couesaddict

I picked up a leftover tag for unit 26 in New Mexico and was just wondering how the deer population is there. It seems that coues deer could be hard because of limited public land in the areas these deer inhabit. However, it seems that mule deer should be throughout the unit and I was wondering if anyone knew how the population was in this unit. I plan on scouting in September or early October for the muzzleloader hunt. Thanks in advance. Matt

I agree that mandatory reporting should be done for all hunts. In New Mexico, if you do not fill out a harvest report, you are unable to hunt the next year. I believe that there are a number of archery hunters who choose to shoot beyond their abilities which leads to many wounded deer. An area I have hunted mule deer in unit 33 in the last five years, I have had two friends kill deer that were shot in the hind quarters by archers that would have died. They were both still alive, but barely. I also saw a nice buck running around with an arrow sticking out of its butt. My son killed a deer in the same area this year that was shot by an archery hunter and amazingly was still alive in the late November junior hunt. This deer had a massive wound right below its spine with maggots in it. He might have lived and might have died. The point is that I think Game and Fish needs to manage things closer because probably as many deer are shot and not recovered as are killed by archers. I once spoke to a hunter who said he had wounded nine deer and had never recovered one. I personally love archery hunting, and all hunters should know their limits and never exceed them.

I sent you a pm. Matt

I have to say I love my darton. They don't seem to be that well known but my darton will fling an arrow just as quietly and as quickly as any brand name bow and they cost considerably less than most other bows. Matt

Got drawn for early archery in 4A. My dad also got drawn for this and he also got drawn for archery antelope in 5A, same hunt I got a 73" buck in last year. Matt

Thanks for the information.

I was just curious if anybody had any experience hunting elk in unit 45. I have a muzzleloader hunt and was going to go scout the unit in a couple weeks, just wondering if anybody had any advice. Thanks