If there is one lesson to be taken away from a Wyoming family’s magnificent mule deer hunting season, it’s 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 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.

But 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’s movements, and picking out which bucks they wanted to go after once the hunting season started.

“It wasn’t just a case of, ‘Hey, let’s 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.

One Heck Of A First Deer

Their hunt area “has it all” in terms of terrain and deer habitat, Ryan said.

Vast sage flats, rugged canyons, thick timber, mountain slopes; it’s all there, and the deer thrive in it, he said.

The family started hunting there during the September archery season but didn’t 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 opening day of rifle season.

He made a great shot at 463 yards, and it was his first deer ever.

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.

“Get a bigger deer,” he said.

Parker’s 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.

One Buck After Another

Jannette shot her buck the next day, at 250 yards. Packing that deer out was easier than Parker’s buck had been but still challenging, Ryan said.

“I’m glad I had Tanner, he’s my pack horse,” he said.

Tanner told Cowboy State Daily that packing out big game animals comes naturally to him.

“It’s something I love to do, I’m a hiker,” he said.

The day that Brock dropped his buck didn’t start out so well.

“He woke up sick, throwing up,” Ryan said.

Brock still insisted on going hunting. As the morning progressed, he started feeling a little better.

“When we 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 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.

“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.

A Bittersweet Ending

Only Ryan’s 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 Ryan’s 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.

A Freezer Full Of Venison

Jannette told Cowboy State Daily that she’s immensely proud of her family’s hunting accomplishment, and she doesn’t take living in Wyoming for granted.

“My nieces and nephews live in the city, and they don’t 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 being, a simple trophy mount, with just the animal’s 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 isn’t 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.

“Those deer don’t go to waste. We eat every bit of them,” Ryan said.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.