By Trevor J. Hubbs
Every hunter has a version of it. Gun misfired, missed a shot, waiting to long to shoot, things just happen. The tag stays in your pocket, the freezer stays empty, and the lessons stick around a whole lot longer than any set of antlers ever would.
We joke about “tag soup,” but the truth is, those seasons often shape us more than the successful ones. They sharpen judgment, expose weaknesses, and remind us why we hunt in the first place.
I caught up with three hunters, Michael Luby, Patrick Rutiger, and John Mallardo, who each walked away from the 2025 season without punching a tag. Different states, different circumstances, same outcome. And each one had something worth learning.
Michael Luby — Wyoming
When Holding Out Goes Too Far
Michael’s Wyoming hunt looked like what most hunters hope for, a new opportunity.
“I had chances at multiple solid 4-point bucks,” he told me. “Good deer. Deer I’d be proud of any other year.”
But this wasn’t “any other year.” Michael had his sights set on something bigger. Day after day, he passed on bucks, convinced a better one would show.
It never did.
“I kept thinking, ‘just one more day, one more ridge,’” he said. “And before I knew it, the season was over.”
Walking out of Wyoming with an unfilled tag wasn’t easy, but his takeaway was simple and honest.
“I learned that sometimes a good deer is the opportunity,” he said. “Holding out has its place, but there’s a line. And I probably crossed it.”
It’s a lesson a lot of mule deer hunters learn the hard way. Standards matter but so does recognizing the moment you’re in.
Patrick Rutiger — Oregon
You Can’t Shortcut Local Knowledge
Patrick made a bold move in 2025. Known for hunting blacktail in western Oregon, he decided to switch things up and head east for mule deer.
New country. New terrain. New challenge.
“I thought I could figure it out as I went,” he said. “Deer are deer, right?”
Not quite.
“I never found them,” he admitted. “I covered a lot of ground, glassed hard, but I just wasn’t in the right places.”
Eastern Oregon’s open, expansive mule deer habitat couldn’t be more different from the thick, coastal blacktail country Patrick was used to. And without the time to properly scout or understand seasonal patterns, he was always a step behind.
Looking back, his takeaway was clear.
“You can’t replace time in an area,” he said. “I underestimated how much local knowledge matters, where they bed, how they move, how pressure affects them. I went in blind and paid for it.”
It’s a reminder that even experienced hunters can’t skip the learning curve when they step into new country.
John Mallardo — California
Gear Matters More Than You Think
John’s season in Southern California had all the right ingredients, good company, hard hunting, and real opportunity.
“I was hunting with a buddy who ended up tagging a great buck,” he said. “We were in deer, no question.”
But while his partner capitalized, John struggled.
“The terrain, the heat, the dryness—it was just different,” he said. “I realized pretty quickly I wasn’t as prepared as I thought.”
From hydration and layering to footwear and optics, desert hunting exposed gaps in his setup.
“I had the basics, but not what I needed for that environment,” he said. “By the time I adjusted, it was too late.”
Watching his friend notch a tag while he came up empty wasn’t easy, but it brought clarity.
“I learned that being a good hunter isn’t enough if your gear doesn’t match the country,” he said. “You’ve got to be equipped for the environment you’re in.”
More Than a Filled Tag
Three hunters. Three states. Three different paths to the same result.
No punched tags.
But none of them walked away empty-handed.
Each season revealed something about expectations, preparation, or decision-making. And those lessons don’t fade. They carry forward into the next hunt, and the one after that.
Because success in mule deer hunting isn’t just measured by what you bring home. It’s measured by what you learn when things don’t go your way. Sometimes, the most valuable seasons are the ones that end with tag soup.
Thanks for reading:
Thank you for reading and for being part of a community that values ethical hunting and the future of mule deer. The Mule Deer Foundation is dedicated to ensuring the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer, and their habitats through science-based management, habitat restoration, and strong advocacy. If you believe in that mission and want to be part of the work on the ground, we invite you to join us: https://muledeer.org/join. Together, we can ensure that future generations experience the same opportunities, responsibility, and respect for wildlife that define our way of life.
