Archery Whitetail vs. Mule Deer

[Sledhead71]

Seems this always sneaks into other threads when we discuss our passions as a group..

What are your thoughts ? What species is easier to target with a stick and string and successfully harvest a mature animal ?

Please state your reasoning as well..

Personally I have experienced the whitetail deer to be a tougher target as to harvesting a mature animal consistently :) Reasoning, yes you can pattern this species but the mature ones are smart and one slip and they quickly become a ghost.. Mule deer on the other hand, have chased the same few and have had multiple stocks and still positive encounters.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I think they both have their cageyness....

Part of the equation is what methods you use to hunt them. Treestand, ground blind, spot and stock, on foot.

Another part is where you hunt dictates what methods you can use. Up north you can stand hunt mulies...down south unless you find trees tall enough in a coulee....good luck being able to hang a stand.

I have called in more mule deer with a predator call than I have called in any other deer while actually calling for deer.

I usually hunt from the ground and I have been successful connecting on mule deer more this way than white-tails.

LC

[338Bluff]

Both equally hard in my books. Easier to get a mature whitetail. There are more of them and odds of setting up on one every year are in your favor.
Big, mature mulies are not push overs. You can spot and stalk, but if you blow it the odds of getting back on the same deer that day or week are not great.

JMHO

[waterninja]

this was my first year hunting in a bow zone (strath county) and next year plan to have proper stand set up. no success this year even when hunting with shotgun but twice i could have taken 2 different mule bucks as they came right up to point blank range and even stood and looked at me. i'ts as if they knew i couldun't shoot them. saw lot's of whitetails also but they turned to smoke quickly. from these short experiances my opinion is that mulies are the easier target.

[fingershooter]

In BC, treestands on a migration trail kill, so I have to say whitetails. I have lots of them and no muleys yet

[pottymouth]

Regardless of species, trying to secure a big B&C buck is just plain tough. It's that old cliche " Big bucks, don't get big by being dumb. "

Whitetails are more susceptible to calling, attractants, baiting, and most of all patternability. Then tend to use the same trails in and out from food sources a to bedding area's . The rut also makes them increasingly vulnerable. I personally find whitetails are a bit of exhabitionist, compared to mule deer who tend to seek cover to do the deed.

Mule deer tend to be very nomadic, and the above whitetail tools, generally don't work on mule deer. That's what makes them tough, and the open country they tend to live in.

In my opinion, whitetail don't have the wall appeal or the difficulty for me . I think there just plain easier to kill !

[ishootbambi]

for the first couple weeks in september, whitetails are patternable. if you can find a big mature buck, thats your best bet is to plan an ambush on his routine. try to stalk him though and you can forget it. i havent ever seen or heard of anyone anywhere capable of stalking a mature wild whitey. they are far too in tune with their environment.

a mule however is quite stalkable. they are much less wary and way more easily fooled even when you make a mistake. they can see you or hear you, and if you are patient and freeze, they will forget you and carry on. try that with a whitetail and he is gone. ambush is much tougher though....a mule seldom takes the same path twice. they just wander somewhat aimlessly quite often.

specifically what species is harder to target a mature one? seems like a mule just because there are so few around anymore. without the protection of controlled hunter numbers, the dumb things seldom reach maturity. the pizz poor management by srd in the way of so freaking many tags means they get beaten to the point that a mule over 3 years is such a rarity in most of this province, it makes finding one a chore. the more intelligent whitetail however, thrives anywhere there is decent habitat without protection form hunters. they are general across the vast majority of this province and yet mature whiteys outnumber mature mules drastically. there is no question which beast is smarter....but for the question asked....the answer isnt as simple. i have a couple mature mules with a bow....but no whitetails. of course i could have....but i have refused to close my tag on 160 class bucks with my bow when i know ill see bigger in november when i head north.

i dunno....for my answer to your question...i guess flip a coin.

[LongDraw]

Speculating I'd say there is at least 100x more B&C whitetails than B&C mule deer in the Province.

Tougher to kill a true giant mule deer based on population or lack thereof.

Based on the merits of the species alone I'd say tougher to kill a giant whitetail.

