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Discuss our Muley interview with Wes

Very timely as this clueless whitie hunter heads to Colorado this week for the 8/26 opener! Thx

Great feature Pat, wealth of information there!

Very good! Personally great for me to hear it from a fellow guide's perspective. A couple things that I thought was interesting was first of all his point about getting into the hunting/killing frame of mind, leaving the city and constant stimulus of that world behind and focusing on the hunt. It's a point that may get overlooked and isn't easy for people to do. We will get hunters in that while we are out looking for deer, driving farm roads, they will spend more time on their phone than looking out the truck window trying to spot a deer or they will just stare straight ahead, not trying to help out on their own hunt. Even when we get within bow range of a bedded deer they can't fathom sitting for 3-4 hrs, watching antler tips, maybe longer waiting for him to stand and give a good shot. It is a whole frame of mind you have to get into. Some hunters are very good at it, quickly get into it, others not so much and it's really not their fault, just the modern life we live.

Also interesting was just the last question about what do you have left to accomplish after putting your hands on so many big deer? I would easily answer, "Everything to accomplish because I didn't kill those deer myself. My own kills are only what personally matters to me in my bowhunting goals. All those other kills on big deer were awesome and congrats to the hunters but I didn't do it. Totally different thing on my own. Any guide can quickly be humbled when he goes to do it himself."

Overall just wish it was a longer, more in depth interview. Great job, Pat!

Great timely information as my son and I are about to go on our first ever mule deer hunt. It included some info I'd not yet obtained even after reading several books. Info that could very well be the deal breaker between a filled or unfilled tag.

Thanks Pat and Wes!

Good to hear Wes again. I always said if you were a trophy animal, he was the LAST person you wanted hunting you. Ask him about the unkillable "Cactus Buck" that lived on his Wellington ranch for several years back around 2004. I saw that buck in person through a spotting scope, and it was the biggest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. Nobody ever shot it.

Great interview. Enjoyed it a lot and learned a few things for sure. Thanks.

Wow, what a wealth of information. I will go over that a few times before its taken down. I would have liked to hear about his approach or method for OTC January rut hunts. I've been real close to big bucks but it's tough with all those doe's in the field with him. excellent interview Pat. Thank you and thank you Wes for taking the time to share it.

Thanks Pat that was great. I made a few notes and tossed them in my mule deer file. It's always a joy to pick the brain of really good hunter.

That was an awesome interview. Thanks Pat and Wes!

Pat, Excellent job a Good Hunter always needs more knowledge job well done. Anything to tip the odds in the hunters favor.

Pat and Wes thank you very much for that awesome interview! Wish I had listened to that a few years ago. As a novice mule deer hunter a few yrs back I was listening and reliving the mistakes I made on a nice 170ish buck. Hope to change that soon.

Great interview!

The "bowhunters biggest mistakes" segment could have been shorter IMO. All Wes needed to say was "Don't do what PAV does."

Honestly, big mule deer bucks have become my nemesis animal. Glad to get some pointers from a pro!

Was Randy Ulmer unavailable?

I really enjoyed the concept of "kill mode" this may or may not be what Mike U. Was referring to in his comment. I will say that when I hunted with Mike that the hunt and killing the animal was really not why I was there. My hunt was with a lifelong friend who I had literally spent about three hours with in fourty years. I just thank God that my guide eagle eye (Kyle) made me feel that if there was an animal that he would see it. I think the kill mode that Wes is referring is that state when we really get tuned into that innate predator where we are in tune with our instincts to where they impact our decisions. I understand Mike's comments because I explain to people that when I drive west to hunt it's like with every mile you are peeling off layers of society.

Hopefully, Kyle didn't hold it against me to much to not making a rapid transition to kill mode. I will say that hunt lived up to all my expectations.

Thanks pigsticker, Mike Wood, you guys were great to have in camp and you got it done! Kyle is out there again right now. He should have a couple 170+ bucks dead already but a tractor, a quad and a random wrong way wind gust have screwed up 3 prime stalks so far...

Wow great interview. I definetly learned some stuff that I will be trying to focus on this fall. Thank you Pat and Wes!

Pat, this was a great interview. Wes sounds like a true master. I wish I had been able to hunt with him before he left guiding. I thought that point about getting into the "killing" mode particularly relevant. Additionally, sitting on those mule deer for hours can be particularly tough. How many of us can pull off a shot after sitting for 3-4 hours?? How many can sit still that long?:-) Since I can't kneel for longer than about 30min, shooting from a sitting position is most often required. If you're over 30, practicing yoga, can be as important as time with your bow:-)

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