newalleye

I hear you. I cracked a transfer case doing the same thing and decided that there are plenty of people with better vehicles for forest service roads than mine. Now one of the places I go is less that 1 mile from a paved road, it's just so steep that it doesn't get much foot traffic. Hopefully you'll get a bull this fall and the antlers will just come with the package.

Well it's almost exactly like finding a needle in a haystack, except that needles are shiny and don't blend in so well with the hay! Just kidding, but you should check out Rombo's friend's article that is a few posts down on the forum. He gives a lot of good advice, especially about what slopes to work while bulls are dropping and what equipment to take. Some things to add to the article are that you'll have good luck in prime locations while the bulls are dropping, but those "prime" spots get picked over quickly - especially in places like Arizona. Once everything is on the ground (say sometime after early May) you might start thinking like a person rather than like an elk. When looking at the mountain try imagining the places that you'd LEAST like to walk to. Those are the same places that pressured bulls love, and the places that other horn hunters don't want to walk to either. Beyond that, just keep in mind that if you do find a big fresh shed the other one is likely near by and you might be justified in spending the rest of your time working the entire square half mile in a grid pattern. A set is a heck of a lot better than just one antler! Lastly, if your eyes and legs aren't sore at the end of the day you probably didn't look hard enough. Good luck!

I've never uploaded pictures, but I enjoy checking out everyone else's antler pictures enough to give it a try. Each spring I can't wait to go out and put a few miles on. Its such a great thing to do by yourself or with company, and although there have been days that I've never found an antler, I've never had an "unsuccessful" day in the mountains. I've found a lot of antlers, but for some reason very few browns. My girlfriend enjoys going to, and this is a picture of her with 1 day's haul from last year. I found this set this spring, and I think it's an older set from the big antler in the 1st picture. I love it when they're laying right together! Here is a 6 point I glassed. I was standing at the top of a large basin, and of course the only antler I found all day was a 45 minute walk ALL the way across the drainage. Completely worth it. Ang with a backpack full. She hasn't found many, and the look on her face when she saw the big 7 point was classic. She literally ran to the antler! Smoke from the fire made the mountains especially gorgeous that day. With the 3 biggest sheds from a 2 day trip. And a picture of most of my finds from this spring. I wonder what my neighbors thought when they saw me taking antler pictures from my roof? Also this year I found a couple of lion-killed muleys, but unfortunately those can't be kept in NM. I hope you enjoy. -greg

128 1/8. Neat deer!

131 4/8

Good luck if you go. I didn't hear anything gobble last weekend when I was shed hunting, but saw several toms/jakes and the toms are starting to get some color. It was windy last weekend too and all the birds seemed to be concentrated in the very bottom of washes and streambeds. Heck, it was so windy I might not have heard them gobble even if they were!

Looks like you had a good trip. That's great that you were able to take the family out and have success - a lot more eyes for looking too. I put in a hard day Saturday for only two whites, and when I got back to my truck there were six raghorns standing around that hadn't shed yet! Good luck on your next trip and keep the pictures coming.

Not sure if you knew this or not, but just last year APHIS started an intensive "extermination" of feral hogs here in New Mexico. The official report is available from APHIS I believe, which highlights where and how many hogs they killed. They are/were running large numbers of camera traps, baiting, and then killing hog populations full force. That being said, the areas mentioned above were holding hogs until then. The bootheel may still have some, but when I went down there looking for them around the Hatchet mtns I soon found that they probably stick to the irrigated private property in the valley. Near Roswell there are still populations on some of the public areas around the river, but people I've talked to that have hunted them claim that they are very nocturnal and stick to heavy, hard to hunt riverbottom. Best of luck!

A very neat, unique deer. Congrats to you both!

I'll give it a try. Thanks for the advice!

Great job! That looks fantastic... if yo don't mind me asking, would you explain your process with those antlers from start to finish? I've got a lot of bleached or chalky ones that deserve more attention than they'll get in the garage and lamps/chandeliers/coat racks would be great ways to put them on display. How bleached is too bleached when it comes to refurbishing old sheds? thanks

There's a study going on where I work here in NM, and they're still finding about 5% to be active, and quite a few more inactive outside of their winter dens. Like has been mentioned...intense sunlight or temps above 65 degrees might bring them out but they're more concerned with getting warm than anything else. It's safe to assume you'll have very few encounters between the end of October and the beginning of March.

118 lbs.

129 now 123 4/8 hard horned A fanstastic deer no matter the score.

Thanks for the knowledgable responses Jim - some pointers I think all of us could use (I know I will). Good luck on your hunt Ryan and make sure to post some pictures...I'll be in the same type of country here in NM. I hope it's not as hot as is predicted!

What a great deer!! Congratulations.

Thanks guys - those are some monsters! I won't have to worry about it for at least another month now - struck out during the 1st 2 days of the NM season. Only saw 2 bears and neither were huge. Maybe in September...

Has anyone ever had their black bears tanned - not rug mounted? I'm going out for the NM opener and am looking at this as an option, perhaps something to throw on the back of the couch or hang on the wall. I've got many coyotes/cats/foxse and a bear hide might look good with them. What cuts should be made when skinning a bear for this type of job? Who near Las Cruces or Silver City would be good to take a bear to for fleshing and tanning? What are the costs of this type of product? I'd imagine $200-$300 as bobcats and coyotes are usually $50 - $80. Any suggestions of good bear taxidermists for shoulder mounts and rugs are also welcome. Thanks in advance. greg

What the heck. NM archery bull.

One area you might try is the very southern portion of unit 21B. The area west of Las Cruces north of I-10 has quite a bit of public land and javelinas aren't too hard to come by. They aren't in very big groups, but I guess all you need is 1! Good luck.

Thanks for that post. I have heard of Joel but haven't looked at his bears yet. And no, I hadn't looked at your bears - I like them both... that life size mount is fantastic!! If I end up finding a BIG bear I definately know what to do with it. Thanks for the help.

It's called a longnose snake. He should be glad he didn't pick it up as they have some disguisting habits - bloody secretions when irritated being the most offensive.

Kidso - I enjoyed the story and pictures very much, as I have many of your other stories. Thanks for going to the trouble of posting! Also, congrats on a great animal.

Bust of luck on a speedy recovery.

117 4/8