Deer Hunting in Wyoming

The area of Wyoming we hunt is famous for and offers some of the best Trophy Mule Deer hunting in the world. This region of western Wyoming has all the ingredients for growing trophy class bucks: genetics, ample vegetation, high mountain basins, natural winter range and the necessary cover and hidey-holes that allow bucks to reach their maturity. Much of the area in which these trophy bucks live is also very remote and rugged. We encourage each hunter to prepare physically, increasing the opportunity of harvesting a trophy class deer. Each morning you and your guide will ride horseback well before daylight to the desired hunting area for that day. From here a good part of our hunting will be done on foot. We spend much of the day moving from various vantage points glassing the valleys and hillsides for that trophy buck of a lifetime. Spot and stalk is our most effective method for taking trophy bucks.

2023 Review & Gallery

The 2023 deer season, as expected, was one of the toughest we have ever experienced. The harsh winter of 2022- 23 killed off a lot of our deer herd and the bucks that survived the season had minimal horn growth.

Despite everything there were still a few positives last fall. The guides had put in endless hours scouting and finding bucks. We did have a few mature bucks located for opening day and had a good idea what bucks were living in the area.

Wyoming mule deer never cease to amaze me and after all they went through there were a handful of good bucks on the mountain. We were able to connect on a couple of these bucks and make it count. But shooting again became a factor and one of the top bucks we had located was wounded. Another good buck we had found was missed. I can’t stress the importance of having your rifle sighted in and knowing your gun and where it shoots. Opportunities at big deer are getting fewer and fewer so when the opportunity presents itself a hunter must be able to capitalize on the situation. More important than being in top shape, I emphasize knowing your rifle and being a proficient shot in a “real life, on the mountain” scenario.

I thank the deer hunters that hunted with us last fall and the positive attitudes they kept when the hunting was tough. We are optimistic for the 2024 season. There will be some great bucks taken this fall. Wyoming had a very mild winter this year and with all the rain from last summer the feed for the deer on the winter range was awesome. Deer came through this past winter fat and in great condition. This will play into some good horn growth.

There may not be as many deer on the mountain this fall but there will be a few slammers and we will be ready for them. If you have the preference points to draw and are thinking about hunting deer this season give us a call.

2022 Review & Gallery

“THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!”

Our 2022 Wyoming Mule Deer Hunt was the year of 170 inch bucks. Going into the season we had located and scouted some impressive deer. Our son Jamin “JD” had spent most the month of August in the mountains scouting and locating bucks. He along with some of the other guides had found some huge deer and we were itching at the chance to have a go at them. Opening week was a little humbling and the hunting was tougher than expected but the scouting paid off and we were able to connect on some nice bucks. The majority of big deer seemed to have disappeared into thin air, or gave us the slip and were never seen again. The weather throughout most the season was really warm and the hunting was tough and made us work for everything. But, with lots of effort by hard working guides and determined hunters that kept going out each day we took some nice bucks and a good number of them scoring in the 170’s. This year did produce one of the heaviest horned bucks we have ever taken and with a spread just over 30 inches and a drop tine he was a very impressive deer. Durning the season we also saw lots of young bucks that are up and comers and will be some great bucks in the next year or two. Western Wyoming continues to produce some tremendous mule deer and with some luck and lots of hard work a hunter has a chance to take home a true giant. We are looking forward to the 2023 season and trying for one of the big ones that got away. New for the 2023 season we are offering an archery mule deer hunt. This hunt will be with a crossbow and will take place early September.

