ckurts: If you do the Hudspeth hunt, here're a few mule deer tips: The bigger bucks tend to hang out on the down-wind crest of ridges, near saddles. That way, they can see or hear anything coming up from below, or smell or hear anything coming over the ridge.
So, you walk along a ridge, near the down-wind crest, and keep an especially sharp lookout as you approach a saddle with its thicker brush.
Does and little bucks, when spooked, may run just any old direction. A "real" buck might start off down hill and/or down wind, but he's gonna want to go uphill, upwind. Sometimes you can cut the circle on him.
If you see a group of deer, don't watch the does and yearlings. That's not what you're there for. Look around them, into the brush.
You'd be amazed how big a buck can hide behind your hat. When walking cross-country, regularly look behind you. They'll freeze behind a bush, let you go by, and then stand behind their bush and stare at you. Mule deer are lazy and spend a lot of time doing nothing at all. They aren't agressive breeders, and don't get real excited about does unless it's miserably cold. I've seen 1-1/2" of tallow under a hide; think about how much chousing around you would do in 40-50 degree weather while wearing a down jacket...So, it's easy to walk right on by a nice trophy.
But your buddy probably already knows all this, and he for-sure knows the terrain.
By the way, a lot of the whitetail north and northwest of Uvalde behave in much the same fashion, although they do have the whitetail snoopiness.
Have fun!
Art