New Mexico Muzzleloader Hunt

[hornart]

Well I will be getting on the road thursday morning to go set up camp for my muzzleloader bull elk hunt, hunt starts on saturday. Cant wait to be out there again, been a long years wait. I`ll hopefully be back with a good story of success. Take Care and good luck to those with tags to fill.

 

[sbhooper]

good luck hornart. I hope to see some pics soon.

 

[hornart]

Thanks Sid, I plan on having a great trip

 

[sbhooper]

Damn New Mexico won't even allow me to apply for an antlerless anymore. It has to be an either sex for full price. It kind of puts it out of consideration for me. I will just have to live the hunt through you I guess!

 

[hornart]

Apply for the standard bull hunts, they are only 555, Well then you have been at 100% success rates for the last 4 years, lets make it 5

 

[L. I. Yankee]

Good luck Steve....keep us updated and looking forward to some pics and a story.....

 

[npaden]

Good luck! All the rain made it hard in the archery folks so there should still be plenty of good bulls running around!

 

[hornart]

Well I harvested a nice young 4 point bull opening morning of the hunt, pics and story to come later. I had 2 new Friends hunting with us this year and I dont want to take the icing off of their cake by telling the whole story but we harvested 3 bulls in 3 days on public land. Thanks

 

[hornart]

Elk Hunt

Here is a picture of my muzzleloader bull, not the biggest I saw but he should be good eating

 

[hardwoods]

Congrats on a good hunt!

 

[Antcap]

Congrats!!

 

[L. I. Yankee]

great job Steve...congrats.....

 

[Big Fin]

That works. Congrats to you.

 

[Oak]

Nice job. Can't complain about 3 for 3..

 

[Elkmagnet]

Congratulations!

 

[sbhooper]

Good going. I figured you would get'er done.

 

[EODRay]

That should make for plenty of good table fare. Congrats!

 

[Paisano]

Now that the dust has settled and we're all back home, I'm due to chime in on this story. I was one of the "new guys" in Hornart's camp this year. The whole deal is really pretty cool. I don't facebook, tweet, link, on any of the social media stuff....but I do follow Hunt Talk pretty regular. I really appreciate how this site is down to earth and one on your own hunter can learn from another on your own hunter.

Back to the story.....during application season issues came up and I had to switch hunting partners at the last minute. I decided to partner up with a long time friend for elk in NM. He talked me into applying for a blackpowder tag. Well, we beat the single digit draw odds and drew a nice tag. So, I'm scrambling to learn about muzzleloading, buy a gun, etc., and I ask a question or two on Hunt Talk. Hornart replies and also sends me a pm and says "by the way, what unit did you draw?" The rest is history. When we figured out we had the same tag, we were off to the races! I got rigged up with a new muzzleloader and Hornart hooked us up with advice on accessible roads, hunting pressure, etc. Before long, my buddy and I had a standing invite to camp and hunt with Hornart's crew. Not wanting to impose, we were slow to accept but ending up getting know each other over the summer. I did get my share of "...so, you're going hunting with an ax murderer you met on the internet" jokes.

But the jokes stopped when we all got camp set up in the mountains. We ended up hunting as a team and, and as mentioned, brought 3 bulls back to camp in 3 days. Despite a few other archery tags in previous years, this was my first bull (the 5x5 on the left below). It was really cool to harvest that bull with a new friend 10 feet away that I met on Hunt Talk. I've been on several hunts out west but I probably learned as much in 3 days hunting alongside Hornart as in the last 3 trips I've made. He is a veteran elk hunter and knows how to get it done.

One of my favorite memories is when we were walking back to camp on opening day, I was still awestruck by the rut fest we witnessed that morning, and Hornart turns back to me with his elk head slung over his shoulders and says "...see, I told you I'm the real deal!"

Good times. Good luck to all the rest of the season. Long live Hunt Talk!!!

 

[elkrchr]

Now that's the way to get it done. I'm hoping for the same results next week on my OR rifle elk hunt.

 

[Dave N]

Cool deal, Paisano. That's how good things happen when you least expect it. Sounds like you've made a new friend for life.