Coveted 4th Season Mule Deer Tag

Coveted 4th Season Mule Deer Tag.I was fortunate enough to draw a coveted 4^th season Colorado Mule Deer tag with six preference points. This season would be particularly good due to Colorado Parks and Wildlife shifting all of Colorado’s hunting seasons back several weeks. I would be hunting during the peak of the mule deer rut for my area.

New Build Mule Deer Tag

I decided I would build a new rifle specifically for this hunt complete with a suppressor. My build started with a AR-15 lower from one of my retired completion rifles. I used a Davidson Defense upper chambered in 6.5 Grendel, I up graded a few of the parts such as the buffer spring and adjustable gas block. Next I built a titanium suppressor complete with a NFA/ATF Form 1 tax stamp; this took about 60 days before I was able to legally put the first round through it. My last decision was what scope to put on top of this weapon.

I knew I wanted to use Tract Optics; I have had the pleasure of using their binoculars and several different models of rifle scope but never owned one. After countless hours of research and watching online videos I settled on the TORIC UHD 4.5-30×56 34mm FFP MRAD. This scope absolutely exceeded my exceptions; the crisp clear glass, accurate adjustments and bullet tracking on paper was all top notch. I would put it toe to toe with any Swarovski or Zeiss I have used.

Davidson Defense upper chambered in 6.5 Grendel

I spent a large part of my summer Covid quarantine time isolating myself to a 700 yard shooting range near my house becoming familiar with my new set up. Due to the massive backorder on ammo, primers and bullets I was forced to be conservative with my shots but I was still able to log plenty of trigger time.

Opening Day

November 18^th was the opening of my deer season and I had been scouting religiously without turning up a single buck I would consider worthy of putting a tag on. The evening of the 17^th I went into an area known to have the occasional big buck but I personally avoided because of the massive amount of out-of-state hunter pressure.

To my excitement and dismay I found a shooter buck, he was your classic wide and tall looking muley, I was confident he would score well over 200.” He and his half a dozen does where in the middle of a chunk of private property landlocked by national forest and southern Ute Indian Reservation land. I was guessing at some point in the next five days he would screw up and step off the private to give me an opportunity; I also knew I would have to be on top of my game to beat the other hunter to him.

Glassing The 200-Incher

I typically avoid other hunters and go to areas nobody else wants to go but this deer was too good to just walk away from. Opening days I was hiking in the dark well before any of the other hunters had finished sucking down their first cup of coffee, I was almost to my glassing point when I noticed to nice buck skyline himself along with a doe. I gave him a quick look in the low light and muttered to myself “any other tag and you’d be mine” and promptly detoured around him. At daylight I spotted the 200-incher in almost the same place I had seen him the night before but his harem of does had grown to almost a dozen. My heart sank, my only thought was “why would he want to leave” I continued to glass him and the surrounding hillside of national forest. I saw tons of does and small bucks but nothing worthy of a 6 year tag. I scanned across the buck I had seen at daylight, he was rutting hard with his couple of girlfriends. He was a big 4×4 but once again I dismissed him glassing back to the 200-incher.

By now little orange hunting vest began showing up on ever other ridge in sight and this did not help my mood; I was scanning the hill sides knowing any moment I could see another hunter bumble though and spook every deer in the area. Again my spotting scope landed on the daylight buck I thought “he is heavy” and I continued looking. The big 200” now started moving towards the Reservation land and that might as well be the Bermuda triangle.

No Regrets

After a good 30 minutes I knew it was just a matter of time before other hunter made it to my location. I decided to give the daylight buck a good look before packing up; he was even more impressive than my first few glances at him. He was heavy and tall I even notice he had a small kicker point, just an all-around great deer. The mental gymnastics started, I glass the daylight buck back to the 200” comparing the two back and forth back and forth.

I finally told myself “you will regret not shooting that deer” I guessed him to be 185” with a lot of mass. I made the decision the daylight buck was my deer. Shifting from my spotting scope to my rifle I proned out over my backpack, I ranged the buck and calculated my DOPE for my scope. I settling my crosshairs on his shoulder and took a half breath squeezing the trigger my 123gr ELD bullet hit exactly where I wanted it and the buck jumped and ran out of sight.

Other Hunters

I did my solo celebration dance while gathered up my gear; I walked over the hill glassing the small juniper patch he had been standing in, at this point I started noticing other hunters. To my disbelief there were five different hunters either stalking my buck or obliviously walking up the drainage. One of the hunters continued to stalk my deer even after seeing him jump and run, I am still unsure if he didn’t hear my shot because of the distance and suppressor or what but the situation was quickly corrected as the hunters all headed off in different directions. I was able to make a one shot ethical kill from beyond the lethal distance of all five of the other hunter thanks to my Tract Optic TORIC UHD 4.5-30×56 34mm FFP MRAD.

No Ground Shrink-age

I found my deer 40 yards away with no ground shrink-age his final gross score was 200” on the nose with 43” of mass measurements making him my second 200” Colorado Mule Deer.

My conclusion after that hunt is use quality gear like Tract Optics, practice with your weapon of choice, scout hard and get up early.

Jon and Jon at Tract Optics I will be upgrading to your bino’s and spotting scope very soon I almost passed up or missed out on a 200” mule deer because of my lower grade Nikon binocular at first light and Bushnell spotting scope the second through tenth time I glassed the deer.

About the Author

Zane is a 3rd generation professional hunter and outdoorsmen. From the young age of two, he started learning to hunt and fish from his father and grandfather. While still in high school, he became a professional hunting and fishing guide. Continuing his passion for the sport of hunting, Zane opened his own outfitting business—Phantom Ridge Outfitters.