2021 Review & Gallery

During our scouting for the 2021 season, we had located several good bucks and a couple of slammers. We had high hopes for a stellar fall. With warm dry temperatures and more hunting pressure in some areas than we are used to the season turned out average. Bucks hit the timber and seemed to stay there for most of the season. When asked how our deer season went this past year, I describe it as average. I have seen deer seasons better and I’ve seen years tougher. But we did see lots of young up an’ comers, so things are looking bright for this season and into the future. We did take a few nice bucks and were able to connect on a 200-inch slammer opening week. We also had a huge buck missed opening day and had a few other missed shots on some big deer throughout the season. We don’t get many shots at big deer so being good with your rifle helps stack the odds in your favor.
I think western Wyoming deer hunting is at the tail end of the devastation from the few bad winters we had with 2017 being the worst. The last several winters have been mild and buck numbers are on the increase. This year we have also seen lots of nice bucks on the winter range. With the young bucks we saw on the mountain this fall and a mild winter so far this year we are optimistic for a good 2022 season. This may be the year to look at hunting in Wyoming.
A typical deer hunt with us is 6 hunting days with a pack in and pack out day, 8 days total. Last year we decided to offer another deer hunt. This hunt is for the hunter looking at increasing their opportunity to harvest a trophy class buck. I always have hunters calling looking for big deer. The reality of taking a big buck in today’s hunting world is slim. We do harvest some nice bucks and the area we hunt always produces some real giants, but a hunter needs to be in the right place, at the perfect time, with lots of luck and hard work to have a shot at one of these giants. To give hunters a better chance at having an opportunity on a big deer we offer a 10 day 1 on 1 guided deer hunt. 10 days of hunting with a pack in and pack out day, 12 days total. We had three clients book this hunt last year and we were able to take three nice bucks. Guides had a great time, and the hunters really enjoyed the extra hunt days. If you are interested in mule deer hunting in Wyoming, give us a call.

2020 Review & Gallery

The 2020 deer season resembled 2020. Nothing easy about it. We had high hopes going into the season as we had scouted some nice bucks in the early season and we were hopeful for a good hunting season. But, mother nature and an increase in people in the backcountry had other plans. The deer season was one of the hottest and driest I have seen. With super warm temperatures during much of the season combined with smoke from all the fires in other parts of the country, hunting conditions were tough. Bucks hit the timber early went nocturnal and stayed that way. But with tough hunting and a challenging season the hard work of our team paid off and we still had a positive hunting season and took some nice respectable bucks. On opening day, we were able to connect on a big typical, 30 plus inch buck, super heavy, and the type of deer everyone dreams about. This kicked things off to a good start and from this point on we took down some nice bucks and had chances at others that got away. With this winter of 2021 as mild as we have had and hardly any snow on the winter range we are expecting a great year in 2021. At this point it looks like the deer will come through the winter in great shape. Bucks should be in good health and body condition to begin some strong antler growth this spring. 2021 could be stellar. We can’t wait to go at’em.

2019 Review & Gallery

With some of the trophy class bucks we had spotted in our scouting we were hopeful for a great year going into the 2019 season. Although, we didn’t see the number of bucks that we are used to seeing there were some quality bucks around. We were able to connect on a couple of big deer right off the bat, but we also had some missed opportunities. Opening morning my client and I located a huge 30 plus inch buck with a hook cheater that just showed up that morning. We got within 200 yards, but fate was not meant to be after a couple missed shots we connected on the buck’s buddy, which was still a mature old deer. Another 200-inch buck had a missed opportunity, so we did see a couple huge bucks this fall. With the winter of 2016 and last winter’s 2018-19 which was harder than average, deer numbers are down in western Wyoming. But, there is still an opportunity to take home a big trophy class deer. Because of great genetics and super habitat western Wyoming will always grow and produce some trophy bucks. We have been taking fewer deer hunters. Some of our camps only have a couple deer hunters a year. This fall we had only 1 deer hunter on our last week of the season. With the 6 inches of snow it was an awesome hunt and we saw some slammer bucks. These big boys should be here for 2020. We are still able to provide and offer a very good mule deer hunt in some beautiful country. 2020 should be a good year and we can’t wait to see how it plays out.

2018 Review & Gallery

Coming off of the harsh winter of 2016-17 and having a tough year deer hunting in 2017, the 2018 deer season was a welcomed surprise at the amount of bucks we were able to find and also the quality of bucks that we had the opportunity to pursue. A mild winter in 2017-18 and exceptional horn growth over the spring and summer produced some quality bucks. This past deer season was a huge success for TMO with more deer than we expected and some great quality. We have high hopes for another good deer season in 2019. Keeping our fingers crossed for exceptional horn growth and good buck numbers!

