Mrs Valleys High Desert Muley Hunt

[Valley1320]

Probably shot it on the first day and has been stringing us along with sunrise and sunset pictures …lol

Ha I wish! This unit definitely isn't what it use to be from talking to pple. I think it could be amazing with a bow on the late bowhunt tho, once COs deer migrate in

 

[seeth07]

Ha I wish! This unit definitely isn't what it use to be from talking to pple. I think it could be amazing with a bow on the late bowhunt tho, once COs deer migrate in

In the past it may have been better but you can't deny there are a boat load of deer in there. I think the hunting pressure (it has gone up a lot under the last approved tag allocation for that unit) just has the bucks more nocturnal and hiding better. There are a lot of canyons and spots that are a very long walk to get into and that is where they are I think. You went to some great areas but those aren't even that far off the road and just look at how many deer you saw in there.

 

[Valley1320]

In the past it may have been better but you can't deny there are a boat load of deer in there. I think the hunting pressure (it has gone up a lot under the last approved tag allocation for that unit) just has the bucks more nocturnal and hiding better. There are a lot of canyons and spots that are a very long walk to get into and that is where they are I think. You went to some great areas but those aren't even that far off the road and just look at how many deer you saw in there.

There's truth to that. The jiracralla rez sent nmgf a msg last year saying to do something about the amount of forkys getting shot or else because supposedly it was affecting their deer quality. Not sure how they were gonna threaten nmgf I do agree with them tho on shooting forkys. Wish nmgf would either cut tags or up legal antler size to at least 2x3...

 

[Valley1320]

Okay to finish the story.
So we headed out this morning to hunt went to our spot for the morning just saw lots of does as well as 2 small forkys again that my wife was not interested in shooting which I was glad for. On the way back to camp there was a ridge overlooking a wash and sage flat. So we pull over and we walk the couple hundred yards out to the ridge and start glassing. Doesn't take long and I spot a small buck and a perty decent buck feeding in the sage that the wife was happy with for a last morning deer. So I run back to the truck and get the pack so she can shoot off it prone. Was gonna be like a 400-500 yard shot. I get back and we can't find the buck anywhere in the sage... we look and look and looks some more. As I'm looking my wife gets all excited and is like babe there's a buck bedded right there!!! I'm like where I spin around where she's pointing and 30 yards away behind us kinda I see a big fork protruding out from under a tree and there a buck laying there looking at us! I'm like shoot him shoot him! So she does! All this time I'm wondering what in the world was he doing laying there watching us!??!??!?! We walk over to him and it doesn't take long to realize why. He had been shot low in the leg bout blew his front leg off and had skimmed his brisket. Was already stinking perty bad from rotting. So bout had to have been shot on Saturday already. Needless to say that whole leg went in the barrel. Glad we were able to put him out of his misery.

 

[Muskeez]

Glad it worked out for you both, congarts on a fun week together! That's a story you'll never forget! but does the rest of the meat smell ok? hmmm????

 

[Nick87]

Thats a nice buck, congrats!

 

[Valley1320]

Glad it worked out for you both, congarts on a fun week together! That's a story you'll never forget! but does the rest of the meat smell ok? hmmm????

It did... I skinned and hung him in the cooler and cut off that whole front leg. Gonna see what it looks like and if any smell this morning

 

[duckhunt]

Congrats

 

[Valley1320]

Anyone want to throw some score guesses out there?

 

[jrabq]

Anyone want to throw some score guesses out there? View attachment 391454View attachment 391455View attachment 391456View attachment 391457View attachment 391457

150, deep forks help, but that still might be optimistic. My first impression was more like 140.

 

[seeth07]

150, deep forks help, but that still might be optimistic. My first impression was more like 140.

I'm right with you, around 140-150.

 

[Jamen]

147 5/8, very nice deer!! congrats

 

[WNC2500]

144 5/8
Forks forks forks
Drivers side seems better to me

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!

 

[vanish]

Gross 152

 

[Valley1320]

My guess was 148 and is wasn't right

 

[mevertsen]

Gross 166?

Guessing

52 for the mains
36 on tbe g2. Edit, i screwed up here. So, 24?
18 g3
20 g4
20 spread
20 mass

The error i had gets to 154 gross