Over the last few years, as the concern surrounding the impact of Chronic Wasting Disease has increased, we as outfitters and hunters are left searching for answers on how to deal with the impacts of CWD. There is no known cure for the disease which makes it a grave threat to infected herds of deer and elk.

So, what can be done, and what is being done? In 2019 I was asked to be a part of a CWD working group made up of public members. This group held a series of five public meetings in hopes of using input from the working group and the public to generate ideas and recommendations. Those recommendations would, in turn, be submitted to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department in an effort to aid with a CWD Management Plan moving forward. I gained a wealth of knowledge from these meetings and feel like the ideas that were generated will be beneficial for the Wyoming Game & Fish as they attempt to tackle one of the biggest challenges they face.

Hunting is seeing a huge resurgence in participation. This trend has excited the outfitter industry and we all find ourselves hoping it continues. With New Zealand, Africa, Europe and Canadian outfitters having to forgo their 2020 season, hunters looked to the west to satisfy their desire for adventure. Before the pandemic, many outfitters booked a year or two in advance. These days, with the increased stateside demand, traveling sportsmen are scrambling to secure their hunting opportunities in 2021, 2022 and beyond. SNS Outfitter & Guides phone calls and email volume has been at an unprecedented high volume this fall.

Mule deer hunts are, without a doubt, the hunt of which we have received the most inquiries. Wyoming mule deer hunting is a hot commodity. Wyoming is home to some of the wests finest mule deer hunting. SNS Outfitters offers mule deer hunting from the central Wyoming prairies to the 10,000 foot peaks in the Wyoming range in western Wyoming. Should a combination of mule deer and pronghorn antelope hunting be your interest, we suggest you plan ahead at least one year if not two years. Those of you investigating a Montana mule deer hunt, scheduling that a year ahead creates a window of opportunity to purchase a Montana preference point. Even just one Montana point will greatly increase your draw odds. Hunting Montana mule deer during their November rutting season is as good as it gets! 

Benny Tillerson is a great example of the experienced guides that SNS is so fortunate to have on staff. Benny has been a Wyoming antelope hunting guide and mule deer hunting guide for nearly 25 years. He has been hunting big game in Wyoming for well over 40 years. Benny is now a camp manager for SNS and specializes in antelope and mule deer hunts.

We recently sat down with Benny to discuss his favorite things about guiding, his tips on hunting, and recommendations for a Wyoming hunt. Here is what Benny had to say:

When it comes to big game in North America, trophy mule deer are among the most sought-after species. Weighing in at close to 300 pounds and reaching antler measurements of over 200 inches, mule deer are icons of the American west.

Mule deer are highly adaptable, ranging from river bottoms and high plains to alpine environments above timberline. From southwest deserts to coastal forests, mule deer hunting presents a variety of challenges.

Here in Wyoming and Montana, mule deer hunting is also diverse. Our hunts take place from open country on the high plains east of the Rockies, to the steep, rugged mountains of the Greys River. In any situation, hunting mature mule deer requires patience and determination. We recently spoke to some of our Montana and Wyoming hunting guides about their best tips for successfully hunting trophy mule deer. Here is what they had to say:

1. Glass Until It Hurts
Among our guides, there was one common theme when it comes to mule deer hunting: glass, glass and keep glassing. Most of our guides like to get to a high position early in the morning when it’s still dark, and set up behind their spotting scope or binoculars.

In many areas, mule deer like to feed and water throughout the night. This means that at first light, they can often be seen moving back to their bedding areas. Getting to a vantage point under the cover of darkness allows hunters to spot deer while they are still moving and plan a stalk.

Once mule deer lie down, they can be very difficult to spot, even in country that seems open and exposed. Many first time (and even veteran) mule deer hunters are surprised when a mule deer suddenly materializes on a hill covered in nothing but sagebrush. Catching them while they are moving is a major advantage, particularly when it comes to smart old bucks.

When getting into a vantage point in the morning, take special care not to skyline yourself. Even against a dark sky, your silhouette can be a dead giveaway.

2. Practice Patience
Mule deer tend to spend the middle of the day enjoying the shade. During these hours, patience and a quality spotting scope are your best tools. Even when you feel that you’ve covered the same hillsides a hundred times, stay patient and keep your eyes open.

When hunting mule deer, it’s important to stay alert and ready at all times. If you don’t see any action the first couple days of your hunt, it’s easy to let your guard down. Keeping your senses on full alert is critical, especially during a slow period when a quick opportunity might be your only opportunity. Wherever you find yourself, always be thinking about your shooting lanes, or where you’ll rest if an opportunity arises. Act like every situation will be the big one.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="241"] 2013 Wyoming Mule Deer Hunt


When you do spot that shooter buck, make sure you remain patient. If the buck isn’t already in shooting range, you will need to take your time and plan a stalk. If the deer is still moving toward his bedding area, it may require you to stay put. If you can watch where a deer beds down, it will often give you a great opportunity to plan a careful stalk.

