Whitetail vs. Mule Deer

[Benhunting]

Last year I got to hunt Whitetail does in Montana, and had the time of my life. This year I got a Buck tag and it is good for either a Whitetail or Muley. I have only ever hunted Blacktails. What would you perfer to hunt? The area we are going has both but completely different properties and terrain. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Rhett Crider]

First one that is Trophy grade to you would be my choice. I'm the opposite of you since Texas has more whitetails. Made a few Mule deer hunts to NM but no trophy grade yet. Area hunted was not very good but always had a wonderful time w/ friends and family. Four trips, one buck, then here came the wind generators. See my avatar.

 

[dogz]

Last year I got to hunt Whitetail does in Montana, and had the time of my life. This year I got a Buck tag and it is good for either a Whitetail or Muley. I have only ever hunted Blacktails. What would you perfer to hunt? The area we are going has both but completely different properties and terrain. Any feedback is appreciated.

If you don't mind are you hunting private or public and on your own or guided?

For me it's a simple one, I'll take hunting the whitey each and every day over mule deer. I grew up in northern Mn hunting whitey, moved to Montana in 78. I had a short run looking for big mule deer but I quickly got that out of my system.

What time of the season will you be hunting? If it's during the rut then for darn sure whitey's

 

[FEENIX]

First one that is Trophy grade to you would be my choice.

This! I am not a trophy hunter, but all my hunts are trophies.

 

[dogz]

That's for darn sure Feenix!

 

[Benhunting]

If you don't mind are you hunting private or public and on your own or guided?

For me it's a simple one, I'll take hunting the whitey each and every day over mule deer. I grew up in northern Mn hunting whitey, moved to Montana in 78. I had a short run looking for big mule deer but I quickly got that out of my system.

What time of the season will you be hunting? If it's during the rut then for darn sure whitey's

Private property during rut.

 

[FEENIX]

Private property during rut.

Does the property have both species?

 

[Greyfox]

While it's certainly possible to find either species in the same area, hunting mature and mule deer bucks is generally a different process. Unless in the rut, I have had my best success hunting Western whitetail bucks either early or later in the day either near food bearing farmland areas, or positioning in a hide in proximity to the green river bottoms, catching them in transit…They frequent these areas. The further the distance and greater the visual expanse, the better. Given you have already had a successful whitetail doe hunt, a buck will usually be in proximity, but the mature whitetail will be quite savvy and require more careful planning compared to the younger bucks and does. Stalking a mature whitetail, while possible, is far more difficult then a muley. My greatest success with mule deer has been lots of glassing in hopes of locating a buck standing or bedded on the mountain/hillsides looking for either the shot, or a stalk to get within range. This type of hunting can be productive throughout the day. If I have a tag for either, or a tag for each, I will often hunt whitetails early and late in the day, and mule deer in the balance of the day. I personally love to hunt the Western whitetail overlooking a valley/river bottom. It was made for the long range hunter, and quite different from hunting whitetails in other parts of the country!
Below: A typical hide offering shots from 300-800 yards….and a couple of bucks I've taken in this particular area (near the Wyoming/Montana border)…using this approach.

 

[Hard rock]

First one that is Trophy grade to you would be my choice. I'm the opposite of you since Texas has more whitetails. Made a few Mule deer hunts to NM but no trophy grade yet. Area hunted was not very good but always had a wonderful time w/ friends and family. Four trips, one buck, then here came the wind generators. See my avatar.

I'm fortunate enough too have my own place here in Iraan Tx by the Pecos river and we have both Species. It used too be a 50 -50 split but now we seem too have more whitetail ,mule deer don't tolerate activity on a piece of property as much as whitetail . Here in Tx it seems too take 7yrs too get a mule deer too it's potential most hunters are not that patient and that could be another reason we have more whitetail deer , hunting pressure

 

[mrbb]

well I will say this, I have hunted several times in an area where my tag was for EITHER OR< whitetail or mule deer, and there was a healthy 50/50 mix of both, leaving me with the option of tagging either one if I wanted too
the way I approached things was I set myself a SIZE I would shoot on either one
m no trophy hunter but I do like decent antlers
I went with a simple to me deal
a 140+ inch Whitetail, or a 150+ inch mule deer, what ever came in first, got the tag attached to it
but it could also be as simple, as what would YOU rather shoot and NO one can tell YOU what a that is, its up to you to decided in the end!

 

[coop2564]

To me WT taste much better...but mulies weight a little more so more meat. But I'll take WT for taste.

 

[birddog 68]

I live in pa and love wt hunting but in my area it's mostly a waiting game for the deer. I enjoy spot and stalk since I don't do it often and I love hunting different critters different ways. I would hunt md but with the topography wt would be just as much fun and a good fun hunt is what I seek.
Big bucks are great but I never measured my hunts in inches! Good luck and have fun.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Since I am in AZ, I don't get to hunt eastern WTs. So my choice would definitely be eastern WT.....until a big muley came by and I dropped him.

I would say whichever species has a good, mature buck come by first.

 

[26Reload]

.

Dog......those some sweet wts'....
As for flavor of meat....if you're hunting near a ranch with good groceries..the meat will be good in each critter.....
Deer are ungulates....browsers....they eat basically the same items found in the area.......and probably drink from the same spots in the waterhole and creeks...
Find a critter you like and take it....
Just realize that muleys can grow large antlers at 3 years old....wts antler will look smallish compared to immature mulies...
"Choose wisely".......