[pottymouth]

for the first couple weeks in september, whitetails are patternable. if you can find a big mature buck, thats your best bet is to plan an ambush on his routine. try to stalk him though and you can forget it. i havent ever seen or heard of anyone anywhere capable of stalking a mature wild whitey. they are far too in tune with their environment.

a mule however is quite stalkable. they are much less wary and way more easily fooled even when you make a mistake. they can see you or hear you, and if you are patient and freeze, they will forget you and carry on. try that with a whitetail and he is gone. ambush is much tougher though....a mule seldom takes the same path twice. they just wander somewhat aimlessly quite often.

specifically what species is harder to target a mature one? seems like a mule just because there are so few around anymore. without the protection of controlled hunter numbers, the dumb things seldom reach maturity. the pizz poor management by srd in the way of so freaking many tags means they get beaten to the point that a mule over 3 years is such a rarity in most of this province, it makes finding one a chore. the more intelligent whitetail however, thrives anywhere there is decent habitat without protection form hunters. they are general across the vast majority of this province and yet mature whiteys outnumber mature mules drastically. there is no question which beast is smarter....but for the question asked....the answer isnt as simple. i have a couple mature mules with a bow....but no whitetails. of course i could have....but i have refused to close my tag on 160 class bucks with my bow when i know ill see bigger in november when i head north.

i dunno....for my answer to your question...i guess flip a coin.

I've done it many times. Specifically the last whitetail I stalked, out in the wide open. He would have been The Alberta non Typ archery Record, but unfortunetley I guessed the the distance wrong, and gave him a good flesh wound. I still remember Blackmamba's reaction to the stalk and the what he thought was a good shot. He was 42 not 34 yds. :budo: Hunter error,was my problem, because that deer was dumb, but lucky ...twice...lol !

[rielbowhunter]

Seems this always sneaks into other threads when we discuss our passions as a group..

What are your thoughts ? What species is easier to target with a stick and string and successfully harvest a mature animal ?

Please state your reasoning as well..

Personally I have experienced the whitetail deer to be a tougher target as to harvesting a mature animal consistently :) Reasoning, yes you can pattern this species but the mature ones are smart and one slip and they quickly become a ghost.. Mule deer on the other hand, have chased the same few and have had multiple stocks and still positive encounters.

I agree with you.

[shedcrazy]

I think it's hard to compare but in this part of the woods I would say a mature whitetail is easier as they can be patterned quite easily with scouting and cameras in the early season.
In my experience it is very tough to get big mulies on camera on a regular routine like a whitetail.
Comparing kills is tough as most guys hold out for a booner on whitetails but I would bet that if whitetail were on draw for rifle and general for archery you would see a ton of mature whitetails hit the ground in September like you do on mules.
While each have their strenghs and weakness both can be killed on a regular basis using the right methods for each species.
Personally I have taken equally comparable whitetail with all weapons but no big mules with the bow. I prefer bow hunting big elk and my best mule and whitetail came by while hunting them.

[trophyboy]

Depends on how you hunt. I'm no expert but the only way to hunt big whitetails with a bow as far as I'm concerned is to sit in a treestand or ground blind and wait them out after you've patterned them and whatever you do don't ever let them know you're there if possible. It's still not easy and patience is the name of the game. Good luck trying to spot and stalk them darn whitetails with the bow though, very tough.

As for mule deer the countless hours and attempts on spotting and stalking them in the open country where I hunt is extremely challenging to say the least. I guess that's why I never see anyone else out there. Buddy and I are the only 2 stupid enough to put ourselves through the torture of it all.

Personally, I think the big muleys are tougher, simply because you can not pattern them in any way, shape, or form and the endless walking, crawling, etc. just to get close enough for a potential shot is next to imopossible most of the time. All the shows of hunting them big mules in the canola fields makes it look easy but hunting open country is hard...especially crawling through the cactus and thorns day after day.:confused:

[bowtech3006]

Ancient monarch Whitetails can be patterned, old mules not so much. it takes a great terrain pinch to be consistant ambushing mule deer, if they come that way again. Whitetails IMO hang to cover and venture on the trails again and again if there not bumped. You just gotta play safe & be patient. Mules go everywhere and anywhere, cover means little to some yet others are bush bucks. Anyone whom thinks mules are dumb hasn't stalked into bow range often If ever. There defense strategy is perfect for avoiding the stick. Guns not so much & this is where peoples view of there intelligence comes from. Whitetails run blindly for cover, mules create distance & keep an eye on you. I give the 'dumb' mule the edge in bowhunting challenge due to it's nomadic nature & defense strategy.

[albertadeer]

Both are easy if you put in the time....Really easy actually, but it will cost you 10'000km for a mule deer and 100's of hrs in a stand or behind a spotting scope for a whitey......

Early season mule deer can be done in a pinch. Every year hunters connect on the big buck they have been watching all summer, not by luck but by skill!

Same goes with whiteys. Though November is thought to be "prime time" if you find a big mature whitetail in early September coming to a feeding area in daylight hours.... that's a dead deer in my books!!!


Though one mistake can ruin the rest of the season when hunting a specific buck.