Roaming the mountains and valleys of the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest are healthy herds and harems of Mule Deer. These magnificent creatures are known for their stealth, being hyper-aware of their surroundings, and for their incredible speed when fleeing danger. All factors that make them extremely difficult to hunt–and therefore more desirable to hunters.
Mule deer are larger than whitetail deer, and have several distinct features about them. Here’s a video explaining the differences:
How to hunt mule deer in Idaho
Idaho mule deer can be hunted during their rutting season and beyond. The hunting season dates depend on which zone/unit you are in. We at Ridgerunner Outfitters are in Zone 10, so our mule deer dates are typically the month of September for archery, and the month of October for rifle. For instance, in 2022, our hunting dates for mule deer were Aug. 30-Sept. 30 (archery), and Oct. 10-Nov. 3 (rifle).
Avid hunters respect the challenge of mule deer hunting, and therefore it is one of the most desired hunts to do while young. It involves covering a lot of ground, so be prepared. Our clients tell us that regardless of whether or not they fulfill their tag, the experience was well worth it. For a taste of what this hunting is like, watch this great episode of MeatEater:
Archery hunting mule deer (during the rut)
Ask any big game hunter what they think the most difficult type of hunting is. Some will say big horn sheep (like Dall sheep in Alaska, or Stone sheep in the Rockies) if they have had the privilege of being able to go on such a hunt. But based on our experience–and many western big game hunters–trying to hunt mule deer with a bow is extraordinarily challenging. If it’s not THE most difficult type of hunting, it certainly ranks up there. Mule deer have excellent hearing and smell, and they are wired to flee long distances at just a hint of danger. Trying to stalk up on bedded mule deer within 50 yards is an adrenaline rush for sure, but also risky and rarely successful.
Can mule deer be called in?
While it can be done, calling mule deer is difficult. Unlike elk, who respond well to proper calling, mule deer are less communicative animals. They travel in herds, and mature bucks are surrounded by harems of does. Mature bucks do not tend to roam around alone, like whitetail bucks often do. Therefore, calling mule deer is not an effective method in our opinion.
Spot-and-stalk
The better method is to glass and try to spot groups of mule deer from afar. While they can cover every inch of terrain, muleys tend to prefer certain types of areas during certain times of year, and even during certain times of the day. Our experienced guides know this, and we will do our best to get you on these elusive animals during your trip.
Once you have the herd in your sights, find the mature buck among them (if there is one). Wait for them to bed during the day, and make an approach while they are resting during their afternoon nap. It’s easier said than done with a bow. With a rifle, however, this becomes much more manageable.
Spotting and stalking with a rifle means finding the buck you want, then closing the distance to make an ethical shot.
What types of rifle calibers can be used for Idaho mule deer?
This question is one that you can find tons of articles and videos online debating. We do not pretend to be ballistics experts, but we have been doing this a very long time out here in the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest. We know what works and what doesn’t. It is our preference that you stick to large enough rounds that will ethically harvest the animal with less risk of just wounding it. We prefer chamberings such as:
- 30-06 Springfield
- .308 Win
- 300 Win mag
- 300 WSM
- 7mm Rem mag
- .280 Ackley improved
- 28 Nosler
- 300 Weatherby magnum
And with appropriate bullets designed for these types of animals, some smaller rounds are also acceptable, though we prefer the aforementioned rounds in case of surprise bear or wolf encounters.
- 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.5 Weatherby RPM
- 6.5 PRC
- 6.8 Western
- .270 Winchester
After the harvest
Just like with elk, the hunt is the exciting part! But the real work begins after the animal is down. Thankfully, even the largest mule deer tend to be smaller than the smallest elk. That means much less weight to pack out, and a much faster field-dressing time. While elk generally take over 6 hours to field-dress and pack out, mule deer are about half that time (and usually less than half the weight).
Be prepared with game bags and a pack that can haul those game bags back to camp, or back to the pack mules we will bring as close to you as we can.
