From Mule Deer to Whitetails

32 Seasons on a Legendary Wyoming Ranch

Thirty-two seasons ago, in 1994, SNS Outfitter began guiding hunts in the northeast corner of Wyoming near the small town of Newcastle. It was here, on the edge of Wyoming's famed Black Hills, that a hunting legacy began.

This corner of the state is well known today for its strong populations of whitetail deer and Merriam turkeys, but back then, the story looked very different.

In those early years, this country was mule deer country.

Back When It Was All Mule Deer

When SNS first began hunting this ranch, whitetail deer were scarce. Mule deer dominated the landscape, roaming the rugged ridges and expansive hayfields that define this unique piece of Wyoming.

Steve Berdahl, SNS co-founder and longtime guide, grew up in Newcastle and knew firsthand just how special the mule deer hunting was in this area. Through Steve's local knowledge and relationships, the ranch owners were introduced to SNS and more than three decades later, that partnership remains strong.

Those early seasons produced what many hunters still dream about today:
mature, chocolate-horned mule deer bucks, taken the hard way.

We hunted on foot, hiking the mountain mahogany-covered ridges surrounding the hayfields. Many of the bucks harvested in those years were large enough they had to be quartered and packed out on our backs, a testament to both the terrain and the style of hunting that defined that era. It was raw, physical, and deeply rewarding. 

A Shift on the Landscape

Over time, subtle changes began to appear.

One season, a small group of whitetail deer showed up near the ranch headquarters. At first, they weren't hunted, our focus remained firmly on mule deer. But year after year, the number of whitetails steadily increased.

At the same time, we began noticing something else:
mule deer numbers were declining.

This decline coincided with a noticeable increase in mountain lion numbers. From years of firsthand observation, it became clear that lion predation played a major role in the mule deer population drop. Mule deer tend to inhabit rugged, brush-heavy terrain, exactly the kind of country that makes them especially vulnerable to mountain lions.

The timing wasn't coincidental. As predator pressure increased, mule deer numbers suffered. 

The Rise of Whitetails

As mule deer numbers declined, whitetail populations exploded.

Naturally, our hunting focus shifted with the landscape. We took fewer mule deer hunters and began concentrating more on whitetail deer hunting. With abundant feed, limited pressure, and careful management, whitetail numbers flourished and so did trophy quality.

Today, this ranch continues to hold a large population of mature whitetail bucks. Quality is maintained through strict management, limiting the annual harvest to no more than 10 bucks per season.

This approach has allowed the herd to age properly, producing consistent opportunities at exceptional whitetail deer year after year.

Looking Ahead

In recent seasons, we've begun to see small increases in mule deer numbers, but we continue to avoid putting any hunting pressure on them. Wyoming's wildlife populations are always in motion rising, falling, and adapting with time, habitat, and management.

One thing remains certain:
these landscapes, and the stories they hold, continue to shape who we are as outfitters and hunters.

From mule deer-packed ridges in the early 1990s to today's thriving whitetail hunts, this ranch stands as a living chapter of SNS history and a reminder that hunting is about far more than a single season.