Mule Deer Foundation
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • People of MDF
    • Board of Directors
    • MDF News
    • MDF Magazine
    • Annual Reporting
    • MDF Careers
    • Contact Us
  • How We Conserve
    • Conservation Programs
    • Habitat Work
    • Project Highlights
    • Stewardship
    • Migration Initiative
    • Public Policy
    • Partner Agencies & NGOs
  • How We Educate
    • Outreach
    • Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer Facts
    • Talking Mule Deer Podcast
    • Mule Deer Foundation Videos & Films
    • Chronic Wasting Disease
  • How You Can Help
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Miles Moretti Memorial Fund
    • Member Success
    • Volunteer
    • MDF Endowment
    • MDF Supporters & Partners
  • Events & Chapters
    • Western Hunting and Conservation Expo
    • Ultimate Giveaway 2025
    • MDF in Your State
      • Find by Map
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • Chapter Rewards
    • Upcoming Events
      • List
      • Calendar
    • Special Tags & Permits
  • 0
  • News
  • Membership
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
Mule Deer Foundation
  • 0
JOIN / RENEW
DONATE
Mule Deer Foundation
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Linkedin
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • People of MDF
    • Board of Directors
    • MDF News
    • MDF Magazine
    • Annual Reporting
    • MDF Careers
    • Contact Us
  • How We Conserve
    • Conservation Programs
    • Habitat Work
    • Project Highlights
    • Stewardship
    • Migration Initiative
    • Public Policy
    • Partner Agencies & NGOs
  • How We Educate
    • Outreach
    • Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer Facts
    • Talking Mule Deer Podcast
    • Mule Deer Foundation Videos & Films
    • Chronic Wasting Disease
  • How You Can Help
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Miles Moretti Memorial Fund
    • Member Success
    • Volunteer
    • MDF Endowment
    • MDF Supporters & Partners
  • Events & Chapters
    • Western Hunting and Conservation Expo
    • Ultimate Giveaway 2025
    • MDF in Your State
      • Find by Map
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • Chapter Rewards
    • Upcoming Events
      • List
      • Calendar
    • Special Tags & Permits
  • 0

Conservation takes many forms and MDF Magazine is critical to sharing the work that we do.

 

 

MDF Magazine is a quarterly publication, and exclusive to Mule Deer Foundation members. Packed full of high quality stories and striking photography of the work that we are doing on the ground, in a perfect bound, glossy top-scale paper perfect for reading in the wall tent, or the waiting room. We are excited to celebrate the content between the covers, with an aesthetically pleasing and easily readable layout.

 

MDF Magazine continues to deliver stories from the hunt, as well as in the field highlighting conservation challenges and projects. Cuisine, state-by-state updates on the work happening across the range, mule deer and black-tailed deer biology and more!


 

 

The magazine features some of the best hunting stories, tips, and tactics from our friends Jana Waller of Skullbound Chronicles, Mark Kayser, Jason Matzinger, Identical Draw and more!

Celebration of the success of our members, is a fan favorites section, and is featured in each and every issue! This is our favorite section to put together, as we get to share in your stories.


With an increased page count and reduction in ads, MDF Members can enjoy a magazine that delivers the MDF mission, facilitates our mission, and showcases those supporters committed to what we do.

 

Early season mule deer hunting is a long game. You might spend days glassing and never make a stalk — or you might get it done on the first morning. Either way, keep your head in the game and your ego in check. Velvet season rewards the patient and punishes the reckless.
Early Season Mule Deer Tactics: Spot-and-Stalk Success in Velvet

Early season mule deer hunting is a long game. You might spend days glassing and never make a stalk — or you might get it done on the first morning. Either way, keep your head in the game and your ego in check. Velvet season rewards the patient and punishes the reckless.

The Mule Deer Foundation is proud to share an incredible opportunity for those who dream of hunting the legendary giants of Sonora, Mexico. Known for producing some of the biggest mule deer bucks in North America, Sonora offers the perfect combination of rugged desert landscapes, prime winter rut timing, and expert local guides who know exactly where to find world-class animals.
Win Sonora, Mexico Mule Deer Hunt

The Mule Deer Foundation is proud to share an incredible opportunity for those who dream of hunting the legendary giants of Sonora, Mexico. Known for producing some of the biggest mule deer bucks in North America, Sonora offers the perfect combination of rugged desert landscapes, prime winter rut timing, and expert local guides who know exactly where to find world-class animals.

Ask a dozen mule deer hunters how they get it done, and you’ll hear two main camps: spot-and-stalk and ambush hunting. Both get the job done — but they take different mindsets, skills, and situations to pull off. Let’s break ‘em down.
Spot-and-Stalk vs. Ambush: Choosing Your Mule Deer Hunting Style

Ask a dozen mule deer hunters how they get it done, and you’ll hear two main camps: spot-and-stalk and ambush hunting. Both get the job done — but they take different mindsets, skills, and situations to pull off. Let’s break ‘em down.

