Snow continued to fall as I worked my way through the small patch of quaking aspen. The once dry and noisy leaves that blanketed the ground were now wet and soft, allowing me to sneak quietly towards the spot where I missed a trophy buck the day before. Im not exactly sure why I missed because the buck was standing broadside at 150 yards staring at me through an opening in the quakies. Granted, it was an offhand shot, but I still feel that I shouldnt have missedbut I did! The buck bounded through the trees and disappeared in a matter of seconds.

I wasnt sure if I would ever lay eyes on the buck again, but the next day found me on the same mountain again. I felt confident that if I worked my way through the patch of quakies the buck was in the day before, and was patient, I would have a second chance at the buck if he was still in the area.

The going was slow. I kept picking the trees apart with my binos, but there was no sign of the buck. When I approached the exact spot that I had seen the buck the day before, I slowed down to a snails pace. Finally, my slow pace and patience paid off. Seventy-five yards ahead I could just make out parts of a deer standing broadside. It was him. Even as slow as I was going, the buck already had me pegged. I didnt have a shot, but if I took two steps to my right I would have a good shooting lane. I took one slow step, the buck remained dead still. I took the second and luckily, the buck still remained motionless. I slowly raised my rifle and pressed it against a four-inch diameter quakie tree. I eased the safety off and settled the crosshairs just behind his front shoulder and pulled the trigger. As the rifle recoiled, I lost sight of the buck momentarily. When I regained sight of him, he disappeared behind a couple of tall pine trees.

Knowing that there was no way I could miss the buck for a second time, I slowly walked up to where he was standing and just as I thought, there were large amounts of blood in the snow where he had stood. After following his tracks for about 40 yards, I could see him laying on the ground up ahead behind the two large pine trees.

I had taken several nice bucks in the past, but this was the first buck I had taken that would score over 185 B&C. The buck was only 25 inches wide, but was very tall. The buck took first place in the typical mule deer category in a contest held by the North American Hunting Club that year. I was hooked. Ever since that day, I have wanted to take it to the next level.

Since then, mule deer hunting has become my passion. I can honestly say that there are not many days that go by that I dont think about mule deer. Just ask my wife and kids. It is definitely a passion to me. According to my wife, Cheryl, it is an obsession. Shes probably right. I guess when you think of something 365 days a year that would qualify as an obsession. Luckily, Cheryl has been very understanding over the years. Considering the amount of time I spend in the hills, its a miracle that our marriage has survived.

I can tell you right now, upfront, that public land trophy hunting for mule deer is not for everyone. It is not nearly as glamorous as most people make it out to be. Not only do you need to be physically fit, but you need to be mentally strong as well. It takes a totally different mindset to be successful at trophy hunting. But if it is something you want to try, continue reading on and we will take a look at several important items, as well as get to know mule deer a little bit better.

Public land trophy mule deer bucks have become one of the most sought after big game animals in the last 10 years. Most people who set out after a trophy mule deer, however, return home empty-handed or with a lesser buck than what they initially set their sights on. What makes killing a trophy mule deer so tough? One reason is because very few public land deer live long enough to grow a trophy sized set of antlers. The odds are stacked against them from day one. Between predators, hunting seasons, poachers and harsh winters, only a small percentage will make it to maturity. Proof of this is a radio collar study conducted in Idaho back in the 1980s. Radio collars were put on 30 deer of which eight were bucks. Within three years, seven of the eight bucks were dead. Four of them were harvested during hunting seasons, one was illegally taken by a poacher, one winter-killed and one road-killed. That left one sole survivor, which incidentally, spent all summer and fall in an adjacent state.

Although some mule deer grow trophy racks at the age of 4 years old, most bucks start growing trophy antlers at the age of 5 years old. They will normally grow four to five good sets of antlers before dying of old age. Most bucks in the Rocky Mountains simply do not live past 10 years of age. One of the main reasons for this is most bucks at that age dont have any teeth left. Their teeth are worn completely down to the gum line, which results in them not getting enough nutrition to survive the winter. One of my bucks, the buck I call Curly, was aged at 9 years old and his teeth were worn all the way down to the gum line. Even if I hadnt harvested him, there is absolutely no way he would have made it through another winter.

When a buck reaches the ripe old age of 5 years, he is a veteran of many hunting seasons and chances are he wont be harvested. I talked with a game and fish biologist several years back and he told me that he believed that 80% of the bucks that live to be 5 years old will never be harvested. I firmly believe this. I have confirmed this while watching bucks on the winter range as well. Most of the mature bucks on the winter range return year after year without being harvested, only to die of old age. Is this because they are super smart? No, they are not super intelligent. They simply have found ways of avoiding hunting pressure. They are true survivors. They dont necessarily live in the most rugged, out of the way places. Instead, they will seek out areas with the least amount of hunting pressure. Sometimes, this might be right next to a road, house or even a subdivision...