broken which could have made the gross somewhat more but more meaningful they would have set the rack off even better...but it has much character!

I was hunting with North River Outfitter (Ron Nemetcheck). We were primarily hunting for big Whitetails, however, the first afternoon of hunting I saw a huge deer at 500 yds (laser ranged) pulled up the scoped rifle to take a look and saw it was a very large Mule Deer. When we arrived back in camp that night Ron asked me what I saw, among a few Whitetails I told him I saw a 190+ deer...he said why did I not shoot the thing...I told him it was a Mule Deer and I needed a Mule Deer tag...which Ron provided.

On the 18th I was watching one side of a large "cut lane" when a Whitetail Doe crossed, followed by a respectable (not what I was looking for) Whitetail. I waited 15 min. to see if anything else was trailing and then turned to look down the other side of the cut lane..nothing..turned back around and saw this guy heading for the timber. At about 225 yds the Deer was most obsured by grass and a few small trees...I new I had to make a quick shot with only a window of a few inches...I felt the shot was good but no visual evidence as the Deer was behing some tall grass when I shot.

I ran down the cut lane and saw alot of antler sticking above the snow! I really had no clue how good this buck was...When I got back into camp that night Ron asked what I saw...I told him I took an "average" Mule Deer...One of the guides came in from the skinning building and said the Deer was a Beast! Well that cleared the kitchen out rather quickly!

I finished my dinner (we were the last to arrive in camp that night) and headed for the skinning shed. Ron said to me...that you have no idea what you killed, up here it is more difficult to kill a 200 class Mulie than a 200 class Whitetail....Ron has 200 class Whitetails on this walls and should know...I still did not realize how special a 200 inch Mule Deer was... Some Utah hunters from another of Ron's camp saw the pictures and noted it was a "Monster" and wanted to see the actual antlers...Again, they said the pictures really to not show how big the Beast is...

When I got back I had to talk with someone who has much more knowledge about Mule Deer to get further confirmation of the size of the Deer...so I asked Ray Atkinson describing the Deer to him on the phone...Ray told me that a Mule Deer in that class is among the most difficult trophies to obtain...I sent him some pictures as well and will await what he has to say after seeing them...

I guess the old saying I would rather be lucky than good certainly applies here...This was the first Mule Deer I have ever taken a shot at...and seen only half a dozen or so over the past two years!

I shot the deer with a Weatherby Accumark 30-378 using Barnes TSX 168 grain bullets. Range was 225 yards.

When the Deer was informally judged, I was told if the weak side was as good as the strong side the Deer would break 230...

I guess I can stop Mule Deer hunting...I am still after a Beast of a Whitetail....

Fantastic buck!

AD

That's a buck of a lifetime, way to go!

Thank you all for the comments!

Alan, from someone with your success as a Hunter that is very meaningful...

DesertRam, I think I will retire from Mule Deer hunting....well maybe not...if I get another chance like that I will have to take it...however, still after a beast of a Whitetail...I have taken 3 160's+...looking for something better...and it is in Alberta...I just have to have a little more luck...being at the right place at the right time...

LD: Yes, I am the guy with the glasses and baseball cap turned around backwards...

One of my close friends on the trip took a good gross 168 or so Whitetail that looks small compared to the Mulie..it fit instead with much room to spare...

The characteristics of the Canadian Deer I really like are those chocolate antlers and mass...That makes for something unusual..at least what I am use to seeing...

phurley: I love to go up to Alberta...the people are great and the country is amazing...We hunted 150+ miles north and a little east of Edmonton...Thanks for taking pictures to Dallas for Pierre to see...Possibly I will see you there...

Ann: I think you are right on...it will most certainly be my Mule Deer of a lifetime!!

Thanks again,

Jim

Jim,
Like I told you on the phone, that is probably the biggest buck you will ever kill..Any buck over 200 is the buck of a lifetime..Few hunters ever kill a 200 buck, even when they have hunted Mule Deer all their life...A 200 plus buck today is the most sought after game animal in the USA...

I Have never seen a buck with that kind of height..He must have tangled himself up in a tree and you just walked by!!

I think that bucks mother was bred by an elk!!!!! Congratulations..awesome