SNS Outfitters

Hunting the Rut in Mule Deer Country

14 December 2023
Team SNS
Categories: Guided Hunt, Hunting Camp, Montana Hunting, Montana Mule Deer Hunt, mule deer hunts, Wyoming Mule Deer Hunting
Tags: mule deer, mule deer country, mule deer hunting, trophy mule deer

Hunting the Rut in Mule Deer Country

Its November and the Mule Deer rut is on! Our Mule Deer and Whitetail are the last of our big game animals to go through their annual breeding season rituals. The action starts in the end of October with the bucks starting to check does for any signs of coming in heat. In early November the rut goes into full swing and can last well into early December.

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Taking a moment to admire this atypical trophy mule deer buck antlers on SNS Outfitter’s private Montana ranch lease on this guided hunt

Mating Mule Deer

The muley bucks go into the rut fat and sassy, but isn’t long before they start losing their body fat. As the rut progresses the bucks travel constantly trying to find the trail of a hot doe. Covering this much country really causes them to drop the body weight along with not taking the time to eat. By the end of the rut, the bucks look gaunt and have ribs showing. Once the rut ends, it’s a short window of time that the bucks have to recover the lost body weight and get ready to survive winter.

Mule Deer are not aggressive deer even during the breeding season. It’s not uncommon to see several bucks working a single doe. Rarely do you see buck mule deer lock antlers and fight. Mature bucks lift their heads into the air showing off the size of their racks to smaller competitors. Mule deer don’t gather harems like antelope and bull elk do.

 

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Strategy

Our hunting strategy this time of year is to find bands of does and then check them each day. If a doe is in estrus, she does the work of bringing the bucks to her. We hunt all day long and it’s not uncommon to find a trophy buck cold trailing in the middle of the day.

male hunter with trophy mule deer from a guided hunt with SNS Outfitter and guides in Montana hunters packing out a trophy mule deer from a guided hunt with SNS Outfitter and guides in Montana male hunter with trophy mule deer from a guided hunt with SNS Outfitter and guides in Montana

Book Your Hunt

It’s an exciting time to watch and observe mule deer but an even more exciting time to hunt them. Come find out for yourself what fun this hunt truly is! The Montana licensing system makes drawing a 2024 license very easy. Our office will assist you with the licensing and booking process. Call today with any questions or to get on the books for your 2024 Montana Mule Deer hunt! Reach us at 1-307-266-4229