Mule deer hunting with a bow and arrow was a whole new ball game for me. I had hunted whitetail deer for many  years but had never pursued the mule deer. It’s probably a good thing that I had “cut my teeth” hunting whitetail, because had I hunted mule deer first, I don’t think I ever would have developed the skills and patience to successfully hunt whitetail with a bow.

Keep in mind, that the opinions expressed here are my own and my experiences may not even come close to representing the experiences of other hunters. To me, hunting mule deer was a “piece of cake” when compared to whitetail hunting. I admit that the methods I chose to use and the area I hunted probably had a lot to do with this perception.

My partner and I have been operating an archery only outfitting service for several years and for a couple of  years in the late 1990’s we operated a day hunting service for mule deer and javelina on a ranch in far west Texas. Big Bend National Park area to be exact. In fact, the ranch we hunted was bordered on three sides by the park. To gain access to the ranch required traveling into the park 13 miles.

There are no cattle or other livestock in the national park, therefore the only water available to the game is the very limited amount of natural water found in a few springs and of course the Rio Grande river on the southern border of the park.  The ranch we hunted was dotted with several natural springs and numerous water troughs that held water obtained from wells drilled on the ranch for the purpose of watering livestock.

This abundant water supply made the ranch an ideal habitat for any wildlife in the area.  The ranch held a large population of mule deer, javelina, quail, dove, various varmints, cougar and even an occasional black bear. Everything for miles around came to the water troughs and springs to drink on a daily basis.

Our strategy for hunting this ranch was to build ground blinds around the water troughs and springs. To hunt a tree stand on that ranch, you’d have to bring your own tree! We built ground blinds using T-posts and hog wire, tying in various types of brush, cacti, yucca and whatever else we could find to use for cover.  These were built within bow range of the water sources and made excellent ambush points.

Sooner or later, everything had to come to water, so it was mostly a matter of getting in the blind early and staying there until the game you were looking for appeared. Most shots were 20 yards or less and the open terrain made for some pretty easy shooting. I know this does not even compare with the methods necessary to hunt these great deer in the wooded habitat of the mountains, but it worked well for us in this environment.

The first year we operated the day hunts, we took 25 hunters and killed 21 mule deer. The second year we took 30 hunters and killed 25 mule deer. Also took numerous javelina both years. And these were all bow kills!

One of the things I enjoyed the most about hunting mule deer is their “laid back” demeanor as compared to whitetails. They don’t seem to spook to the next county when they see a hunter like a whitetail will. This possibly had something to do with this ranch never having been bow hunted before. Also, they don’t have the tendency to “jump the string” like whitetails. Another thing that was certainly an advantage for me is the fact that they are a considerably bigger target than I’m accustomed to with whitetail.

These great animals are an absolute pleasure to hunt and although the methods I’ve described might not work in other areas, I think it’s a safe bet to say they will if you are hunting the arid desert country where we hunted. Hunting from the ground was a new experience for me and something I long to do again.

By John Shelley