Drew 2C mule deer tag New Mexico-- Need advice

[muleymikey]

I don't know the area at all. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Would horse for transportation be helpful? Any Map help would be great. Any scouting tips would be awesome. I would take all the help I can get, as I will be comeing down alone. I will treat all info as confidential. I'm not sure how I can post my e-mail address but I'll try to figure it out later. Thanks, Mike

 

[legendsguide]

cool tag. there are some good deer in there!
sent you a pm

 

[jtnm]

Great tag! I am jealous.

 

[30inchbuck]

Great tag.

use it wisely!

Big Country - few deer - Big Bucks.



horses not required - They could not negotiate the cliffs anyway.


Good 4X4 truck - bring chains in case it rains. MUD GETS DEEP.

ATV will work also.


GOOD GLASS - Did I mention the country is BIG.

Get off the main roads.

Water will play a large part if it is dry.

I did get some glass on a couple of bucks last year that where 200" and above.

www.sjroutfitters.com

 

[muleymikey]

Legendsguide, thanks for the info, but I am not sure how to retrieve a pm? I haven't been on this site for a few years. Mike

 

[kilowatt]

muleymikey,

Go to the General Hunting forum and read what I just posted there under the thread "How do I post a PM" or words to that effect.

Brian

 

[legendsguide]

on the main page hit the "inbox" tab and put your user name and password in

 

[muleymikey]

Thanks, I got the PM thing figured out. I don't want to waste my tag. I have gotten some good pointers, but still not sure about guided vs self guided. I have been hunting mule deer for many years in the west. Mostly self guided, but several guided hunts also. I have never killed anything above 180". My best buck was self- guided. This tag is a little different as I know nothing about the country. I live in Washington state, but will be comeing back from the team roping national finals in Oklahoma City so I'll have my horse with me anyway. I'm in pretty good shape, have pretty fair optics and love to hunt. I'm hopeing this is my year for a slammer. 5 days isn't a lot of time, so trying to weigh my options are a tough call. If I win a lot of dough in OK City it's a no brainer. If not I'll be eating noodles this winter. Hopefully with venison added. Any opinions or help would be awesome, and thanks for the help you have already given. Mike

 

[turdburglar]

Congratulations on the tag, I drew the same one. I've never been there before either and I'll be glad to share any info I come up with. Glad you asked about the horses, I was wondering if I should bring mine as well. I'll probably haul them over at least once to do some scouting. I'm coming over from Prescott so the drive's not as bad as yours. Good luck on your rodeo and I'll keep my eyes open for WA plates. Jim

 

[legendsguide]

sent you a pm

 

[Gator]

Having horses you have just double your chances of scoring on a big buck, combine that with good glassing. Good luck in O.City.

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

I say horses will only better your chances . I can say when ever we have been out scouting or just checking cattle , deer always seem to be not as spooked when we have our horses vs. being on foot. Now Muleys are freaky, they stay and let you seem them but its like they know when the season opens too. But if your going to have your horses and they wlk fine in the hills , I say use them . My head horse freaks out if he can't see a fence , he's a city slicker lol.My sisters head horse is fine out of the arena and is a studd packer when needed . I think if we tried to snug down an elk or deer to my horse we would quickly find out how broncy he is lol...

 

[turdburglar]

Mikey, sent you a pm.

 

[muleymikey]

Thank you for all your comments. My head horse is a working cow pony thru and thru. I can rope either end on him, drag calves to a branding fire, chase wild cattle that don't get to town much. I can jump off him, drop the reins, and shoot a deer or elk and he won't move. He stands good while I put a deer on his back and he won't blow up on the trail. Then I can turn around and put a little kid on him for their first ride. The wierd thing is that he breathes fire when I need him to. I'll probably never own another like him. But then again they are all good when you use them. Just some better than others.Mikey

 

[Phantom Hunter]

If your horses haven't packed before, try putting a saddle pannier on them with a couple sacks of feed and lead them around till they get used to it. Most "using" horses will do fine. If they don't like the smell of blood try some "Vick's" in their nose to keep them from smelling the blood. Good luck in NM. I hope to bring home a Colorado buck this year.

Phantom Hunter

 

[paul]

big country, big deer, hold out!! as long as you can.

