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t was the old buck’s forked antlers that gave him away. The distinct “sling shot” shape was out of place in the dead mesquite bush. He was just 200 yards off the dusty ranch road. My 10X binoculars confirmed it was indeed a bedded buck, and a good one at that. I guessed the mature 10-point buck’s rack with deep forks would score 160 inches. A solid Texas mulie. He was fresh out of velvet with some red color to his antlers. It was opening day of Texas’ short pronghorn season. I was hunting in the northwestern Panhandle. We were looking for pronghorns, but in that patchy brush on the south end of the ranch, mule deer often share similar habitat. Opening day of pronghorn season was also opening day for whitetail and mule deer archery season in that county last year. Just for such a possibility, I’d insisted that our host carry his bow. The buck was bedded with his eyes to the south. He could see a predator coming that way and smell one if it came from behind due to the wind direction. The first part of the stalk went easy enough. My friend was inside 100 yards working
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into the crosswind and dodging behind mesquites. Watching through binoculars, I noticed the buck’s ears suddenly swiveled. Not his whole head, just his ears. He’d heard something out of place. The buck stood to his feet, glared behind him at my friend’s camouflaged form, then bounded for the horizon. Months later, when the general mule deer season was over, I asked my friend if he ever saw that buck again. “Not once,” he said. As the old saying goes, they don’t get big by being stupid!
About Texas mule deer Texas is home to scattered herds of mule deer. The majority live in either the Trans-Pecos or Panhandle regions. According to TPWD Mule Deer and Pronghorn Program leader Shawn Gray, mule deer numbers have been increasing over the last decade. Gray shared the following details about Texas mule deer and some interesting facts on a recent study conducted in the Panhandle to determine how far mule deer travel to feed on agricultural crops.
Expect rifle shots in open country from 100-300 yards. Attach a bipod to your rifle, carry shooting sticks, rest the rifle on a fence post or shoot prone with the gun over a backpack. Do whatever you can to steady the crosshairs before taking the shot. January/February 2022
The Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunters — THE VOICE OF TEXAS HUNTING®
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