Big mule bucks

[shedcrazy]

I was hoping to see some pics of some big mule bucks (180+) either dead or alive!! I have spent hrs scouting and hunting and I am starting to doubt how I am scoring them on the hoof.
I read and talk to lots of guys saying they have saw or dropped 180s this year so I would like to see what makes a really big mule buck.

So lets see some 180+ mule buck pics....

[Bushmaster]

OK, its last years pic but I think he qualifies....

[mulecrazy]

here ya go. gross 197 NT net 191 NT

[Bulletproof]

it seems to me that most of the 180's that people say they shoot are more like 170 class deer. It can be really difficult to judge deer cause once they get to that 170 frame they all look similar at a glance. A big 180 inch buck will usually have a larger body and more mass than a 170.

[mulecrazy]

The biggest bodied deer I have ever seen was only about 165ish in antlers. You can't judge the horns by the body size. Heck, The Hanson buck was unusually small in body size.

[Bulletproof]

Well yes you can... to a point. What I meant was that If you see 2 deer that look to have similar antlers in relation to their body but one deer is obviously young and only in the 250 pound range but the other one is closer to 350 then even if they both look the same the bigger bodied deer will have much better scoring antlers. Unless you saw the 2 deer side by side they could look the same.

Last year we arrowed a deer that looked to me like a 165 or so inch buck but had a huge body and it scored just under 180.

[packhuntr]

Some can be pretty tough to judge. There are a thousand and one configurations and ways to come up with some solid inches. They dont all look the same. Some can have tines and width, but no mass or main beams etc etc. You need to handle as many mule deer racks as you can get your hands on, and spend time in the field spotting and judging. It will come. Once you start getting good, paper score everything you see while on the front seat of the truck, and do it off memory once you start getting good paper scoring through a spotting scope. Keep a daytimer in the truck for just that, a deer a page. Note on the sheet where and when you saw him. If a buddy takes the deer, you can cross reference your score to what he actually goes. Heck, some deer will be worth remembering anyways, and if you are looking at enough good ones, its tricky to remember them all. Score all your buddies deer, etc etc. You get the point. In the end, if its a slammer your looking for, and you have to stare at a buck and second guess yourself, you probuably need to walk away from him. There should be no doubt, and when you see that caliber of critter you for the most part will know it. But like i said, there will be exceptions, and some are just plain tough to judge. Practice so you dont let a slammer walk and end up scoring him for a buddy.

[mulecrazy]

I guess you could look at it that way. I try not to use their body size in comparing it to the antlers. I will use the ears to judge width but leave it at that. It can be decieving though. I find it easier to judge the antlers than the weight. 50 pounds is tiny while looking at a deer 300 yards away in the scope. A common mistake is comparing the bucks to does. Major differences no matter what the age.

[packhuntr]

Bulletproof, i think you are using the wrong things to get you started initially judging a deer on the hoof. Rather than using things that arent constant, try using something relatively static to start. Try using an ear as a start point maybe.

[Bulletproof]

The problem with ears is that they can vary alot from deer to deer and zone to zone. I usually look at the eye to nose. for tine length

I do agree that you have to practise alot though. I was just saying that the hardest part to judge is usually the body size and this can make biig deer look small or vice-versa.

[Jamie]

Depth/length of tines is also VERY important.

Jamie

[pottymouth]

The best way to learn is guess them, shoot them then tape them. Refrence the buck you shot last year and you'll always be close to figuring out a score on this years buck. But now that takes to long, i enjoy shed hunting, and when i find sheds , take them and try to guess the score, then i take out the tape a see how close i am. After hundreds of diffrent sheds, and going to horn measurings and guessing scores there before they post them i usually can get with in 3-5 inches. We all used to play a game with deer in magazines, for the most part it worked but sometimes people take really good pics that make them look bigger. When you start figuring out that a mule deer needs about 80 inches on each side with 20 inches inside, and you know that h's tend to be 16 - 20 inches of that. You'll be able to refrence sheds or deer you have quickly to guess the score. You'll be able to guess the 3 g's and the main beam length and add them up quickly in your head and be very close to what that buck is. It just takes alot of practice , but once you have it you'll know what a 160 looks like or 180 just by points and frame pretty quick.

