diamond mule deer the hunter call of the wild

Saskatchewan has long produced big mule deer. In 2014, Brett Ross, hunting on public land, took a non-typical officially scored at 292-7/8, now No. That doesn't mean the gene pool is lacking.

Colorado has also produced half the Top Ten typical mule deer but, interestingly, none of the Top Ten non-typicals. So Colorado has the most mule deer and, by far, has produced the most record bucks in recent years. These numbers comprise both typical and non-typical entries. Since 2000 the top six states and provinces in producing mule deer that were entered into B&C's records are Colorado (397), Saskatchewan (157), Wyoming (110), Utah (97), Idaho (89), and New Mexico (86). If you're looking for big mule deer, a sound tactic is to hunt where the big bucks are. Their credo is that their record book honors the animal as much as the hunter, and in these days when trophy hunting is under fire, they believe their records provide valuable historical data and population trends. The Boone and Crockett Club is a dedicated conservation organization with record keeping just one of its many functions. If you are one of those die-hard 'B&C or bust' hunters, such bucks are out there, but be prepared to spend lots of time looking. For all but the most selective die-hard hunters, a mule deer buck in the 170s is a big buck and an attainable goal. A mule deer buck that approaches 180 points will probably be fairly mature, with long beams, good points, and likely decent mass. This is fine, too, but beam and tine length and mass are generally more important than spread. Hunters also often talk about outside spread, with a 30-inch buck being the Holy Grail. True non-typicals are rare, and I've never seen one that would approach 215 inches, but I've taken several typical bucks that exceed 180 inches. B&C also has a three-year award period with an associated book, and the minimums are lower: 180 inches typical, 215 inches non-typical. These are lofty minimums few hunters will see such mule deer in their lifetimes, and fewer still will take them. For inclusion into B&C's all-time Records of North American Big Game, the minimums are 190 inches for typical bucks and 230 inches for non-typicals. For the actual record book score, differences from one antler to the other are also deducted.

B&C measures mule deer by the sum, in inches and fractions, of beam length, point length, and four circumferences on each antler, plus inside spread. The ultimate yardstick is the Boone and Crockett record-keeping system.

Diamond mule deer the hunter call of the wild