Have a really good client that I would like to take on a first class western mule deer hunt in '26 if possible.
I want to impress and this trip needs to be outstanding / memorable in every way. I know there's no guarantees when it comes to hunting but I want the state and outfitter that gives us the best chances of bagging several TROPHY mule deer.

Yes, I know Mexico is the best for this but that is not an option. Needs to be state side, fair chase, western style spot and stalk type hunt.

Accommodations need to be very nice, although that is secondary to the hunt itself.

I assume private land hunt is our only option as we couldn't count on drawing tags.

So..... what outfitter (and where) do you recommend for this? What ya got?

Page Hoyt Ag on here. He is very knowledgeable on this subject and a very good person you can trust.

Let's start with the main question.........what is your budget? Second, what do you consider a TROPHY mule deer? 150"? 180"? 200"? I've hunted pretty extensively in North America and by far, a mule deer, has been the toughest trophy animal to check off the bucket list. Also, keep in mind that we are already in 2026. Many really good outfitters will be booked out already. I've always booked my big game hunts (domestic and international) 1.5 to 2 years out.

We had a great experience at Double A in Moorcroft WY last year. They had lots of mule deer bucks, but you might need a point or 2 to draw. That region doens't have monsters, just good bucks.

txaggie02 said:

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Let's start with the main question.........what is your budget? Second, what do you consider a TROPHY mule deer? 150"? 180"? 200"? I've hunted pretty extensively in North America and by far, a mule deer, has been the toughest trophy animal to check off the bucket list. Also, keep in mind that we are already in 2026. Many really good outfitters will be booked out already. I've always booked my big game hunts (domestic and international) 1.5 to 2 years out.

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Budget: I'm thinking 15k per hunter…. Does that get me there?
Trophy: 190 and up.

$15k will get you a really solid hunt. But finding a 190" deer is still going to be extremely challenging. In my opinion, there's only a good chance of that at a few places.....

- Arizona Strip
- Kaibab Plateau
- Paunsaugunt
- Mexico (much of the deer hunting here is turning into pen-raised deer)

Nowhere that I know in Canada is shooting 190" deer on a frequent basis. 170-180" would be a more realistic expectation with a small chance of bigger. Keep in mind that many of these outfitters take 15-20 hunters every year and only kill a couple 190"+ free-range deer, at best.

You said stateside but I'd consider Alberta for your budget.

txaggie02 said:

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$15k will get you a really solid hunt. But finding a 190" deer is still going to be extremely challenging. In my opinion, there's only a good chance of that at a few places.....

- Arizona Strip
- Kaibab Plateau
- Paunsaugunt
- Mexico (much of the deer hunting here is turning into pen-raised deer)

Nowhere that I know in Canada is shooting 190" deer on a frequent basis. 170-180" would be a more realistic expectation with a small chance of bigger. Keep in mind that many of these outfitters take 15-20 hunters every year and only kill a couple 190"+ free-range deer, at best.

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Good information. So you are saying I should temper my expectations....

Do you have specific outfitter recommendations for those locations (less Mexico)?

Thanks

Squid94 said:

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You said stateside but I'd consider Alberta for your budget.

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I'll look into it some. Canada could probably be an option.

Jim Breck Bean with High West Outfitters out of Fort Hancock could probably get you on a couple 180"+ mule deer in West Texas, but it would probably have to be fall of 2027. I'm fairly sure he is booked a couple years out at least. He has over a million acres of prime habitat leased in the Trans Pecos region and his outfit kills a bunch of hammer muleys every single year.

Dirty-8-thirty Ag said:

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Jim Breck Bean with High West Outfitters out of Fort Hancock could probably get you on a couple 180"+ mule deer in West Texas, but it would probably have to be fall of 2027. I'm fairly sure he is booked a couple years out at least. He has over a million acres of prime habitat leased in the Trans Pecos region and his outfit kills a bunch of hammer muleys every single year.

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thanks for the info.

Texaspainter said:

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txaggie02 said:

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$15k will get you a really solid hunt. But finding a 190" deer is still going to be extremely challenging. In my opinion, there's only a good chance of that at a few places.....