On mule deer 180 or biggar, you want to look for a wide and tall frame.A 4x4 frame makes everything alot easier. Brow tines are a huge bonus, look for deep back forks, that look like the almost start on the main beam. And a good gap between front and back forks. A main beam that comes out past the nose on the side profile typically will be 20 inches or biggar.(there are exeptions) G2 that look like they are at least 16 inches or bigger . A inside spread wider than his ears will typically again give you a spread of 18 inches or bigger.(again the are mule deer with small ears). Those are some of the things i use when judging. But repetition and expierence are the best help, and a little trial and error..lol.

Hope that helps good luck.

[moosehunter3-0]

[mulecrazy]

my guess would be in the 160's for that one. Pretty weak in the back and not overly tall. Nice deer though.

[silverado7]

All you guys that posted pics are now on my ignore list !!!!!

Just Kidding.... Very nice animals guys!!

Here is a few my brother an I got over the years... His big one was just shy of 200 pts (last pic)

[bruceba]

Don't know the top 2 but the bottom pics are 167, 161, 164 and 137.

[Rackmastr]

Here are a few I have alive and a couple dead ones. Most of them wouldnt crack 180 but a couple of course would......some of them are more deceiving than others when trying to guess....

[shedcrazy]

Hey rack what is the score of the two dead ones? I want to see if I am close! Love the photos!

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by shedcrazy

Hey rack what is the score of the two dead ones? I want to see if I am close! Love the photos!

Those are two of the 'deceiving' ones that I speak of....the first is deceiving for the way the photo just turned out......

Take a guess....here is a second pic of the 1st buck......pics do wonders but you can see he isnt quite as big in this photo.....

[Pathfinder76]

Rack, he's a good deer regardless. I'd guess him at 170ish, and that first live deer is a toad.

Hey, I hear you may make a trip to Pincher Creek.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by chuck

Rack, he's a good deer regardless. I'd guess him at 170ish, and that first live deer is a toad.

Hey, I hear you may make a trip to Pincher Creek.

Yea I gotta swing out your way and see a couple elk on the wall.....was plannin on gettin ahold of you in the next couple weeks. Thinking end of November I'll make it out.

That first live deer is a pig.....and is living safely in a ranch south of town....heh....a BIG ranch...

[shedcrazy]

You should hire the first camera person for all your field photos!! It does make a difference hence why I wanted to see a bunch of photos.

I will change my score and say he is around 170 gross as he has great backs...He is tight and a little light but great forks...The mule scoring game is hard!
close?
The guess the score thread showed that with guesses from mid-150s to mid-170s.

I totally agree with you about if you need to keep looking he isn't a cranker.

But all the bucks are great bucks!

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by shedcrazy

You should hire the first camera person for all your field photos!! It does make a difference hence why I wanted to see a bunch of photos.

I will change my score and say he is around 170 gross as he has great backs...He is tight and a little light but great forks...The mule scoring game is hard!
close?

I roughed him out and he scored right around 172 gross with the kickers, etc. He's got very short fronts and is very narrow. Deep back forks was the main reason I shot him cause he looked kinda cool and 'different'. But ya....very good guess.

Pictures can be deceiving....thats for sure!!

[Pathfinder76]

One thing about that first deer. It wouldn't matter a hoot what he scored, and you don't look twice at a Mule Deer like that. He's a no brainer.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by chuck

One thing about that first deer. It wouldn't matter a hoot what he scored, and you don't look twice at a Mule Deer like that. He's a no brainer.

Yep....all that mass is awesome......

Here is another 2 of him.....

[hunter10]

[hunter10]

what do you guys think we would score?

[BrownBear416]

Originally Posted by shedcrazy

I was hoping to see some pics of some big mule bucks (180+) either dead or alive!! I have spent hrs scouting and hunting and I am starting to doubt how I am scoring them on the hoof.
I read and talk to lots of guys saying they have saw or dropped 180s this year so I would like to see what makes a really big mule buck.

So lets see some 180+ mule buck pics....

Here is a pic of my bro's Mule, 188 gross.




Jeff

[mulecrazy]

Originally Posted by hunter10

what do you guys think we would score?

140ish.

[blackmamba]

like pottymouth said . you need to put your hands on all kinds of horns sheds etc.. practice by looking through magazines and evaluating them before you look at the score , the more you look at the easier it becomes .. here is the mulie I shot this year . take a guess at what he is .