We are going on our first Mule deer hunt this weekend in the panhandle of Texas. I have never used calls before, but I have a couple of calls for deer. They seem to be for Whitetails, but I wondered if they work on Mule deer also. If not, what do you use?

Where your hunting the best thing one can use is your legs...mule deer have larger ranges than whitetail and calling is for the most part ineffective...Thats a good heavily populated area, for the most part and you will get your deer if you can shoot at extended ranges or get lucky..Chunk rocks off into the canyons and shoot them comming out..Mule deer lie tight so hunt slow and do a lot of looking.

I have called in Mule deer many times with a wounded rabbet call at night while hunting coyotes and bobcats...Mostly they came to the bleating sound out of curiosity...I tried it during the day and it had the opposite effect and scared the hell out of them....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Longbob, use a dieing rabblt call, but you must use it properly! Sneek in over the top to look down into canyons try to keep the shady side across from you, Muledeer always bed in the shade, no matter how cold it is. Once you get to a place where you can view most of the canyon, start to blow on the preditor call. The does will immediatly show themselves. Now! Watch the does without moveing. Sooner or later one of the does will look at the buck, who will always bed away from the does, but keep them in sight. When the does expose themselves, the buck will try to sneek out of the canyon, but the does will look at him. Usually one, then the rest will look straight at him, when he starts to move. Just look where the does are looking, and you will see him! Be prepared for a long shot, and make the first one count, because he will be over the ridge before long. I find anything that is over 100 grs in weight @ 2500fps,or over, and you hit him in the lungs just BEHIND the shoulder will put him down for the count on the spot! Hydrostatic shock is deadly on deer shot in the lungs! Big Muledeer are easier to kill than whitetail half their size, in my experience.

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..Mac >>>===(x)===>
also DUGABOY1
DUGABOY DESIGNS
Collector/trader of fine double rifles, and African wildlife art

Thanks for the replies. Dang Mac, you got my heart pumping with your description! The dieing rabbit call baffles me. I'm going to pick one up tonite, but I wonder why they work.

Long Bob,
Because a dying rabbit sounds like a bleating deer.....

I took my baby daughter out many years ago and we were calling coyotes with a rabbit call. I explained to her the call sounded like a wounded rabbit and would bring the coyotes running in... After calling for 15 minutes about 100 rabbits had gathered around us...My wife and daughter were giggling and ask what was so funny...She said "Daddy, you must sound like a wounded carrot!"

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com