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.
During a typical deer hunt at one of the New Mexico ranches, two hunters are accompanied by a guide. If you want a guide for yourself, it will cost you an additional $150.00. The average success rate on top end bucks in this stunning part of the "Land of Enchantment" is 70%. Most ranches only allow a very limited number of hunters annually to keep it exclusive.
A five day hunt can cost you anything from $5,500 to $6,500. Prices include all necessary landowner tags, state licenses, state tax, meals, lodging, guides and transportation around the ranch. Game processing, taxidermy and gratuities will cost you extra.
The mule deer was named for its large donkey-like ears and is indigenous to the west side of North America. Apart from their bigger ears, they are generally also bigger in size than the ancient white-tailed deer from which they are believed to have evolved. Adult males can weigh anything from 92 kg - 210 kg, while the females can weigh from 43 kg to 90 kg. The mule deer also has a typical black-tipped tail that differentiates it from the white-tailed species.
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.
During a typical deer hunt at one of the New Mexico ranches, two hunters are accompanied by a guide. If you want a guide for yourself, it will cost you an additional $150.00. The average success rate on top end bucks in this stunning part of the "Land of Enchantment" is 70%. Most ranches only allow a very limited number of hunters annually to keep it exclusive.
A five day hunt can cost you anything from $5,500 to $6,500. Prices include all necessary landowner tags, state licenses, state tax, meals, lodging, guides and transportation around the ranch. Game processing, taxidermy and gratuities will cost you extra.
The mule deer was named for its large donkey-like ears and is indigenous to the west side of North America. Apart from their bigger ears, they are generally also bigger in size than the ancient white-tailed deer from which they are believed to have evolved. Adult males can weigh anything from 92 kg - 210 kg, while the females can weigh from 43 kg to 90 kg. The mule deer also has a typical black-tipped tail that differentiates it from the white-tailed species.
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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