Texas Mule Deer

[dawgfan23]

Ok here is a question for the forum. Where in your opinion in Texas is the best Mule Deer hunting found? I plan on going next year and before I decide where just wanted yall's take on it.

 

[CowboyP]

I've never hunted muleys.

 

[smokeyjoe53]

Between Ft. Davis & Alpine.

 

[oldfat&bald]

Try some of the counties in the South Plains. I've seen some monsters in Terry, Gaines, and western Dawson counties.

 

[dawgfan23]

I've been told the body sizes of the Mule Deer are larger in the northern areas, panhandle area. But seems like the area around Ft. Davis and Alpine would be more fun because of the mountains.

 

[smokeyjoe53]

Where's Pete? He should have the definitive answer......................

 

[CowboyP]

Where's Pete? He should have the definitive answer......................

He disappeared. His phone has gone straight to voicemail for the last couple of days.

 

[pojocrusader]

south texas has got suitcase deer, unless you go on a guided hunt or you have been doing some serious food plotting..............your best bet is anywhere north west of abilene............ huge deer being released by breeders from kansas and iowa are on a constant rise in north-west Texas................but if staying south central is more your thing you should try hog hunting from a helicopter............LEGAL ANYTIME OF DAY OR YEAR

 

[dawgfan23]

Thanks for the info Pojocrusader.

 

[CowboyP]

Pojo with a gun?!? That's scary!

 

[fajitapete]

I've been told the body sizes of the Mule Deer are larger in the northern areas, panhandle area. But seems like the area around Ft. Davis and Alpine would be more fun because of the mountains.

Deer size is a function of the environment. The farther North the deer live the more mass is required for survival in the winter months.

And just to explain something - mountains do not equal fun when one is old and decrepit. I get winded walking down hill . . .

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Not even close boys, biggest and best Muleys come from Briscoe County in Palo Duro Canyon. The ones in West Texas look like babies compared. Saw one who dressed out almost 400 pounds. And yes do know something about West Texas also. ha

 

[51eleven]

I've been told the body sizes of the Mule Deer are larger in the northern areas, panhandle area. But seems like the area around Ft. Davis and Alpine would be more fun because of the mountains.

Deer size is a function of the environment. The farther North the deer live the more mass is required for survival in the winter months.

And just to explain something - mountains do not equal fun when one is old and decrepit. I get winded walking down hill . . .

I had always worked on my feet but after flying a desk the last 8 yrs I too get winded easily. Should be exercising/walking after work. A least I climb 1 flight of stairs a few time a day.
But should a hunter get lucky... At about 10, hunting with dad in the Colorado mountains he killed a small doe about 1/2 way up the mountain we were hunting on. He went back down to get the "tote goat", told me to stay with it but I could drag it down a ways if I wanted to. I started down a narrow rocky creek bed, with my left arm in a cast. Over or around rocks, around drop offs, throught brush. He got back to camp and a cousing had killed a nice buck about 1/2 mile away.
they went to get it first. So they found me about 3 hours later in the shade under a tree at the bottome of the mountain. One worn out kid. Drug the hair off a patch on her rump.

 

[Shane]

You may have a better chance of killing a real giant mule deer in the Gaines and surrounding county region of the South Plains. You'll likely have to pay a pretty penny to do it, but there are some LARGE muleys there. It's not very rough to get around either. The caprock region of the panhandle (Briscoe County included) holds some monsters too. Don't think that hunting that country will be any easier than hunting the trans-Pecos mountains though. It won't be. It might even be tougher. That is some ROUGH country.

I grew up hunting the canyons of Swisher and Briscoe counties. A mule deer or aoudad hunt in those canyons is as challenging a hunt as you can find in Texas - especially the part that comes after you shoot something and you need to get it up out of the canyon!

Some pics from my son's mule deer hunt at Caprock Canyons State Park on New Year's Eve weekend a month ago....

Coming down the cap into Quitaque

Sunrise over the Llano Estacado and the Texas State Buffalo Herd

Lunch

Glassing a canyon

Lone doe

Last evening buck

We just had a day and a half to hunt, and the wind blew 40mph on day 2. We saw a HUGE buck on the first evening, right before dark. But he was just across the fence on the neighboring ranch. This smaller buck was the only buck we saw on day 2, so Zach took him. It was his first mule deer, and he really wanted to add a new species to his list.

You can enter drawings through Texas Parks and Wildlife to hunt mule deer in several places, including Caprock Canyons, Palo Duro, and Matador Wildlife Management Area at Paducah. We're going to the Matador in March to hunt hogs. Fun stuff.


The End.

 

[CowboyP]

Great pics.

 

[BRACKENSPORTS]

Heres a picture ( I think of a couple bracken boys) just south of Marfa

 

[BRACKENSPORTS]

Those are Bracken Boys, I wasnt thinking the picture was going to load.

 

[BRACKENSPORTS]

He shoots better than he passes!

 

[Shane]

Man, y'all had a great hunt! I figured Eli was a hunter, judging from his camo long johns in the semi-final game.

 

[BRACKENSPORTS]

This is Garrett Sellars he played middle school ball but due to cancer treatments he no longer plays but he shot a nice deer! His guide Eli Achilles, the group photo posted earlier was from last year and this buck was shot this year, he's two for two!