Got back late last night from the annual Elk hunt in New Mexico with nothing in the bed of the truck but shattered dreams.
Deerslayer and Oklahomabassin present as well.
Day one had some snow on the ground, but not much. We spotted a small herd in the saddle between two mountain peaks. Only problem was we had to go up after them. Way up and it was steep. The south slope didn’t have much snow but the sun had the rocks no longer frozen to the ground so it was tough going. We went up 1200’ and had to wait as the elk fed their way toward us so we took some pics.
Started on the road in the background, coming up the ridge over my shoulder.
5 elk were within 400 yds but two drifted away to the South so myself and another hunter went around the peak to intercept them but were too late. They stepped into the timber before we could get on them. The others ran out of the saddle and down the slope so two guys from Nebraska went across the saddle and shot two elk on another saddle.
So the recovery begins as well as the snow. I had a 4X4, 4 wheeler and big sled so three of us had to walk back down unload the atv and work our way up a north slope with 8-10” of snow. Kept getting stuck even with one guy on the front and another on the back by the time we got as high as we could it was pitch black dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I stayed with the atv so I could flash the lights at them for location and they took off (Oklahomabassin being one)Two hours later, 4 of them had dragged the two elk down a slope, across a ravine and to the two track ranch road. We got them on the sled and finally to a trailer with a drop gate we also brought up the mountain to load up. Then all the guys got on top of the elk and we went to the entry gate. It was after 10pm by then an everyone was totally exhausted.
This is what my Life app showed on day one.
Got heavy snows during the night so we couldn’t glass in the morning. That afternoon it quit and we spotted a herd. Snow was a foot deep and the atv wasn’t any help. One in our group brought a snowmobile so we thought if he could ferry us half way up we could walk the rest of the way and stalk the herd. I was last one to ferry up and we slipped off the side burying the snowmobile past the seat with only a handlebar and one ski above the snow. Dug it out by hand and got it back on the trail. Started the walk up in foot deep snow and realized we didn’t have enough time before dark to get to them, so it was walk back down.
Day three, saw nothing but more snow but we tried to glass, only sticking a couple of pickups that got off the trail.
My truck was stuck in another location really good requiring a tractor with chains to get out.
Saw some elk on the neighbors headed towards our area so OB, myself and another hunter climbed up a slope in a foot of snow, got to the place where we thought they might cross and set up. About 30 of them came within 100 yards of the fence and bedded down at the edge of the timber. So we hiked back down. I hit a loose rock and took a tumble down the mountain carving a notch in my knee with a sharp rock. Still walkable though. Watched them later with the other two going up and me sitting out with the knee injury, and they never crossed the fence.
Day 4 started with a heavy snow falling. 3 additional inches predicted during the day. By then it would be pretty much impossible to even get up to shoot one, and then impossible to get one out and my knee wasn’t into quartering and toting up and down several times so we called it off and came home.
I can honestly say this was the most physically demanding hunt I’ve ever been on by far. Gonna be a couple days before all the muscles quit hurting.
Saw these three bulls but we had cow tags.
A pic of a cat OB and I “treed”.
Deerslayer and Oklahomabassin present as well.
Day one had some snow on the ground, but not much. We spotted a small herd in the saddle between two mountain peaks. Only problem was we had to go up after them. Way up and it was steep. The south slope didn’t have much snow but the sun had the rocks no longer frozen to the ground so it was tough going. We went up 1200’ and had to wait as the elk fed their way toward us so we took some pics.
Started on the road in the background, coming up the ridge over my shoulder.
5 elk were within 400 yds but two drifted away to the South so myself and another hunter went around the peak to intercept them but were too late. They stepped into the timber before we could get on them. The others ran out of the saddle and down the slope so two guys from Nebraska went across the saddle and shot two elk on another saddle.
So the recovery begins as well as the snow. I had a 4X4, 4 wheeler and big sled so three of us had to walk back down unload the atv and work our way up a north slope with 8-10” of snow. Kept getting stuck even with one guy on the front and another on the back by the time we got as high as we could it was pitch black dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I stayed with the atv so I could flash the lights at them for location and they took off (Oklahomabassin being one)Two hours later, 4 of them had dragged the two elk down a slope, across a ravine and to the two track ranch road. We got them on the sled and finally to a trailer with a drop gate we also brought up the mountain to load up. Then all the guys got on top of the elk and we went to the entry gate. It was after 10pm by then an everyone was totally exhausted.
This is what my Life app showed on day one.
Got heavy snows during the night so we couldn’t glass in the morning. That afternoon it quit and we spotted a herd. Snow was a foot deep and the atv wasn’t any help. One in our group brought a snowmobile so we thought if he could ferry us half way up we could walk the rest of the way and stalk the herd. I was last one to ferry up and we slipped off the side burying the snowmobile past the seat with only a handlebar and one ski above the snow. Dug it out by hand and got it back on the trail. Started the walk up in foot deep snow and realized we didn’t have enough time before dark to get to them, so it was walk back down.
Day three, saw nothing but more snow but we tried to glass, only sticking a couple of pickups that got off the trail.
My truck was stuck in another location really good requiring a tractor with chains to get out.
Saw some elk on the neighbors headed towards our area so OB, myself and another hunter climbed up a slope in a foot of snow, got to the place where we thought they might cross and set up. About 30 of them came within 100 yards of the fence and bedded down at the edge of the timber. So we hiked back down. I hit a loose rock and took a tumble down the mountain carving a notch in my knee with a sharp rock. Still walkable though. Watched them later with the other two going up and me sitting out with the knee injury, and they never crossed the fence.
Day 4 started with a heavy snow falling. 3 additional inches predicted during the day. By then it would be pretty much impossible to even get up to shoot one, and then impossible to get one out and my knee wasn’t into quartering and toting up and down several times so we called it off and came home.
I can honestly say this was the most physically demanding hunt I’ve ever been on by far. Gonna be a couple days before all the muscles quit hurting.
Saw these three bulls but we had cow tags.
A pic of a cat OB and I “treed”.
