king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated April/May 2008 - Index

T rophy
mule deer hunting can
be a tough business, even in
Old Mexico. Granted, we do
have great genetics, older age class
deer and vast tracts of land to help
supplement low densities in the
desert. Even so, most fi rst time desert
hunters have unrealistic expectations.
The odds of fi nding a record book size
buck anywhere, including Mexico,
are really marginal. Can it be done?
Sure it can, it happens every year.
With dedication, a positive attitude,
and a sprinkle of luck, anything is
possible.
I often get asked whether
I can guarantee a hunter a 200-inch
mule deer. Here is my answer to that.
Nobody can promise you a 200-inch
deer! If they do, then you have the
following two options. Book with
them and fi nd out whether or not they
can live up to that promise. Or, as is
36 HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
Arnold Sandoval
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Perseverance
The key to a successful hunt.
probably more accurate, stay way clear
of that outfi t. Are there 200-inch class
deer in Sonora? Yes, without a doubt!
Last season, one of my hunters killed
a 202-inch typical that nets just shy of
200-inches B&C. The best part is that
he swears he missed a better buck just
a few days earlier in his hunt. You just
never know what you may fi nd out in the
desert. This is what makes hunting in
Sonora so exciting.
I often hear hunters tell me
that they won’t shoot anything under
190-inches. Upon further questioning,
you quickly fi nd out that they’ve never
seen a buck that would score even close
to that. To make things worse, they
wouldn’t know the difference between
a 170 and a 190-class muley if it was
standing broadside at ten feet. Most of
their trophy judging “experience” comes
from magazine articles harping on that
magical 30-inch wide mark. The average
of the
5SOUTH BORDER5
hunter does not understand the Boone
and Crockett scoring system. You
need to familiarize yourself with the
scoring system if you want to put
your name in the record book. Sheer
width won’t do it. I’ve seen some
super wide bucks that wouldn’t score.
That doesn’t mean I’d pass them
up, because I probably wouldn’t.
Conversely, there are quite a few deer
in the book with only 24 to 28-inch
widths. Lots of air between the ears
doesn’t always result in a high score
when adding up points. These narrow
book deer usually possess main beam
length, deep forks and symmetry
which are paramount.
Personally, I’m not
necessarily looking for a buck that
strictly scores in the book. If I happen
to fi nd that, well great! I prefer a buck
with character. Character is defi ned
differently for everyone. Figure out