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Wyoming Family Bags Five Huge Mule Deer In One Incredible Season
Wyoming Family Bags Five Huge Mule Deer In One Incredible Season
✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Mountain Home, Wyoming
If there is one lesson to be taken away from a Wyoming familys magnificent mule deer hunting season, its that putting in the work scouting an area ahead of time can pay off big time . Ryan and Jannette Hansen along with their sons Tanner, 17, Brock, 15 and Parker, 13 all shot huge bucks in the same southwest Wyoming deer hunt area . The family lives in Mountain Home, Wyoming, in Uinta County, and spending time outdoors has been a way of life for them. Ryan and Jannette both grew up hunting . The couple also has two adult sons that have left home and were also raised as avid hunters. Even amid such a legacy, the Hansens 2025 deer hunting season was exceptional . Ryan told Cowboy State Daily that it partly came down to luck and sheer tenacity while hunting. However, he credits the family putting in the work ahead of time. Once they drew tags for the hunt area, they spent months scouting it . They put in countless hours getting to know the terrain, hiking all over the place, observing deer movements, and picking out which bucks they wanted to go after once the hunting season started . It wasnt just a case of, Hey, lets go drive down the road and see if we can shoot a deer, he said. We really put in the work ahead of time . We put in the effort, and we were rewarded and blessed for our efforts, Ryan added. Their hunt area has it all in terms of terrain and deer habitat, Ryan said
. Vast sage flats, rugged canyons, thick timber, and mountain slopes; its all there, and the deer thrive in it, he noted. The family started hunting there during the September archery season but didnt get any deer . Mule deer are notoriously difficult to hunt with a bow, Ryan said. We had a lot of failed stalks, and a couple of missed shots, he said . Anybody that kills a mule deer with a bow is definitely a stud in my book. In all of our books, he added. The rifle hunting season ran from Oct. 15 to Oct
. 31, and the Hansens took full advantage of it. Parker got the first buck on the opening day of rifle season. He made a great shot at 463 yards, and it was his first deer ever . When asked how he plans to follow up getting a big buck as his first deer, Parker gave a simple answer: Get a bigger deer. Parkers buck was at the bottom of a steep canyon. That was definitely a hard pack out . It was literally straight up and out of that canyon, gaining about 700 feet in elevation, Ryan said. Jannette shot her buck the next day at 250 yards . Packing that deer out was easier than Parkers buck had been but still challenging, Ryan said. Im glad I had Tanner; hes my pack horse, he said. Tanner told Cowboy State Daily that packing out big game animals comes naturally to him . Its something I love to do, Im a hiker, he said. The day that Brock dropped his buck didnt start out well. He woke up sick, throwing up, Ryan said. Brock still insisted on going hunting . As the morning progressed, he started feeling better. When they stopped for lunch, he got worse again. Ryan said Jannette considered taking him home. But on the drive out, they spotted a nice buck, which disappeared into some timber
. They decided to go after it. Ryan practically had to carry Brock because his son was so weakened by sickness. But Brock was still excited to get the opportunity . They found the buck again, and everything came together when Brock made a 160-yard shot. He said, The adrenaline rush of getting a chance at such a quality buck helped me forget my illness for a short while . It was because he was so big, Brock said. The family returned home, and Tanner and Ryan went back out by themselves. They hunted all day with no luck . As evening settled in, they were high on a ridge when Tanner finally spotted a buck he wanted to go after, far below. He bombed off the top of that ridge and went right after him (the buck), Ryan said . Ryan went back to the truck and drove to where he knew Tanner would probably come out after pursuing the deer. It was about 10 miles of driving to get back to where he was, Ryan said . Tanner tracked the buck, and when it jumped from cover, he made a 250-yard shot. Father and son packed the deer out in the dark, with headlamps to light their way. Only Ryans deer tag was left unfilled . The rest of the family returned for the weekend and they hunted together, but to no avail. With the season coming to an end and his family back home, Ryan headed out for the last couple of days with a good family friend . They moved to a different section of the hunt unit, and when Ryans opportunity finally came, he dropped his buck with a 150-yard shot. The deer hunting season that is sure to become a family legend was finally over
. I was relieved that we were done. But kind of sad at the same time. It was a culmination of everything we had done, Ryan said
. Jannette told Cowboy State Daily that shes immensely proud of her familys hunting accomplishment, and she doesnt take living in Wyoming for granted. My nieces and nephews live in the city, and they dont even go outside, she said . Living in Wyoming is such a huge blessing in and of itself, for sure. It was a blessing for us to go out as a family and get all five deer, she added. The boys decided to get European mounts of their bucks . That is, a simple trophy mount, with just the animals cleaned skull and antlers. Ryan and Jannette plan to have a taxidermist do full shoulder mounts of their bucks, together on a double pedestal . It will be a his and hers double buck taxidermy mount, Ryan said. For the family, the hunt isnt just about the trophies and bragging rights
. Hunting is still about being solidly connected to the time-honored tradition of providing themselves with fresh venison . As the season shifts and colder weather approaches, hunting culture shows its enduring significance, not just as a means of sustenance but as a way to bond as a family
. For many, like the Hansen family, every outing reinforces the importance of preparation, adaptation, and perseverance in the sport.