First year to hunt a place with Mule Deer. At first glance, my whitetail self would think this is a mature mule deer and at or very near legal AR. But I would love to have some of you experienced MD hunters weigh in on a) his age and b) is he legal? Thanks gu

Age might be there, but doesn't he have to be 20" wide to be legal? I'm not sure he makes that.

If the spread was outside the left ear like it is the right ear, I believe it would make 20". My experience with the panhandle md is the spread has to be outside the ears to be 20".

He looks mature to me.

Doesnt look legal to me. Mule deer are said to mature at 7.5. Definitely not a shooter here.

3X3

bellys bigger than mine!

antlers could grow, not sure about him. If he's legal shoot him

Yes he’s legal IMO. Alert mule deer ears are 18in tip to tip. Legal is 20in outside spread Would like to see his face but best guess is 4.5yrs based on that pic. He’s not fully mature, but nothing wrong harvesting him if you like him.

His midsection looks huge. Has he eaten a steady diet of protein, or something.?

Looks like a 4 year old to me.

Really a mule deer starts to come into their best years past 6 years old, we liked to get them to 7 if possible.

I’ll be honest, it was not hard for me to tell the different between a 4 year old and a 6 year old but past that it got tough until they got real old. I saw a few bucks that surprise me if they were 10.

If you plan on staying on the lease, I would let him walk for at least another year. In whitetail speak. A 4 year old mule deer is like a 3 year old whitetail.

Hard pic to see, but this is also a 4 year old muley

thanks everyone. I sent the pic to the game warden too, and he thought 4.5 at best, and marginal on legal. said he might be much better next year if I keep feeding him...ha.