Sandia Youth Hunt

Westsandiahunter · Dec 1, 2014

15 year old Carsten with his first Mule Deer Buck. He chased muleys around, the westside of the Sandia Mountains, for six days with brother and dad before harvesting this nice buck. Seen many monster bucks over the six days but could not get in range to try for one of those bad boys. He is very grateful for this deer. His brother was not so lucky but had many exciting experiences and a couple of shots on nice bucks. Time spent with my kids in the mountains...."Priceless".

hunting1 · Dec 1, 2014

Awesome! Big congrats!

twdjr · Dec 1, 2014

Congrats to the young man!

505Hunter · Dec 1, 2014

Congrats on a very nice buck!
I also have wanted to try that hunt in the Sandia's, how is it? Whereabouts on the western side did you go? Feel free to pm me if you do not wish to share on here.

Definitely a great memory and some good eatin'!

DW · Dec 1, 2014

Congrats young man! Nice buck!

NMPaul · Dec 1, 2014

Nice job. Pretty good he stayed focused for 6 days.

BUGLEnmIN · Dec 1, 2014

Great job young hunter, hard work has its rewArd. .. how far was the shot?

crazeymaez · Dec 2, 2014

Nice buck.Congrats

Westsandiahunter · Dec 2, 2014

Thank you. Yes, hard work did pay off and it turned out to be a learning experience for young Carsten. I believe it made it that much better to have hunted for so long and finally be successful. The shot was 45 to 50 yards on a steep incline. Carsten was sitting in with a herd of does on the side of the mountain when this buck wandered in. I had glassed him around 5:30 am but we lost track of him but knew he was still close so we stuck to the area. Carsten went out on his own while I glassed with my younger son Jurgen and then it happened.

Westsandiahunter · Dec 2, 2014

thanks 505. Sent you PM. Michael

12ring · Dec 2, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-14 AT 10:04PM (MST)[p]>Thank you. Yes, hard work did
>pay off and it turned
>out to be a learning
>experience for young Carsten. I
>believe it made it that
>much better to have hunted
>for so long and finally
>be successful. The shot was
>45 to 50 yards on
>a steep incline. Carsten was
>sitting in with a herd
>of does on the side
>of the mountain when this
>buck wandered in. I had
>glassed him around 5:30 am
>but we lost track of
>him but knew he was
>still close so we stuck
>to the area. Carsten went
>out on his own while
>I glassed with my younger
>son Jurgen and then it
>happened.

You glassed him up at 5:30am? You have eyes like a owl man.I'm I was up there during the hunt and it was dark at 5:30. Dark dark and im looking through swarovskis. Awesome awesome job to the young guy. Thats a tough kid. I have killed a few bucks up there and that mountain is no joke. Brutal on the boots too. In two seasons up there I blew out a pair of salmon quest boots.

You saw a few studs huh. Man I wish I knew where you were at cause I put some hours behind glass helping two young hunters and only saw 2 decent 4x4's. On was really cool looking. He had a huge scar below his left eye and his eye was totally white. Really white face too. I assume he was a older buck on his way down. I was surprised to see small 3x3's chasing does around already.

505Hunter · Dec 2, 2014

Does anyone else's blood get boiling and adrenaline pumping knowing that there is monster bucks 10 minutes away from your house?

Because I think I am about to explode lol.
I live about 5 minutes away from the mountains (tramway and Comanche). This is just super exciting, and really close haha

BUGLEnmIN · Dec 3, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-14 AT 08:08AM (MST)[p]505 ..I get pumped dude. .then I look at the draw odds and get really bumbed ha ha ha ha.,

vinihunt · Dec 3, 2014

sweet

505Hunter · Dec 3, 2014

>LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-14
>AT 08:08?AM (MST)
>
>505 ..I get pumped dude. .then
>I look at the draw
>odds and get really bumbed
>ha ha ha ha.,

Yes! Exactly BUGLEnmIN! That right there is the truth haha

Westsandiahunter · Dec 3, 2014

No eyes like a owl. Just know how to identify shapes in the dark with the binos at close range. It helped that it had silhoutted itself on the ridge. It took me a couple of minutes and my eyes adjusted and i could see the buck. A friend of mine introduced me to glassing in the dark this fall and it seems to work ok. The neighbohood lights were also lighting up the mountain a little where we were located. Thanks for the comment.

GoBigorGohome · Dec 3, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Dec-03-14 AT 07:44PM (MST)[p]Sandias is cool place to hunt... I was able to draw once and that was my first buck I harvested.i hunted the southern end from copper rd.No I can't even draw that place.... Draw odds are ridicules.... Hopefully my boys will be able to draw it soon... So far 0-2 for that unit for the draw!!

BUGLEnmIN · Dec 3, 2014

The odds for the sandias abd 2b are pretty much the same,,,SUCKY!!! Ha ha I guess that's why we gotta make it count when we do draw them.I've never been able to draw the Sandias and a friend of mine has drawn it 4 or five times as his third choice...make me sick ha ha