ADDDICT
New member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2010
- Messages
- 110
After unsuccessful draw results in EVERY state, I decided to look into non-resident vouchers. I got in touch with a great guy names Jeff Urban with SureWest Custom Hunts www.swcustomhunts.com. Jeff had a lot of options but what I wanted more than anything was access to rutting bulls.
After several conversations and weighing my options, I elected to hunt a large 8,000 acre ranch in western New Mexico. I was told that there wasn’t a ton of elk on the property but there were some great bulls that hold up in there when pressure on public kicks in.
I anxiously counted down the days until Sep 30 arrived and I was on my way to NM. I was greeted by Jeff’s associate Bart Hicks and after a morning tour of the property and access points I was left on my own to figure things out. I really liked the DIY approach they offer. It saves the hunter money and has the feel of doing it on your own—they essentially arrange access and give you area information.
I was up at 4:00 am on Sat Oct 1st and out calling. Not a sound was heard across the cedars. It was around 40 degrees and absolutely no wind. I hiked the west boundary of the property and called until around 10:00. I saw very little sign and didn’t see anything. That evening was similar.
Sunday morning I was out working an entirely different section; same results. The water tanks had few tracks and old cow/calf tracks on top of that. I was really frustrated. Three days and not an elk?
On my way out I glassed the entire property and noticed the glimmer of a little pond way lower in elevation than Id been hunting. I worked down to it and couldn’t believe the amount of fresh sign. Not only tracks but at least one good bull track! He’d been wallowing in there the night before.
I ripped back to camp excited about the evening. And then it rained. And rained. And poured until 5:00. When I finally dared peek my head out to check the status I expected puddles everywhere—nothing! The dry ground just sucked up the water so I grabbed my gear and hauled A to the tank.
I got set up by 5:30 and began calling lightly with the Hoochie Mama. After 10 minutes I heard a faint bugle—way off. I kept plying with it on and off and about 20 minutes later I caught movement on the ridge about 1,000 yards away. I was able to coax this bull in with virtually no cover. Even though I didn’t have a decoy, he kept trotting in.
At 80 yds, he had almost gotten around me, downwind. I finally let one rip. The first shot was a little high but the video is great and you can see the steam blast out of him as the 180 gr Scirocco waltzes through.
Not a monster but a great and ONLY elk I saw on the trip. I had about lost my mind. I cant fathom some guys hunting 2-3 weeks without seeing action. Elk are addictive!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuLAWh5mQ0U
After several conversations and weighing my options, I elected to hunt a large 8,000 acre ranch in western New Mexico. I was told that there wasn’t a ton of elk on the property but there were some great bulls that hold up in there when pressure on public kicks in.
I anxiously counted down the days until Sep 30 arrived and I was on my way to NM. I was greeted by Jeff’s associate Bart Hicks and after a morning tour of the property and access points I was left on my own to figure things out. I really liked the DIY approach they offer. It saves the hunter money and has the feel of doing it on your own—they essentially arrange access and give you area information.
I was up at 4:00 am on Sat Oct 1st and out calling. Not a sound was heard across the cedars. It was around 40 degrees and absolutely no wind. I hiked the west boundary of the property and called until around 10:00. I saw very little sign and didn’t see anything. That evening was similar.
Sunday morning I was out working an entirely different section; same results. The water tanks had few tracks and old cow/calf tracks on top of that. I was really frustrated. Three days and not an elk?
On my way out I glassed the entire property and noticed the glimmer of a little pond way lower in elevation than Id been hunting. I worked down to it and couldn’t believe the amount of fresh sign. Not only tracks but at least one good bull track! He’d been wallowing in there the night before.
I ripped back to camp excited about the evening. And then it rained. And rained. And poured until 5:00. When I finally dared peek my head out to check the status I expected puddles everywhere—nothing! The dry ground just sucked up the water so I grabbed my gear and hauled A to the tank.
I got set up by 5:30 and began calling lightly with the Hoochie Mama. After 10 minutes I heard a faint bugle—way off. I kept plying with it on and off and about 20 minutes later I caught movement on the ridge about 1,000 yards away. I was able to coax this bull in with virtually no cover. Even though I didn’t have a decoy, he kept trotting in.
At 80 yds, he had almost gotten around me, downwind. I finally let one rip. The first shot was a little high but the video is great and you can see the steam blast out of him as the 180 gr Scirocco waltzes through.
Not a monster but a great and ONLY elk I saw on the trip. I had about lost my mind. I cant fathom some guys hunting 2-3 weeks without seeing action. Elk are addictive!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuLAWh5mQ0U
