Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Suggested reading for first time mule deer Hunter?

efw,

I'll add a +1 to both:

Mule Deer: Hunting Today's Trophies by Jim Van Norman and Tom Carpenter
Hunting Open-Country Mule Deer by Dwight Schuh.

Dwight Schuh's book really focuses on bow hunting, glassing, and getting close in open sage brush country. Even if you don't plan to bow hunt, it's a good read. And if his advice can help you sneak up on a buck in the sage brush at 30 yards, I'm pretty sure it can help you get into your comfortable limit for rifle range.

The Van Norman / Carpenter book emphasizes how to glass for mule deer. "Scrolling", "pieces and parts", etc are techniques they talk about to help with that. There's good advice to help you train your brain to key in on specific "patterns" to help spot parts of mule deer rather than the whole animal. While I think that many hunters already do something like this naturally, I think the explicit patterns mentioned for the reader to focus on and practice with do help to beef up your spotting skills.

Also, the "where's waldo" deer pictures are kind of fun.

Thanks, John. Appreciate your view.

The settled science was in quotes as a bit of TIC jab at the AGW argument. Didn't think it 'fact', but thought it was more widely accepted than it seems to be.

John; thanks for chiming in, you saved me some research.

All the best.

GRF

It's one thing to use that glass to find him...but then you have to kill him.

Not always easy.

I have read David Long's articles in Eastmans...maybe his book as well? It has been awhile but my memory is that his writings were very good.

Azar

I like your "where's Waldo" reference. There's one that I still haven't found the second "Waldo".

Prwlr,

That's what I think of every time I look through those photos for the camouflaged deer!

EFW, the book Prwlr recommends has been one of my favorite for useful hunting info. Mule deer hunting is a world of difference from whitetail hunting. Good optics and the ability to use them, being able to understand the terrain, making sure you know where you are (a Garmin GPS with a chip for the state you'll hunt in is very handy), being in good enough shape to travel and to pack out a deer and being able to shoot your rifle well from field positions will tilt the odds your way.

There is not much of anything better than hunting mule deer, and it helps that they live in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Good luck-enjoy your trip. PM me if I can help

David

Same here. About drove myself crazy the first time I looked at it...

Wow thanks a lot for all the tips on both reading materials and in-field advice I really appreciate the knowledge around here and peoples' willingness to share it!

I've got a big amazon order put together! I own both the Prothero & Eastman books so I don't have to wait until the shipment arrives to dig in!

thanks again everyone I'll be putting all this to good use and let you know how things are progressing!