We recently had the opportunity to chat with one of our longtime clients, Joe Mele. Joe has been hunting with SNS for nearly 15 years, and has had the opportunity to harvest antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer and elk across Wyoming and Montana.

Q: What are some of your best memories of your Montana or Wyoming hunting trips with SNS?

Joe: Man, I have so many great memories of my hunts with SNS. One of my favorite memories was on a Wyoming mule deer hunt. My guide and I spotted a bachelor group of about a dozen mule deer bucks all together. Several bucks in the group were shooters, and we were able to watch them for quite a while. I ended up passing on those bucks, but it was an amazing experience to see so many there together.

Another favorite memory was on a Montana deer hunt several years ago. That hunt came down to the last hour of the last day. Just before dark before the hunt was over, I killed a nice whitetail buck. I’ve had a few last-minute shots like that, but that one was the most dramatic.

Q: It sounds like there’s a story behind that one. What happened?

Joe: Well, I had always had a good track record for good shooting and one-shot kills. But on that particular hunt, I had missed two mule deer bucks earlier in the week. I was feeling a little down about it. The place we were hunting also allowed us to bird hunt, so on the last day of the hunt, I told my guide that if we didn’t kill anything in the morning, I just wanted to throw in the towel and go bird hunting in the afternoon.

That’s exactly what we did. My guide slung my deer rifle over his shoulder just in case, but I grabbed my shotgun and we went off bird hunting. It was just before dark and we were walking along a brushy river bottom. There was one more area of cover that we wanted to push through. Suddenly, a big ten point whitetail buck jumped up just in front of us. He took off across the adjacent field. In a near panic, my guide handed me the rifle. At the far end of the field, the buck took a left turn, giving me a broadside shot. I shot and killed that deer running at about 230 yards.

We were shocked at what had happened. Neither of us could believe it. Just as I had resigned myself to thinking, ‘Well I’m going home this year without an animal,’ it happened, just like that.

Q: Joe, which hunts have you done with SNS?

Joe: I have done quite a few, and several of the combo hunts. I have hunted antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, bull elk and cow elk with SNS. For the last few years I have been doing the cow elk hunt. I’ve simply run out of room for more antlers, and the cow elk hunt is just so much fun. Really, all of them have been great. I couldn’t pick a favorite. I’ve made some great friendships with everyone there and it’s always a great experience.

Thank you to Joe for taking the time to speak with us, and share his experience! For more information on mule deer hunting with SNS Outfitter & Guides, please check out our mule deer hunting page. For other hunts, please visit our home page. You may also call us anytime at 307-266-4229 or request a free brochure.

SNS is Wyoming’s top outfitter and the number one antelope outfitter in North America. With more than 700,000 acres of private land, we offer more opportunity than any other outfitter in the state. We offer hunts for deer, antelope, elk, black bear and moose.