The test of your patience may not end there either. Even after you are in range, you may have to wait on

the deer to give you a shot. If he’s lying behind an obstruction, you may be forced to wait until he stands up.

3. Be Physically Prepared
Mule deer hunting can be very physical. Once a buck is spotted, getting into position for a shot may not always be an easy task. This is particularly for hunters in the Greys River area or other steep country.  On these hunts, hunters should be ready to cover several miles a day through rugged country. All of our guides agree that the better shape you can be in, the better your chances of taking a mature mule deer buck.

Like antelope hunting, stalking mule deer may require a great deal of crawling on your hands and knees or belly. If you’re in the best shape possible, that final stalk should be fun and exhilarating, not a painful experience.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="222"] 2013 Montana Mule Deer Hunt


For more information on mule deer hunting with SNS Outfitter & Guides, please check out our mule deer hunting page. For other hunts, please visit our home page. You may also call us anytime at 307-266-4229 or request a free brochure.
SNS is Wyoming’s top outfitter and the number one antelope outfitter in North America. With more than 700,000 acres of private land, we offer more opportunity than any other outfitter in the state. We offer hunts for deer, antelope, elk, black bear and moose.

This is our third post in a series on mule deer hunting tips. In the first article, we shared our keys to glassing on a mule deer hunt, and in the second article, we offered a few tips on where to locate mule deer. In this post, we'd like to share with you some of our tips on stalking mule deer.

As we mentioned in the previous posts, we have seen a steady increase in the popularity of mule deer hunting over the last several years. Wyoming is one of the best places on earth to chase these magnificent animals and we continually receive questions about mule deer hunting opportunities. Their size, the challenge, and the spectacular country that they inhabit all combine to make for an unforgettable big game hunting experience.

After more than 30 years of hunting mule deer in Wyoming, we have see our share of successes and mistakes along the way. Mule deer are notoriously difficult to get close to. Stalking these animals requires a great deal of patience and care. Here are our top 5 tips for stalking mule deer:

1. Avoid unnatural noises.

You can often get away with natural noises like stepping on sticks or rolling a rock. But try to minimize any unnatural noise. Zippers and Velcro are the worst offenders. They will announce your presence to anything around. If you've never hunted in the high country, you will be shocked how far sound carries across these western landscapes. It's sometimes possible to listen to a conversation on the next ridge a half-mile away. In Wyoming, we see our fair share of wind. While that decreases the noise factor, it only makes game even more alert and nervous. Hence, the next two points...

2. Don’t skyline yourself.

Whenever you’re on the move, make every attempt not to skyline yourself on a hilltop or ridge. Travel below ridgelines and conceal your movements with hills, ravines or vegetation as much as possible. Mule deer have good vision and will pick out your silhouette on a skyline in a heartbeat.

3. Pay attention to the wind.

Wind isn’t as critical when rifle hunting as it is when hunting with a bow, but it’s still a factor. Pay attention to the wind and plan your stalk accordingly. Remember that unless there’s another prevailing wind, thermals will be dropping before sunrise and after sunset. When the sun is up, thermals will be moving uphill.

4. Be patient when you don’t have an approach.

If you spot deer but you can’t get within range because of a lack of cover or bad wind, don’t rush in. If you don’t bump them, they are likely to hold the same pattern and be in that area the next day. Mule deer are creatures of habit, much more so than elk. If you blow them out, you probably won’t see them again. But stay patient, and you'll likely get another shot.

5. Don’t bump the does.

If you find a group of does, act just like you would if it were a giant buck. Do everything you can to avoid bumping them. Even well before the rut, you never know when a buck will appear. When the run begins in November, this becomes even more critical. Glass long enough, and you might spot a buck hanging with the does. By keeping does in the area, there's a good chance a buck will turn up.

For more information on Wyoming mule deer hunts with SNS Outfitter & Guides, please visit our Mule Deer Hunting Page. For information on hunts for pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear, whitetail deer and other opportunities in Wyoming and Montana, be sure to visit our Home Page. You may also request a free color brochure or call us anytime with questions at 307-266-4229.

At SNS Outfitter & Guides, we've spent decades crafting some of the best hunting experiences in Wyoming, and one of our most sought-after offerings is our combination hunt.  Whether you're looking to chase a mule deer, pronghorn antelope, or elk, these hunts bring together incredible opportunities, stunning scenery, and top-tier accommodations. In our latest video, we had the pleasure of sitting down with two longtime SNS clients, Kevin Pollock & Curt Robinson, who have hunted with ...

Hunting the Rut in Mule Deer Country

November marks an exciting time in mule deer country—the rut is on! Mule deer and whitetail deer are the last of Wyoming and Montana's big game species to begin their annual breeding rituals. The action kicks off in late October, as bucks begin checking does for signs of estrus. By early November, the rut is in full swing and continues well into early December.

---

A Trophy Mule Deer Experience

Imagine standing on SNS Outfitter’s private Montana ranch lease, admiring the impressive antlers of a trophy mule deer buck. Guided hunts like these offer the perfect opportunity to witness the magic of mule deer behavior during the rut and take home a remarkable memory.