Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Trophy Mule Deer Hunt

Thanks Jim, will check it out. I have seen that offered but never really thought about it. If I don't make it this spring I will in 2010--my wife has have some kin (non-hunting) in AZ, she would like to see, too.

Tom,
Don Martin in Kingman puts on a weekend hunter ed class for NR. He will have a class in April, which would allow you to be in this years deer draw with max points. Deer apps will be due the second Tuesday in June. His contact info is on his AWO outfitter website
http://www.huntinfo.com/awo.htm

This is info posted on another forum by Don Martin who puts on the NR weekend hunter ed class in Kingman:

"You have to get in the max bonus point pool for deer if you even want a chance at drawing a north-of-the-ditch premium tags....(early tags in 12A and 12B can be drawn with less than max points)

11 points won't get it and you're right, it will still be tough but at least you're in the draw (20% pass) where you have a shot at 10% of the tags offered.

Right now there are about 600 NR with 11 deer bonus points. I think about 500 of them only need Hunter Ed to get into the max pool.

Anyone who is in that pool and doesn't tag Hunter Ed is NUTS and are just wasting money applying for a tag they CAN'T draw!

There are currently about 60 residents and 186 NR who have max deer bonus points. About 30-35 NR draw out each year from the max pool.

Take Hunter Ed in your home state and bring your son and come over in April and take my class. You won't regret it.

Good luck,

Don Martin"

Yikes that's grim.

Will do and thanks for the info Doug!

That's sum funny [bleep] right there...

I must have missed it.....what's so funny?

I didn't see anything funny either! Maybe it would be if a guy didn't believe big MD exist along the New Mexico/Texas border.

Hello

I live in central Alberta and we have had a bad couple of winters but I still believe that Bearpaw outfitters here in AB are killing the biggest mule deer these days. If I remember right they killed 30 bucks in 05 and 9 of them went over 200". Another great outfit up here is Mike Ukrainetz outfitting. I hunted the eastern plains of Colorado in 2003 and the quality of deer was significantly lower than here in AB. That is subject to a lot of variables of course. Hope this helps.

Thanks 264. I will look into them as well.

Cacciatore,
I sent you a PM.

and those two are charging $8000-$8500 for their hunts (they may be well worth it), which is on par with Sonora. The way I see it, Alberta may well produce more 180" bucks every year, but for a chance at the true top end stuff (200+"), I'd head to Sonora.

JG,
Not having hunted Sonora, it seems that everything happens from Hermosillo. How large of a radius from Hermosillo is the area with the huge bucks?
Also, I had the impression that the cost is about $10k, does that seem about right? I realize it is desert, but what are the temperatures running during muley season?
And what hunter success percentages does a good outfitter run on bucks over 180 B&C?

Stray, the area extends from slightly south of Hermosillo all the way to just south of the Arizona border (Caborca), west to the coast, and about 60 miles east (don't hold me that area exactly). We hunted about 80 miles NW of Hermosillo twice). Hermosillo is definitely the hub. I think it has more to do with well managed, not over-hunted ranches than a particular area. Hunts can be had from many outfitters for $8500. On my hunts down there the temps ranged from about 40 in the am to 80 in the afternoon. The weather was simply fantastic. On my first hunt when I was fortunate to kill the 212" gross, my buddy killed a 200" gross 6x6, and the other hunter killed a 170" buck. On my last hunt there I killed a 170" buck, one guy didn't get a shot, one guy who'd never shot a muley killed an extremely old, wide, heavy 2x3, and the last guy shot a 175" buck. I'd say odds are probably 30% on 180" bucks, and very slim on bucks 200" or better. I liken it to whitetail hunting in Canada. All you see are the pictures of the huge bucks killed. You never hear about the hunters that didn't see anything to shoot, or that killed a 140" buck. You have to be very careful down there who you hunt with. It can be a real crap shoot for sure, but there are some good, honest ones. Hope that helps some. With all that said I'd love to go back.

