[TexasCurly]

I'm going on my first mule deer hunt on Terlingua ranch this week,how's the mule deer population on Terlingua? Any tips or insight would be appreciated, thanks.

[Art Eatman]

Desert country: The population is sparse. What deer there are should be in pretty good shape, SFAIK. Not a lot of rain, but spread out pretty well so that there was plenty of browse.

Shootable bucks will bed down generally along the military crest on the downwind side of a ridge. When they move, they tend to go up draws or off the toes of hills. But, dry-wash bottoms are also roadways for them.

Not all deer have read my book, "What Deer Do". :D

Bring a shotgun. Pretty good quail numbers this year.

[TexasCurly]

Thanks for the tips, one would assume they stay near water? From the way it looks on Google Earth, there aint much water on Terlingua though. I know the property we are hunting has Big Bend as one of the property lines and is somewhere close to a rusted down model t car. I'll make sure to bring the shotgun....

[Art Eatman]

Desert mule deer don't have to drink every day, except for lactating does--who aren't lactating this time of year and aren't shootable, any way. Granted, since lactating does need to generally stay with a half-mile or so of a water source, they tend to imprint on that general area.

A mule deer buck, particularly this time of year, might not drink more often than maybe twice a week, and can easily live a few miles from water.

[TexasCurly]

Thanks for that insight, we are leaving today, maybe i'll see you there

[TexasCurly]

Out of out camp we got a muley, javelina, quail, and a bobcat, we were hunting in chalk draw, where do you reside Art??