Just curious who is going to be chasing giant mule deer this year? I drew a couple of good tags and one great tag. The great tag I drew has very low numbers for the area but has some deer that will make your jaw drop! I have a friend that has sheds from this area from a 260"+ deer and we have seen a few typicals that would go 200"-210" gross. I also have a picture of a buck that has about a 230" mainframe and has about 14" of trash, thats mid 240's with only 3 extras! He is a freak! He is the deer I am looking for, I will post pics if I get him.

Good luck to all of you that will be chasing these amazing animals around this fall. Cant wait to see a few pics...

Bueno Suerte,

Drummond

Drummond
I ended up picking up a landowner voucher so I could hunt deer here in Colorado with my 12 year old son. Other than that no trophy deer this year. The area we will be in has the potential to produce some 180 something deer but mostly this area appears to have just nice deer. Should be a great first deer hunt for my son.
I never heard back from you on that Sonora ranch deal, I assumed it must have filled up or the lease got bought, PM me if there is anything left down there.
Good luck on your hunts this year sounds like your areas are loaded with potential, are yours all Mex. hunts or will you be somewhere in the Estadas Unidos.

All of my tags are here in the US, I have a coues deer hunt lined up for myself in Sonora but will have to wait until next year to hunt muleys down there. I had an invitation to hunt Elk on a friends place that I just could not turn down so I wrote the check to him this year. Hard to say no when you have pictures of a 380" bull in July on a trail cam. The area I am hunting Elk was in the middle of a huge drought and the Elk were really concentrated and they have had record rains in Aug and Sept. They are scattered all over the country now so who knows whats going to happen.

Drum

I'll be heading to Wyoming in 2 weeks. This will be my first guided hunt. Scouting reports have been promising.
KC

in 3 weeks 3 friends and myself are backpacking into Idaho and I always hope for a monster muley to show up in my scope---maybe this is the year----good luck to all.....chris

Im mostly focusing on deer this year. Next year Ill spend more time on Elk and just go after deer close to home.

Ill be trying out a 260 rem that I just built on a M-48 Mauser, worked up a nice load last week, 129 gn interbond @ 2900 fs.

Ill be hunting the Uintahs in eastern Ut. in about a month. Planing on lots of trigger time between now and then.

West TX for me - although I severely doubt the muleys there will be anywhere close to the monsters Drummond describe. I wonder what effect the drought will have had on antler growth this year - probably not positive.
- mike

For me it is Northeastern Montana in 44 days. I can't wait, it will be my first time west for deer.

Heading out tomorrow for Wyoming, first to hunt antelope, then deer. I'm not much of a trophy hunter, but I will be searching for a nice representative head and a good load of meat.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
West TX for me - although I severely doubt the muleys there will be anywhere close to the monsters Drummond describe. I wonder what effect the drought will have had on antler growth this year - probably not positive.
- mike

Actually MHO, all the Muledeer in Texas are in the extreme western part of the state, and the drought didn't effect that part of the state at all, in fact, from Pecos, to El Paso, Texas, about 250 miles of west Texas had more rain this year than in the last 50 yrs. The Muledeer habatat of West Texas, and southern New Mexico, is pritty arid most years, but since there is no public hunting land,in Texas, all the hunting will be on cattle/sheep ranches. There is always water from windmills,springs, or stocktanks for deer, and Prong horn!

The rub here is what you call West Texas! West Texas starts al the Midland/Odessa,but the muledeer country doesn't start for another 100 miles west. The area on west to El Paso, the western most city in Texas, with some muledeer habatat along the western edge of the panhandle,North to south, along the Texas/New Mexico border. All the mountain areas, starting with the Davis mountains, in this section of Texas, got flooding rains, and the landscape is GREEN!

Exactly what area are you planing to hunt, for Desert Muledeer? Be advised, however, the CWD is found in this area's muledeer,but more in the Southern New Mexico, and the last three or four counties of west Texas, El Paso, Hudsbeth, and Culberson, counties.

Actually, there are quite a few mule deer in and around the Midland/Odessa area. Ector and Midland Counties have seasons for mule deer. I think he might be refering to the Andrews area and north, it has been really dry up there. I know that the South Plains and Permian Basin are commonly refered to as "west" TX. The area that mule deer inhabit in Texas is quite a bit larger than people think, I really hope that the Parks and Wildlife can do more to help encourage the management of mule deer down there. There is some amazing habitat for them.

Drum

I wish I was going for mulie. Because of schedule conflicts, I did not put in for CO this year.

BUT, I am looking at my first Mexico Coues as a possibility!!

I drew a tag near my hometown in southern Alberta. A buddy of mine lost a magazine full in the general vacinity of a 190ish buck 3 years ago in this area. At least up here if the rack ain't big you can count a lot of venison. Good luck on the stubble jumpers!