I might add, the big mulies love the brush infested flats, coues love the hills.

Having hunted down there too. Johnny has it right. I would agree just south or Hermosillo as far east as Sahuaripa, west to the coast, and north to the sasabe line and Benjamin hill south of Nogales. The flats hold the biggest bucks by far. The best area I have encountered was south west of Hermosillo. I hunted that twice and both times I was shocked at what I seen. Plus the area was glassable. East of Hermosillo holdsso big bucks also. Probably the biggest, but the odds are slim. North of Hermosillo holds the population, but ranches can be hit or miss.

I would say you have a better chance of shooting a 30 inch buck than you do anything score wise. Most 30 inchers don't score high anyways unless he is a monster like johnnys.

Temperature is nice. Cold in the morning and hot in the day time.

The biggest coues bucks also are known to hang out in the desert flats. Jump on one if you have the chance and pay the extra fee. Most of the 140ish coues coming out of Mexico are being shot on the flats.


One big thing to look at and be concerned of. If choosing the right outfitter. I got burned bad on one of the deals I had down there. It was not a good thing.
Research what they are killing, find out how many years they have been outfitting, check the size of the hunting area and number of hunters they take per year. Check out a few references and see if they have a website.
Then again, not all outfitters are perfect and some make mistakes. If they make those mistakes on purpose, then you need to step away. If they make a mistake unknowingly, thats something else and a learning experience for both.

I am comfortable with Chad Smith. Great person and outstanding outfitter.
Ubaldo Lopez, el rodeo hunting lodge, we learned something together and that lesson was invaluable,. I won't get into details. But that was the only issue with hunting with him and his camp. Great service and they kill big bucks. Jim Shockey hunts with him.
Jorge Camou is a big player down there. A lot of American outfitters book their hunts with him as the Sonoran link. A ton of ranches and tags, but also a ton of hunters to deal with a year. But he has quality stuff.

Chad is my number 1 guy if I was going down there. Then Ubaldo, then Jorge camou. I also hear his brothers, the camou brothers, have some good hunts. Never hunted with them, but I am sure if they are like jorge, they are good.

Again research the outfitter before dropping the cash.

Kique

Kique-140ish coues...? where from and when?

Thx
Dober

every year. Last year they took a 143 from the desert floor and the year before a 138 or something like that.
They thrive on that Desert cause they are hard to hunt.

Rumor has it mark and I haven't confirmed it, but this year in unit 33 here in AZ, someone took a 155 and someone took a 139. Not sure, but thats flying around. If I find out the truth i'll let you know.

Kique

Which guys/outfits?

Dober

I was hearing reports of big bucks from most camps. I know a couple buddies of mine were chasing a 130 something on a ranch south of Sasabe. So guy that puts up posters at the local Sportsmans had some big desert bucks 1 was 140ish. Desert trophy outfitters took some good bucks last year or the year before last.
The best buck I have seen in the desert was a 120 type buck. Client didn't want to pay for the tag and he walked.

Next time I go to the sportsmans I'll get the name of the outfitter there.

The AZ bucks one was shot by a guy from San Manuel and the other I don't know.

I'll shoot you a Pm whenI get more info.

Kique

Enrique, has anyone knocked down a big mulie down there yet? It's killing me not being part of it again this year.

Kique-when you track it down who's taking the 140's please let me know. I've not heard about anyone taking them this big yearly. And so I'd love to know who it is and from what areas.

I truly love the Sierra Madres and totally miss them and the lil whitey's.

Thx
Dober

Johnny,
haven't heard of anything yet from Sonora. But I am sure they are doing good down there. I'll find out and let you know.

Mark,
If you got the patience and time to wait for a tag. Start applying for AZ and getting those bonus points. When the time comes and you draw that unit 33 december tag, you'll be very happy at the end of the hunt. I can promise that.