This hunt takes place on one of my favorite ranches, which covers more than 100 square miles of private acreage in Region K near Evanston. The ranch has a variety of terrain from forested mountains to brushy breaks to sprawling sage and serviceberry hillsides. It's ideal deer habitat and always produced big muleys, but with limits on rifle hunting pressure during the past five years this ranch has become a bowhunter's paradise.

It's not uncommon to see dozens of four-point bucks during your five-day hunt, and the bigger bucks are usually in the 26-inch or larger class. I I saw about 50 bucks in five days when I hunted with a group of fellows the year before this outfitter picked up the lease, and a friend, who guides for the outfit, said he sometimes sees 25 bucks or more in a single day. The property has produced many bucks from 30 to 40 inches wide, and more bucks in that category are being seen every year. If you're good at spotting and stalking or waiting over a water hole, you stand an excellent chance of taking a buck that would score 160 to 190 Pope and Young points, and there's a chance at placing an animal on the front page of the mule deer listings, too.

If you want to take this hunt, you must apply for a license in the tag drawing. The deadline to apply is March 15. Most hunters who apply in the special drawing will get a tag, and you can opt to get a preference point so that you can plan on a hunt the following year.

The oufitter has started building a log lodge on the property, and said it will be done in time for the 2009 season. Tag prices in 2009 are as follows: Nonresident special license with preference point $605, onresident regular license with preference point $366. You must send a 50% deposit to book your hunt. If you do not draw, you can elect to have a 100% refund or to apply the deposit toward a hunt the following year.

Elevations vary from about 7,000 to 9,500 feet. Most of the deer during the bow season range from 7,500 to 8,000 feet above sea level.