Desperation bled into panic as I watched the chocolate-stained rack of an impressive, deep-forked muley bound up and over the ridge and likely out of my life forever. It was a punch straight to the guts after five days of grinding from sunup to sundown. Mentally, I was on the verge of a knockout. As hunters, we diligently prepare ourselves, and our gear, year-round so that we can capitalize on the fleeting opportunities we get each fall to notch a tag and fill our freezers. (Muleys: " Top 5 Rifle Cartridges For Hunting Mule Deer .")