Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Mule deer vs. Whitetail- which would you shoot?

A gray, 200 lb. moose.

Hmmmmm.............

Bighorn I take it you have not spent anytime in Maine

....a 200 pound deer (live weight)won't raise an eye brow there,and is a routine,very average buck,dressing 140-150 pounds....hardly worth talking about.....in fact it is likely not even 3.5 years old at that weight...

For reference,and last I knew, the Hinkley Buck killed north of Skowhegan,weighed about 355 pounds.....dressed weight.

Using standard formula's the live weight of this animal was over 450 pounds....this is not far off the weight of a young moose.

I think this buck is still the second largest dressed body weight in North America.

Bucks of this size still live there no doubt,since vast areas of the state never really get hunted,and they grow big.

Mike is right...the Hill Gould buck was a stupendous non typical with heavily palmated antlers,very moose-like in appearance. I am not the least surprised at the prospect of a 400 pound deer in Northern Maine.

They are also difficult to kill;you can hunt 10 days there....never see a buck of any kind. And when it happens it happens very fast, usually....and if you hesitate, like my pal did,thinking he had see a moose....he will be gone.

Edited to add: I just looked for the Hill Gould buck but could not find a picture....the article I read said he had 31 points and scored 259 NT.

Muleys all the way.

My best ever is a sorry excuse for a deer...



When I think about the evening I held the Holy Grail of Mule Deer in my hands.
The long standing World Record Non Typical.

355 2/8 B&C





However the day my son shot his first mule deer was the most special mule deer moment for me to date...

A new world record typical whitetail could come at any time.....but the real Holy Grail is the world record non-typical mule deer.....they just don't grow many of those....far rarer than any whitetail.....

Salmonella you and your son have both killed very fine mule deer.

And a hearty Amen to that BobinNH......Right on brother!

Thanks guys, I'd share a campfire with you any time.

Here is a much younger Salmonella posing with the "Other" world record muley.

Thanks guys, I'd share a campfire with you any time.

Maybe we can do that very thing some day. I'd better have a pack mule handy....you and the boy are killers!

I'm going to beg Drummond to take me hunting some day too!

I'm begging you to come to CO! I was hoping Salmonella would have drawn his tag this year too! I can't wait to hang out on the mountain or plains with you guys. Hey Bob, you want to come to CO too? That would be FUN!