Ate my 16d tag

WVHUNTER · Oct 29, 2018

I drew a 16d second rifle tag this year. I got some recommendations
from Monster Muley guys picked one that I still believe is a good outfitter/guide.

I hunted the Northern half of the unit and it had pretty much everywhere I went it had burned. Grass had came back up everywhere and it only burned hot enough in small areas to kill the timber. But since it all burned the elk would have had to leave back in in May and not a couple of miles but twenty miles or more. It would have been a wasteland. It's questionable whether all the elk came back or not.

Elk activity was very limited. One to two hours after daylight and before dark. It got worse as the week went on. The moon was almost full the first day and by the last day it was full.

Temperature was 32 to 65 but I don't recall any frost. Had rain, hail and fog one evening, rain and fog one evening and fog one morning. So we lost 1 1/2 days of a five day hunt due to weather.

To be continued

Bowdeadly · Oct 29, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-18 AT 03:32PM (MST)[p]That a tough tag to swallow. In all other areas of 16 at least the smaller bulls were still screaming until 10 A.M. We went 2 for 2 by Sunday morning. Lost sat morning due to heavy fog.

WVHUNTER · Oct 29, 2018

Ate my tag continued:

We saw 60 to 70 bulls. Two or three were 300 class bulls that we didn't go after. Two or three were maybe 320 bulls but we were never able to get on them. The rest were small.

There was one other hunter in camp that had a 16a tag, he ate his tag also. There was about ten camps at the Apache creek campground and along the Forest road the first day.By the end of the third day most of them were gone.They had either filled their tag or got frustrated and went home. I expect the latter.

We didn't hear of any big bulls being killed and even heard some guided hunters were shooting 5 X 5 and small 6 X 6.

So I guess it was a combination of things. Drought, fire, moon weather at the wrong time.

Bowdeadly · Oct 29, 2018

It's been a strange year for elk this year. The archery hunters are the ones who really got hosed. Darn elk barely started to bugle during the muzzle hunt, even up north.
My cousins were chasing their 1st bull kill so they didn't pass on the smaller bulls. Decent 5x5 and 6x6.
Not gila monsters but great 1st bull trophy for the young hunters.

WVHUNTER · Oct 29, 2018

Congratulations to the young hunters. Most of the bulls had separated from the cows. We heard one bugle all week.

roadrunner · Oct 29, 2018

So, the rest that were small, didn't interest you or couldn't get to?

WVHUNTER · Oct 29, 2018

Wasn't really looking to shoot a small 5 X 5 in what is supposed to be the best trophy unit in New Mexico.

I could have shot a couple of different 5 X 5 within 100yds of the truck.

Trad Bow 1979 · Oct 29, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-18 AT 09:44PM (MST)[p]>Wasn't really looking to shoot a
>small 5 X 5 in
>what is supposed to be
>the best trophy unit in
>New Mexico.
>
>I could have shot a couple
>of different 5 X 5
>within 100yds of the truck.
>

Sounds like it was a target rich environment to me! Gotta remember that the term ?trophy hunt? or ?premiere hunt? means there is potential, not everyone gets a trophy bull. We gotta also remember that some of these toads we see getting harvested in the Gila are far from representing the majority of bulls that are taken. I'm sure it was great still to get out and see so many animals though. I hope you get another crack at it.

Trad Bow 1979 · Oct 29, 2018

Then again, good for you for hunting your hunt and not taking an elk you didn't want. It's hard when the hunt is not living up to your expectations. Again, I hope you get another crack at it.

BUGLEnmIN · Oct 29, 2018

The big bulls are there ,post rut and this being the third rifle hunt in the unit is what happened here. To see 60-70 bulls on a late season rifle hunt is awesome. I'm sure a select few lucky dogs killed some big bulls but that is definitely a tag that will make you work for it.

Muleman · Oct 30, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-18 AT 06:21AM (MST)[p]There were very few big bulls in the Gila this year compared to normal . The severe drought through winter and spring early summer made a big difference in antler growth. Just a tuff year for trophies.