NM Elk Hunt Pix

Calif. Hunter

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Dec 13, 2000
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Apple Valley, CA, USA
Here are some pictures from my trip to New Mexico, finally. Jorge, Moe and Axel had been there for a few days hunting deer, but in a different unit. So Moe and I went scouting the day before season opened. It was fairly cold, but not bad if you kept moving.
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Scouting.jpg


We saw a few elk, including a herd on this hill. There were 3 bulls that were 6x6 or better and one 5x5 and a 4x4. Too bad my little disposable camera didn't have a zoom.

elkcountry.jpg


Jorge won the draw and Axel took second - I drew the "You're screwed" slip from the hat. We had found a good waterhole that was being used, so Jorge and Axel walked in to set up on it before daylight. Just as it became light enough to shoot, Jorge saw 2 bulls coming in. One was a huge 6x6, that he whispered to Axel to shoot. (Jorge has shot several 6x6s and a really big 7x7, so he wanted his nephew to get the big bull.) Axel wouldn't shoot (he said it was because the elk was behind a tree.) Jorge's elk saw or smelled them and was about to bolt, so Jorge nailed him with a 340 gr Powerbelt bullet from his Knight muzzleloader at about 30 yards. The elk ran about 25 yards to the top of the hill above the waterhole and dropped. Axel took a shot right ater Jorge, but missed. The bull ran off about 75 yards and stopped, looking back like he was waiting for his buddy. Axel had a chance to reload and shoot again, and missed again.
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Can you say, "Bull Fever?"

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I didn't take a shot the whole trip, and passed up a shot on a pair of nice bulls because I wasn't comfortable taking a 150 yard shot with my new muzzleloader. Now I kick myself, after seeing how well it does shoot at that range! Maybe next year... but at least we saw lots of pretty sunrises and sunsets, between storms.

NMsunset.jpg
 
Thats great Cali, any time you get to get out and see wild elk, it's a good trip.
Keep tunig up that smokepole and next year them elks is in trouble.
 
This was our second trip to this area. We hunted a different unit (16-E) last year, just across the road, and I got a nice 6x6 in 2001. Then, the elk were all hanging out in Unit 15-b or Unit 13, just across the road from Unit 16-E. This year, we saw as many elk in 16-E as we saw in 15-B! It just depends on where they are getting pressured. We did all right for non-locals and unguided. Now if we could just figure out where all the deer go....
 
WTG! and like the rest nice pics.

Ya did a lot better than the one and only time I've tagged along on a NM elk hunt. 5 days I never saw a live elk. The hunter only saw one cow and one bull. Missed the cow through the trees. We had a blast and leared a lot about NM.

cmc
 
And FUN was had by all
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Thanks for showing us the pics!
You guys will have the hemmed up by next year

Are those photos typical of the area?
A friend just about has me talked into putting in for 16D archery this year.
What is your opinion?
 
Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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