If I get to go (MIL is sick and may have to help wife) it will be in NE Wyoming and will just be a meat hunt as I can get 4 doe tags. Bucks on my small property are not very big.

Rad

quote:

Originally posted by drummondlindsey:
Actually, there are quite a few mule deer in and around the Midland/Odessa area. Ector and Midland Counties have seasons for mule deer. I think he might be refering to the Andrews area and north, it has been really dry up there. I know that the South Plains and Permian Basin are commonly refered to as "west" TX. The area that mule deer inhabit in Texas is quite a bit larger than people think, I really hope that the Parks and Wildlife can do more to help encourage the management of mule deer down there. There is some amazing habitat for them.

Drum

I'm sorry but I think if you are going to hunt anywhere around Midland/Odessa, you are going to be very disapointed, unless you are hunting Coyotes, jackrabbits,and rattlesnakes!

Mac, Drummond

Take pity on a mere foreigner. I know I'm flying to Midland, and the ranch is supposedly only 50 miles from there, but that is about all I know (courtesy of an agreement to get picked up at the airport).

Mac, it is indeed good news the west side of TX has not seen the drought the rest (?) of TX has had. I thought drought conditions had been pervasive. Pity about the missing deer, though. I'm not that heavily into yotes, and NOT AT ALL into rattle snakes!! Maybe I should have thought of a different state to go hunting...

- mike

A few of our cougars we have collared are definetly hunting muleys this year......if only my co-workers could get them turned on to whitetails??....

Good luck to those who are!

IV

MHO,

I have videotaped some of the biggest mule deer I have ever laid eyes on within 50 miles of there. You will be just fine. The deer densities are not very high but the some of the deer in that country have great genetics. Keep your chin up no matter how tough it gets, it only takes a second to kill a big deer and there have been a few to come out of there.

Mac, I think you would be surprised at what that country can produce. Its not easy to hunt and the poaching can be bad because of all of the oil roads out there but there are some great deer in and around Midland/Odessa. My grandfather has a ranch in Midland and we picked up a whitetail that grosses 194" and has a 7" drop. I know of several whitetails that grossed over 180" taken or found over the past 12 or so years. As for mule deer, I have seen deer within 30 minutes of Midland/Odessa that would make your eyes bug out. If you ever get out that way you should check out the sandhills at Monohans. Its deceiving country, at a glance you would not think that it could support the jackrabbits, snakes and yotes, much less whitetial and mule deer. Thats what I love about it, pretty ugly from a distance but its amazing when you get out in it.

Drum

DRUM, I've lived, and hunted all over that country, so the habitat in not a mystery to me! I'll leave it at that!

quote:

Mac, it is indeed good news the west side of TX has not seen the drought the rest (?) of TX has had. I thought drought conditions had been pervasive. Pity about the missing deer, though. I'm not that heavily into yotes, and NOT AT ALL into rattle snakes!! Maybe I should have thought of a different state to go hunting...

- mike

MIKE If you have a rancher picking you up, and he says he has good muledeer, then he is probably on the up, and up! Some ranchers in that WIDE area have management programs, and fence to keep things much better for hunting than the oil patch is, so you'll probably be OK! Hope you get a big one!

Headed to Buffalo, Wyo to hunt mulies and antelope on a private ranch - no monsters but several in the 160 to `170" range and antelope to about 15". We will have fun and shoot praire dogs when we tag out...

I'm headed out in exactly 24 hours, first to Wyoming for three antelope, and then to North Park area for Mulie on private and Federal land. Also have a private land cow elk tag for CO. I can't believe I talked my wife into letting me go hunting away from home for two weeks, but she and the kids are really tired of store-bought meat. Time to go grocery shopping!

I wish I was but moving to New England has stymied my hunting trips for the year. Drummond, I hope you get a big one on that "great" tag. Your previous posts showing your guided hunters and their trophies tell me it is your turn now!

Well, hope all of you do well, please share your photos with the gallery!

[QUOTE Actually MHO, all the Muledeer in Texas are in the extreme western part of the state, and the drought didn't effect that part of the state at all, in fact, from Pecos, to El Paso, Texas, about 250 miles of west Texas had more rain this year than in the last 50 yrs. The Muledeer habatat of West Texas, and southern New Mexico, is pritty arid most years, but since there is no public hunting land,in Texas, all the hunting will be on cattle/sheep ranches. There is always water from windmills,springs, or stocktanks for deer, and Prong horn!

The rub here is what you call West Texas! West Texas starts al the Midland/Odessa,but the muledeer country doesn't start for another 100 miles west. The area on west to El Paso, the western most city in Texas, with some muledeer habatat along the western edge of the panhandle,North to south, along the Texas/New Mexico border. All the mountain areas, starting with the Davis mountains, in this section of Texas, got flooding rains, and the landscape is GREEN!