- Arizona Strip
- Kaibab Plateau
- Paunsaugunt
- Mexico (much of the deer hunting here is turning into pen-raised deer)

Nowhere that I know in Canada is shooting 190" deer on a frequent basis. 170-180" would be a more realistic expectation with a small chance of bigger. Keep in mind that many of these outfitters take 15-20 hunters every year and only kill a couple 190"+ free-range deer, at best.

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Good information. So you are saying I should temper my expectations....

Do you have specific outfitter recommendations for those locations (less Mexico)?

Thanks

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Yeah, everybody wants a 190-200"+ mule deer, but they are very, very hard to come by. I went on 4 mule deer hunts in British Columbia, Alberta, and Utah before I finally got one. They just aren't around every corner, and if they were, then they wouldn't be considered a trophy. A 180" deer is a much more realistic expectation.

David Virostko at North Rim Outfitters is a good starting point and I'd recommend hitting him up on what you are trying to do. I've used him for his hunting application services for about 10 years now. He's extremely knowledgeable and a great, family-oriented guy. He also owns North Rim Outfitters, which hunts in both Arizona and Utah and kills some toads. When I drew a tag in Arizona's 12BW (base of the Kaibab) a few years ago, I know that he was charging around $11-12k just for the guide service. And that didn't include the tag, lodging or meals. Not sure that he actually sells the tags though, as he hunts public land. You may have to buy a tag through an auction, which could be $15-25k alone.

https://www.virostkohunts.com/outfitter

In Alberta, Timber King is a solid option. They kill some slammers, but it looks like they are $17,500 for a 1x1 mule deer hunt.

https://www.timberkingoutfitting.com/alberta-mule-deer-hunts/

Also in Alberta is North Star. I don't know a ton about these guys other than I rode on a plan with the owner on my trip to Africa a few years ago. Seemed like a nice guy and knowledgeable. At least from his website, it looks like he kills some good deer. Again, they typically only post their bigger bucks, so you never know how many hunts they went on to kill those in the pics. Definitely worth calling around.

https://www.northstaroutfitting.com/

A few others that I follow on IG and seem to do really well, but not sure on pricing and tag situation.

https://arizonastripguides.com/
https://www.bigchinooutfitters.com/mule-deer-hunts/
https://www.sandyhillshunting.com/

txaggie02 said:

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Texaspainter said:

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txaggie02 said:

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$15k will get you a really solid hunt. But finding a 190" deer is still going to be extremely challenging. In my opinion, there's only a good chance of that at a few places.....

- Arizona Strip
- Kaibab Plateau
- Paunsaugunt
- Mexico (much of the deer hunting here is turning into pen-raised deer)

Nowhere that I know in Canada is shooting 190" deer on a frequent basis. 170-180" would be a more realistic expectation with a small chance of bigger. Keep in mind that many of these outfitters take 15-20 hunters every year and only kill a couple 190"+ free-range deer, at best.

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Good information. So you are saying I should temper my expectations....

Do you have specific outfitter recommendations for those locations (less Mexico)?

Thanks

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Yeah, everybody wants a 190-200"+ mule deer, but they are very, very hard to come by. I went on 4 mule deer hunts in British Columbia, Alberta, and Utah before I finally got one. They just aren't around every corner, and if they were, then they wouldn't be considered a trophy. A 180" deer is a much more realistic expectation.

David Virostko at North Rim Outfitters is a good starting point and I'd recommend hitting him up on what you are trying to do. I've used him for his hunting application services for about 10 years now. He's extremely knowledgeable and a great, family-oriented guy. He also owns North Rim Outfitters, which hunts in both Arizona and Utah and kills some toads. When I drew a tag in Arizona's 12BW (base of the Kaibab) a few years ago, I know that he was charging around $11-12k just for the guide service. And that didn't include the tag, lodging or meals. Not sure that he actually sells the tags though, as he hunts public land. You may have to buy a tag through an auction, which could be $15-25k alone.

https://www.virostkohunts.com/outfitter

In Alberta, Timber King is a solid option. They kill some slammers, but it looks like they are $17,500 for a 1x1 mule deer hunt.

