How to field judge muleys ?

Anaconda

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Any tips for field judging mule deer ?
When people post pictures of bull elk, I'm usually pretty close. But mule deer, any deer, I'm all over the place.

On a live alert muledeer, how wide are the ears ?
 
Depends on how old he is. 20-22 IMO is what I've measured. Also people tend to stretch the ears straight out to get their widths but a mule deer always has them tucked slight up which shortens the width again.

Someone once told me antelope ears are 7" long... I found a beautiful goat for my wife the evening before the hunt started, horns easily double its ears. Well we got up early the next morning and headed back... was highly suprised that the first buck we ran into was the one we wanted from the previous day and a shot from her .243 and down it went. Still a purty goat but when we taped it I was suprised it wasnt near what I thought it was... measured the ears and I'll be danged if it didnt measure 6" (it was an old goat... just had short ears LOL).

So really ear width, distance between eye to nose... its just values to help you guestimate in the field, but make no mistake its all a guess.


-DallanC
 
If you find what you would consider a big buck, always plan on about a 25% ground shrinkage. That seems to be the average for me. If I see a buck that looks 28" wide, by the time I get to him on the ground he will shrink to about 21". It happens every time. I've even had well known Muley experts show me what they consider a good buck, only to have it shrink smaller and smaller the closer I get to it. Maybe that's the problem, I'm getting too close. Maybe I should just leave them 28"ers out there for someone else to find. HA, HA, HA.
 
I always give them a 22 inch ear width, which seems to favor you if you have an older buck, I'd rather judge too small than to big.

I eventually got to the point where I could just look at them and be within 2"s and not even use the ears, but I will use the ears if they give me a chance.

I killed a buck during the archery hunt that I figured to be about 3 years old and he had 26" ears, and my brother later killed a buck that was running with him that had 27" ears so the ears arnt always a good indicator, I have also seen smaller than 22" ears. but 22 seems to work well for me.



Jake H. MM Member since 1999.
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