 

[Gator]

You just passed about 75% of the hunters by using horses, Most don't hunt to far from the road, The amount of time you use to go to and from hunting sites is hunting time pure and simple. I do believe that using horses you will see alot more game and they will stand longer, I have rode up on deer and Speed goats in the dark and have them move off 30 yards and stop and wait on me to move on thru, they only spooked after catching scent or the sound of metal on metal, Using a horse to push small canyon with a shooter up on top works wonders, and you can push alot of canyons in a day,The guy up top brings your horse down and around to you and you start it all over again in the next cayon. It's alot faster then trying to walk them.

 

[muleymikey]

Gator you sound like a man of some experience. Hopefully we can give it a try. Thanks for the info. Mike

 

[Crowdog]

Mike, you don't need a horse. In a way, the horse will be more work. There ain't a lot of water on that side, so you'll always be hauling water for the horses.
2C is a big, big country, and the deer are really, really scattered. We're starting to get the rain, but it's a little to late to really help. Look at the areas that everyone else drives by, like the areas along the roads, highways. The oilfield guys that you'll see out there will tell you where they're seeing the bucks, and when. The switchers are a real big help out here.
To tell the truth, you don't need a guide. You already done the hardest part, and that was drawing the tag. Contact the guys at the BLM office in Farmington, and the F&G crew, and they'll help you out.
Watch the sage flats, cause the deer will be on them at sunrise and at sundown. Thats were the 4x4 truck and good glasses come into play. If I drew the tag, I'd forget the Jicarilla fence line, and hunt the areas around Largo Canyon, Angel Peak, and Gobernador. Good luck, Anthony

 

[jtnm]

>fence line, and hunt the
>areas around Largo Canyon, Angel
>Peak, and Gobernador. Good luck,
>Anthony

I guess 2C has grown if Gobernador is in the unit 2C. You might want to look at the unit map. To bad it is not in 2C.

 

[Justahunter]

>Mike, you don't need a horse.

>2C is a big, big country,
>and the deer are really,
>really scattered.

The switchers are a
>real big help out here.
>
>To tell the truth, you don't
>need a guide. I'd forget the Jicarilla
>fence line, and hunt the
>areas around Largo Canyon, Angel
>Peak, and Gobernador.

This is my first post to monstor muleys and can't help but to reply.

Crowdog you are 100% right on the horse issue,Mike needs to forget about the horse, there is plenty of access in this unit and a horse would only be in the way.

Crowdog thanks for the compliment as I am a "switcher" that works in unit 2B, 2C, and 2A. I also guide during my vacation for fun.

Crowdog and 30inchbuck made a comment about the country being big and deer being scattered is precisely why you need a guide. A 2C tag is a jewel and if you want to get the most out of a potentially once in a lifetime tag you should reconsider the guide option. I am not looking for a client in 2C because I already have a client booked. Think about it. I know if I was going to a tropy unit and did not have time to learn the country myself, I would hire a guide (after careful research and references).

Gobernador is not in 2C, it used to be in 2B until the unit was divided.

Good luck on your hunt and I wish I had a 2C tag.

MM
www.sjroutfitters.com

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

Gobernador is in 2B still.Off of highway 64, 492 is the boundary, north of 492 is 2B, south is 2C. I agree with Largo canyon being a place to hunt though , and once snow falls , it loads up with elk too.

 

[muleymikey]

Boy's I'm taking notes as fast as I can, If there's any more switchers out there that might be willing to keep their eyes open and keep me posted I would be most grateful. I'll probably be moteling it so I would be close to a phone sometime. I doubt cell phones work in the hills but who knows. You guys have all been great, thank you. Mikey

 

[30inchbuck]

As far as cell phone coverage in 2C it is actually fairly good. Alltel in partners with the oil companys has installed plenty of towers so the coverage is decent. When you are on top. When you are in the canyons it is spotty.

 

[Gator]

Does CrowDog or his Brother work for your outfitting company as a guide.

 

[Justahunter]

Gator

Crowdog does not work for San Juan River Outfitters. We don't know who he works for. It would be nice to know if he was a registered guide and who his outfitter is. Most likely he is a landowner agent. In NM you do not need a guide?s license to guide on "private" land, you become an "agent of the landowner" but can not guide on public lands only private.

www.sjroutfitters.com

 

[Gator]

Thnaks for the reply it help straighten a few thing up. I'm still trying to find out who he works for.

 

[Hooked_on_Coues]

Get tire chains.

Don't go down any steep roads that have a grey color to them when its really wet.

I think your horses would be good. Give you something to ride out on when you get stuck.

It was raining a turd-floater down there yesterday.