Mule Deer Fanatic

I have wondered why there are lots of acorns some years, and none other years. Acorns are reportedly important to mule deer in building fat reserves for winter. I have also wondered why some years the muley bucks grow very good antlers and other years, they don’t.

My observation for this year is that there are almost no acorns, at least in northern Arizona and southern Utah, and that it is a good horn-growing year.

I believe I know why there are no acorns. We had an early, warm spring – followed by a late hard frost. Since then, we have had a wet fall. I believe this weather pattern is also responsible for the good antlers we have been seeing. It has been quite a few years since I have seen so many big, heavy antlered bucks in general.

So, I will say to you rifle hunters: Don’t shoot the first buck you see. There are not a lot of bucks, but there are some good ones.

The bucks are also in very good shape already in spite of a lack of acorns.