Exactly what area are you planing to hunt, for Desert Muledeer? Be advised, however, the CWD is found in this area's muledeer,but more in the Southern New Mexico, and the last three or four counties of west Texas, El Paso, Hudsbeth, and Culberson, counties.[/QUOTE]

Wasn't a state record Nontypical muley killed in Yoakum County? Which is about an hour or so southwest of Lubbock. Also the Texas Panhandle region as a good population of Muleys. They aren't necessarily relegated to the southwest corner of the state. Oklahoma has muleys too, I killed two of them, both in woodward county, about 1.5 hours northwest of OKC.

Yep, in November. First moose (any time now), and antelope mid October.

Frans

Yup, I'm going on my fist Muley hunt in Colarado this year. I'm leaving Oct 26, It's only for 4 days (all I could get off of school) but I'm looking forward to it.

I have an either sex and an antlerless tag. My son and nephew each have an either sex and two antlerless tags.

Idaho general tag in October, then Kaibab 12BW in November. Arizona Unit 8 elk for Thanksgiving.

I will be after the desert muleys in SE New Mexico with a 50 lb recurve and homemade arrows this year. There are some huge bucks in the dunes, but they are very smart.

Going again to Sonora, Old Mexico during the rut (Jan 15-21).

FMC,

That should be a great week! Who are you hunting with down there?

Drum

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
DRUM, I've lived, and hunted all over that country, so the habitat in not a mystery to me! I'll leave it at that!

quote:

Mac, it is indeed good news the west side of TX has not seen the drought the rest (?) of TX has had. I thought drought conditions had been pervasive. Pity about the missing deer, though. I'm not that heavily into yotes, and NOT AT ALL into rattle snakes!! Maybe I should have thought of a different state to go hunting...

- mike

MIKE If you have a rancher picking you up, and he says he has good muledeer, then he is probably on the up, and up! Some ranchers in that WIDE area have management programs, and fence to keep things much better for hunting than the oil patch is, so you'll probably be OK! Hope you get a big one!

Wasnt trying to piss in your Cheerios bud but your dead wrong. I was trying to be politically correct when trying to correct you but I guess that doesnt work.

Andrews, TX is only 34 miles(north) from Odessa and some of the very best deer in the state live within spitting distance of Andrews. The old state record came from Yoakum County(farther north) and was killed by a guy named Pat Beard. I believe that was in 1997 but am not 100% on that. There are quite a number of counties in the panhandle that have seasons. Nuts and bolts, I have seen muleys in and around Midland/Odessa, within 20 minutes of Lubbock, all up and down the NM/TX line and have even seen muleys within 10 minutes of the Oklahoma border in 2 seperate locations, up near the OK panhandle and over on the eastern side of the panhandle north of Childress. Their range is quite extensive.

If you still think that I'm blowing smoke up your ass then help me understand why the state of Texas would have a specific season in both Midland and Ector Counties if in fact there are no mule deer there? Have a good one...

Drum

quote:

Originally posted by drummondlindsey:
FMC,

That should be a great week! Who are you hunting with down there?

Drum

Yanko Garcia, Casa Nova Outdoors. Last year I shot two mulies and a coues.

Tell Yanko that I say hello! I have not seen him in a couple of years, he is a super nice guy. We had a couple of ranches that adjoined one another at one time.

Drummond

Unit 5A in New Mexico, 2nd week of November. Right off the Jicarilla. Saw the biggest mule deer buck of my life up there yesterday.

R.Walter,

How big was he? I hope you can find him during your hunt! Good luck...

Drum

Man..i wish i was mule deer hunting this year!! Only WT's for me. The one great spot i had for Muley's was in near Castle Rock CO...and had a falling out with my buddy last year,so wont get to hunt that area again. Shot a nice 211 P&Y non-typical in '01.http://www.hunt101.com/img/394307.jpg

I'm going in CO on Oct 21 down around Cripple Creek. Hopefully we'll see some descent bucks.

Good Luck

Reloader

The game warden over in Tx told me they did a helicopter survey and saw several (would'nt say exactly how many) bucks with "over 40" spreads." He also would not tell me exactly where. Andrews is ~ an hour from where I live in NM. The muleys in the Permian Basin are one of the best kept secrets! (Except maybe for the ones in the panhandle along the breaks of the Canadian River...but you didn't hear it from me!)

I've got a tag for NM area 16, the Gila wilderness, but it's looking more and more like I won't be able to make it. Too many bills piling up and something has to give...

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
... with some muledeer habatat along the western edge of the panhandle, North to south, along the Texas/New Mexico border.

Mac, not to pile on you, but there are Mule Deer quite a bit farther East than that. In fact, if you drew a line down the eastern side of the Panhandle and extended it down a few hundred miles, there are Mule Deer East of this line (not too far East, mind you). In fact there are select areas just East of that line that have Mulies as the major deer specie. Mule Deer are scattered throughout the Panhandle, not just the West side.

Like I said, not trying to pile on you! Just educating the good People of AR about our Donkey Deer.