Huntin' Stories

[Manamal]

Well I've been off work and hunting hard since the 9th of Nov. The 10-14th one of my hunting buddies and I were in unit 23 NM hunting bucks. The areas we hunt contain mostly mulies with some coues mixed in. More coues this year than ever before. We saw bucks every day, and legal bucks (at least 3 points on one antler) on 4 of the 5 days. We were hoping to find a better than average buck wether it be mulie or coues, and were prepared to go home empty handed. And we did. All in all I have enjoyed hunting New Mexico for the last few years over the counter. Its a beautiful place with alot of deer. I am glad however to see NM going to a statewide draw. OTC hunts get pounded with hunters. I really think that with the draw and antler point restrictions, alot of places in NM will be producing more trophy bucks with regularity.

 

So after the NM hunt we stopped in Safford for some supplies and met up with some friends in unit 32 AZ who had whitetail tags. We got there at 11:30 pm on the 14th and were up at 4:00 am for the hike to the glassing spot. I had no tag so I would "play guide" for a co-worker and his wife. Both had never taken a deer. The first morning I had been glassing for about 10-15 min and spotted a nice,tal 2x2 feeding on an oak. The buck was only 175 yards away! no stalk. Without hesitation my buddies wife asked for my tripod to steady her aim. She dropped him with the first shot and finished him with another. We were well over a mile from a road and the buck was near the bottom of a canyon (out of the wind). She insisted however that she wanted no help getting this buck out. Not a big woman at all just very determined.

Over the next few days we saw several bucks. The biggest being a 3x3 in the 80" or so range. My co-worker buddy missed him twice at 250 yards. There were some other misses on this hunt on 2x2's and small 3x3's. My buddy really got hammered by buck fever, complete with stammering and shakes!! I think everybody deals with buck fever to a point. The trick is being able to control it at the time of the stalk and shot. By the way, after each missed opportunity we followed up with meticulisuly searching for blood. None was found and none of the bucks showed sign of being hit. After the unit 32 hunt I went home to Phx. for a day of rest.

 

The rest was good, and on the morning of the 19th I met up with a good buddy of mine in Ash Fork who had a unit 10 bull tag. He had never taken a bull before and let it be known he wasn't going to be very picky. We hunted for two and a half days and saw 19 bulls, only one spike. He ended up taking a nice 5x5 out of a group of four bulls. In that group there was a 6x7 with a DROPTINE!!! in the 350 class. My buddy saw the 5x5 first and let him have it from 200 yards. Bull elk are big and heavy!!! He was down by 9:00 am and back at camp after dark.

 

Well after that much hunting it's going to be hard as heck to go back to work. Can't wait for the 17th to hunt bucks with my bow again. I also drew a 33/37b pig tag and a unit 1 turkey tag. I get a pig in 37b every year with my bow, and haven't been drawn for spring turkey since '98 when I called a nice tom into 10 yards and smoked him with my 12 ga.

 

Good luck to everyone with tags. Be safe and happy huntin'

 

 

Neil Large

[azcouesandelk]

Congratulations to your friends. Sounds like you had a great time.

[CouesWhitetail]

Manamal,

 

Hey, send me some pics from your deer hunts....especially of the lady and her buck. Sounds like you had a great time.

 

Amanda

[az4life]

Here we have another example of a True Hunter!

Manamal isHaving such a great time in spite of not coming back with a deer himself.

 

 

That is why the sport is called Hunting, and not Killing.

[hookedoncoues]

Well I've been off work and hunting hard since the 9th of Nov.  The 10-14th one of my hunting buddies and I were in unit 23 NM hunting bucks.  The areas we hunt contain mostly mulies with some coues mixed in.  More coues this year than ever before.  We saw bucks every day, and legal bucks (at least 3 points on one antler) on 4 of the 5 days.  We were hoping to find a better than average buck wether it be mulie or coues, and were prepared to go home empty handed.  And we did.  All in all I have enjoyed hunting New Mexico for the last few years over the counter.  Its a beautiful place with alot of deer.  I am glad however to see NM going to a statewide draw.  OTC hunts get pounded with hunters.  I really think that with the draw and antler point restrictions, alot of places in NM will be producing more trophy bucks with regularity.

 

                So after the NM hunt we stopped in Safford for some supplies and met up with some friends in unit 32 AZ who had whitetail tags. We got there at 11:30 pm on the 14th and were up at 4:00 am for the hike to the glassing spot.  I had no tag so I would "play guide" for a co-worker and his wife.  Both had never taken a deer.  The first morning I had been glassing for about 10-15 min and spotted a nice,tal 2x2 feeding on an oak.  The buck was only 175 yards away! no stalk.  Without hesitation my buddies wife asked for my tripod to steady her aim.  She dropped him with the first shot and finished him with another.  We were well over a mile from a road and the buck was near the bottom of a canyon (out of the wind).  She insisted however that she wanted no help getting this buck out.  Not a big woman at all just very determined.

                Over the next few days we saw several bucks.  The biggest being a 3x3 in the 80" or so range.  My co-worker buddy missed him twice at 250 yards.  There were some other misses on this hunt on 2x2's and small 3x3's.  My buddy really got hammered by buck fever, complete with stammering and shakes!!  I think everybody deals with buck fever to a point.  The trick is being able to control it at the time of the stalk and shot.  By the way, after each missed opportunity we followed up with meticulisuly searching for blood. None was found and none of the bucks showed sign of being hit.  After the unit 32 hunt I went home to Phx. for a day of rest.

 

                The rest was good, and on the morning of the 19th I met up with a good buddy of mine in Ash Fork who had a unit 10 bull tag.  He had never taken a bull before and let it be known he wasn't going to be very picky.  We hunted for two and a half days and saw 19 bulls, only one spike.  He ended up taking a nice 5x5 out of a group of four bulls.  In that group there was a 6x7 with a DROPTINE!!! in the 350 class.  My buddy saw the 5x5 first and let him have it from 200 yards.  Bull elk are big and heavy!!!  He was down by 9:00 am and back at camp after dark.

 

              Well after that much hunting it's going to be hard as heck to go back to work.  Can't wait for the 17th to hunt bucks with my bow again.  I also drew a 33/37b pig tag and a unit 1 turkey tag.  I get a pig in 37b every year with my bow, and haven't been drawn for spring turkey since '98 when I called a nice tom into 10 yards and smoked him with my 12 ga.

 

              Good luck to everyone with tags.  Be safe and happy huntin'

 

 

Neil Large

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[hookedoncoues]

[if you dont mind me asking. Where in 32 did they hunt?? My son has the junior hunt in 32 and was wondering where would be a good area to go.

 

Thanks

[Manamal]

Amanda, I will E-mail you some pics in the next few days. I don't have a scanner for this old computer.

 

 

Az4life you're right, some of my most memorable hunts do not end with blood. Since I have started passing up on the smaller bucks a few years ago I get to spend more time in the field doing what I love to do.

 

 

hookedoncoues, we were near the four mile creek area.

[hookedoncoues]

Manamal, Thanks, My son had the junior hunt in that unit last week. I hunted just North of Benson. I think in the little dragoon mountains.