Mule Deer

E-scouting mule deer in Colorado involves targeting high-altitude, south-facing slopes, basins, and alpine areas in summer/early fall, and shifting focus to lower-elevation sagebrush, oak brush, and pinyon-juniper benches during late-season migration.

Mule deer hunts are best planned 1 to 2 years in advance. The process includes selecting a reputable outfitter that aligns with your hunting needs, securing tags (typically through state draws), and defining your trophy goals.

To find mule deer in Wyoming, focus your e-scouting on transition areas where mountainous inclines meet agricultural areas, sagebrush foothills, and riparian bottoms. These zones are especially prevalent in the southern Absarokas (Units 117–120) and the Bighorn Mountains.

Many hunters make a common error when high country mule deer hunting, often costing them a fridge full of venison: not spending enough time behind the scope. 

Muleys would have to be up there in terms of hunting difficulty, so how do you hunt them successfully? Their use of harsh terrain, elevation, and highly attuned and acute senses, including large ears, means they're built for evasion.

Muleys are a mainstay of the North American hunting list and a symbol of a classic Western hunt. As you plan your hunts this season, you need to know the best states to hit up for a mule deer hunt.

Trophy mule deer are one of the most sought-after species of the North American big game. Unlike whitetail deer, mule deer are more commonly found in areas west of the Mississippi River and, more specifically, along the Rocky Mountain regions. 

If you’ve ever glassed a high country meadow or sagebrush flat in the desert as the sun slips below the ridgeline above, chances are you may have spotted an icon of the American West: the mule deer.

While North Dakota is renowned for its duck and goose hunting, the lesser-known but equally thrilling whitetail and mule deer opportunities make this state a versatile and exciting hunting destination.

There are plenty of places to hunt mule deer in the U.S., but one of the most sought-after locations to hunt these deer is the Arizona Strip.

Each year, hundreds, if not thousands, of hunters traverse across state lines to hunt the quarry that another state might have to offer. For some, this might mean leaving Ohio to cash in your Colorado moose points. For others, it might mean leaving the elk woods of Wyoming to head to Iowa for whitetail. 

The better you prepare for a hunt, the more likely you will be successful. GPS technology and apps like HuntWise are changing the way hunters prepare for hunts in unknown territories. When you are about to embark on a backcountry big game hunt, e-scouting or digital scouting enables you to view the land you are about to hunt by using GPS and mapping layers.