https://www.timberkingoutfitting.com/alberta-mule-deer-hunts/

Also in Alberta is North Star. I don't know a ton about these guys other than I rode on a plan with the owner on my trip to Africa a few years ago. Seemed like a nice guy and knowledgeable. At least from his website, it looks like he kills some good deer. Again, they typically only post their bigger bucks, so you never know how many hunts they went on to kill those in the pics. Definitely worth calling around.

https://www.northstaroutfitting.com/

A few others that I follow on IG and seem to do really well, but not sure on pricing and tag situation.

https://arizonastripguides.com/
https://www.bigchinooutfitters.com/mule-deer-hunts/
https://www.sandyhillshunting.com/

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Now this is how you Texags!!! Thank you sir you have been most helpful. I'm a big whitetail hunter but not so much on mule deer. I've read through several of the western hunting posts on Texags and it got me really interested in that style of hunting and going after a big muley plus I need a really good hunt for a client (2 birds thing).

I'll check these out. Thanks again.

Glad I could help. If there's anything else you have a question about or need more information, let me know. I'm not an expert by any means, but it is a species that I've enjoyed chasing for years and researched quite extensively. They are a fun animal to hunt for sure and they live in some beautiful country.

Gunny456 said:

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Page Hoyt Ag on here. He is very knowledgeable on this subject and a very good person you can trust.

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Thanks for the tag, but this kind of hunt is out of my wheelhouse. My specialty is backcountry hunts so no lodges like the OP wants. If you and your client want to hike a ton of miles, eat camp food and ride some horses, then I can help out.

I echo what was said about how rare 190s will be. I know the units I hunt like the back of my hand and they hold a lot of 160s and 170s, a few 180s and the elusive 190 every now and then. Point is I would dial down the expectation just a hair, your client will be happy with a 170 or 180 and if he isnt, then he needs mental help.

Paging HoytAg-
I'd like to get your thoughts on a Colorado hunt / areas / guides. Email is user name at att .net

Really good insights. I'd like your opinion on some areas I haven't chased muleys in yet. Can we chat? Please email me -
User at att .net

Lots of good replies here with realistic expectations. I've only been on 1 private land Muley hunt. Colorado Unit 741 I believe. Guide was Nate Hicks. He's got a good lodge and was an easy hunt. Took my dad and 2 other buddies. All 4 punched tags. 180's are possible.

We want to see your mule deer wall!! You've posted some real whoppers in the past. Let's see those mounts.

Haha. I do have a whitetail wall, but don't really have a mule deer wall, so to speak. I've really only shot 3 solid mule deer bucks. The biggest one from this past October is finishing up at the taxidermist, so I don't have any pics of it at the house. The first time I will actually see it completed is at the Houston Safari Club Convention in a couple weeks. B&B Taxidermy is going to have it in their booth.

Whitetail wall......


2022 Utah mule deer


2023 Utah mule deer


2025 Utah mule deer (unfinished mount)

sent

TX_COWDOC said:

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Lots of good replies here with realistic expectations. I've only been on 1 private land Muley hunt. Colorado Unit 741 I believe. Guide was Nate Hicks. He's got a good lodge and was an easy hunt. Took my dad and 2 other buddies. All 4 punched tags. 180's are possible.

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Thanks CowDoc. And yes, I have recently revised my expectations down a bit, LOL. Guess I didn't realize 190's was that much of a unicorn. I just saw a couple Sonoran mule deer antlers that just arrived at my local taxidermist. One was low 190's and one was a hair over 200. I'm not going to Mexico though.....

Nice wall you got going there txaggie02!!!!! Congrats on some great adventures!

Hoyt Ag said:

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Gunny456 said:

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Page Hoyt Ag on here. He is very knowledgeable on this subject and a very good person you can trust.

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Thanks for the tag, but this kind of hunt is out of my wheelhouse. My specialty is backcountry hunts so no lodges like the OP wants. If you and your client want to hike a ton of miles, eat camp food and ride some horses, then I can help out.

I echo what was said about how rare 190s will be. I know the units I hunt like the back of my hand and they hold a lot of 160s and 170s, a few 180s and the elusive 190 every now and then. Point is I would dial down the expectation just a hair, your client will be happy with a 170 or 180 and if he isnt, then he needs mental help.

