We drove up there today. Saw quite a few aspen that bears had been scratching. Definitely taking a bear tag with me. If I see a bear and not many deer I will shoot it with the muzzleloader. Now the question is do I take a rifle other than muzzleloader in case I get a deer and want to stick...
I drew NM unit 52 for primitive muzzleloader in Sept. My question is, are there a lot of bears in 52 that would make it worth taking along a bear tag? I made the mistake 2 years ago in the Gila of not getting a tag and had one walk in on me two evenings in a row, 15 yds the second evening. Of...
Thanks for the reply. I figured one of the first tests would be round ball or conical. I’ll take a look at the Thor bullets. I turkey hunt so I know finding the right load/ball combination will be like experimenting with turkey loads and choke tubes. I want to have a gunsmith check out the...
I drew NM Unit 52 for mule deer with a primitive muzzleloader in Sept. I will be using my dad's Hawken rifle that he gave me before he passed in August. I have shot it a few times before he died, but its been several years. I have never hunted with it, but he took whitetails with it back...
I've hunted deer in 16 a couple of times, but I haven't been in there in the fall seasons much the past couple years. There are deer there, but they tend to be in pockets. 16B is wilderness so I can't help with that. In 16A I've seen several deer west of Snow Lake, you might try there. I...
I haven't been on in a while because I've been skunked on tags the past couple of years. This year I drew primitive arms muzzleloader mule deer in NM Unit 52. I'm excited for this hunt because I will be hunting with my dad's Hawkin rifle that he gave me before he passed away this past August...
Got mine also on Saturday morning. Missed the opportunity for a massive bull Friday evening in the rain just before dark, too many cows mingling around.
I know there are bulls down there even though I haven't been in the wilderness. I've been in 16A and 16D and if there are elk there where they get pressured, I'm sure they are also in the wilderness on the old Whitewater Baldy Fire scar. Good luck. Enjoy the experience.
Nice bull and great story! I'll be down your way in a few weeks chasing muleys, I'll give you a call before I head out. My excuse if I don't get one will be that I'm just scouting for you and your hunt. LOL.
Great looking buck! If I can find one half that size in a few weeks I'll be happy. The buffalo skull is a great find and really adds to the story of the hunt.
Thanks for all the responses. Seems like what I've been doing is about the best option since everyone's replies are basically what I'm doing, with the exception of Mt House vs MRE. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something "obvious". I was kind of thinking the Mt House route for...
I'm not doing a backpack hunt per se, but I do leave camp early in the morning and typically stay out until dark. I'm looking for some ideas on lunches and snacks in the field that don't require a lot of gear to prepare. I'm trying to reduce the weight of my pack since I hunt alone and carry a...