king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated Magazine Dec/Jan 2008 - Coyote Crazy! - Index

your head. Focus on your target,
not the antlers. When I control my
breathing it is much easier to control
my nerves. In my mind, I repeat
the estimated yardage of the animal
over and over. This helps remind me
which pin to use and helps keep my
mind clear from panic and mental
clutter, and completely focused on
the task at hand - to make a perfect
shot.
Q. This year there are lots of
mulies around. I found their main
feeding grounds, but why is it
that when November rolls around
a buck’s patterns are never the
same?
Bowin – Ponoka, AB
A. Most of the year, a mule deer
buck focuses on areas where the best
forage is available and there is little
pressure from predators. November
is an exception. November is
generally the peak of the rut for
mule deer. This means bucks are
on the move and will travel several
miles a day in pursuit of does. This
could explain why you are seeing
an interruption in the deer’s usual
pattern.
Q. I’m thinking about booking an
elk/mule deer hunt in Wyoming in
region H 155 and 156. What is the
realistic trophy potential in this
area and are there any other areas
that are better? Thanks.
Ben Paulk – Douglas, GA
A. Ben, although some people will
say that western Wyoming mule
deer quality may have slipped some,
there are still great bucks in region
H. If you work hard, you should see
a good number of deer, including a
handful of mature bucks. Every year
there are dandy record-book bucks
taken from the area, but they don’t
come easy. This is a true wilderness
hunt and the terrain is extremely
rugged. Elk are common in the
area and, with a good outfi tter, you
could see some mature bulls (300+
Do mule deer make scrapes and
mark their territory like whitetails?
class bulls). However, don’t plan on
harvesting a record-class bull, they are
few and far between.
Q. I live in southwest Washington and
have hunted mule deer most of my life.
I have taken many nice mulies over
the years; however, due to lack of free
time to travel to mule deer country, I
have to hunt in my backyard where the
elusive blacktail live. Blacktail are a
sub-species of the mule deer, but they
seem to have habits like a whitetail.
I have been thinking that since they
have whitetail traits, shouldn’t I be
hunting them like whitetail and use a
tree stand? Any thoughts?
Kevin – via e-mail
A. Kevin, blacktailed deer were once
thought to be a mule deer sub-species,
but recent DNA studies show that the
mule deer is actually a product of the
white-tailed deer and the black-tailed
deer. The blacktail is more closely
related to the whitetail than you might
have thought and, as you mentioned,
their habits are also similar. Whitetail
and blacktailed deer depend on heavy
cover for daytime bedding and open
space in which to forage during morning
and evening hours. The secret is to fi nd
the blacktail trails that lead from one
area to the other and sit and wait. Many
5MR.MULE DEER5
sitting in trees just like a Kentucky
whitetail hunter would for whitetail,
especially during breeding season
when the big bucks are on the hunt
for does all day.
Q. Do mule deer make scrapes
and mark their territory like
whitetails? Or, are their scrapes
just produced from them rubbing
off velvet? I have seen areas with
scrapes and rubbed trees together,
but not scrapes alone.
Ron Dodson – Lapine, OR
A. These rut signs are much more
obvious in whitetails than they are in
mule deer. In September, mule deer
peel the velvet from their antlers.
Once their antlers are polished, they
will continue rubbing on whatever
trees and shrubs are available. As
the rut intensifi es, bucks become
more aggressive with their rubs.
These rubs help identify territorial
boundaries and provide a means
of communication for other deer
living in the area. Mulies have not
been documented making a series
of prominent scrapes as a territorial
marking like the whitetail, although
I, as well, have seen smaller scratch
marks in the trail of a rutting muley
buck where his possible intention
was to “scrape” his territory.
of today’s best blacktail hunters are was to “scrape” his territory.
December/January 17
PHOTO: NATE JACOBSON