![\"Parker](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hunting-family-Parker-eic-11.8.25.jpg\")
Parker Hansen got this mule deer buck during a family hunting trip in southwest Wyoming. (Courtesy Ryan Hansen)One Heck Of A First Deer<\/p>\nIf there is one lesson to be taken away from a Wyoming family\u2019s magnificent mule deer hunting season, it\u2019s that putting in the work scouting an area ahead of time can pay off big time.<\/p>\n
Ryan and Jannette Hansen \u2014 along with their sons Tanner, 17, Brock, 15 and Parker, 13 \u2014 all shot huge bucks in the same southwest Wyoming deer hunt area.<\/p>\n
The family lives in Mountain Home in\u00a0Uinta\u00a0County, and spending time outdoors has been a way of life for them. Ryan and Jannette both grew up hunting.<\/p>\n
The couple also has two adult sons that have left home and were also raised as avid hunters.<\/p>\n
But even amid such a legacy, the Hansens\u2019 2025 deer hunting season was exceptional.<\/p>\n
Ryan told Cowboy State Daily that it partly came down to luck, and sheer tenacity while hunting.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They put in countless hours getting to know the terrain, hiking all over the place, observing deer\u2019s movements, and picking out which bucks they wanted to go after once the hunting season started.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a case of, \u2018Hey, let\u2019s go drive down the road and see if we can shoot a deer,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really put in the work ahead of time. We put in the effort, and we were rewarded and blessed for our efforts,\u201d Ryan added.<\/p>\n
Parker Hansen got this mule deer buck during a family hunting trip in southwest Wyoming. (Courtesy Ryan Hansen)One Heck Of A First Deer<\/p>\n
Their hunt area \u201chas it all\u201d in terms of terrain and deer habitat, Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Vast sage flats, rugged canyons, thick timber, mountain slopes; it\u2019s all there, and the deer thrive in it, he said.<\/p>\n
The family started hunting there during the September archery season but didn\u2019t get any deer.<\/p>\n
Mule deer are notoriously difficult to hunt with a bow, Ryan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had\u00a0a\u00a0lot of failed stalks, and a couple of missed shots,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody that kills a mule deer with a bow is definitely a stud in my book. In all of our books,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The rifle hunting season ran from Oct. 15 to Oct. 31, and the Hansens took full advantage of it.<\/p>\n
Parker\u00a0got the first buck, on opening day of rifle season.<\/p>\n
He made a great shot at 463 yards, and it was his first deer ever.<\/p>\n
When asked by Cowboy State Daily how he plans to follow up getting a big buck as his first deer, Parker gave a simple answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet a bigger deer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Parker\u2019s buck was at the bottom of a steep canyon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was definitely a hard pack out. It was literally straight up and out of that canyon,\u201d gaining about 700 feet in elevation, Ryan said.<\/p>\n
![\"Tanner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hunting-family-Tanner-11.8.25.jpeg\")
Tanner Hansen got this mule deer buck during a family hunting trip in southwest Wyoming. (Courtesy Ryan Hansen)One Buck After Another<\/p>\n
Jannette shot her buck the next day, at 250 yards. Packing that deer out was easier than Parker\u2019s buck had been but still challenging, Ryan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad I had Tanner, he\u2019s my pack horse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tanner told Cowboy State Daily that packing out big game animals comes naturally to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something I love to do, I\u2019m\u00a0a\u00a0hiker,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The day that Brock dropped his buck didn\u2019t start out so well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe woke up sick, throwing up,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Brock still insisted on going hunting. As the morning progressed, he started feeling a little better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we stopped for lunch, he got worse again,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Jannette considered taking him home. But on the drive out they spotted a nice buck, which disappeared into some timber.<\/p>\n
They decided to go after it. Ryan practically had to carry Brock because his son was so weakened by sickness.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He told Cowboy State Daily that the adrenaline rush of getting a chance at such a quality buck helped him forget his illness for a short while.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was because he was so big,\u201d Brock said.<\/p>\n
The family returned home, and Tanner and Ryan went back out by themselves.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe bombed\u00a0off\u00a0the top of that ridge and went right after him (the buck),\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Ryan went back to the truck and drove to where he knew Tanner would probably come out after\u00a0pursuing\u00a0the deer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was about 10 miles of driving to get back to where he was,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
Tanner tracked the buck, and when it jumped from cover, he made a 250-yard shot.<\/p>\n
Father and son packed the deer out in the dark, with headlamps to light their way.<\/p>\n
![\"Jannette](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hunting-family-Jannette-11.8.25.jpeg\")
Jannette Hansen got this mule deer buck during a family hunting trip in southwest Wyoming. (Courtesy Ryan Hansen)A Bittersweet Ending<\/p>\n
Only Ryan\u2019s deer tag was left unfilled. The rest of the family returned for the weekend and they hunted together, but to no avail.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They moved to a different section of the hunt unit, and when Ryan\u2019s opportunity finally came, he dropped his buck with a 150-yard shot.<\/p>\n
The deer hunting season that is sure to become a family legend was finally over.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was relieved that we were done. But kind of sad at the same time. It was a culmination of everything we had done,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
![\"Brock](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Hunting-family-Brock-11.8.25.jpeg\")
Brock Hansen got this mule deer buck during a family hunting trip in southwest Wyoming. (Courtesy Ryan Hansen)A Freezer Full Of Venison<\/p>\n
Jannette told Cowboy State Daily that she\u2019s immensely proud of her family\u2019s hunting accomplishment, and she doesn\u2019t take living in Wyoming for granted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy nieces and nephews live in the city, and they don\u2019t even go outside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiving in Wyoming is such a huge blessing in and of itself, for sure. It was\u00a0a\u00a0blessing for us to\u00a0go\u00a0out as a family and get all five deer,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The boys decided to get European mounts of their bucks. That being, a simple trophy mount, with just the animal\u2019s cleaned skull and antlers.<\/p>\n
Ryan and Jannette plan to have a taxidermist do full shoulder mounts of their bucks, together on a double pedestal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be a \u2018his and hers\u2019 double buck taxidermy mount,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n
For the family, the hunt isn\u2019t just about the trophies and bragging rights. Hunting is still about being solidly connected\u00a0to\u00a0the time-honored tradition of providing themselves with fresh venison.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose deer don\u2019t go to waste. We eat every bit of them,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n