That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) comes in. You might know the name. You might have gone to a banquet, read the magazine, or thrown a few bucks in the raffle. But what you might not know is just how much MDF does every single day to protect the deer, the ground they walk on, and the hunting lifestyle we live for.
Behind the Scenes: How the Mule Deer Foundation Works for Hunters

That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) comes in. You might know the name. You might have gone to a banquet, read the magazine, or thrown a few bucks in the raffle. But what you might not know is just how much MDF does every single day to protect the deer, the ground they walk on, and the hunting lifestyle we live for.

Spend enough time around mule deer, and you realize they’re not just animals fading into the brush — they’re talking. Not with words, of course, but with posture, movement, and subtle signs that can tell you exactly what they’re thinking — if you know how to read them.

Whether you’re lining up a stalk on a high-country buck or just watching a herd from across a canyon, understanding mule deer body language can give you a major edge. It’s the difference between blowing your chance or slipping in close for a clean shot. It’s the difference between a deer that disappears and one that hangs around just a little too long.
Decoding Mule Deer Body Language: What Bucks Are Telling You

Spend enough time around mule deer, and you realize they’re not just animals fading into the brush — they’re talking. Not with words, of course, but with posture, movement, and subtle signs that can tell you exactly what they’re thinking — if you know how to read them.

Whether you’re lining up a stalk on a high-country buck or just watching a herd from across a canyon, understanding mule deer body language can give you a major edge. It’s the difference between blowing your chance or slipping in close for a clean shot. It’s the difference between a deer that disappears and one that hangs around just a little too long.

Ask any seasoned hunter what makes for a great mule deer season, and you’ll likely hear the same answers: good weather, time to scout, a solid tag — and deer. Lots of deer.

What some hunters overlook, though, is that seeing more mule deer doesn’t just come down to luck or draw odds. It comes down to habitat — and behind that habitat, there’s often a crew of conservationists, biologists, and volunteers working to make the ground better for deer and the people who hunt them. That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) steps in.
Habitat Work Means More Deer in Your Spotting Scope

Ask any seasoned hunter what makes for a great mule deer season, and you’ll likely hear the same answers: good weather, time to scout, a solid tag — and deer. Lots of deer.

What some hunters overlook, though, is that seeing more mule deer doesn’t just come down to luck or draw odds. It comes down to habitat — and behind that habitat, there’s often a crew of conservationists, biologists, and volunteers working to make the ground better for deer and the people who hunt them. That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) steps in.

Load more

These are just a few stories from previous issues, but you must be a member to receive the full contents of this powerful publication!

JOIN THE MULE DEER FOUNDATION TODAY
Cart
Subscribe and Follow
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Linkedin
Mule Deer Foundation

mule_deer_foundation

The mission of the Mule Deer Foundation is to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. #ConnectedByConservation

That’s a wrap, folks! Congratulations to all the That’s a wrap, folks! Congratulations to all the winners and big thank you to everyone who participated. These funds will go back into turning dirt, fencing, forest restoration, sage brush planting projects and more; so we’re all winners 🏆. Shoutout to all the sponsors as well, we couldn’t do it without you. 
We appreciate you and look forward to next year!

#muledeer #muledeercountry #conservation
@hoytbowhunting has a bow for everybody! Listen i @hoytbowhunting has a bow for everybody!

Listen in on MDF’s very own @trevorhubbs conversation with Hoyt’s Director of Marketing, Jeremy Eldridge as they discuss archery, hunting and conservation at MDF’s 2025 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. Watch the full podcast episode at the link in our bio!
We’ve launched our Western Big Game Connectivity We’ve launched our Western Big Game Connectivity and Habitat Fragmentation Program in North Dakota!

In the working landscapes of the West, fences play an important role in managing livestock, marking property lines, and protecting natural resources. However, they can also create serious challenges for wildlife—blocking movement, fragmenting habitat, causing stress and injury, and even mortality. 

With support from the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund, North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others, the Mule Deer Foundation is working with landowners across western North Dakota to create safer passage for mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and bighorn sheep. In 2025, MDF is on track to improve more than 25 miles of degraded and hazardous fencing in the state, replacing it with wildlife-friendly designs and strategic crossings.
Most hunters think about mule deer when a tag hits Most hunters think about mule deer when a tag hits their inbox or when they’re packing one out on their back after a successful hunt. But if we want those moments to last for our kids, our grandkids, and the future of hunting, we have to look at what’s happening behind the scenes.

At the Mule Deer Foundation we are committed to restoring critical habitat, protecting migration corridors, expanding hunting access, and mentoring the next generation. MDF is working every day to keep mule deer on the mountain and tags in your pocket.