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Thanks Hoyt Ag. Appreciate the response. I'm sure my client will be happy with anything, they don't even know about this yet. Want to get a little more prepared before I let them in on the secret.

I have a recommendation in Alberta that i have become good friends with. I feel very good about their ability to put you on 170"-180" deer but anything bigger is just being in the right place at the right time. You stay in a barndominium at their house and all meals are served at their dining table. Great family and the hunt is a very good time. I killed a 200" deer a few years back with them and our group went 5/5 with everything over 170". We have a group that goes up every other year and are set to go this year and again in 2028.

rockin_gh said:

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I have a recommendation in Alberta that i have become good friends with. I feel very good about their ability to put you on 170"-180" deer but anything bigger is just being in the right place at the right time. You stay in a barndominium at their house and all meals are served at their dining table. Great family and the hunt is a very good time. I killed a 200" deer a few years back with them and our group went 5/5 with everything over 170". We have a group that goes up every other year and are set to go this year and again in 2028.

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Thank you. If we decide to entertain Alberta I will certainly reach out to you.

I am interested in that. Could you share please?

That's a great looking wall!! Well done.

I have to say…$15k per hunter is an unforgettable African safari budget that can bag you half a dozen great animals….

rockin_gh said:

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I have a recommendation in Alberta that i have become good friends with. I feel very good about their ability to put you on 170"-180" deer but anything bigger is just being in the right place at the right time. You stay in a barndominium at their house and all meals are served at their dining table. Great family and the hunt is a very good time. I killed a 200" deer a few years back with them and our group went 5/5 with everything over 170". We have a group that goes up every other year and are set to go this year and again in 2028.

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What does that run ballpark ish ? Sounds like a great time if you don't mind sharing the info !

looks like another option would be to utilize the services of a hunt booking agency..... a quick search reveals that there is one in Austin called Riata World Wide Hunting. Looks like they will take care of everything for me?

1. What are y'alls thoughts on using an agency to find what I want for me?

2. Anyone have experience with Riata Worldwide specifially? (you can DM me if you prefer on this)

Don't bash me here guys.... I'm just researching options..... seems like a decent option on the surface? IDK

It's around 15k now. There's an option to add a whitetail tag also. First trip up there I shot my deer the first evening and spent the rest of the trip watching a big whitetail from about a mile and a half away. He was living right where a 185" mule deer my father-in-law was after was hanging out. We saw him morning and night like clockwork. My FIL finally killed his mule deer last morning and that afternoon the whitetail never came out. Hunter the next week killed him and he was just over 182." It's pretty wild to me how that country holds so many quality deer.

The only experience I have with a booking agent was on a large Asian hunt with one of the largest agents. There were some special circumstances that gave me a bad taste with them, but overall the hunt and trip were a success and I had a great time.
I think for a single trip or once every 5-10 years a booking agent would work great. I don't have any experience with Riata but I do get their emails and see that they appear to have good success and quality animals. It doesn't hurt to reach out and see if they can help you.
Part of the fun of the experience is searching out the outfitter you get along with and making relationships with them. Seeing that this is a one-off trip that doesn't necessarily apply, but that is the main reason that I don't use them and prefer finding my hunts at the shows or through friends I know and trust.

This.
Some outfitters really work with you and are actually involved in making sure you have a quality hunt. There are others that are just "brokers" (for lack of better terms) and middle men that make money off your hunt and don't really put out much effort.
We quit using outfitters when we had our ranch. We were doing all the work anyway.
There are definitely some good professional ones that earn their money. The key is doing your due diligence and finding those to do business with. Like in all professions there are good and bad.

I've booked 5-6 domestic and international hunts (Namibia, Russia, Canada, and the US) for both personal and business through Trey Sperring at Neal and Brownlee. Even did a sturgeon fishing trip in BC through them. I can say that my experience has been extremely good. The pre-hunt information and communication was great. Very detailed with not only the traveling and documentation requirements, but they also provided a bunch of information on the country, the history, options for non-hunting activities, etc. All of the trips have been top notch and I was successful in killing quality animals on every one. The outfitters were all very good too. Solid accommodations, food, guides, trackers, etc. I can't say anything about any other hunting consulting outfits, but if I was to use one again, I'd definitely go back through Neal and Brownlee.