Biggest muley?

[mattobertin]

What is the biggest mule deer any of you have taken out of the desert in arizona and what unit was it? The reason I ask is I have put in alot of hours this last archery season trying to arrow a "GOOD" buck but have only really even seen one buck that I wanted to shoot (probably a 190-200 incher!) Just seems like there is'nt as many deer as there used to be. Not that that is going to stop me from going this last weekend of the season!

 

[cjcj]

Unit 23 north of Roosevelt lake... but that was 25 yrs ago.... check the A-cross road and hunt north all the way up to the bluffs west of the young road... if you glass north from the A-cross you will see several canyons that have water/springs... look for trees and heavy vegetation in those area`s....pigs/deer are still around.....but finding a 200+ won`t be easy in any unit.

 

[BOHNTR]

Aaahhhh, one of my favorite hunts......the archery rut hunt for desert mule deer. Here's a 192" gross/187" net P&Y desert mule deer we arrowed in 2003. So far, this is the largest "desert" mule deer ever arrowed in Arizona (according to the BIA). They do exist.......but are rare, especially with the continual declining deer herd.

Years of continual drought coupled with exploding predator populations have impacted Arizona's desert mule deer drastically, IMO. Hope you enjoy the photo:

 

[Basser]

(probably a 190-200 incher!)

If you've seen one that big in the desert then you should be back in the same area for the last weekend.

We've been chasing a big 4-point that shows up whenever he feels like it. Couple weeks ago he was chasing a single doe and walking towards a great ambush point....but then vanished. Guess they get that big for a reason.

 

[Larry Landgren]

My biggest desert muley is only a 150 class buck. I stuck a big 4x4 last saturday that was about 30-33" wide with deap forks that had to of been 14-16" deep. with his width, height and the length of his points I guessed him close to scoring 200".

I shot him saturday at 1:30 pm at 59 yards as he was walking away from me at a angle. I hit him a little to far back tho. I gave him around 20+ minutes before I started following blood. We followed the blood untell it got dark on us about 3 miles later. We were back up there the next day at day light and when I knew it was going to be tough since it had been raining again for a few hours. We looked for that buck the whole day with no luck. I have not been able to get back out because of work related issues but I will be out there the whole weekend looking for him again.

 

[mattobertin]

Basser

Yes I am definately going after that buck again so far he is the best mule deer I have seen in the wild. I got 80 yards from him Three weekends ago but there were too many eyes. Then last weekend I found the same deer almost a mile away! I got about 40 yards from him and a small forky was in between him and i at 25 yards that I did'nt see so he spooked the rest of the deer and I did'nt get a shot.

 

[mattobertin]

cjcj

i have been eyeing that area for a long time and have never actually hunted it but it looks awesome back there maybe i will start scouting it for next season.

 

[The Hedgehog]

59 yard bow shot while the animal was moving??

 

[Spitz]

Shooting a buck at 59 yards while it's walking away at an angle sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[mattobertin]

Bohunter

Thanks for the pic that is a monster buck the one that I keep seeing is about that size with a huge body hopefully i can find him again this weekend! Don't give up your spot but what part of the state did you kill him in?

 

[BOHNTR]

It's my hunting partner's buck (guy on left).....we weren't too far from Tombstone.

 

[Larry Landgren]

Shooting a buck at 59 yards while it's walking away at an angle sounds like a recipe for disaster.

yes it does but I have done it before and recovered them. I know better not to take a shot like that but I got excited and I have been chasing this buck all year long

 

[cjcj]

I used to fling them like "Sparticus" vs. the Greeks hump

 

[SneakyJake]

I nick-named one of my hunting partners Legolas. We he sees deer, the arrows just start flying. I can't calm him down. Finally just started taking cover.