BuckTracker: A Gas Station Monster

By Field & Stream Online Editors | Published Dec 4, 2007 4:50 PM

Hunting

Just back from a successful Iowa bowhunt (I'll post the details in my next BuckTracker installment on our Whitetail365 blog). When I checked my inbox I found these deer pictures. I've confessed my adoration of, and obsession with, mule deer in other [BuckTracker posts](http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/whitetail365/2007/11/bucktracker-mad.ht ml). So of course these pics rekindled the fire. According to my source, this tremendous mulie was photographed just outside Rawlins, Wyoming, a town of 8,600 people in the south-central part of the state. Field & Stream Online Editors

BuckTracker: A Gas Station Monster

Besides the tremendous headgear this buck is sporting, a couple of things are significant about these pictures. First, the country around Rawlins is not the mountainous terrain traditionally associated with mule deer. While great bucks certainly continue to live in the high country, fellow mule deer nuts are quick to point out that many truly large mulies are now shot in prairie/foothill environments. Whitetails are given high points for their adaptability, but its clear mule deer have learned a few tricks in this department as well.

BuckTracker: A Gas Station Monster

Second, you’ll note the presence of a building (and/or sign) in the background. This buck is not only living close to people, he’s been bedding near a “Checker” gas station! This is an old whitetail trick that I give this deer high points for adopting. Making a convenience store part of your core area is a nifty survival technique. It is too late to obtain a Wyoming non-resident license of course…otherwise I’d be tempted to fly to Rawlins, befriend the gas station owner, and proceed to build a blind of old tires and spare parts. Keep on clicking to see more pictures of this tremendous deer. And don’t forget to check out the rest of my BuckTracker posts on our Whitetail365 blog! -Scott Bestul