Youth 2b deer help?

STOMPER · Oct 8, 2018

Well its coming down to the wire and i was going to see if i might get some help from some of you guys here on mm.

I applied my 12 yr old dayghter for the youth 2b deer hunt. She drew it and beings as its so far away i have no knowledge of the area.

With my current situtation i havent had the money to go up and scout. I get two court ordered days out of every fall i can use to check my kids out of school and take them hunting. Thats good and bad. Good because that gives me 4 days when combined with the weekend. Bad because they live in dallas. That means i have to drive all night thursday night and part of the day friday to get them to the area and then we have to leave monday at noon to get them back to dallas. Combined with my return trip home i have 22 solid hours of driving each way.

I know its not a lot of time but that will give me 2 1/2 solid days to get my little girl a buck. Her and my son are both dying to go camp and hunt so im going to make this happen. If any of you wouldnt mind parting with some info on a good buck or two or how and where to look for these guys with no migration i would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

roadrunner · Oct 8, 2018

PM sent.

STOMPER · Oct 8, 2018

Thank you roadrunner

Gator · Oct 8, 2018

Will call ya tonight and give everything I got on it.
Hope the information gets your daughter and you into some good deer.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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>the MM green signature club.[font/]

Bowdeadly · Oct 8, 2018

Dang it Stomped, they must have taken you to the cleaners. Going from 20 trips to Africa to not being able to go scout a unit. I feel for you brother. Hope it works out on her hunt. My cousin is scouting it now if he sheds any info I'll let you know.

tomvern85 · Oct 8, 2018

Pm sent

STOMPER · Oct 10, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-18 AT 10:12AM (MST)[p]Guys i appreciate all the help. Dont worry about me. I got remarried last year and to be truthful im flat busted but i have never been happier.

I can admit i was really spoiled before. Didnt really appreciate much. Now im thankful for every single meal i can provide for my family and life just seems to be more rich and worth living.

I wouldnt trade where im at for the world. Peace and happiness are things that eluded me while the money was flowing.

Im in a really good spot now. I wouldnt trade if for the world.

The separation from my kids is hard but the good lord blesses me with some real quality time when i do get to see them.

I will post pictures for you guys regardless of the outcome.

Again, thanks to all for the help

BUGLEnmIN · Oct 10, 2018

Stomp, I replied to your p.m. a while back. Did you get it? Glad to hear you're doing well!

STOMPER · Oct 11, 2018

I did not. I will check now. About 4 hrs from dallas then heading to 2b. Wish us luck

roadrunner · Oct 11, 2018

Chance for snow in 2B, Carson Nat'l Forest Sunday night...

tomvern85 · Oct 11, 2018

Best of luck stomper!

Jeffpg · Oct 16, 2018

I texted and messaged you buddy.
Are you still hunting?

roadrunner · Oct 16, 2018

340 miles of driving on dirt, 10 miles of walking and saw 30 doe and one confirmed two point, no shot opportunity.

Chased two on Sunday but could never get a good look at them, cover too thick and swirling wind.

Bulls are bugling good though...

STOMPER · Oct 17, 2018

Well i got home at 4am tuesday morning. We didnt have any luck. We were walking 10 miles a day and seeing lots of sign just no deer. I had good advice from gator and an outfitter in 2b. His name was jesse. Anyways, they put us in their hot spots. We had one 180?+ buck cross the road in thick pj country in front of us sunday morning at a dead run. My daughter had an opportunity at a 100? 3x4 shortly after that encounter. She decided to pass after seeing the big deer.

We hunted a lot by the jicarilla. Never did see a deer down there. We found a few dozen lion kills and even a 150? dead head. Also found a small pule of sheds ranging from a small 3x to a shed off a 190? buck that was this years shed.

My daughter had fun and so did my son.

I appreciate all the help from people on this site. We may not have got a buck but we at least were excited feeling we were in the right areas and the possibilities of a big buck were real.

Thanks jesse and gator. The help was appreciated more than you could ever know.

STOMPER · Oct 17, 2018

In total we saw 8 deer the entire hunt. To say the youth hunt is tough is an understatement. I was hoping the youth designstion when applying meant it was a hunt geared towards helping to hook our youth on hunting. Cant say i agree with the timing of this youth hunt. I wish the g&f could understand the importance of placing an impact in the lives of our youth to instill hunting values in them. I guess im still learning as a father though. My kids and i dont get to see each other much any more but we are closer than ever. Talyah had a blast being with dady i know that for sure. Im just hoping i didnt walk her too much and left a negative opinion of hunting. Maybe i did right and maybe i didnt. I may never know. I do know my 11 yo passed a solid buck knowing she cant kill a big one if she kills small ones. I have to admit i was proud of her.

The bad news is that i got her home 4 hours later than i was suppose to. Im now being told she wont be allowed to hunt next year. Guess i will just apply them for hunts and see how the cards fall and do my best to fight the good fight.

Jemezhunter80 · Oct 17, 2018

Stomper your a good man! Keep your head up man.

JRABQ · Oct 17, 2018

Sounds like you had a great time with your kids, hope the 4-hour late thing blows over by next year.

Gator · Oct 17, 2018

I hope it blows over too.
Hope to see her up there with us next fall.
Wish she had found one those big one's hanging around down there in 2B.
As you know You all are welcome to hang your hats with us anytime.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

RioHuntNutt · Oct 18, 2018

Im glad you had a good time and the travels were safe for you and your kids.As for that"youth" hunt, you are dead on that its tough and IMO it exactly the opposite of the type of hunt to get our youth hooked on deer hunting.In fact I believe it could actually turn kids away from wanting to hunt if they believe that the experience would be consistent of that youth hunt.Lots of miles,and hours upon hours and very little deer and even fewer opportunities for kids to actually harvest a buck...The NMDGF has it very wrong with this hunt with these early dates for a "youth hunt"...

toklat · Oct 19, 2018

Stomper, next year entertain having your kids apply for the Unit 4 (Humphries/Rio Chama WMAs/ NM Resident Only) Youth Deer Hunt.
I assume your kids still retain NM residency?
Apply for the second youth hunt identified on the 2018 proclamation, page 49 as DER-1-134, Nov. 21-25.
Only five tags are allocated and this is in fact a quality youth hunt.
This WMA is open to all public Hunter's for the first two October hunts. Difference is, deer migrate into this area during the late Nov. hunt from surrounding private lands and Jicarilla that are not there during the early October hunts.
Concentrate Hunting the Rio Chama WMA at El Vado and don't bother with the Humphries WMA west of Chama.
I can assure you a quality hunt encompassing over 17,000 acres which is walk-in only but very easy terrain.
Good luck.

roadrunner · Oct 19, 2018

We just finished the youth hunt with my second oldest daughter as well. 30 doe and one confirmed two point in 4 days. We chased two ither bucks, just couldn't get a get look at them, let alone a shot opportunity.

Knew it was a tough hunt when I put her in, but was a chance to at least deer hunt - not saying the season dates are acceptable.

Most people will fall backwards when they hear what I would propose for youth deer hunts in unit 2B.

My daughter asked "how am I supposed to stay interested in deer hunting if I can't even get a good chance to shoot a deer?" She gets it...

My oldest daughter has the very hunt you describe,toklat, the Nov Rio Chama youth deer. It will definitely be night and day to what we just got through with.

tomvern85 · Oct 22, 2018

Hey stomper glad you guys had fun. I wouldn't worry too much about the kiddos not being able to hunt next year. I've been down the same road and it's hard when everything is still fresh, but give it some time and things get easier.