2017 Review & Gallery

After having a banner season in 2016 for big mature bucks and high deer numbers we were a little worried what the 2017 hunting season would hold after going through the record snow winter of 2016-2017. As we expected we saw significantly fewer deer in our pre-season scouting and had to look long and hard to find mature bucks. As the 2017 season began it was as we thought, hunting was a lot tougher than the previous deer seasons. But, with hard hunting and great guides we were able to find some nice bucks and even a few of those elusive mature old timers that had made it through the winter. We were lucky enough to connect on a few real nice bucks last fall. With a mild winter in 2017-18 we will see our deer herds slowly rebounding, but it will take a few years before we see the hunting as it was before the winter of 2016. Western Wyoming will always produce big deer every year. With great habitat and world class genetics we will always be able to take a couple whoppers each season.

2016 Gallery

2015 Review & Gallery

The 2015 deer season showed again that mule deer in western Wyoming are making a comeback. Although the numbers are not what Wyoming saw in the early 90’s or 2000’s, deer in western Wyoming are doing better than they were just a few years ago. This past fall we were able to harvest several quality trophy class bucks and had another few of the mountain monarchs give us the slip, either a client missing a shot opportunity or just outsmarting us altogether. I always get the question, “What is an average deer we can expect to take on the hunt.” The average buck we see and harvest is a 150 to 170 type of deer, 24 to 28 inches wide, nice forks, and good mass. We do see bucks in the 180 class and connect on a few giants each year, 190 to 200 inch plus, but this type of buck is few and far between. If you are looking for a great representation of a mountain mule deer with a chance at taking home a Wyoming high mountain monster this hunt can’t be beat.

2014 Review & Gallery

The only way to describe the 2014 deer season is WOW!!! This past fall produced some spectacular deer. The season kicked off on the right foot when Matt LeClair bagged a 31-inch 9×11 buck on the second day of the season. Kelly and his hunter Rick Honaker also downed a heavy horned typical buck of a lifetime on the second day making it a day to remember. Two days later Ray Walston connected with a 35-inch 8×8 that he and his guide had hunted relentlessly for 4 days straight. Dean Maser on the 5th day of his hunt pushed himself to the limit, but it all paid off with a 31-inch monster typical that he was able to put on the ground. There were lots of real nice bucks taken this past year from all of the hunters that were able to connect on that buck they came to Wyoming in search for. The 2014 deer season was filled with stories of big deer being spotted, chased, missed, and harvested from opening day until the last day of the season. With lots of bucks seen throughout the year and even after the season closed we are predicting another awesome year in 2015 for hunting the elusive trophy bucks that call the high mountain basins of western Wyoming home. Congratulations to all of our 2014 deer hunters and thanks for hunting with Trophy Mountain Outfitters.

2013 Review & Gallery

The 2013 deer season was one to remember. This was one of the snowiest deer seasons many could remember, but it produced several real nice bucks that Wyoming is known for. The snow, cold and wet weather made for some prime buck hunting conditions. The season started off slow with only 1 buck taken on opening day but quickly picked up and by day 3 we had some trophy class bucks on the ground. On day three Rick Bontempo took a great trophy buck and when we approached it he slapped me on the back and said, “This is what I came to Wyoming for.” Spirits began to raise and the rest of the season only got better as more big deer were found and harvested. We would like to thank the entire group of 2013 deer hunters that hunted with us. They were all great guys. Good shots were made and positive attitudes were kept even while riding and hiking through rain, snow, mud and sleet. Congratulations to everyone.

2012 Review & Gallery

The 2012 deer season was the one to go home with a buck that everyone comes to Wyoming looking for. A light winter and early spring gave western Wyoming bucks a huge jump on horn growth and it showed this fall. Our scouting paid off and we were able to connect on several awesome bucks but it was also the year of “the big one that got away”. We had 2 bucks that were both as big a deer as we have ever had the privilege of hunting get away. One was missed several times opening morning the other was unfortunately wounded, but hopefully lived as he was spotted 10 days later in elk season. Several other real nice bucks were seen or stalked but luck was on their side and they made it for another season. For those fortunate to make their shots count it was one heck of a great year.