5yearcoueshunter

Here is a couple pics of my first and only Coues. It's a semi-sneak. I thought it was interesting with the one ear normal and the other cocked back. Seemed natural to me. Enjoy! Travis

Hey Amanda, I have shot a few of them here in NM and they taste good. If you like mourning dove, you'll like these even better. They are a little bit lighter meated than both mourning and white-wings. Travis

Awesome job Amanda! I liked every bit of it. I was starting to get worried I wasn't going to make the cut, but you got my first Coues in there towards the end. Thanks! I loved the beginning with the sunrise pics. Travis

TLH, What you said makes good sense I do beleive there are pros and cons to the current system. You've have been very lucky in getting two tags in three years of applying. It's a little tougher to convince somebody like my Dad who hasn't drawn a buck Antelope tag as a resident in over 20 years that it's a good system. The ratio of LO tags vs public tags is way out of proportion in my opinion which is taking away tags that my Dad would have a better chance of drawing. Travis

The problem is that probably 80% of NM Antelope are on private land. When that happens, access is an issue. If you make it an all out draw like say Wyoming, you have to get permission to hunt that private land if you draw a tag and that is going to cost you some money, just like if they were the current LO tags. The way I see it, if you draw a public tag now, you get to hunt private and public land in that ranch and have just as good a chance and that trophy buck as the private hunter paying lots of money, which is usually non-residents. What I think needs to change is the ratio of private tags to public tags. I think the rancher is getting way more LO tags then what he should. I think the rancher is making more money on his LO tags then what he's loosing by having the Antelope on his ranch. From everything I've read and observed, Antelope do not compete with cattle. They have a symbotic relationship where the cattle will eat the grass down so the weeds can grow for Antelope. Its the same relationship that Bison and Antelope had. In my observations on some ranches in the NE parts of the state, the Antelope population isn't as high because the grass is too tall because the rancher doesn't have enough cattle. So I have a hard time believing that in most areas in the state that the Antelope is taking food away from the cattle. So in my opinion, the system doesn't need to change, just a better balance of LO tags and drawn tags. Travis

Thanks Doug, Amanda and all of you that donated prizes! It's these kind of things that make this the best hunting site out there! Thanks again. Travis

They don't mind the cell phone camera as long as you don't use them. They said they understand that almost every phone nowadays has a camera. Travis

Hey Chris, I just got back from my Dad's stallion range hunt. You can still drive off road to retrieve your Oryx. I would say that about 50 - 75 pecent of the range is sparse enough to drive and get it, but some areas are too rocky and have too many cactus to do that. A deer carrier would be a good idea if possible. It seems as if most of the Oryx have gotten wiser these last few years and are staying away from the roads anyway. Good Luck Travis

Sheep, Oryx and Ibex do not have a non-resident quota like the other species. Why this is I don't know, but I agree with you that it stinks. Travis

Rio Rancho here. I've been making the 5 hour plus drive to SW NM every year for the last 8 years. Probably an average of 2 times a year for scouting and hunting. Travis

Congrats on a beautiful NM buck! I'm sure it was very special with your son being there. Congrats again! Travis

Congrats on an awesome first Coues! That's something special right there. Travis

Congrats Amanda! Like said before, I felt like I was right there with you. I read it a couple of times just because it was so much fun to read! Congrats again on a beautiful buck! Travis

Well after 8 years of hunting Coues in NM I finally got my first one! I got a buck of a lifetime with a muzzleloader with a 175 yard shot. I had some help scoring him and we came up with 105 and 3/8 gross! I couldn't believe it when I walked up on him. I wasn't trophy hunting by any means, I was just trying to get my first buck, I just happened to get really lucky. And to top it all off I got him on my birthday! It definately was the best hunting experience of my life with all the difficulties I've had in getting one. My friend Jim also got his second coues buck on this trip so we got 100% success rate on the hunt. Jim's deer. Travis

Awesome job! Congrats!

Wow what a buck! Congrats Josh!

Thanks again everyone for your comments. Congrats on a great looking buck there. It seems like you get one about every year. That's awesome. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to weigh mine but we are thinking at least 110 field dressed. We were able to weigh Jim's and the previous Coues he got and they both went about 70 - 75 pounds. Mine was quite a bit bigger then his so we are fairly confident about the 110 mark. We have also weighed quite a few young muleys so we had somewhat of a reference. Thanks again everyone. Travis

Thanks guys! Jim's buck doesn't haven't the sticker point like mine. I definately looks like it in the picture, but I think it's something on Jim's shirt or the way the rack is curved. He is a typical 4X4. I also wanted to say that I couldn't have got this buck without Jim. He was a calming force when I started to get the buck fever again. LOL! Jim's shoulder was also my rest on the shot, so again I couldn't haven't done it without him! Travis

I drew a Unit 27 Coues Muzzleloader tag and a Valles Caldera bull tag! Wahoo!

Well I didn't get my off-range tag but my Dad and my friend Jim both got drawn for there once and a lifetime tags! My Dad has been applying for over 10 years and Jim as only applied twice! Both hunts are on the Stallion Range. Jim's is the same hunt as yours Chris so I'll probably see you there. Let me know if you need any info about the Stallion range. I've been there twice. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on field judging them, but I probably have some tips for you. Congrats on drawing it, you should have a great time! Travis

Scotty, looks like you had a great time. Mearn's quail are such a neat quail that live in some of the prettiest country. Thanks for bringing us along on all your hunts! I was also going to say that we have Gould's in NM but Kevin already said it. I've seen a few down in bootheel. It's a shame we don't have enough birds in NM for any hunting. Travis

Congrats Tommy! That's a beautiful buck. You definately earned him. Travis

It means the old type muzzleloader with a hammer and a percussion cap on the outside. No shotgun primers. No bolts or break opens. Loose powder meaning no pellets and no sabots meaning no plastic casings on the outside or bottom of the bullet. All lead or round balls with a fabric patch. No scopes meaning open or peep sites only. Brand such as Hawkins. Does that make sense? Travis

Way to go Tommy! That's a lot of activity. It looks like you have an awesome spot there. Keep us informed and good luck! Travis

Hey Jim, It sounds like you guys had a great hunt. My hunt went pretty much like yours. I probably saw close to 200 deer with quite a few small bucks. I glassed me up a really big buck the last day but couldn't close the gap and get close enough for a shot. Anyway, it was a great hunt and I hope to get lucky enough to draw again some day. I'm glad you guys had a good hunt too. Travis