How To Identify a Mature Mule Deer Buck

Every year hunters journey to the mountains in search of a mule deer buck for that special spot on the wall to memorialize the hunt of a lifetime. Unfortunately, more often than not, the hunt hangs a left to fill-the-freezer for most of us unfortunate souls. While we all dream of hanging a true mature monarch of a mule deer on our wall, the odds are stacked against us. Mule deer across the west are struggling to reach a mature age of showcasing their peak antler growth due to mismanagement of herds, habitat loss, and predation from mountain lions and coyotes. But it's not all doom and gloom for the mule deer hunters, as big bucks are taken every year, which means some bucks make it to maturity when they slip through the cracks of hoards of hunters and avoid roads at all costs. Here are some things to keep in mind if taking a mature mule deer of older age class is your goal this fall.

What is Mature for a Mule Deer?

A Mule deer buck often grows his first set of antlers as a spike or fork at 1.5 years of age and grows according to his genetics and food availability. His antlers continue to increase in size every year until his peak growth, on average reaching peak maturity at around 5.5-6.5 years old across the western states. After 6.5-7.5 years of age, a mule deer tends to decline in antler growth in tine length and width but continues to put mass on his antlers. The older age class bucks can vary in antler growth dramatically depending on the genetics, health of the individual, and the feed available during the spring and summer during antler growth.

Don’t Stare at the Rack

Hunters are always driven by large antlers, and we tend to focus on just antler size alone when it comes to looking for big, old bucks. When you're trying to select the most mature buck from a group, you want to look at the body, as this is one of the key indicators to consider. Older bucks in the 5+ yrs have a larger body size in relation to leg length, with their chest growing deeper in depth, thus making his legs look shorter in relation to his body. Younger bucks will always look taller, slimmer, and longer-legged regardless of antler size, in comparison to older bucks. Ideally, you want to target bucks with a larger body, short stout legs, and a sway back with a belly line that drops below the sternum.

Younger bucks in the 2.5-4.5 yr range can breed does and can have impressive antlers when feed conditions are at a high (i.e., Alfalfa field bucks or very high precipitation years). Even though the antlers look huge, it may often be their smaller bodies that make them look much larger than they really are when a mature buck is not around to compare in size. When possible, always try to compare body size when bucks are in close proximity to help make a better estimate of body size for age.

The Nose Knows

Many hunting stories refer to old bucks as having “Roman noses”, which points to the prominent snout of a mature buck. The bridge of the buck's nose often seems to have a lump midway between the eyes and the nose that rises up above the deer's normal facial slope. This is often indicative of an older age class buck, as younger bucks tend to have a narrower face in comparison. I do not know the actual cause or at what age this begins, but my guess would be later than 7-8 years, as many mature bucks in the 5-6 year range often do not have full Roman nose yet. Hunters should consider a buck with a long, broad, stout head to be a mature buck when looking over a buck and use this as part of their check list in field judging.

Maturity Checklist

Just like people, mule deer bucks vary from region to region across the west and have different features. Desert bucks of the southwest tend to be slimmer-bodied with larger ears compared to the northern mule deer of the Rockies which have much larger bodies and smaller ears. Using just the antlers or ear width as a measure of age or size will almost always lead to an incorrect estimation, as will using just any single indicator. Savvy mule deer hunters will develop a checklist of the above mentioned tips to help ensure the take of mature mule deer bucks. When I locate a mule deer buck in my spotting scope, I start my checklist as listed:

1. Start with observing the bucks body posture and other deer's behavior in his presence. A truly mature mule deer buck will carry himself with an aggressive attitude and posture when in the presence of other deer, specifically during the rut. However, these behavioral attributes can be seen even in bachelor groups in the summer as deer are always asserting the pecking order, with the most mature bucks often “parting the seas” when they approach. Younger, less dominant bucks will give them a wide girth and avoid confrontation.
2. Body size in comparison to other deer when possible. During most hunting seasons, finding a large mature mule deer solo is not common. They are often with other bucks in the early season or doe in the fall during the rut. Using these other deer as a measure to determine body size is my second stop in estimating maturity. If the buck appears to have huge antlers but his body is the same as the doe standing next to him, he may not be mature and as big as he appears in relation to his antlers.
3. Body size will show a sway back with a large belly dropping below the brisket. If I have similar-sized antlers on two bucks and am deciding which one is more mature, I look at these features in determining which buck I should look at in more detail first, depending on time. I try to avoid making hasty generalizations and guesses as it often will lead to shooting the wrong buck.
4. The last thing I look at is the antlers. “Antler gazing” will lead to shooting the bigger set of antlers over the mature buck every time. Antlers and genetics vary by region as well as feed and overall health of an animal. Typically older bucks will have heavier antlers with less point length and fewer number of points. Large 2 points and 3 points does not mean they are old; oftentimes areas will have a genetic attribute that grows large 2 -3 point bucks that will never be a 4 or 5 point per side buck regardless of age.

Time to Ogle

When heading out in search of mule deer with the desire to take older, past breeding potential bucks, time is your key asset. You need to really take the extra time to look over every angle of a buck and compare these tips to ensure you make the right decision. Many times, as hunters we are given fleeting opportunities to see a buck going away and don't have time to take a proper look before the chance is gone. This pitfall leads many hunters to take bucks that are smaller and/or younger than they originally set out for that morning after a night of huge buck dreams. Take the time to look a buck over and really give it the necessary attention to make sure you take the right buck to meet your goals.

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