High priority Mule deer

[Predator]

If you had enough priority to get drawn anywhere in the province, where would you want to draw. Why?

[binocular]

Saskatchewan!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by Predator

If you had enough priority to get drawn anywhere in the province, where would you want to draw. Why?

In a 100 series wmu that gives out the least amount of tags so you can have a quility hunt and still have a chance on a good buck.

[nube]

I'm sitting on 10 years worth of points and still have no idea where to go. I want a 190+ inch deer and I really don't know where in this province you could go and have a good chance at getting one

[double gun]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

In a 100 series wmu that gives out the least amount of tags so you can have a quility hunt and still have a chance on a good buck.

X2 that was my plan, but my only contact down there moved.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

I'm sitting on 10 years worth of points and still have no idea where to go. I want a 190+ inch deer and I really don't know where in this province you could go and have a good chance at getting one

Wait until 2016 Phil, and I'll show you plenty if you want a 190" plus deer

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by nube

I'm sitting on 10 years worth of points and still have no idea where to go. I want a 190+ inch deer and I really don't know where in this province you could go and have a good chance at getting one

Thats a good problem to have,because chaseing them dummies around takes away time from hunting whitetail.

[nube]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Thats a good problem to have,because chaseing them dummies around takes away time from hunting whitetail.

Ya I never have hunted Mule deer seriously. I have about 5 that are 172-185 but no real good ones. I would like a couple 200+ before I die but need to get more serious about it.

Tork I may have to come visit ya. How did you do this year?

[Cowtown guy]

I'm in the same boat (P6) so I can't draw anywhere yet. I want to kill a good Bull moose (P7) this fall, thanks for the help to a fellow AO member for that, and then concentrate on a good Mulie next year.
I have killed a few bucks but haven't put the time in to get a big one yet. My biggest is around 155 or so.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

Ya I never have hunted Mule deer seriously. I have about 5 that are 172-185 but no real good ones. I would like a couple 200+ before I die but need to get more serious about it.

Tork I may have to come visit ya. How did you do this year?

This year was tuff, that's why I figure 2016 should be good to go. I spent 54 days in the field and looked at over 700 mule deer bucks. I saw one close to 190-195 ish that I couldn't get access to and another close to that one that was light and needed at couple more years. I should have shot the light one, let him walk at 60 yards lol
All private land hunting but I know a guy

[H380]

Originally Posted by nube

Ya I never have hunted Mule deer seriously. I have about 5 that are 172-185 but no real good ones. I would like a couple 200+ before I die but need to get more serious about it.

Tork I may have to come visit ya. How did you do this year?

Wouldn't we all like a couple 200's ..or maybe even one ..With a 10 in your pocket I would be real selective where I picked .

[buckman]

If we had the same regs as Saskatchewan it could happen.Far to many good bucks shot by non residents.

[oilngas]

dont draw where an outfitter is working, access will be very hard.

[roger]

there always seems ot be a cranker come out of wainwright base in primitive season but thats not a mulie hunt obviously, but if was after a big mulie id start there and that would be every four years.
i was after antleope in 102 this year and counted lots of mulies in the short time i was there, but lots of traffic and posted too.
Peace country has been good to us in the past and is nice place, not sure if it has recovered from the 'hard snows'.
pm coming nube

[7 REM MAG]

No need to derail the thread with resident/non-resident comments. Looks like from last years results, 132, 134, 138, 208, 214, 305, 306, 357, 358, 402, 521, 522, all seem to have the majority of tags going to priority 7 or higher. Now does this mean they're the best zones to hunt? No, but it does mean they're the most in demand zones in the province. Looks like theres a decent spread in the type of hunting the would take place in each area, just seems like you need to decide on where you want to hunt, foothills/mountains vs. prairie vs. northern alberta.

[Predator]

Originally Posted by nube

I'm sitting on 10 years worth of points and still have no idea where to go. I want a 190+ inch deer and I really don't know where in this province you could go and have a good chance at getting one

Thats the boat I'm in. Tons of priority that I don't want to burn on a gamble. I want to make sure that my research points me in the direction of a great hunt with a chance at a representative mule deer. A 200"er isnt even on the radar as Ive never been a serious mulie hunter but something at least decent would be nice.

[Deer Hunter]

Having big priority and translating that into a 200" mule deer is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Most big mule deer that live on accesssable land get killed by bowhunters early.
Most big mule deer that get shot in rifle season come off posted and patrolled private land.
There are maybe a handful of 200" mule deer in this province every year. If it was me, I would get drawn as often as possible in an area that has good mule deer country and good access. And have fun. 200" isn't a realistic goal no matter how many points you have. IMO

[Secret coulee]

You are 100% spot on with your post deer hunter.

