Bill Crouch did not have a guide, horses, or the luxury of scouting before the opener. What he did have was a willingness to keep learning Colorado mule deer country the hard way, year after year, until the roughest canyons started telling him where the old bucks lived.

The payoff came when two massive bucks stepped out with a doe and walked straight toward Crouch and his stepson, Gary. Crouch’s buck angled off at about 80 yards, took the first shot, then ran so close he passed within 20 feet. Moments later, both bucks were down within 10 feet of each other.

Hunt the country other hunters leave alone

Big bucks do not need the whole mountain. They need the right pocket of cover, feed, water, and safety. The mistake is hunting every place that looks good. The better move is finding the small part of a big place that older bucks use because it is hard to reach and harder to stay in.

𐂂 Do not confuse deer country with big-buck country.

𐂂 Glass the routes between rough cover, feed, and escape terrain before you move.

𐂂 When the climb back out makes you want to quit, you may finally be hunting where the mature bucks feel safe.

Dale's note: Big mule deer country punishes guessing. A serious rangefinder with ballistic data helps when a buck steps out across a canyon and the shot window does not last long.

Dale's note: Rough public land is a gear-management problem before it is a shooting problem. A compact day pack that carries optics, layers, and essentials keeps you mobile when the deer are a long way from the truck.