Late Season NM Mule Deer

[Trial153]

 

Wrote this for some place else. Excuse all the names, the place i posted this we all know each other.

 

Well, I am heading home after our New Mexico mule deer hunt. As good as the hunting was the the company was even better. GK, Cord, Mike and Kasey were great to hunt with and be at camp with. We had a ton of laughs, great food and even a few serious conversations ( if you can believe that ) !!! The country was just stunning with a mix of semi desert open high country and big *** mountains. Big thanks to George for inviting me out and setting up all the details and accommodations, as well as showing me the area! Congrats to Cord on his buck and the guys for their hard hunting. Meeting new people and seeing new country adds so much to the experience. I had a great trip.

 

I lucked out on day three. I was hunting with George we started fairly early in the morning and promptly split up. I climbed a finger ridge and did some glassing I saw doe and yearling cross through a saddle about 150 yards from me. I decided to climb up and above that saddle thinking some more deer might come through. Shortly after getting to the very north end of the ridge with saddle below me a group of about 6-8 does came up from the west. A good buck was with them. They were about 250 yards out. At that point the buck pushed the does around and went due north off the saddle/ ridge following a doe. The other does headed toward the bottom on the west side. I told George via radio that I think that was my chance and I took off towards him going heading north to where the buck and doe went down the hill. Putting myself between the two groups of deer.

 

When I got to the end of of the open saddle they weren't in sight. After a few minutes of glassing below I noticed a doe going through a dry creek bottom north towards another ridge, about 300 yards below me. She stopped for several minutes looking back and then turned around and headed dead west towards where the other group of does went earlier. At this point pretty I well knew the buck was still someplace in the heavy cover below. I would stay there to glass till I found him.

 

After about an hour of picking the cover apart with my binoculars I finally relocated the buck. I was able to range him at 263 yards . He was in-between some large juniper and cedar trees and had a small ledge just above him. I took ranges on the ledge and several land marks and planned my stalk. I was able to very quickly use some cover and close the gap to about 60-70 yards..at that point I slowed down and creeped up till I was just above ledge. Once at the ledge I realized it really wasn't big enough to cover me at all. So I geared down even more. When I figured I was within 50 yards i started using my Binoculars again to relocate him, after about 15 minutes I spotted him slightly off to my left standing next to a Cedar tree. I ranged him at 43, and didn't have clear shot. After a couple minutes he took a few steps down and away from me. I whistled and he stopped to look at me he quartering away pretty hard. I was already drawn. At the shot I heard a solid thump, the sight picture was perfect when I touched the shot off.

 

Only thing that tossed me for a loop was when the buck took off after the shot one my fletching flew off and he bumped some branches. I had a lot of confidence in my sight picture and the shot felt good. I went back to my pack up the hill and radioed George, he said he would come around the bottom to help track him. I took my stuff and headed back down. I was able to quickly locate his going way track as it was dug deep and into the soft earth. George came over and we followed the track, with what blood there was almost impossible to see on the dry dirt except when it spattered rocks. We went about 60 yards and I turned to George saying that I couldn't believe we that didn't see more blood or the arrow at this point. No sooner then Words left my mouth, I look down and about three feet next to me the buck dead in a juniper bush. The shot turned out be spot on at my point of aim.

 

After some congrats and back slapping, no *** grabbing ...sorry to disappoint you guys, we took some pictures and then boned him out. Thanks to George my pack out wasn't bad at all. with the buck boned out and split up between the two of us the 2.5 mile pack out was a breeze. I am trilled with this mule deer coming off public land in a heavily hunted unit, and being in th company of great friends made the hunt that much better. mike and I did do a rough measurement on him coming up with a just a hair over 152. No where near my best mule deer buck however it just my be my favorite one. Trips like this with my friends are the highlights of bowhunting for me.

 

Thanks

Jimmy

[Trial153]

[BizCT]

Nice Mule Deer. almost a whitetail rack