Dukats Journal of Hunting

(HUNTING VIDEO)

It's not too often you get a chance to hunt mule deer where you might see ten to twenty four point muleys in a day.  There is nothing like hunting the rut with a rifle and Nebraska schedules their hunt the perfect week.  If you find a spot with a good population of does, it won't be long before the bucks start showing up.

Game management is finally starting to grow some roots in western Nebraska and the mule deer populations are expanding because of it.  For years the ranchers did there best to rid the countryside of the "rats of the prairie" as my grandfather called them.  They didn't want the competition for grazing or their farming crops and hay to be gobbled up by the original residents of the land.  With the rise in hunters willing to pay a price to find a mule deer or whitetail buck, it finally made sense look at things a little differently.

Along came a few outfitters who helped us get to where we want to be today.  These outfitters bring in less hunters, but are paid and pay to the ranchers a higher price for higher quality bucks.  Bucks are allowed to mature before being shot, and the stronger, bigger deer are breeding the does, creating better genetics in the herd.  Landowners are also bringing in their own hunters whether paid or friends and family and enjoying a few days away from the hard work to hunt their land.

When you get a large enough group of landowners following these principals, it's amazing how much the trophy potential improves.  The benefits finally started to show this year.  When the does arrived, the bucks weren't far behind and the land we hunted was filled with 3 1/2 year old deer fighting it out to breed the does.  There were four points everywhere and some bucks that, if they survive another couple years will gain the mass and length to become trophy of a lifetime.

This was the dilemma we found ourselves in.  Beautiful bucks everywhere, but none quite ready to be harvested.  We spent the week filming and enjoying the beautiful scenery filled with deer and on the final day of the season, shot several ugly bucks that had reached breeding age, but needed to be removed from the herd because they lacked the qualities to become a true trophy.

Susan pulled off her longest shot ever  at over 300 yards and I shot my widest buck to date, so it was a very sucessful trip any way you look at it.  We have a freezer full of meat and the anticipation for next year is almost unbearable.  I just hope the bucks made it through the muzzleloader season in December and are smart enough to get through the fall archery season.  November 2009 can't come soon enough!