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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I don't know how people figure mule deer are dummer than white tails, they must not have hunted them
Aint that the truth! but I think they are both equally smart in their own right.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Great buck! Love those massive antlers.
I don't know what "normal" is for mule deer populations in that area any more. The population has been pretty low for years with liberal any deer seasons. I couldn't believe the G&F didn't restrict the season to at least bucks only this year. I saw very few deer west of the river, hardly any yearlings, and very few of the mature does had twins with them. Even the valley ranches didn't have many deer on the hayfields when you would drive through them to get to the mountains. I spent a lot of time glassing in that region in Aug., Sept, and Oct. as I had a sheep permit this year. I only saw one buck that would be anything close to the equal of John's and I couldn't get a steady shot at him so hopefully he makes it through the winter this year.
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Campfire Outfitter
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A buck like that is what dreams are made of! Congrat's.
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Campfire Regular
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Great deer M.D. A 360yd. shot? Are you sure you weren't shooting a .270? Phasmid, I hunted Utah's Deseret Ranch this October with two brothers and my oldest son. No bucks were taken because none good enough were seen. This on a ranch famous for big mule deer. Lots of elk though. All in all a rotten deer year, maybe the worst ever.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Great deer M.D. A 360yd. shot? Are you sure you weren't shooting a .270? Phasmid, I hunted Utah's Deseret Ranch this October with two brothers and my oldest son. No bucks were taken because none good enough were seen. This on a ranch famous for big mule deer. Lots of elk though. All in all a rotten deer year, maybe the worst ever. I heard the same story on a neighboring ranch with an equal or better reputation, ensign ranches unit, this a ranch where the tags are at least 12k last I heard.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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John,
That mass in incredible, congratulations. Your fall of relative unemployment has been productive for you...lol
Martin
Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
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Actually, the "relative unemployment" part wasn't there. I was busier than normal, as just about every magazine I contacted wanted something! But I am never too busy to hunt mule deer....
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
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John, that's a dynamite buck!
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: May 2007
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Mr. Mule Deer;
Congratulations on the fine mule deer.
I especially like the palmation on the antlers and the kickers on the top of the right side.
In your experience, when antlers palmate, is it more a function of age or genetic predisposition?
Anyway he is indeed a nice buck.
Regards,
Dwayne
Last edited by BC30cal; 12/13/08. Reason: I can't spell antlers this morning
The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Darned if I know about palmation, but it does tend to happen more in older bucks, both whitetail and mule deer--though not all older bucks. Probably it's age combined with a genetic component.
Wynn Condict and I both guessed that this buck was pretty darn old, and probably on the downhill side, but I didn't have a tooth aged so don't really know.
One thing that was interesting about the hunt is that eventually 4 definitely mature bucks were seen even after a very severe winter, a real deer-killer. These are normaly hardest on fawns and older bucks.
These bucks were all seen within 3 days, in basically the same area. The first was seen in the basin where I killed the buck, which is about half a mile from the aspen patch were 3 of the 4 bucks were seen. This aspen patch is apparently the first stop on the route many big bucks use to come down from the higher country. This brings up the notion that there's some place in that area where older deer find refuge even from abnormally bad weather.
Wynn said he always tends to imagine the life such an old buck has led, not just the winters but the predators, whether with 4 or 2 legs. I like that kind of imagination!
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Mr. Mule Deer;
Thanks yet again JB for your answers and the additional story on the deer. They are fascinating creatures indeed.
I truly appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me.
Merry Christmas and all the best in 2009 to you and yours,
Dwayne
The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"
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Campfire Member
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Nice buck! Makes me hungry looking at him. The buck has a look of disbelief on his face, must be the fact your shooting an 06 over 200 yds.
"If all the good luck and all the bad luck I've had were put together, I reckon it'd make the biggest damned pile of luck in the world." Charlie Goodnight
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,143 Likes: 10 |
Actually the .30-06 is good out to 250 yards, but sometimes its bullets bounce off at 251.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire Outfitter
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If you use a 130-gr TSX you can stretch that to 275, maybe 280 yards. After that they'll just pencil through instead of bouncing off.
Dennis
"The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets."
"If you're asking me something technical, you may be looking for My Other Brother Darrell."
"It ain't foot-pounds that kills stuff -- it's broken body parts."
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Campfire Outfitter
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the only real deer are mule deer, and JB's description of his hunt tells exactly why. compare that story to a white tail hunt where they have a stand by the feeder LOL, kinda a joke.
I don't know how people figure mule deer are dummer than white tails, they must not have hunted them I hunt Mulies as often as I can.I never thought they were dumb!!!!!I am guessing you have never hunted Whitetails in Big Woods.You would find out that you cant shoot Big Whitetails off of a feeder either.They also do not get Big by being Dumb!!!! 
Its all right to be white!!
Stupidity left unattended will run rampant
Don't argue with stupid people, They will drag you down to their level and then win by experience
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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That's great mass on that buck. Nicely done.
"This duty fell upon me and was the worst job I ever had in my life.
I have known men I would rather shoot than the worst of dogs."
Frank Wild
Second in Command
Endurance 1914-1916
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Campfire Tracker
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Having never even SEEN a live mule deer even I can tell that's a darn good one. Congrats JB!
Karma and Trouble have busses, and there's always an empty seat.
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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John,
Nice one!
Being from WY (Lander) I can attest to the fact that Mulies are in fact NOT dumb. Far far from it.
Might have to go down to the Southern part of the State and see what I can find now..CHUCKLE....
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John, that sure is an impressive buck. Question about the scope though, if I can. Were you using the Trijicon as part of a test, or is that your choice for a scope on your NULA? I respect the heck out of your opinions, so am just curious.
Thanks, Al.
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