Read the full story on why this work matters and how MDF works for hunters at the link in our bio.
In our recent blog post @the.intrepid.eater shares In our recent blog post @the.intrepid.eater shares a delicious wild turkey burger recipe that uses mayonnaise both in the ground meat to moisten the meat and in the sauce for the aioli! Check it out at the link in our bio or make sure to screen shot the recipe card to try it out at home!
What does a Mule Deer’s body language tell you a What does a Mule Deer’s body language tell you about how they are feeling? In our recent blog post we explore just that! Learn more at the link in our bio.
Mule Deer Foundation congratulates Brian Nesvik on Mule Deer Foundation congratulates Brian Nesvik on his confirmation as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With decades of wildlife management experience, Nesvik is well-positioned to lead FWS and champion conservation priorities that matter to sportsmen and women. We look forward to working with him to advance habitat conservation and wildlife stewardship across the country.
Pop over to MDFs Facebook on 8/8 at 6:30pm MT for Pop over to MDFs Facebook on 8/8 at 6:30pm MT for our live drawing for all 14 amazing prizes as part of our Ultimate Giveaway 2025! See you there and may the odds be in your favor!
Thanks again to all our corporate partners and collaborators, we couldn’t do it without you!
At the Mule Deer Foundation, we’re proud to work At the Mule Deer Foundation, we’re proud to work with corporate partners who not only believe in our mission but build gear tough enough to support it in the wild. One of those partners is @badlandsgear—a brand known for rugged reliability, innovative design, and a relentless focus on performance in the backcountry.

This year, Badlands has leveled up with two standout pieces that have earned our seal of approval in the field: the updated MRK 4 pack and the newly redesigned Bino XR. Check out our recent blog post where we dive into detail about these two standout pieces— link in bio!
"If you want to understand the pressure mule deer "If you want to understand the pressure mule deer are under these days, don’t look to the Rockies or the high sage basins of Montana — head straight into the heart of the Great Basin. This sprawling region covers much of Nevada and western Utah, and while it may look vast and empty, for mule deer it’s ground zero for one of the most dramatic population declines in the West." 

Read MDF's most recent blog post- The Great Basin Decline: A Mule Deer Crisis in the Making - where we shed some light on one of the less talked about populations,  the mule deer of the Great Basin! 

Learn more at the link in our bio!
New Venison Steak and Watercress Bánh Mì recipe New Venison Steak and Watercress Bánh Mì recipe from @the.intrepid.eater! "Vietnamese bánh mì are definitely in the running for my favorite sandwich of all time. They have that perfect balance of sweet and savory, soft and crunchy, meaty and herbaceous… I just can’t get enough. That’s why I make them at home quite often, and like to change up what I put on them on the regular."

Find the full recipe and write up at the link in our bio!
While we didn't get a chance to catch up with #Joh While we didn't get a chance to catch up with #JohnnyMorris this weekend, we couldn't help but feel the outpouring of admiration his town, the community members, and his staff have for him. One thing is for sure, Johnny's love for sharing the outdoors with everyone he meets is something to be reckoned with. 

However, we did get a chance to thank his son, @probassjp John Paul Morris, Boone and Crockett CEO Tony Shoonen, and Boone and Crockett President, Tony Caliguiri for their continued support to the #MuleDeerFoundation. 

Oh, and we caught up with some other familiar faces and had some laughs! Thank you @bassproshops for allowing us to come together and celebrate the hunting community and your commitment to conservation ❤️ Until next time...

#muledeerfoundation #conservation #bassproshops #booneandcrockett #booneandcrockettclub
#wildlifeconservation #conservation #hunting
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Upcoming Events

Aug 22
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Georgetown, TX- Central Texas Banquet

Aug 23
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Carlsbad, NM- Eddy County Chapter Banquet

Aug 27
5:00 pm - 8:30 pm

American Fork, UT- Utah County Chapter Ultimate Giveaway Bash

Aug 30
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Prescott, AZ- Prescott Chapter Banquet

Sep 6
5:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Alpine, TX- Alpine Chapter Banquet

View Calendar

Mule Deer Foundation Mission

The mission of the Mule Deer Foundation is to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat.

Read more

Contact Information

MDF National Headquarters
1785 East 1450 South
Suite 210
Clearfield UT 84015

Open weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m

Phone: 801-973-3940
Fax: 801-973-1177
Email: [email protected]

Contact Us →

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Linkedin

  • MDF News
  • Careers
  • Financials
  • Privacy Policy
  • Chapter Portal

© 2021 Mule Deer Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Scroll To Top
Mule Deer Foundation
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • People of MDF
    • Board of Directors
    • MDF News
    • MDF Magazine
    • Annual Reporting
    • MDF Careers
    • Contact Us
  • How We Conserve
    • Conservation Programs
    • Habitat Work
    • Project Highlights
    • Stewardship
    • Migration Initiative
    • Public Policy
    • Partner Agencies & NGOs
  • How We Educate
    • Outreach
    • Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer Facts
    • Talking Mule Deer Podcast
    • Mule Deer Foundation Videos & Films
    • Chronic Wasting Disease
  • How You Can Help
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Miles Moretti Memorial Fund
    • Member Success
    • Volunteer
    • MDF Endowment
    • MDF Supporters & Partners
  • Events & Chapters
    • Western Hunting and Conservation Expo
    • Ultimate Giveaway 2025
    • MDF in Your State
      • Find by Map
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • Chapter Rewards
    • Upcoming Events
      • List
      • Calendar
    • Special Tags & Permits
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Linkedin

Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy

I accept use of cookies

Join the Herd, Stay Connected.

Get updates on our habitat work, events, chapter information, and mule deer content.

PRESS ESC TO CLOSE