I have hunted all around NE New Mexico for elk, mule deer and antelope. We hunted there last in 2002 for mule deer - South of Des Moines (about 6 - 8 miles from the TO Ranch). I have also hunted the Folsom area quite a bit. We probably won't be going back since the tresspass fees have gotten out of sight - supply and demand along with private land permits are just too rich for me. Not to mention the outfitters have leased up most of the good ranches.
Anyhow, the mule deer populations have really dropped over the last 6 to 8 years. Not sure if it is because of the mountain lions or the expanding elk population. We used to see 8 to 10 bucks with 2 or 3 shooters a day. On our last hunt we hunted hard and saw a number of does but only little bucks (forkorns, 3x3's, and basket rack 4x4's (16" spread)) until the last day (we saw four good bucks. 28" 3x3, the two bucks we killed, and nontypical 3x3 25" wide with all kinds of trash We hunted the hay circles, the alfalfa fields, glassed from the rimrocks, searched under every tree we could see for bucks bedded up.
You are not going to see many deer, but when you see a mature buck he has a real good chance at being a toad! There were 9 of us in camp - a 202" 19" Wide (extremely long tines) 8x6 was killed the first morning. We killed our two bucks locked antlers 30 minutes before dark on the last day of the season. One scored at 172 (27" wide) and the other scored at 158.
I am a pretty big guy (weigh 245#) in the picture to give you a reference. The two bucks we knew were mature animals but couldn't see their antlers before we shot - we counted 3-2-1 Boom and then shot. I was right and shot the buck on the right, Dad was left and shot the buck on the left.
My dad's buck - he was 20" wide....16" G2's and 11" G4's - 22" Beams and 5" bases. He was a really old buck....
My buck was really broken up and I found 5 of the 6 broken antler tips where they were fighting. Never found the right main beam piece. He is 27" wide w/ 17 1/2 G2's and 12" G4's and 28" Beams (left side) - his antlers are thin with only 3 1/2" bases which is why he probably got broken up. We guessed him at either 3 1/2 or 4 1/2.
Broke up antlers:
After Taxidermy: (front view)
Side view
An above average mature buck is pretty similar to mine in that area - 170 to 175 in the 26" to 28" wide-range. I saw another buck killed on a neighboring ranch and it was in the 170 range 26" wide, not as long tines as mine, but much heavier. Hope it helps.