[Predator]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

Having big priority and translating that into a 200" mule deer is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Most big mule deer that live on accesssable land get killed by bowhunters early.
Most big mule deer that get shot in rifle season come off posted and patrolled private land.
There are maybe a handful of 200" mule deer in this province every year. If it was me, I would get drawn as often as possible in an area that has good mule deer country and good access. And have fun. 200" isn't a realistic goal no matter how many points you have. IMO

I have no doubt that that is the case, which is why I said something of that size isnt even on my radar. I just want a great hunt and a representative deer.
I completely agree that multiple draws in an area and learning that specific area and the deer in it would be preferable. I'm beyond that now though. Other draws have always taken priority, but I still applied (999) for MD every year. Hence a large amt of priority. Now that I have it, I wouldnt want to burn it on a P3 or 4 area, if a P7, 8 or 9 ensured me a better hunt with better deer. That was the reasoning behind starting this thread.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

Having big priority and translating that into a 200" mule deer is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Most big mule deer that live on accesssable land get killed by bowhunters early.
Most big mule deer that get shot in rifle season come off posted and patrolled private land.
There are maybe a handful of 200" mule deer in this province every year. If it was me, I would get drawn as often as possible in an area that has good mule deer country and good access. And have fun. 200" isn't a realistic goal no matter how many points you have. IMO

If you pick the right year and right zone a 200" deer is entirely possible. I was off by a year maybe two on when I should have taken my draw. But in 2 years if the winters are like the one we just had I know several zones I'd bet on that would produce multiple 200" plus deer. I didn't find one this year but I have now seen 4 that are pushing that mark come out of the same zone I hunted. I've also seen 4 other deer from alberta this year that smash the 200" mark.
If you want a big deer applying in sub par zones and hoping for a miracle is not the way to go about it. Many zones are draw for archery now and the non-resident allocations have been reduced in many of the zones I hunt along with resident numbers.
If the winters hold out for a couple years you are going to see some absolute pigs getting killed.
I guess if the landowners down south are collectively trying to eliminate all access for hunting to their land it might be a lot different then where I hunt.

[Deer Hunter]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

If you pick the right year and right zone a 200" deer is entirely possible.

If you want a big deer applying in sub par zones and hoping for a miracle is not the way to go about it.

Different areas have different issues that's for sure.
From what I have seen, you are absolutely crazy to pass a gross 180" deer in south and east central Alberta. This is an exceptional trophy by anyones standards.

Seeing a 200" mule buck is actually a "miracle". You can pre-plan all you want but that's my take.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

Different areas have different issues that's for sure.
From what I have seen, you are absolutely crazy to pass a gross 180" deer in south and east central Alberta. This is an exceptional trophy by anyones standards.

Seeing a 200" mule buck is actually a "miracle". You can pre-plan all you want but that's my take.

I agree those big bucks aren't around every corner by any means. I didn't realize the size of deer had fallen that drastically down south.

[nube]

back in the day it was not hard to find a 190 inch deer if you had some access and did some homework and passed up some decent deer. i don't expect to knock over a 200" deer every year but I would like to kill a couple before I die. If I lived in Saskatchewan it would not be as hard. We have all i takes we just don't have the management.

[hayseed]

Nube, Im the same bud, P10 as well, I do have 2 on the wall that are 160 - 170 typicals ( rough score ) But lookin for that knarly guy with junk for a final shot for a good muley.

I have seen one east of Lacombe 2 yrs ago, unreal. I seriously almost hit the ditch... Well over 200" NT...
Shes a long wait and don't want to waste it for sure.

[elkhunter11]

I am a P-11 for antlered mule deer, and I will likely use 999 for one more year, as I retire this summer, and want to spend some serious scouting time before deciding where to apply.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by nube

back in the day it was not hard to find a 190 inch deer if you had some access and did some homework and passed up some decent deer. i don't expect to knock over a 200" deer every year but I would like to kill a couple before I die. If I lived in Saskatchewan it would not be as hard. We have all i takes we just don't have the management.

You make it sound like you are old. It's still easy to find bigger mulies if you don't look so hard that you overlook them. I still see mulies that look like elk in the parkland WMU 200's near edmonton... in recent years too. A few of the big mulies are usually behind no hunting signs.

[crblair]

Wainwright area always has good Mulie numbers. I've seen some solid bucks there too. Unfortunately never when I have a tag though. Lol

[wylecoyote]

In a good zone a 200" deer is possible. You would have to put in serious time and pass up on 180-190" deer but not impossible. On that note, I love hunting multiple animals every year and I have no qualms when I look up at the two 180-185" mule deer on my wall. To answer the original question, I would hunt east central, or southern zones after two years of good winters. You would find a big boy then.

[Phshrmn]

Wmu 732

[J.B.]

The guys who know where to go, are not going to say so on here. That being said, there are surprises in every zone. Personally I would hunt the zones nobody is talking about.