Hunting is one of the oldest sports or human activities. Although most people do not have to hunt for their food anymore, the sport is as popular as ever. Boasting with a coveted trophy in the form of the head of a lion, buffalo or elephant against the study wall, is to some big game hunters the ultimate reward. For trophy mule deer hunt, there are few better places than the mountains of Northwest New Mexico or those of Southwest New Mexico, also known as the Gila.
Hunting expeditions in these beautiful rocky mountains are probably the closest one can get to a true wild west experience. At some ranches, hunters have the choice to hunt from horseback, which enables them to cover vast areas without exhausting themselves. The views from some of these ranches are breathtaking and includes stretches of high prairie grass, rivers, rocky and forested canyons as well as mountain ranges such as Sierra Grande Mountain. This exquisite land is home to some of the largest rocky mountain mule deer.
Hunters and adventurers can embark on a 2-7 day hunt to conquer that coveted trophy buck. Only a few hunters are allowed during season to keep groups separate and to provide privacy and exclusivity. Experienced guides accompany the hunters and where needed, teach them the necessary hunting techniques. In most cases, the ratio is two hunters per guide, but one can also request a private guide at an additional cost.
The average price for a 5 day hunt is between $5,500 and R6,500. Apart from scrumptious meals and wild west-like ranch accommodation, the price includes all the basics such as state licencing, tax, landowner tags, guides and transportation. First time hunters can expect to learn a lot about hunting techniques and how to use the deer bleat or grunt to lure the Muleys. Both these callers have the same luring effect and works equally well for males and females.
Named for its large ears resembling those of a mule, the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)is indigenous to western North America. There are scientific indications that this specimen may have developed relatively recently through the interbreeding of the white-tailed and black-tailed deer, evolving from the white-tailed deer thousands of years ago. The mule deer has bigger ears and is generally also bigger in size than the white-tailed species. The most obvious difference is the color of their tails - the mule deer's tail has a black tip, while true to its name, the white-tailed ones have solid white tails.
These buck are herd animals and have a strong smell sense. Skilled hunters know how to check the wind directions in order not to scare them away. These days, there are several products on the market to make a hunter's life easier. Apart from camouflage dress, there are products that eliminate the human smell so that hunters can come close to their trophy buck without their scent giving them away. Another product is a spray that resembles the buck's urine to camouflage the human scent.
Finding the truly big bucks - those with racks wider than 30 inches or that have more than 190 inches of antler - is not so easy. Several measures - including drawing for tags - have been put into place since the 1990's to prevent the species from becoming extinct due to over-hunting, predators and famine due to weather conditions.
Since a serious decline in their numbers in the 1990's, several measures have been implemented to save this species from becoming extinct. Apart from humans, the mountain lion, gray wolves and coyotes pose the biggest threat. Thanks to altered tag allotments and other joint conservation efforts, the mule deer population has rebound and more records than ever are documented.
Hunting expeditions in these beautiful rocky mountains are probably the closest one can get to a true wild west experience. At some ranches, hunters have the choice to hunt from horseback, which enables them to cover vast areas without exhausting themselves. The views from some of these ranches are breathtaking and includes stretches of high prairie grass, rivers, rocky and forested canyons as well as mountain ranges such as Sierra Grande Mountain. This exquisite land is home to some of the largest rocky mountain mule deer.
Hunters and adventurers can embark on a 2-7 day hunt to conquer that coveted trophy buck. Only a few hunters are allowed during season to keep groups separate and to provide privacy and exclusivity. Experienced guides accompany the hunters and where needed, teach them the necessary hunting techniques. In most cases, the ratio is two hunters per guide, but one can also request a private guide at an additional cost.
The average price for a 5 day hunt is between $5,500 and R6,500. Apart from scrumptious meals and wild west-like ranch accommodation, the price includes all the basics such as state licencing, tax, landowner tags, guides and transportation. First time hunters can expect to learn a lot about hunting techniques and how to use the deer bleat or grunt to lure the Muleys. Both these callers have the same luring effect and works equally well for males and females.
Named for its large ears resembling those of a mule, the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)is indigenous to western North America. There are scientific indications that this specimen may have developed relatively recently through the interbreeding of the white-tailed and black-tailed deer, evolving from the white-tailed deer thousands of years ago. The mule deer has bigger ears and is generally also bigger in size than the white-tailed species. The most obvious difference is the color of their tails - the mule deer's tail has a black tip, while true to its name, the white-tailed ones have solid white tails.
These buck are herd animals and have a strong smell sense. Skilled hunters know how to check the wind directions in order not to scare them away. These days, there are several products on the market to make a hunter's life easier. Apart from camouflage dress, there are products that eliminate the human smell so that hunters can come close to their trophy buck without their scent giving them away. Another product is a spray that resembles the buck's urine to camouflage the human scent.
Finding the truly big bucks - those with racks wider than 30 inches or that have more than 190 inches of antler - is not so easy. Several measures - including drawing for tags - have been put into place since the 1990's to prevent the species from becoming extinct due to over-hunting, predators and famine due to weather conditions.
Since a serious decline in their numbers in the 1990's, several measures have been implemented to save this species from becoming extinct. Apart from humans, the mountain lion, gray wolves and coyotes pose the biggest threat. Thanks to altered tag allotments and other joint conservation efforts, the mule deer population has rebound and more records than ever are documented.
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