Mule Deer Hunting - Arizona Mule Deer Hunting
Come Hunt Mule Deer in Arizona with Country Ventures and you'll be in for a real treat!
You will have plenty of opportunity to hunt some of the best Mule deer habitat available in both Arizona. Be prepared to have the hunt of a life time!
Those who hunt in Arizona, are in for some non-stop action. We have highly managed ranches, that consistently produce quality animals. If you choose to hunt during the firearms seasons, expect to see upwards of three bucks a day. These bucks range in size from the 130's to the 150's. The primary means of hunting will include long hours of glassing with high quality optics. For you archery hunters, Arizona has two different seasons. If you choose to hunt the early season of August and September, the primary means of hunting will be spot and stalk, as well as sitting over water. For the serious rut hunter, we offer December and January hunts.
The most widespread and popular of Arizona's big-game animals are deer. The state has two distinct species, the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The Rocky Mountain mule deer is the most common deer found in Arizona. The mule deer is mostly found in western North America and was named for its ears, which are large like those of a mule.
Hunting a Mule Deer
Many people consider Mule deer to be the most common big game animal to hunt.
The Mule deer is much bigger than most of its eastern cousins. Mule Deer Bucks stand just over 30 inches at the shoulder and usually weigh about 200 pounds. Mule Deer Does average 150 pounds.
How to tell a Coues Deer from a Mule Deer?
Since these are the most common deer found in Arizona and New Mexico, it is helpful to know how to tell them apart.
The tail is the easiest way to distinguish these two deer species. Coues deer have a much wider tail that is white underneath, but not on top. The tail of the mule deer is much skinnier, very rope-like, and is white with a black tip. When Coues deer are excited, they will raise their tail ("flagging") which displays the white under the tail. The mule deer will not.
White-tailed deer generally live in small groups of 2-5, not large herds like mule deer.
White-tailed deer and mule deer have different behavior/strategies to avoid predators. Whitetails have a more natural run and will leap or trot away from danger. While, mule deer have a unique gait that is stiff-legged and bounds on all four legs at the same time (stotting).
If you can't see their tails, Coues and Mule deer can look similar. Coues have the characteristic white "halos" around their eyes and muzzle. Mule deer will have a lot more white on their faces, not just around the eyes and nose. Mule deer may also have more black color on their foreheads.
Most whitetails have antlers that have the tines coming directly off the main beam. Coues deer are no different. However, a mule deer has branching of the antlers where some tines come off other tines in a regular forked pattern. A young Coues and mule deer are very hard to tell apart. They both have just two points (forkhorn) on their antlers. Keep that in mind when using this feature to identify deer.
Description of Mule Deer*
The most noticeable differences between white-tailed and mule deer are the size of their ears, the color of their tails, and the configuration of their antlers. In many cases, body size is also a key difference. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail's is not. Mule deer antlers are bifurcated; they "fork" as they grow, rather than branching from a single main beam, as is the case with whitetails. Each spring, a buck's antlers start to regrow almost immediately after the old antlers are shed. Shedding typically takes place in mid-February, with variations occurring by locale. Although capable of running, mule deer are often seen stotting (also called pronking), with all four feet coming down together.
The mule deer is on average, a height of 31–42 inches at the shoulders and a nose-to-tail length ranging from 3.9 to 6.9 ft. Of this, the tail may comprise 4 to 9 in. Adult bucks (male deer) normally weigh 121–331 lb, averaging around 203 lb, although trophy specimens may weigh up to 460 lbs. Does (female deer) are rather smaller and typically weigh from 95 to 198 lb, with an average of around 150 lb. Unlike the whitetail, the mule deer does not generally show marked size variation across its range, although environmental conditions can cause considerable weight fluctuations in any given population.
General Information
Breeding Period: Fall
Young Appear: Spring
Average Number of Young: 2
Distribution: 4K-10K ft in central and southeastern Arizona
Habitat: Oak-grasslands, chaparral, and pine forests
Food Preference: Weeds, shrubs, mast, grass, mistletoe, and cacti fruits in season
Range: 4 sq. miles
Live Weight: M-203lbs.; F-150lbs.
Predators: coyotes, gray wolves, cougars, bobcats, wolverines, bears
We can video your hunt! Click Here for more information.
Good Hunting!
Call Brian at 417-876-8982
*Some information gathered from CouesWhiteTail.com and Arizona Fish and Game, Wikipedia.