If you’re looking for big mule deer, forget whitetail tactics. Mulies have their own rules

A true trophy-class mule deer is arguably more difficult to collect than any other Canadian big-game animal. Why? The hunting seasons are confined to the four Western provinces, the opportunities are limited, and while filling a tag is not especially challenging, those fortunate enough to get a licence have their work cut out for them if they hope to take a trophy buck.

HABITAT

Much of the difficulty is due to the terrain mulies inhabit. Unlike whitetails, they generally prefer more open country, thriving on the prairies, along river valleys and through mountain foothills. As the late, great behavioural ecologist Val Geist once said, mule deer are “North America’s deer of scenic mountains and foothills, of forsaken, rugged badlands, of windswept, delicate prairies and harsh, desolate badlands.”

Also unlike whitetails, mule deer occupy larger home ranges, and they’re more random in their movements, making it difficult for predators, including hunters, to pattern them. And while whitetails will typically remain on their home turf despite disturbances, mule deer are more prone to disappearing for days or weeks on end if they feel overly pressured.

Mulies don’t make scrapes, either, and while they’ll occasionally make rubs, they usually don’t revisit them. They also pay little attention to rattling antlers, even though they’ll occasionally spar with other bucks. As well, doe or fawn bleats make little if any impression on a mature buck. All of this adds up to more challenges for the hunter determined to outwit a trophy mulie.

While mule deer are not difficult to hunt in accessible, open country, those areas produce few really big bucks unless the harvest regime is tightly managed. In more remote or difficult to access habitats, however, mature bucks can grow to massive proportions because of their naturally anti-social behaviour.

BEHAVIOUR

Mature mulie bucks are crafty creatures. They use river valleys, coulees and natural drainages to their advantage, often bedding halfway up with the wind in their face, making them tough to spot and sneak up on. They also often feed and bed at different elevations on a local basis, so patient searching, particularly through the early and late hours of the day, can reveal bucks on the move. Through the midday, thoroughly glass likely cover, looking for an antler tine or the flick of a tail, then plan your stalk based on available cover and the prevailing wind direction. Be exceptionally quiet, as a mule deer’s oversized ears give it otherworldly hearing.

During the rut, it pays to find and stick with doe groups

During the rut, it pays to find and stick with the doe groups, as breeding bucks will seldom be far away. Interestingly, Geist discovered that in some habitats, the oldest and largest mule deer often did little breeding. Instead, they were opportunistic breeders only, seldom willing to compete with other bucks. That also contributes to the difficulty in finding a true trophy.

Some of the best mulie hunters I know confine their efforts to early mornings and the final hours of legal light. They focus on finding where the does are feeding, often covering significant distances in their search. When they do find doe groups, they set up where they can watch from a safe distance, using elevation as a great advantage. Patience and persistence then become key, and you need a certain amount of faith the bucks will eventually appear.

Don’t expect a mature buck to just come prancing out, however, oblivious to everything but the potential for a dalliance. Unlike whitetails that are so hell-bent on breeding they’ll ignore the world around them when receptive does are nearby, mature mulie bucks seldom fully abandon their dignity. Even in the peak of the rut, they’ll most often remain within the confines of thick cover where available.

FIREPOWER

Mature mule deer bucks are larger, on average, than their whitetail counterparts. And with their tendency to occupy relatively open habitats or terrain with significant elevation changes, shooting opportunities are often at extended distances. With both those factors in mind, flat-shooting calibres in the .270 Win. to .300 Win. Mag. class, using well-constructed bullets, are recommended. The same goes for riflescopes on the higher power end. Since it’s sometimes difficult to accurately judge distances in open country, or up or down hills, rangefinders are also beneficial.

Put it all together, and with a measure of good fortune, you just may find yourself with a genuine wall-hanger.